Logia Brothers Chapter 26 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans! Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of The Logia Brothers! Treatment for Mikita! Then we need a Doctor for the crew! After that, it’s on to Alabasta and beating a certain sandy croc’s ass!

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So without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 26 – Treatment and the Reindeer Doctor

“Kakakakakak! Looks like we have some interesting visitors today.” Dr. Kureha cackled as Chopper pulled her sleigh up the last part of the massive ropeway leading to the back of Drum Castle. It was a good thing that this one was fairly well hidden, or Wapol would have surely destroyed it during his reign of the Kingdom.

“I’m still confused about the massive lightning bolt that tore apart the clouds.” Chopper replied as he pulled them up onto the snow-covered plateau. “What could cause that?”

“Well, whoever it is better be willing to pay up for causing such a ruckus.” Kureha chuckled as Chopper pulled the sleigh into a garage-like area attached to the back of the castle. “Who knows what’s going to happen,” She trailed off and Chopper reflexively transformed back into his hybrid state, making him much smaller than his regular reindeer form. There was a weight, or a sense of pressure really, bearing down on them. “…The air…it feels heavy. Kakakakakak!” Kureha started to laugh, seemingly dispelling the pressure as she took a swig from her bottle. “A rather intense guest has arrived, it would seem.”

“There's a lot of people here.” Chopper sniffed the air. He was short now, stood bipedal, and had maroon shorts on along with his pink top hat. His front legs had clearly turned into human-like arms, and his cloven hooves had become as dexterous as human fingers. He was a perfect cross between reindeer and human; clearly the work of a Devil Fruit.

“Hmph, well, let's go greet our guests, shall we?” Kureha strode forwards, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Chopper could only admire Kureha’s confidence in the face of this unexpected visit by strangers. They quickly entered Drum Castle proper through the small door that connected the back of the castle to the front.

They passed into the main entryway, noting with some satisfaction that the Snowbird nest on top of the door hadn’t been disturbed. Many eyes turned to the duo as people realized they were there. But Kureha didn’t pay them any attention. The old Doctor stared right into the dark eyes of a young man wearing a straw hat. He was clearly the source of the strange pressure in the air. If she was being honest, it looked as if the man had known they were coming before they’d even entered the room. But then, her Doctor’s Instinct kicked in, her eyes shifted over to the clearly sick woman on the stretcher next to the black-haired man. He was gently holding one of her hands that was poking out from the blankets she was wrapped in.

“Are you the doctor?” Luffy's questioned Kureha with cautious hope in his voice as he looked at the two of them.

“Kakakakak, that I am, young man.” Kureha replied with a confident grin on her face. She’d at least be respectful enough not to call him a brat like she did most others.

“Please, help my nakama! She’s very sick!” Luffy immediately bowed to the old woman. There was no pressure in the air anymore. The instant that Luffy had bowed to Kureha all of the tension seemed to vanish.

“Raise your head lad. I'll take good care of her. Just stay out of our way.” Dr. Kureha strode forward and placed her index finger on Mikita’s forehead. Her eyes widened after a moment. “105.7?! It’s some kind of miracle that she’s still alive!” She turned to Chopper and began to dole out instructions. “Chopper get the Phenicol and the Cardiotonic. Grab the Chialcillin too. She seems to have some type of bacterial infection. Nothing local either. Where'd she get sick?” She questioned Luffy, who snapped to attention.

“We were about a day out from Little Garden when she got sick.” Luffy answered quickly.

“It's a good thing you got her to me then.” Dr. Kureha told him straight, “Another day or two and she would have been dead.” Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats present paled at that news. “It’s been almost one hundred and ten years since a person had a confirmed case of Kestia Infection. I’m probably the only Doctor that knows how to treat it now days.” She looked the platinum-blonde over carefully, making note of the swollen area of the bite. “You can treat the symptoms and slow the infection’s progression, but you’re only delaying the inevitable that way. I suppose you have those cowards over there to thank for that.” The Isshi Twenty all flinched back from the short glare that Kureha shot their way.

“Mikita is going to be okay though, right?” Luffy asked hopefully as they followed Kureha and Chopper into a warm room with a bed and a lot of medical equipment.

“She’ll be fine once I get the proper antibiotic administered to her.” Kureha smirked at the Pirate Captain. “It’s normally a ten day treatment process, so I hope you aren’t in a hurry. My patients don’t leave their beds until their treatment is complete. There’s also the matter of payment to talk about, but we can save that for after I give her the first dose.”

