(AUTHOR'S NOTE: HELLO EVERYBODY! Sorry, it feels like it's been a long time between updates again. My mental health's been taking a dive between work and some personal stuff so I had to deal with all that plus it affected my creative flow, giving me writer's block. But anywho-as of me writing this author's note, it's August 1st! Meaning in a matter of 19 days, it will be none other than MY BIRTHDAY! I'm turning 21, the same age as Zoro and Sanji currently! And I'm going to Las Vegas to celebrate from the 19th to the 22nd so don't expect ANY updates around that time. Idk how many of you know this but in Las Vegas they opened up a One Piece cafe which is why I am going there! I promise I'll take pictures of the OP Cafe from the interior to the food for y'all to see! Anywho,uh, after this and maybe 1-2 more chapters I'll be moving on from Drum Island and I may or may not be planning my own type of 'Arc' Pre-Alabasta. Not gonna say anything other than it's gonna dive into more witch stuff if I end up writing it. LMK if a fanmade arc would be something you'd wanna read. Also, I'm thinking after writing for Alabasta or maybe after Skypiea(which tbh I'm not excited to be writing for), I will be ending this story as a sort of "End of Book One" type thing because I am scared of potential chapter limits. It may take longer because I'm thinking of maybe actually plotting out my chapters rather than writing everything on the spot, but that's something I'll be figuring out. Anywho, I hope you enjoy the chapter!)

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Chapter Thirty-One

" Chopper and Isaac Vs. Chessmarimo"

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(NO POV)

Now that he and Sanji were over wanting to eat him, Luffy was desperately trying to recruit Chopper to his crew, however, Chopper constantly refused. When Sanji, Nami, and Isaac asked about it Doctorine began telling them more of Chopper's story, specifically about his history with his now-deceased father figure, Dr. Hiriluk whose homemade jolly roger now flew proudly at the top of the castle's flagpole. Isaac was in tears, "Poor Chopper! Why is it even in another world reality is so cruel!" He bawled. His crying was then interrupted when Chopper, now in normal reindeer form, burst through the door. "Doctorine! There's trouble! Wapol is back!" Chopper exclaimed. Doctorine smirked, "Is he now?"

Luffy growled from the window, glaring at Wapol and his 2 henchmen, Chess and Kuromarimo. "It's the guy with the annoying mouth!" Meanwhile, Wapol was laughing in triumph at his successful return, "I have finally returned! Now, at long last, we shall restore Drum Kingdom!" Chess interrupted his laughter, "Hold on, Wapol, sir! Atop the castle!" He exclaimed. Wapol grunted before looking up, squinting to see Dr. Hiriluk's cherry blossom flag. "Why is that strange flag there!? It's an outrage! What happened to the Drum Kingdom flag!?" He shouted. Doctorine cackled, Chopper at her side, "That old thing? I burned it!" She replied. "Well, Dr. Kureha, the last survivor of our doctor hunt. Get outta my castle!" Wapol commanded.

"This castle is no longer yours! It saw enough corruption under your reign, now leave! Not just here, the country too! The Drum Kingdom's dead, moron!" Doctorine shouted back. "WHAT!?" Wapol was flabbergasted. "Hold on! This guy is mine!" Shouted Luffy who was charging from behind Doctorine and Chopper. "Wapol, sir, it's the Straw Hat!" Cried out Chess. 

"GUM-GUM...PISTOL!"

Luffy punched Wapol hard enough to send him flying far backward, causing Chess and Kuromarimo to cry out in worry for their leader and shocking both Doctorine and Chopper. The two henchmen grabbed Wapol by the ankles right before he fell off the cliff. "I'm really sick of you guys...What's your problem? How many times are you going to get in our way!?" Luffy growled. Sanji and Isaac walked outside of the castle, glaring in the direction of the three causing them trouble. "Not these guys again..." Sanji groaned. Isaac looked at Sanji confused and he briefly summarized how he and Luffy were attacked again by them while trying to transport Nami here. Isaac balled his fists, "Bastard!" 

