Hiluluk's Cherry Blossoms

Snow falls gently over a grand castle. In the upper panels, the Straw Hats and allies discuss the situation. Nami says, “IT'S JUST GONNA BE A BIG TEAR-FEST FOR THEM...” Usopp adds, “JUST LET CHOPPER ALONE DO THAT.” Sanji suggests, “HEY, WE SHOULD GO SAY GOOD BYE AS WELL, TO THE GRANNY DOCTOR AND THAT HUGE GUY SHAPED LIKE AN ACORN...” Vivi notes, “THAT DOCTOR MIGHT SEEM CRUEL ON THE OUTSIDE BUT SHE'S A PRETTY SOFT-HEARTED PERSON ON THE INSIDE, YOU KNOW.” In the middle row, the group continues: “DOCTORI YES, ESPECIALLY SINCE A DOCTOR WILL BE COMING ABOARD. THAT'S FINE WITH YOU TOO, RIGHT VIVII” “YES, AS SOON AS CHOPPER COMES BACK, WE'LL GO DOWN AND SAIL STRAIGHT FOR ALABASTA!” “THEN SHOULD WE REALLY JUST GO LIKE THISI” In the lower panels, Luffy excitedly yells, “AWESOME, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THERE WAS A ROPEWAY!” while Usopp calls out, “YO LUFFY, COME GIVE ME A HAND.” Sanji replies, “ALRIGHT... WE'LL SET UP THE ROPEWAY IN THE MEAN-TIME.” Chopper stands atop a large snowball near the castle entrance.

Inside a dimly lit castle hallway, a long-haired woman in a black coat stands with her back to the viewer, looking toward a bed where a patient lies. She thinks, “OH...I IS IT JUST ME OR HAS THE NUMBER OF MY PATIENTS DECREASED...I” A small panel shows a door labeled “OPEN!” with footsteps approaching. In close-up, the long-haired man with sunglasses sweats and mutters, “TROUBLE-SOME BUNCH...” while a stern dark-haired man says, “I SEE... ‘IGNORING’ THE WARNING YOU GAVE THEM... THEY RAN AWAY.” The long-haired man suddenly spins around, eyes wide, and shouts “DOC-TRESS!” as he grabs a bottle. A small SFX “キキッ” appears near a hand on a doorknob.

Chopper bursts through the door in his reindeer form wearing a top hat, arms outstretched, yelling “DOCTRESS! I HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU!” In the next panel he continues desperately, “NO, LISTEN! I... I'M GOING TO BECOME A PIRATE! I'VE DECIDED TO LEAVE WITH THEM!” while the long-haired woman, now holding a gun, demands, “WHERE'VE YOU BEEN, CHOPPERI COME DOWN AND HELP CARRY THE CANNONS OUTSIDE!” In the large lower panel, the long-haired man with sunglasses leans in with a furious expression and roars, “THAT'S ENOUGH IDIOTIC NONSENSE!” Chopper, seen from behind, declares, “I'LL BE TRAVELLING THE WORLD AS THEIR DOCTOR AND CREWMATE! I'M GOING OUT TO THE SEAS!” The woman asks, “WHAT DID YOU SAY...I”

Inside the stone castle library, Hiriluk looms over Chopper with a furious glare. "WHO WAS IT THAT TAUGHT YOU ALL THINGS RELATED TO MEDICINE!I OR ARE YOU SAYING YOU DON'T FEEL THE SLIGHTEST BIT IN DEBT DESPITE ALL THAT!I" he roars. Chopper stands small by the door, replying, "YOU'RE MY ONE AND ONLY ASSISTANT!" Hiriluk continues, "YOU'RE NOT GONNA FIND A CASTLE AS GRAND AS THIS PLACE TO LIVE IN NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO! THEN YOU BETTER STAY HERE." Chopper answers earnestly, "I CONSIDER MYSELF VERY FORTUNATE FOR HAVING MET WITH BOTH YOU AND THE DOC! N-NO, THAT'S NOT IT! I'M GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR ME!" Hiriluk snaps, "DON'T PRETEND TO BE TOUGH! I'VE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF A REINDEER VENTURING OUT TO THE SEAS BEFORE!" Chopper shouts back, "THAT'S RIGHT, I AM A REINDEER! BUT EVEN SO!" Hiriluk retorts, "YOU COULD BE SAILING JUST FINE ONE DAY, AND BE A ROTTING CORPSE THE NEXT! AND BEING A PIRATE AIN'T WHAT IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE!" Chopper yells, "I DON'T CARE!"