“Thank you very much, Doctor.” Luffy once again bowed to the old woman, this time with a wide smile on his face. Mikita was gently transferred from the stretcher and into the bed before being covered up again.

“Yes, yes,” Kureha waved off his thanks before turning to Chopper. “Chopper, I trust you to watch over the patient while I prepare the antibiotic. You already know how to make this one, so there’s no point in you watching me.” With that the old woman turned and walked out of the room to prepare the medicine.

“Yes Doctorine!” Chopper gave a short salute before placing a bag of ice onto a towel which was suspended from a device at the head of the bed. The cooled towel was gently rested against Mikita’s forehead to help keep her temperature steady.

“Woooow! You're so cool! You're like a Doctor Tanuki, right?! You can even talk!” Luffy exclaimed with sparkling eyes as he looked Chopper over.

“W-w-what the hell are you saying?! I’m a reindeer! Calling me cool doesn’t make me happy!” Chopper retorted but the massive grin on his face contradicted his words.

“Hey, do you want to join my crew?!” Luffy questioned with the sparkles still in his eyes.

“W-w-what do you mean, join your crew?!” Chopper gaped at the human who had brought the sick girl and a whole bunch of strangers up to the castle. “Look at me! I'm a reindeer! I can't live with humans! I have fur and antlers and…and a blue nose! I'm a monster!”

“Nah,” Luffy shook his head with a chuckle. “You're funny!” He grinned at Chopper. “You're just a tanuki that ate a Devil Fruit, aren’t you? You’re nowhere near being a monster. You're smart and you're doctor, right? I totally want you on my crew!”

“Tanuki?! I SAID I'M A REINDEER, MORON!” Chopper screamed at him before the rest of what Luffy said registered. “Idiot! I don't need praise from you humans!”

“Shishishi! Right! So you’re half-tanuki half-reindeer then!” Luffy guffawed at seeing Chopper doing a happy dance at being complimented.

“I'M NOT A TANUKI!” Chopper roared with suddenly sharp teeth and white eyes.

“But you are a Doctor, right?” Luffy looked at Chopper inquisitively.

“I've been studying under Doctorine for years.” Chopper admitted with a nod. “She took me in after Dr. Hiriluk passed away.”

“Who’s Dr. Hiriluk?” Nami asked as she looked away from Mikita for a bit.

“He…He was like my father…” Chopper looked down, sadness radiated from his form at the memories.

“Was he nice?” Luffy titled his head.

“He was amazing!” Chopper broke out into a grin. “But he was also a bit of a quack, according to Doctorine.”

“A quack?” Sanji blinked at the reindeer-person. “Like a fake Doctor?”

“He made a lot of his own treatments…” Chopper rubbed the back of his head. “Not all of them worked.”

“Like how some Home Remedies don’t actually work?” Usopp questioned curiously. He was no stranger to relying on such things since he’d lived by himself from a fairly young age.

“Sort of…” Chopper couldn’t help the sigh he let out, the fondness he’d had for his father-figure seeping into his words. Without realizing it at all, he began to share his history with the Straw Hat crew.

It was almost an hour later that Dr. Kureha returned with the antibiotic and gave Mikita her first dose. After administering the medicine she turned to face the onlookers. She almost couldn't believe that Chopper was willingly sitting with the pirates whose names she still didn't know. Not to mention he was actually holding conversation with them instead of hiding away.

“Another ten days of taking her medicine and she’ll be right as rain. Kakakakak!” Kureha laughed as she faced the Pirate Captain. “She was exceptionally lucky that you were able to get her to me. Who are you anyway, lad?”

“Monkey D. Luffy, I'm going to be King of the Pirates.” Luffy introduced himself to the old woman. Chopper's jaw dropped at the sheer confidence in Luffy’s voice as he made that statement. Even he knew about the Pirate King!

“Kakakakak!” Kureha cackled at the introduction. “Well at least you’ve got the guts for it!” She grinned madly at him. “Would you like to know what she was sick with?”

“Sure, I guess.” Luffy nodded with some trepidation in his voice.

“I'm not explaining twice, so pay attention.” Dr. Kureha said before uncorking a new bottle of booze and taking a deep swig. “Your friend over here was bitten by an ancient tick known as a Kestia.” She sat in a chair and inclined it back, taking the front legs off the ground. “The bite mark you found was the first indication. A Kestia bite always swells up like that.” She took another drink. “They used to live in hot, steamy jungles. But the World Government did everything in their power to wipe the species out about a century ago. Congratulations on finding the one island in the world they apparently missed.”

