In an apple orchard on Upper Yard, the Island of God, a young red-haired girl and a mysterious creature that looked remarkably like a raccoon dog were busy picking apples.
"What is the deal with this apple, anyway?"
Chopper stared intently at a large, bright red apple. His round, dark reindeer eyes were wide, as if he were trying to see right through the fruit's skin.
The moment he heard that the side effects of Sherlock's Insomna had been cured by a single apple, the blue-nosed reindeer couldn't sit still. He had followed Aisa to this orchard, but no matter how much he poked and prodded, the magical fruit seemed completely ordinary—aside from being exceptionally red.
(Robin mentioned that due to the unique environment of the Sky Island, the plants here grow incredibly large. But these apple trees... they're practically miniatures,) Chopper thought.
He looked over at the distant, towering trees that resembled giant umbrellas, then back at the apple trees before him, which were no larger than Nami's tangerine trees. Confusion clouded the reindeer's furry face.
(Could it be what they call 'concentrated essence'?)
Even though this seven-level transforming reindeer could use "Brain Point" to enhance his thinking, he couldn't make heads or tails of it after pondering for a long while. The only thing he was certain of was that these miraculous red apples were a medicinal ingredient with remarkable efficacy. With these apples, Chopper was confident he could develop a high-potency special medicine even more effective than anything he had made before.
"Hey, little raccoon dog, did you find anything new?"
Aisa placed an apple into her basket and whispered to the reindeer doctor, "Is this enough? Don't be shy, there are plenty more apples here."
"I told you, I'm a reindeer, not a raccoon dog! Look, I have antlers!"
Chopper gave a helpless retort, but the doctor didn't have time to dwell on nicknames. He looked the apple trees up and down once more. "Aisa, could you give me a few of these trees? I want to use them for research."
Despite his harmless appearance and often silly, cute demeanor, Chopper actually possessed the latent potential of a "mad scientist." Otherwise, he never would have been able to concoct such powerful forbidden drugs like Insomna and the Rumble Ball years ago.
"Of course! You can have as many trees as you want," Aisa said with a generous wave of her hand. "Your Straw Hat Captain is a hero for blowing Enel away, and you helped us light the Lamp of Shandora. Sherlock just said he'd help move the Golden Bell down, too. Compared to everything you've done for us, these apples are nothing."
"Hehe, thank you so much! Not only did you promise us gold, but you gave us these precious apples, too."
The little reindeer squinted his eyes and let out a happy smile, but then, like a bolt of lightning striking his mind, the expression on his blue-nosed face changed abruptly.
"Wait... Gold? Apples?? Gold... Apples..."
It was as if he had caught a glimpse of a vital clue. Chopper began to mutter incoherently to himself, his expression growing stranger by the second. Then, ignoring the freshly picked apples and a stunned Aisa, he transformed into his fastest Walk Point and sprinted toward where the Going Merry was docked.
(If I remember correctly, Doctorine once mentioned this to me... I should have notes on it somewhere...)
The scenery blurred past as Chopper's four hooves flew. He moved with the agility of an arrow shot from a bow, his eyes shining with a burning intensity.
(...The legend of the substance that can grant eternal youth, and the closest thing in existence to the Panacea!)
Inhale... Exhale—
The green-haired swordsman stood silently before a massive boulder, hand resting on his hilt, eyes closed as if in a light sleep. Every breath he took followed a peculiar, rhythmic cadence.
A gentle breeze drifted by, swaying the surrounding branches. The rustling of the leaves only served to highlight the profound stillness of the environment.
Shing—! A flash of blade-light!
Without any visible movement, a thin, long slit abruptly appeared on the hard rock. Then, with a sharp crack, the massive stone split cleanly in two.
"It seems that after learning the Flying Slash, I've become even more sensitive to the Breath of All Things."
Slowly sheathing Wado Ichimonji, Zoro looked at the mirror-smooth cut on the boulder and nodded with satisfaction.
"I just wonder how one is supposed to grasp that so-called Observation Haki, and the Armament Haki that can hit Logia types..."