Chopper explodes in rage, arms raised, "I'M A MAN AS WELL!" Hiriluk lunges forward with a blade, slashing as Chopper dodges. "IF YOU STILL WON'T CHANGE YOUR MIND, THEN I'LL HAVE TO BE OVER MY DEAD BODY!" Hiriluk growls. "CHEEKY LITTLE THING... I WON'T ALLOW IT!" Chopper screams in defiance, "DOCTRESS... WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND..." The fight intensifies with impact lines and motion as Chopper charges, "GYAAAAAAAH! A CRYBABY MIDGET LIKE YOU IS CALLING YOURSELF A MAN!I DON'T BE RIDICULOUS!"

Outside the towering castle, pirates and guards haul cannons while shouting, "STOP RIGHT THERE! LET'S JUST FOCUS ON MOVING THESE CANNONS OUTSIDE THE CASTLE, UNLESS YOU WANT DR. KUREHA COMING AFTER US WITH KITCHEN KNIVES." One asks, "WHAT'S WITH ALL THE YELLINGI" Another replies, "JUST IGNORE IT." Inside, the battle rages with Chopper and Hiriluk clashing violently amid debris and motion lines. Chopper roars, "GYAAAAAAAH!" Hiriluk yells, "I WON'T LET YOU ESCAPE!" From afar, observers note, "JEEZ... WHOEVER'S MAKING SO MUCH NOISE SHOULD SHOW SOME MORE CLASS. DON'T THEY KNOW OTHERS ARE TRYING TO MAKE A TEARFUL GOOD BYE...I" and "WHAT'S WITH THE NOISE INSIDEI"

Chopper dashes desperately, "I'M SORRY, DOCTRESS! BUT I WANT TO GO OUT AND SEE THE WORLD!" Hiriluk swings his weapon with fierce strikes. A black pirate flag with skull and crossbones waves in the background. Hiriluk demands, "JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU CAN EVEN ACCOMPLISH BY GOING OUT TO THE SEA!I ARE YOU GOING TO LIVE OUT YOUR DAYS AS DELUDED AS THAT QUACK DOCTOR!I" Chopper counters with all his might, "NO, YOU'RE WRONG...! DOC WASN'T DELUDED! HIS RESEARCH WAS COMPLETED!"

Snow flies across the rooftops of a snowy mountain town as chaos erupts. A man in a top hat and a long-haired figure stand near a building while a figure in a black coat flees. Speech bubbles read, "I'M BEING CHASED! WHAT'S GOING ONI" and "HEY, ISN'T THAT HIM COMING TOWARDS USI" Below, the top-hatted man shouts, "WE'LL BE GOING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN RIGHT NOW! EVERYONE, GET ON!" A nearby pirate yells, "HEY, WE FINISHED SETTING UP THE ROPEW-" as Luffy looks on with a puzzled "HMI" Suddenly the sleigh lurches violently. Screams of "ACHHHHHH!" fill the air while someone roars, "STOP RIGHT THERE!" Villagers below point upward in alarm: "HMI WHAT'S THAT UP THEREI HEY, LOOK! IT'S THE WITCH...! AH!"

The sleigh hurtles off the snowy cliff into the night sky. A massive full moon dominates the black sky as the tiny sleigh carrying the top-hatted man, Luffy, and others flies through the air like a shooting star. Vertical panels show the chaotic descent from the castle, the group clinging to the sleigh, and the distant view of the town below. Snow sparkles around the silhouetted sleigh against the glowing moon. At the bottom, a close-up reveals a long-haired man with goggles staring intensely upward, sweat on his face, as the sleigh soars overhead.

In the snowy town, onlookers stare up at the castle in confusion. Speech bubbles read, "I WONDER WHAT HAPPENED ON THE MOUNTAIN...I", "AND THOSE PIRATES WERE RIDING ON THAT SLEIGH...", "HE CAME DOWN ON THE ROPE-WAY HERE!", and "IT WAS DR. KUREHA'S REINDEER!" Questions fly: "WHAT HAPPENED TO WAPOL...I AND IS DALTON SAFE!I" The sleigh crashes through clouds with a massive "ドドドドドド" impact. Sanji wakes up dazed, asking "HUH!I W-WHERE AM II" while Luffy cheers, "WOO HOO!" and "THAT WAS AWESOME!" Someone yells, "DON'T BE STUPID! WE HAVE TO HURRY UP AND SET SAIL! DO IT AGAIN!" In a quiet snowy spot, a small figure stands alone as a tall man in a long coat and a long-haired woman face each other. She asks, "ARE YOU FINE," and he replies, "WITH A GOOD BYE LIKE THATI"