“Just my luck…” Mikita groaned lightly as she opened her eyes. She was almost immediately surrounded by the crew.

“Mikita, you’re awake!” Luffy beamed at her.

“Mikita-chan!” Sanji was sobbing in relief over the platinum-blonde.

“Mikita!” Nami smiled at her friend softly.

“Good to see you awake again.” Zoro inclined his head to the woman.

“I knew you’d make it!” Usopp declared with his fist on his chest.

"Kakakak!" Kureha laughed at the smile celebration of the girl waking up. She was still about to burst their bubble though. “The Kestia tick carries in its saliva a deadly strain of bacteria which attacks the body for five days. Exactly five days without proper treatment. The infected rapidly develop a fever which never drops below one hundred and four degrees once it rises to that temperature. After the sustained fever is reached, it quickly develops into a superinfection which leads to myocarditis, arteritis, and encephalitis.”

Nami, Vivi, and Sanji – who actually understood most of those terms – blanched at what could have befallen Mikita.

“You were bitten about a week ago, I believe. Because you got treatment from those twenty cowards, they were able to slow the infection’s progress. However, in another two days it wouldn’t have mattered, you’d have died.” Kureha looked darkly at Mikita.

“I would have died…?” Mikita blinked in shock at the doctor. She’d been just forty-eight hours from death!

“That's right.” Kureha took another pull from her booze. “Luckily for you, you came to me. It would have taken ten days for the medicine of some less competent doctor to fix you up, and that’s assuming they even managed to correctly diagnose you. You wouldn’t even be able to get out of bed during your treatment either. But with my medicine, you'll be up and about in just three days’ time.”

“Thank you for helping me, Dr. Kureha.” Mikita looked pale, even with the flushed cheeks that her falling fever gave her.

“You're welcome.” The old woman replied, an actual honest smile on her face for once. “Now, let’s talk payment.” Her smile quickly became the familiar grin.

“Whatever you need.” Luffy immediately stated as he gently took Mikita’s hand in his own again. “My nakama are worth far more than any treasure.”

“Luffy…” Mikita was really glad her blushing couldn’t be seen through her fever.

“That’s good then,” Kureha chuckled as she looked between the pirates. “Which one of you caused the lightning that I saw when I was down in Cocoa Weed?”

“Me.” Luffy replied as he looked at the woman curiously.

“Part of your payment will be doing a job for me.” Kureha informed the young man.

“That’s fine.” Luffy agreed without hesitation.

“As for the rest of your payment, I think forty-nine percent of your total cash will suffice.” Kureha grinned at the pirates. She had to hide her shock when not a single one of them batted an eye at the price.

“Deal.” Luffy nodded firmly and extended his hand to the doctor.

“Don’t hold back, do you?” Kureha chuckled as she shook the Captain’s hand and sealed their deal.

“Shishishishishi!” Luffy laughed with a wide grin.

The rest of the day was spent going back and forth from the castle to the Going Merry to get Kureha’s payment. All of it was done under Nami’s supervision and once exactly forty-nine percent of their total treasure was collected, she stopped the crew from picking up a single extra Beri. Luffy wouldn’t have cared to give Kureha the majority of their treasure for saving Mikita’s life. But just over twenty-seven-million Beri seemed like adequate compensation.

Kureha allowed the Straw Hats to stay the night in her castle since Mikita was undergoing her treatment there. In gratitude Sanji had whipped up a feast for everyone as the night’s dinner. Kureha had actually complimented the chef on the meal. Chopper had stuffed himself almost to bursting on the delicious food. While he preferred vegetables and sweet things mostly, a trait from his reindeer heritage, his Devil Fruit made him an omnivore in his hybrid form. He’d sampled a bit from every dish on the table which led to his bloated appearance.

The next morning Luffy was dragged away from Mikita’s bedside by Kureha. The old woman took him to a set of large, thick steel doors. Looking at the large double doors, Luffy blinked before turning to face Kureha. Seeing his look Kureha explained.

“I need some of the things behind this door to complete a project I’ve been working on for the last few years.” Kureha stated as she tapped her knuckles against the heavy steel. “How well can you control that lightning of yours?”

“You just want me to open this door?” Luffy questioned as he examined the large set of doors.

