After a chaotic scramble, the poor Chopper jumped out the window and fled, while Luffy and Sanji, who were about to chase after him—
Smack! Smack!
Two merciless iron hands seized their shoulders from behind. Roman, wearing a "smile," waved at the two men caught by his paper hands.
"Come on, come on. I have a few questions for you."
"W-what...?"
"Ah... I just remembered I need to help Miss Nami cook..."
Looking at Roman, who was covered in bandages, Luffy and Sanji guiltily turned their heads away in opposite directions. They might as well have written "We're guilty" across their faces.
"You two, explain this to me."
Roman pointed at himself.
"Why did I wake up with so many injuries? Don't tell me I sleepwalked and fell over! Not even a pig would believe an excuse like that."
"Huh? You don't believe it—"
Seeing Luffy's utterly disappointed expression, veins bulged across Roman's smiling face!
So he really had planned to fool me with that excuse?
"Well..."
Sanji awkwardly spread his hands.
"Since this was the only place in the country with doctors, Luffy, Zoro, and I carried you and Nami here for treatment..."
"Go on."
Roman raised a hand, signaling Sanji to continue.
"But... we underestimated how harsh the environment here was. First we ran into bears, then rabbits, then an avalanche... and finally, we had to climb Iron Barrel Mountain, five thousand meters above sea level, so..."
"So—?"
Under Roman's glare, Sanji gave an awkward smile.
"So there were a few bumps and scrapes... Like when we ran into that huge group of rabbits, Luffy used you as a 'weapon'..."
?!
"Hey, hey, wasn't I carrying Nami then? I had no choice but to hold Roman in my mouth and use him as a flail!"
?!!
"And when