"Last time I had to hold off fighting you guys so I could protect my friend. But now..." Luffy grinned, "Ooooh are you guys gonna get it!" "How dare you attack the king of the Drum Kingdom!" "Yeah! Show some respect!" Luffy pulled the sides of his face in a mocking way, "Who cares!? He ticked me off!" Doctorine put a hand on her hip, "So I take it you've run into them before, Young Man?" She asked Luffy. "Yeah, I do! He's that annoying big-mouthed pirate! He ate part of our ship and attacked me and my friends! This guy's got it comin' and I'mma give it to him!" Luffy replied. "Okay but before you do that, aren't you cold Luffy?" Isaac asked putting his hands in the pockets of his parka. "Did he say he was a king!? I thought he was a pirate!" Luffy exclaimed. "YOU JUST NOW NOTICED!?" Sanji and Isaac shouted. "So you're disrespectful and have wax in your ears. Wapol is the king of Drum Kingdom and was only temporarily a pirate." Said Kuromarimo. "Yeah, Wapol's pirate days are behind him. So now he's returned to reclaim his castle and his country." Chess added.

Luffy shivered, "Man it's freezing out here!" Sanji rolled his eyes, "You really are an idiot." "Yeah, it's 50 below zero!" Chopper said. "I think they're ignoring us!" Chess growled in offense. Wapol sat back up, "Straw Hat...You've got some nerve! Just you wait, I'mma bite you to pieces!" He shouted. Isaac cupped his hands, shouting, "Hey, sorry, can you wait a minute! Cap ran inside to get a coat!" "HE'S GONE!?" Wapol exclaimed. Chopper looked over at Sanji and Isaac, "Hey, tell me something. Your friend can stretch himself. How?" He asked. "Oh that. It's because he's a rubber man." Sanji replied. "What's that?" Chopper asked. Isaac grinned, "Well, you see Chopper, Luffy ate the Gum-Gum Fruit and now he's super stretchy like rubber!" He chirped. Sanji nodded, grinning, "It's a monster!" 

"Well, well, it seems we're up against the old hag, a reindeer, and a few of the Straw Hats. Not much of a challenge, this will be over quickly, and once they're eliminated there'll be no one else foolish enough to defy me!" Wapol shouted. Chess nodded, "Yes, sir. Today will be known as the day Drum Kingdom's glory was restored." He said. "I'll start with you, Dr. Kureha. You've committed a major offense by moving into my castle, and an even greater one by flying that strange flag!" Doctorine smirked, "It's not yours anymore! I made this castle into Hiriluk's grave. I wasn't interested in this castle because of all the bad things you did here but this reindeer insisted on flying the Doctor's flag up there." 

Wapol laughed, "I almost forgot about that old fool!" His expression then turned angry, "How dare you violate my sacred castle by flying the flag of that stupid doctor! I command it be burned immediately!" Chopper glared at Wapol, "I'll never let you touch that flag or get inside this castle! Never!" He shouted as he transformed into a humanoid form. "Look, sir, it's that-" "You're right, it is him! He's that doctor's monster! The one Dalton stopped." 

"That flag is a symbol of the Doctor's faith! I won't let you take it down. Not now, not ever!" Chopper shouted. "Show them no mercy boys! We're gonna take them and that flag down!" Wapol ordered. "Old lady, are you gonna fight too?" Sanji asked Doctorine. She glared at him, "Old lady?" She hit him in the head, "If they're more than you can handle, I'll step in." She said. "Appreciated..."

Kuromarimo smirked, "Don't worry, sir, we'll get them out of your hair! And speaking of hair-!" He threw an afro pom-pom(?) in Doctorine's direction but Sanji stopped it with his leg. "Hey you, with the afro. Didn't your mother ever teach you it's not right to strike a lady? Especially a hot young one?" He asked. Doctorine chuckled, "That's more like it, Blondie." 

"You fell for it." 