A close-up shows the long-haired goggled man with a fierce expression, declaring, "I'M NOT ONE," while another figure says, "FOR SAD GOOD BYES..." Below, frantic action unfolds. Chopper runs desperately across striped panels with sound effects "ドドド" and "ドドドド." The goggled man shouts, "DOC! THAT WAS REAL, RIGHT...I YOUR RESEARCH WAS COMPLETED BACK THEN, RIGHT!I THIS IS IT...! THIS IS THE REACTION I'VE BEEN WAITING OVER 30 YEARS FOR...! WE HAVE TO MAKE IT IN TIME BEFORE THEY SET SAIL! NOW FOLLOW ME!" Chopper cries out, "YOU TOLD ME THERE WAS NO IMPOSSIBLE FOR THOSE WHO BEAR THEIR CONVICTIONS ACROSS A PIRATE FLAG!...SAY IT ONE MORE TIME, DOC! DID YOU LIE TO ME ABOUT THAT AS WELL BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT IT'D MAKE ME SAD WHEN YOU DIED...I WE DID IT, CHOPPER! MY RESEARCH IS COMPLETE AT LAST!" The final panel shows Chopper running with "ドドド" effects as doubt creeps in: "OR... WAS THAT ANOTHER LIE AS WELL!I"

A fierce woman with goggles and wild hair stands with arms crossed, barking orders as a massive cannon is readied. "THEN FIRE!" she commands. A subordinate yells back, "YES, MA'AM!" while another voice asks, "ARE THE PREPARATIONS COMPLETE!I" In the next panels the woman sneers at a man in a black coat, telling him, "JUST SHUT UP AND WATCH." The man starts to protest, "WHAT'RE YOU EXACTLY PLANNI-" A hand drops a small pouch of red powder into the cannon. The weapon fires with a deafening roar. Enormous explosions erupt across the snowy landscape, shaking the castle towers as massive "ドカン!! ドドドドドン!! ドドドドン!!" blasts light up the night.

Explosions continue to rock the snowy town. Villagers stare upward in confusion as blasts echo from the castle. "IS WAPOL LIGHTING FIREWORKS OR SOMETHING...I" one asks. Another warns, "DON'T BE STUPID, THOSE WERE CANNON SHOTS!" A wide view shows the mountainside as someone shouts, "SOMETHING BIG IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN!" and "I WANT EVERYONE TO WATCH OUT FOR INCOMING SHELLS!" In the streets a man in a striped hat points skyward and yells, "THEN LIGHT'ER UP! ALL SHOTS FIRED, DR. KUREHA!" Dr. Kureha stands nearby with a confident grin, replying to the chaos around her.

In a quiet snowy forest a small sleigh carries a group through the trees. Nami smiles softly and says, "IT'S SO PRETTY..." Sanji replies, "YOU SAID IT..." while the others ride along. Suddenly a loud scream erupts from the sleigh: "AAAAAAAAA- AHHHHHH!" Chopper, terrified, yells "WHOA..." and "UOOOHHHH!" as a tiny figure is launched high into the air. The crew reacts in shock, with Luffy and others staring upward in panic as the small body flies across the night sky.

Dr. Kureha laughs atop the castle, "HEE HEE HEE... IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW A FOOL THINKS..." while a man in a top hat declares, "AFTER 30 YEARS OF RESEARCH, THIS IS THE ANSWER I CAME UP WITH!" Below, the red powder spreads through the air as the man shouts, "LISTEN...! THIS RED POWDER ISN'T ANY ORDINARY POWDER! IF YOU SHOOT THIS INTO THE ATMOSPHERE, IT'LL..." A pirate flag flutters as he yells, "GET OUT, YOU QUACK!" and "DAMN IT! I THOUGHT THE LIZARD'S EYE WOULD WORK FOR SURE!" The powder begins to fall like snow. Dr. Kureha commands, "NOW THEN... DYE THE SNOWFLAKES PINK!" while Chopper's distant cries of "UOOOH HHHH!" echo through the night.

Snow swirls violently across a desolate, icy landscape dotted with strange cylindrical towers. A speech bubble declares, "MY FOOLISH SON." In the next moment a massive close-up reveals a giant, sweat-drenched face with jaws stretched wide in a desperate roar. Speech bubbles burst around the figure: "GET GOING NOW," followed by the thunderous cry "UOOOH HHHH!" The background erupts with impact lines and scattered snow particles as the giant’s anguished shout fills the page.

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