Thinking back to Ohm's "Mantra" that allowed him to predict his opponent's moves, Zoro couldn't help but let out a lingering look of trepidation. Even though he had eventually won using the 108-Pound Phoenix, that ability was simply broken.
"I'm still too weak. It looks like I'll have to double my training volume from now on!"
Zoro nodded solemnly. Just as the green-haired swordsman was making this inner resolve, Usopp came walking over from the distance, grinning broadly and carrying a large bag of Dials.
"Yo, Usopp. Judging by your face, you traded for some good stuff."
"Heh heh, naturally!" Usopp puffed out his long nose with pride. "The people here seem to have a strange obsession with Blue Sea rubber bands. I traded just a few rubber bands for all these rare Dials! Ahahaha, this was an exceptionally pleasant transaction!"
"Is this what merchants like Sherlock do all the time? No wonder they're all so rich..."
Usopp struck a cocky pose and threw his hands out. "This is exactly why I've dedicated myself to being a brave warrior of the sea. Otherwise, if Captain Usopp wanted to be a merchant, the Goldglint Trading Company would have no business left in the East Blue!"
The swordsman shook his head, a black line appearing on his forehead at the long-nosed man's usual boasting, and prepared to return to his meditation.
"Hehe, with these Dials, I can upgrade Nami's Clima-Tact, and my own slingshot... By the way, Zoro, do you want me to upgrade your swords for you?"
Zoro was about to decline when a commotion broke out in the distance. He and Usopp looked over to see Nami, Luffy, and Sanji running toward them, each carrying a massive sack. Judging by the golden light peeking through the gaps in the fabric, it wasn't hard to guess what was inside.
"Hey! Zoro! Usopp! It's a huge harvest! We found so much gold!" the idiot captain shouted, waving excitedly.
"Yeah, even without counting Sherlock's private assets, we're a 'Filthy Rich' Pirate Crew now." Sanji grinned, then turned to the orange-haired navigator next to him, who was also lugging a giant bag of gold.
"Nami-san, let me help you carry that heavy bag~"
"It's fine, I can handle it." Shaking her head, Nami asked Zoro and Usopp urgently, "Where's Sherlock? There are still plenty of gold fragments left; it's time for him to show off his skills!"
Luffy and Sanji were physical freaks, so their strength was expected—but what was up with this delicate beauty?
Watching Nami jog along while hoisting a massive bag of gold, speaking casually without even breaking a sweat, the swordsman and the long-nosed sniper shared a look and sighed in unison.
(Is this woman a monster, too? Or is this the power that gold gives her?) x2
"Hey, what are you two dazing off for? Where's Sherl—Wait, what is that?"
Nami pointed upward in shock. Everyone looked up and froze.
A suit of heavy knight armor, as large as the giants from Little Garden, was slowly drifting down from the sky above Upper Yard. The armor was pitch black, shimmering with wisps of dark energy. The visor of the helmet glowed with a living red light. It looked imposing, regal, and incredibly cool!
But most striking was the fact that this giant suit of armor was steadily carrying a massive golden bell tower. It glittered brilliantly under the sunlight—it was the Golden Bell that the Shandians had been searching for.
The crimson light in the eyes flashed, and the black smoke around the armor thickened. Its overwhelming aura surged like a supreme deity descending to the mortal realm!
Without a doubt, this was the work of the Sorcerer acting as a part-time mover. Such a grand entrance naturally caught the attention of everyone on the island.
"That... Is that the Golden Bell of our ancestors?"
The Great Elder of the Shandians looked at the sky, his eyes filling with tears of emotion. He turned to say something, only to realize that Wyper and the others had already rushed toward the landing site. He could only shake his head helplessly.
"SO COOL!!! That armor is so cool!"
Seeing the Sorcerer's domineering black knight armor, Luffy and Usopp couldn't maintain their composure. They tossed their gold and Dials aside and ran like possessed men toward where Sherlock was descending.
(I have a feeling something bad is about to happen...)
Zoro, Sanji, and Nami watched the receding backs of the two idiots, looked at each other, and let out a long, weary sigh.
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