Sanji looked at Kuromarimo confused before he tried shaking the afro off his leg, but it was still stuck to him. "What's making this stick to me!? Static electricity!?" He exclaimed. "Exactly! Marimo's static cling!" Kuromarimo threw more afro balls, the clumps sticking to parts of Sanji's body. "Hey, reindeer! Don't just stand there help me!" Sanji cried out. Chopper went to help but they got stuck to him too, causing both of them to panic. Isaac groaned, "Why does everything always have complications..." He facepalmed. "There's a reason I don't keep my hair conditioned." Kuromarimo said, "And a good one at that. Their dryness lets them burst into flames a lot easier." Chess added as he drew back his bow, a flaming arrow ready to fire. Chopper pawned the afro ball stuck to him onto Sanji before running, "Hey, what the hell are you doing!?" Sanji shouted. "Decoy plan!" "AM I THE DECOY!?"

The arrow fired, setting one of the afro balls ablaze, and burning Sanji's leg as he tried shoveling snow onto it. While Chess was distracted, Chopper charged at him ready to attack but Wapol shoved him out of the way and began to eat him. "Chopper!" Doctorine cried out. Isaac and Sanji could hear Luffy from behind them, "Quick, Luffy! Grab my leg from there!" Sanji commanded. Luffy stretched his arms out grabbing Sanji's leg, "Like this?" Sanji nodded, "Yeah, now don't let go." 

"Armee de l'Air Assault...Gum Shoot!" Sanji whipped his leg forward, launching Luffy into Wapol's stomach, making him spit out Chopper. Wapol flew back, crashing into his furry hippo and sending it high into the air never to be seen again. "That was awesome!" Isaac exclaimed. "Thank you guys, you're amazing." Chopper said. Isaac looked over and could still see Wapol on his feet. "Guys, Big Mouth's still alive. His stupid hippo thing broke his fall." He pointed out. "It's time to bring out my big guns and my even bigger appetite! I'll show them the true power of the Munch-Munch Fruit! It's time for the Munch-Munch Factory!" Wapol then ordered Chess to list off all the things he ate that day to which Chess obliged. 

"You see Straw Hats...Whatever I eat becomes apart of my body thanks to the Munch-Munch Fruit. MUNCH MUNCH SHOCK!" After his explanation, Wapol's form began to shift into a mix between a giant house and some cannons. "Wapol House!" Isaac's jaw dropped, "NO WAY DID HE JUST TURN INTO A HOUSE!?" He exclaimed. Wapol then out of the blue swallowed both his subordinates whole. Isaac clutched his stomach, looking down, "I think I'm gonna be sick." Sanji and Luffy looked in shock. "He's eating his own men!?" "That's so mean!"

"Now come forth! My miraculous union!" Wapol commanded. The door to the Wapol house opened, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the strongest warrior in Drum Kingdom...Chessmarimo!" Both of Wapol's henchmen's bodies had been fused together into one being. "Article One of the Drum Kingdom's constitution. Those who don't comply with the king's wishes shall be put to death! That's the number one law of this land, and since you all broke it that means you're all going to die! But first I'm going to do away with that old man's flag that desecrates my castle!" Wapol raised one of his cannon arms, firing at the flagpole causing an explosion. "How...HOW DARE YOU! YOU ATTACKED THE DOCTOR'S FLAG!" Chopper shouted enraged as he ran to attack Wapol. Meanwhile, Isaac raised one of his hands upwards, the same pink glow surrounding it and now the broken half of the flagpole as well. Luffy grinned, "Nice one, Izzie! Now keep it floating up there until I fix it!" Luffy stretched his arms out, launching himself to the top of the castle, grabbing the broken half before landing on the side of the castle. He ripped off one of the arms of his coat, which in reality was Nami's, and used it to tie the two halves back together. 

"Hey, annoying mouth!" Luffy shouted from the top. "You guys weren't real pirates were you? So that's why you don't know what this pirate flag means because you're a bunch of fakes who never risked your lives!" Wapol cackled, "What that flag means? Don't make me laugh! Flags have no meaning!" "That's why you're hopeless! A pirate flag isn't just raised as a joke!" Luffy retorted. "What an idiot! If it weren't for a joke, there's no way I, the king, would raise it! Don't put that stupid flag up after I took it down!" 