“Yes,” Kureha nodded to the pirate. “It has a very strong lock that goes into the stone work on the top and bottom of both doors, as well as steel bars that connect the two doors to each other. Without the key I’ve been unable to get inside.”

“You should probably look away then.” Luffy grinned as his right hand and forearm began to glow a bright white-blue. Kureha turned to face away from the young man as he set to work.

Luffy stabbed his lightning fingers into the seam separating the two doors. The concentrated lightning super-heated the steel quickly and liquefied the metal. Slowly but surely, Luffy cut through the locks on the door. He had to get a ladder to actually reach the top, but once he was finished, with an odor hanging in the air from the melted steel, he simply grabbed the large steel door on the right and picked it up. Carrying the ruined door off to the side, and then doing the same to the left one, left the path cleared into the large room beyond.

“An armory?” Luffy questioned as he looked at all of the weapons inside the large room.

“Yes,” Kureha stated as she took in the various weapons. “This was where all of the Royal Guards’ weapons were kept in case of an attack on the castle. I’m only interested in the large cannons in the back though.”

“Why?” Luffy tilted his head questioningly.

“Stick around for another day and you’ll see.” Kureha chuckled as if the pirate had a choice. Mikita would still be undergoing treatment for another eight days before Kureha would let her patient leave.

“Are they still going at it?” Vivi giggled as she and Nami sat with Mikita as the platinum-blonde was already starting to look much better. According to Chopper, Mikita’s fever had dropped substantially and was now just over one hundred degrees.

“Luffy has the idea in his head, there’s no escape for Chopper now.” Nami grinned as the women listened in to the, rather loud, conversation going on in the next room.

“I told you!” Chopper roared, teeth looking shark-like as he screamed at Luffy. “I'm a reindeer! I have a blue nose! I'm a monster and I don't belong with humans! I can't join you! Why aren't you afraid of me?!”

“And I told you, that you aren’t a monster and you’re cool!” Luffy retorted for the umpteenth time. “Some of the tanuki on my home island could hunt wolves and giant boar!”

“DAMN IT, I'M A REINDEER, NOT A TANUKI! AND WHAT THE HELL KIND OF ISLAND DID YOU LIVE ON?!” Chopper screamed back at the pirate that wanted him to join his crew.

“Dawn Island in the East Blue.” Luffy nonchalantly answered the question as if they weren’t arguing back and forth about Chopper joining the crew.

“We need a Doctor for the ship,” Luffy looked Chopper in the eyes. “I’ve watched you work, you said that you’ve had years of training from Kureha, don’t you have a Dream beyond this island?”

“Oh boy, if he says yes then he’s a nakama whether he likes it or not.” Mikita giggled softly with a wide smile on her face.

“Yep.” Nami grinned while Vivi hid her own chuckles behind her hand.

“I do have a Dream,” Chopper admitted as he looked down. “The same Dream as Dr. Hiriluk. The Dream to be able to cure any disease or sickness in this world!”

“Then come with us! We’ll sail to every corner of the seas if we have to! Come chase your Dream together with us, Chopper!” Luffy beamed at the reindeer so brightly that Chopper almost had to squint. The straw-hatted Captain held his hand out to the reindeer doctor. It was the clearest invitation in the world.

“B-b-but I’m a not meant to be around humans…” Chopper was tearing up at this blatant and honest acceptance.

“If you want to complete the Dream you and that quack shared, then you won’t be able to by staying on this island.” Kureha spoke up from the doorway. “There’s only so much you can learn here, Chopper. If you want to cure every sickness and disease you come across, then you’ll have to explore the world and study things that we may never have known about. The world is vast and filled with a great many diseases and injuries. If you truly want to cure them all, then you have to take that first step.”

“D-D-Doctorine!” Chopper had rivers of tears soaking his fur as he looked at his teacher and mother-figure.

“Still such a crybaby.” Kureha smiled fondly at Chopper before taking a swig from her bottle to hide her own misty eyes.

“What do you say, Chopper? Join my crew and be our nakama!” Luffy extended his hand again and this time Chopper grabbed it with his own.

“Yes! I’ll join your crew Luffy! I’ll become the best Doctor in the world! I’ll cure every injury and illness we come across!” Chopper declared from the depths of his heart and soul. Kureha smiled proudly at Chopper as he made his declaration. It was time for him to leave home and truly see the wide world away from these shores.

“Sounds like we have a Doctor now.” Mikita grinned at Nami and Vivi.

“It does.” Vivi agreed with a giggle.

