Chapter 28: Finding a Doctor

After sailing for a while more the crew started to feel really cold. Kai was relaxed while the crew started freaking out as it was snowing in summer. They came to the grand line without knowing about the weather phenomenon, heh, noobs. After a little bit more they spotted an island in the distance. They sailed towards it and they came up to a dock.

When the crew got off the dock they found a group of people standing in a semi-circle around them with guns in their hands ready to fire. Kai sighed. "For fuck sake, this whole kingdom must hate you Vivi. What did you curse them in your past life or something?" The crew stifled laughter but kept up their serious appearance. "Why are you pointing guns at us?" Luffy asked them.

The guards didn't lower their guns at all. "Get out of here pirates!" Clearly not even wanting to hear the crew out. Vivi took a step forward with her hands up. "We aren't here to hurt you! Our friend is sick and she needs help! We will pay for the medical expenses. Please just help her." All the guns pointed toward Vivi the second she took a step forward, even though she was just a little girl with her hands above her head. She looked about as defenseless as you could get. However this didn't matter to the men carrying their guns.

"I swear they are trying to start a war at this point." Kai mumbled under his breath, making sure it was too quiet for any of the guards to hear. "We don't have any doctors here! Go away!" The guard standing at the front said in a threatening voice. Kai noticed a condescending tone in it and thought 'not good'. Vivi continued to plead for help as she got to her knees and bowed.

"Please just let her see one doctor! She might die at this rate. Please!" The guard standing at the front had a small smirk on his face like he was enjoying this a bit. "We will never help pirates! Leave now!" Luffy started to get on his knees beside Vivi. He bowed as well. "Please help my nakama!"

The guard shouted. "I said no!" Kai noticed the guard's intention to shoot. "That isn't a toy. Only people who are prepared to die themselfs have the right to kill. Are you ready?" Kai said in a stone cold voice, trying to pressure the guard into stopping. The guard froze for a moment, terrifiyed of the man in front of him.

Then he thought about it, he had a gun and people backing him, whereas Kai had a sword and a few weird looking people with him. Feeling both superiority over Kai and annoyed that he was scared by a random guy in a mask he finally shot at Vivi. This caused multiple other guards to fire as well, which sent shots in all directions.

Kai soru'd in front of Vivi and caught the bullet from the guard who fired first. He used haki on his fingertips to catch it before he barely flicked his wrist and sent the bullet right back at the guard. Piercing him through the eyes. "I warned you." He muttered before using his sword to chop the rest of the bullets that came for him and Vivi in half. "STOP!" Someone yelled from behind the guards, causing a ceasefire.

The rest of the Straw Hats were unscathed from the shots fired as everyone could take care of themselves. Even Usopp used a special slingshot to make a shield for him and Karoo. Kai had totally forgotten that duck existed until now.

There was only one injury on both sides, and it was the fatal injury of the guard who shot first. All of the other guards just thought that it must have been a stray bullet that bounced off of Luffy. As he had inflated and let the bullet bounce off of him. Luffy had purposely made the bullets shoot into the air, missing the guards as he didn't want to hurt the people he needed help from.

A large man appeared behind the guards. "Why are you all shooting at people who didn't attack you? They didn't even fight back when you shot them!" He turned towards the Straw Hats and bowed. "I'm sorry. We were just recently attacked by pirates so we are a little on edge. I heard the whole story and would like to help you, but it may be a bit hard at the moment. You can come with me if you want. My name is Dalton."

"No, no, please raise your head Mr. Dalton. We barged in here unannounced. It isn't your fault. Please do take us with you." Vivi replied. Kai was impressed that she could keep up a brave face right after nearly being killed in a shootout. He chalked it up to her being a princess.

"You may follow me too the town Bighorn, but I can't promise you'll be able to see a doctor. I will explain why on the way." The crew discussed and reached a consensus Vivi, Nami, Luffy, Sanji, Usopp, and Kai would go with Dalton while Zoro and Karoo would stay on the ship.

On the way to Bighorn, Dalton spoke to the crew. "A few weeks ago our island was attacked by some pirates. Their leader called himself Blackbeard. He was ruthless and killed many while he was looting our towns before he left. I used to work for the king of this country, "Tin-Plate" Wapol. However I am no longer allowed to work for him because I disobeyed his orders."