"DO YOUR WORST!"

Wapol fired another cannon at the top, causing another explosion. "LUFFY!" Isaac cried out. Everyone expected Luffy to have blown to bits but as the smoke dissipated he was still standing tall with the flagpole in his hand, though the bottom of it was now gone. "I told you! You can't break it!" Luffy shouted. "I don't know who this pirate flag originally belonged to but that doesn't matter. A pirate flag is a pledge to risk your life, it's not something to laugh at! It stands for something that you jackasses will never understand in a million years! This flag won't break because the skull is a sign of a person's faith!" 

Isaac smiled, 'I think after all this...I'll need to make my own pledge.' He thought to himself. Luffy grinned down at Chopper, "Hey, reindeer! I'm gonna beat these guys up now! You in?"

"YOU IDIOT! If you feel so strongly about that flag, I'll destroy you along with it!" Wapol shouted. Sanji glared at him, "Why don't you stop...right there!" Sanji charged forward about to raise his leg when a loud crack was heard, and Sanji cried out in pain. "Looks like your backbone gave out." Doctorine said. "You're condition will worsen if you keep moving. So stop, doctor's orders!" Doctorine then kicked Sanji's back before he fell face-first into the snow. "If you idiots wanna fight amongst yourselves feel free to do so, but I hope you'll at least watch your friend and that flag get blown to bits! Say your prayers, Straw Hat!" Wapol shouted. 

"STOP IT!" Chopper roared before going to attack Wapol but was blocked by Chessmarimo. "Sorry, but there's no way I'm gonna let you lay a single paw on our king!" They declared. Chopper then returned to his smaller form, "You must be that yeti the people got worked up about. They tried to kill you and chased you away, right? I bet you spent all your life alone with no friends. You poor monster. Why's a loner like you trying to save this country?"

"Shut up! Even if I don't have friends, I can still fight for something I believe in! As long as the flag flies I will!" Chopper exclaimed. Isaac stepped forward, sword drawn and resting on his shoulder. "I think it's about time for me to finally step in. Zoro would be disappointed if I didn't take this as an opportunity to test my skills." He said. Isaac then looked down at Chopper, "And for the record Chopper..." He grinned and gave him a thumbs up, "I'm your friend now. Whether you want me to be or not. And I know Luffy shares the same sentiment." 

"HEY REINDEER! YOU DO HAVE FRIENDS! I'M YOUR FRIEND! ME!" Luffy launched himself from the top of the castle to the ground, the impact knocking down Wapol and Chessmarimo. "Oh no, Straw Hat!" Chopper exclaimed. Isaac chuckled, "Don't worry, Luffy's fine." Chopper saw that Isaac was right when Luffy stood there perfectly fine. "Hey, reindeer. Can you and Isaac finish off that two-headed guy for me?" Luffy asked. Chopper looked over at Chessmarimo and then briefly at Isaac who smiled at him with confidence, "I'm sure we can take him, right Buddy?" Chopper nodded, "Piece of cake." 

Chopper and Isaac turned to face Chessmarimo, "We're taking you down!" Chopper exclaimed. "Is that so!? You think you and that pink-haired nobody can take me down!? Huh, you little freak!?" The fusion taunted. Sanji squirmed under Doctorine's foot who was keeping him down to prevent him from engaging in combat. "I gotta help Isaac and the reindeer..." Sanji winced before Doctorine dug a little deeper into his back. "If you keep moving around you'll lose the ability to walk. And don't worry about my reindeer and your friend. I know they can handle themselves. Trust that friend of yours, he is a witch after all."

Chopper stared into the eyes of Chessmarimo. "My name is Tony Tony Chopper! It's a name the world's greatest doctor gave me! Even if he forgave you for disrespecting his flag, I won't forgive you!" He shouted. Isaac pointed his sword at the fusion, "Listen up, Freakshow! This reindeer's got a new protector and that's me! You mess with him and you're messing with a real live witch too!" Chopper looked at Isaac from the corner of his eye, 'A witch? Like from those stories Doctorine told me about? I thought she said they were gone for good...'