“There’s never any doubt once Luffy decides on a nakama.” Nami smirked with a chuckle.

Later that day a different argument was occurring.

“Absolutely not.” Kureha denied Luffy and Nami.

“Vivi’s country is in the middle of a civil war, we can’t stay here the full ten days.” Nami stated again.

“I don’t discharge my patients until they’re healthy or dead, no exceptions.” Kureha stared the two down.

“But we have Chopper coming with us, you said he can make Mikita’s medicine and give it to her.” Luffy recalled with a firm look on his face.

“He can,” Kureha admitted with a sharp nod. “But she’s currently my patient and until she’s better she’s staying here.”

“Doctorine, I wish to take over the full care and treatment of patient Mikita.” Chopper requested formally of his mentor and mother-figure. “I know her medicine, how to produce it, and the prescribed amount to administer to her daily. I will make sure that she is cured without fail, ma’am.”

“And where do you get off requesting such a thing of me, Chopper?” Kureha glared down at her student and surrogate son.

“I am a Doctor and a Straw Hat Pirate! I will never let my nakama die!” Chopper practically roared with a fire blazing in his eyes.

“Hah~” Kureha sighed before taking a swig from a bottle of booze that had been on a nearby table. “Only a Pirate for a few hours and already a big man, huh?” She smirked down at Chopper. “Kakakakak! Fine, fine, she’s in your care. You can leave tomorrow morning after I give her one last look over.”

“Thank you, Doctorine!” Chopper bowed to Kureha. Luffy and Nami both blinked at the situation being resolved without any further argument.

“That was awesome, Chopper!” Luffy exclaimed and Chopper flailed a bit before he started happy dancing at the praise.

“Have you met everyone yet, Chopper?” Nami asked their newest nakama with a smile.

“Yep! Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji!” Chopper smiled at her. “Though Sanji said something about emergency rations?”

“Oh, he did, did he?” Nami glared over at the wall, behind which sat the castle’s kitchen. “I’ll go talk to him for a second.” Nami walked towards the kitchen while Luffy and Chopper went back towards Mikita’s room.

At about mid-morning the next day the Straw Hats, including Chopper, were loading up the Going Merry with supplies while Mikita was being fussed over by said reindeer doctor, Sanji, and Nami. The whole town of Bighorn had come to see them off, led by Dalton. Kureha and Chopper were saying their last good-byes when Kureha turned to Luffy.

“Luffy, can you delay your departure for just a little longer?” Kureha asked with a grin.

“Huh? What for?” Luffy blinked at the old woman.

“Oh you’ll see in about two more minutes.” Kureha chuckled as after looking at a pocket watch.

“Hey, what's that?!” Usopp cried out as he saw something fire from the top of the mountain. The highest peak which the castle sat on at that.

“Kakakakakak!” Kureha laughed loudly as everyone turned to look at the top of the mountain. Chopper started to sob as a series of explosions went off above the castle, and beautiful pink snow started to fall.

“WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! DOCTORINE!” Chopper bawled as he saw his father’s dream of Sakura blooming in their winter island come true. Everyone watched in awe as the tall, cylindrical Drum Rockies looked exactly like cherry trees in full bloom.

“It’s beautiful!” Vivi exclaimed with a joyous smile.

“Amazing!” Usopp cheered loudly at the sight.

“Sakura Viewing on a winter island, what do you know?” Zoro chuckled as he was brought back to memories from his childhood.

“Will wonders never cease?” Sanji grinned up at the sight while taking a drag of his cigarette.

“Good things just seem to follow you around, you know that?” Nami smiled at Luffy as their hand found each other and their fingers entwined.

“Shishishishishi!” Luffy chuckled as he watched the falling pink snow.

Chopper hugged Kureha for all he was worth as he tried to stem his happy tears. The old woman wasn’t much better as she held her surrogate son and watched Hiriluk’s dream become a reality. That old quack and given her the best years of her life after his passing. He’d left Chopper in her care and she could never recall being happier.

Dreams were truly amazing things when they were realized. They could change the world.

-End Chapter-

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Woohoo! New Nakama! Doctor Tony Tony Chopper has joined!

Mikita is getting better!

A beautiful and sweet farewell between mother and son! The realization of a Dream! What could be more amazing?!

Now it’s on to Alabasta! A certain sandy croc needs an ass kicking!

What will happen when the Straw Hats reach Alabasta?

Keep reading to find out!

Until I get your reviews, later!