Vivi asked him. "What did you do?" Dalton sighed sadly. "When the Blackbeard pirates attacked, Wapol told me and my colleagues. His other retainers. To go take care of the pirates. When we realized we were outmatched, he ordered his retainers to retreat with him and abandon the citizens. He said that we would all leave on his boat while the pirates were busy looting the towns. I refused to abandon my kingdom and its people and decided to stay and fight. Wapol and the rest of his retainers including all twenty doctors he kidnapped left the island and we were badly beaten by the pirates."

"What kind of king is that?! He left his people to die? He doesn't deserve to be king! You would make a much better king, Dalton." Vivi was furious at Wapol already but hearing the story firsthand really pissed her off. "Thank you miss Vivi, but I don't think I'm cut out to be a king."

Vivi gave him a sweet smile. "It seems like you are already acting like one. The people here seem to truly like you and treat you like one. Also, you have been helping out everyone you could since we got here. By the way, what did you mean by kidnapping twenty doctors?"

Dalton looked off with a helpless look in his eyes. "Years ago. When Wapol's father was still the king, this kingdom was one known for its medical achievements. A kingdom of doctors of sorts. However, when Wapol succeeded the throne after his fathers passing he made a new law. In order to become more powerful and inflate his own ego, he wanted to rule over the citizens while they groveled at his feet. So, he found the twenty best doctors on the island and took them into the castle as the castle's doctors. He took them whether they wanted to come or not. Then he banished all other doctors on the island. Due to the fact that the only doctors on the island belonged to the castle he could have the citizens grovel at his feet while charging them outrageous prices."

"So he basically created a monopoly on medicine? While also forcing the people to submit to him? That's actually a pretty smart idea. I bet he's good at stonks." Kai pondered out loud.

Dalton nodded. "Yes, he made his own monopoly and achieved exactly what he wanted. He made money and had the citizens dancing in the palm of his hand. However there is still one doctor left on this island. The witch doctor. She lives in the castle up on the highest of the drum rockies. Which are the giant mountains you see all around us. She only comes down when she wants too and will heal people at random while charge outrageous prices. Not outrageously expensive or anything but just outrageous in general. One time she healed someone and took a book shelf. Just plain weird."

"So this doctor can help us out?" Usopp asked. "Not likely, the last trip she made down the mountain was yesterday and we don't know when she will come back down again." Usopp was freaking out, and Luffy said. "Then we just have to climb the highest mountain." he had no hesitation in his voice at all as he said this. The rest of the crew nodded and Dalton freaked out. "You can't climb it! You will never make it! Plus you need to get by the Lapahn's." Luffy ignored him and looked at the crew. "Vivi and Usopp, you guys stay here in case the doctor comes back down. Sanji and Fujin, will you climb the mountain with me?"

Sanji and Kai nodded and Kai said, "Want me to carry her up? It is pretty steep after all." Luffy shook his head. "No. I'm the captain and she is my nakama. I will take her to get help." Kai just nodded. "You two go ahead. I want to ask Dalton one more thing."

The two left and Kai turned to Dalton. "You fought blackbeard right? How strong is he?" Dalton thought for a moment. "I can't say. He was too strong for me and I don't even know if he was going all out. All I know is that he used this black shadow like devil fruit power and we couldn't do a thing to him."

Kai understood. He would be more surprised if Dalton stood a chance when fighting against Blackbeard. "Did you try using fire by any chance?" Kai asked. Slightly hopeful. Dalton just smacked himself in the face. "Why didn't I think of that? No we didn't but I bet that would have worked." Kai reluctantly accepted the fact that he wouldn't get a read on Blackbeard's strength yet.

"I'm going to go. You two wait here and wait for the witch doctor. I'll be right back." Kai walked out of the building and ran in the direction of Luffy and Sanji. When he gets there Sanji is injured and Luffy is carrying both him and Nami on his back. Kai picks up Sanji off his shoulders. "What happened?"

Luffy didn't look back as he kept walking towards the mountain carrying Nami. "We were attacked by the Lapahn's and beat them. But then the snow from the mountain fell on us and Sanji sacrificed himself to protect me and Nami." Kai didn't respond and they both reached the foot of the mountain. They started climbing and Kai went first with Sanji on his shoulders. He used haki on his hands and feet to make handholds for Luffy to use as he followed him up. There was also a breeze at their back pushing them upwards and helping them climb.

Kai and Luffy climbed in silence and after about two hours of climbing, they had reached the top of the cliff. Kai pulled himself up and set Sanji down gently before turning around and helping Luffy up. He took Nami off his shoulders and watched him faceplant as he passed out. He looked up at the Old woman and the little reindeer who were watching the whole thing. "Yo."