Chopper regained his focus and took out what looked like a yellow jawbreaker. "Rumble ball. The effects last 3 minutes, which is all the time we'll need to take you down." He explained. Luffy grins, "Amazing!" He exclaims. Chopper plopped the jawbreaker into his mouth, chomping it and breaking it to bits. Chessmarimo laughs, "You're no match! Not against this!" He pulled out two bows with flaming arrows. "Let's do this Chopper!"

"Marimo's Snow Melting Arrow!"

Chopper transformed to his full deer form, "Walk Point; Leg Boost!" And Isaac began glowing pink charging at Chessmarimo with his sword, "Rose Rolling Thunder!" Chessmarimo laughed mockingly, "Hmph. Just a transformation and some slightly flashier swordplay, eh? I expected more from such cocky little twerps like you two! You're both just some losers with devil fruit powers! The reindeer for example's a Zoan-type like Dalton, a reindeer human!" He taunted.

Isaac used his attack to slash the two bow and arrows apart before he glared at the fusion, "I DON'T HAVE A DEVIL FRUIT 'YA DINGUS! I LITERALLY JUST SAID I WAS A WITCH!"

 "Heavy Point; Weight Boost! And no, I'm a human reindeer!" Chopper retorted while turning to his more humanoid form. "Reindeer Human, Human Reindeer, same thing! And I know everything about the 3 forms you Zoan-types use!" Chessmarimo pulled out two hammers. "As for you Little Pink, you're just a lying little rat! Witches are just a myth! You're probably just another Devil Fruit user! Either way, there's no way you two can-"

"Jumping Point; Jump Boost!"

Chopper's legs and face grew longer as he jumped high into the air and Isaac sheathed his sword before making a finger gun and pointing it at Chessmarimo shouting, "Hot Pink Pistol!" Chessmarimo's expression turned shocked, "What kind of powers are those!? I thought the reindeer's 'human-animal' form was the little reindeer from earlier! And why is that guy able to shoot lasers from his fingers!?" Chessmarimo was about to hit Chopper and Isaac was about to intervene when the reindeer interrupted him, "Isaac, move!" He shouted. "Guard Point; Fur Boost!" Chopper then puffed up into a furry ball-shape which seemed to have Chopper remain unharmed. 

"It can't be! I hit him dead on!" Chessmarimo protested. "How are you able to use so many different forms!?" 

"The Rumble Ball is a special drug that enhances the power of devil fruit transformations! During my 5 years of research, I discovered 4 more transformation points!" Isaac looked at Chopper in awe, "So that means you have 7 different forms!?" He exclaimed. "That's right!" 

 Chessmarimo was in disbelief, "I don't believe it! It must be a sham!" 

"Arm Point; Arm Boost!" Chopper's ball of fur shed off of him and one of his arms bulked up before he used his hoof to shatter two of the hammers Chessmarimo was holding. Isaac grinned, following in pursuit, "Steel Pink!" And with a strong slash of his sword, he destroyed the remaining two hammers. "You think a sham could do that!? If you think that's something, you should see what my iron hooves can do against rocks! Hey Isaac, let's finish him off!"

Isaac nodded, "You got it. I got a new move to test out anyway!" His entire body was glowing pink now as he readied his sword and smirked. "Here goes..." Isaac charged at Chessmarimo before briefly disappearing and then reappearing at a rapid zip-zap pace around his opponent.

"BRIGHT...PINK...BLITZ!"

He skidded onto his knee, behind Chessmarimo who then seemed to have been brutally shocked causing him to collapse. Isaac put away his sword turning back and grinning, "How'd I do?" He asked. Chopper stared at Isaac in amazement, remembering parts of one of Doctorine's stories of witches.

"That witch I met told me that there's a coven known for their incredible power even among their fellow witches called the Z-Clan. You can always tell if a witch is a part of the Z-Clan by the Z-shaped marks on their cheeks."

Chopper had numerous good looks at the pink-haired man's face and the cheek marks he had didn't register in the reindeer's head until this fight. 

"He really is a witch..."

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TO BE CONTINUED...