Drum Island

Bang!

Rainer walked into the ship's lower deck and casually tossed a small bag of treasure onto the table.

"What's this?"

"Today's haul."

Nami glanced over at the bag. Curiosity got the better of her, and she opened it. Her instincts told her it had to be something good. She untied the cord and pulled it open—and sure enough, a captivating golden gleam filled her eyes.

"Whoa!" Nami sprang to her feet, her eyes shining so brightly they outshone the treasure.

Rainer strolled over without much interest, picked up a cup from the table, and poured himself some water.

"You can have it."

"Really, Rainer? I love you!"

Heh. When you had money, everyone smiled at you; when you didn't, they cursed you. Rainer set down his cup and rolled his eyes at her, but Nami turned and gave him a big hug.

???

Rainer had just come in after exercising. He was bare-chested, not having put his shirt back on yet. As Nami pressed against him, he felt a curious stir inside.

He looked at the treasure on the table. It was worth only a few hundred thousand, less than ten million Berries.

A hug for that? Rainer couldn't help thinking about the hundreds of millions of Berries in his little stash.

I have a plan!

"Nami." A mischievous grin suddenly spread across Rainer's face. He slipped an arm around her waist and said with a cheeky smile,

"So, I was just saying, I've still got a little money tucked away..."

"Hm?" Nami looked up at him, feeling the arm around her waist.

A dark line appeared over Nami's head, and she sent a fist flying.

Wham!!

And so, a tearful figure lay sprawled face-down on the floor, butt in the air. "I haven't even said anything yet..."

"I can tell just by looking at you that nothing good is going to come out of your mouth."

Nami rolled her eyes at him and said irritably, "That Drum Island you mentioned earlier—we should reach its surrounding waters tomorrow, according to the map."

"Ah, got it."

Rainer sobered up, stood, and sat down beside Nami. He picked up the chart and took a look. "Tomorrow we'll enter the area affected by Winter Island's climate. Get your warm clothes ready so you don't catch a cold."

"Mm. By the way, what's a Winter Island?" Nami replied, then asked.

Rainer: "..."

"Are you planning to make me take on the navigator's job too?"

Rainer gave her a sidelong look, openly exasperated. How had she gone from handling supplies to doing almost everything?

He'd even started helping with the cooking. The Wolverine wraith had been made by fusing Sanji and Kuro. And, to be fair, it was a pretty good cook—but it had no brains, so Sanji had taken it on as a kitchen hand.

Nami just gave an awkward laugh and waved her hand. "Ha... hahaha..."

"Food's ready, everyone!"

Sanji's voice came from the second-floor living room. Rainer picked up the blue shirt draped over the back of a chair, buttoned it up, and headed upstairs with Nami.

"Lunch looks great today."

"Yeah, thanks to Rainer's wraith. It caught a small Sea King this morning."

"Wahaha, there's so much meat!"

"To celebrate Rainer catching a Sea King, I'll bring out the last barrel of booze."

Zoro grinned and got up, heading downstairs to the storage room. He was always finding excuses to drink.

Before leaving Little Garden, they'd left a barrel of booze for each of the two giants. Of the dozen or so barrels Zoro had bought in Loguetown, this was the last one.

But luckily, they'd reach Drum Island tomorrow. They could stock up then. With everyone gathered, Rainer mentioned that they should replenish their supplies there.

"Huh? Drum Island?" Vivi looked up at Rainer, startled.

"What is it, Vivi? Is there a problem with that island?"

Drum Island was only about four or five days' travel from Alabasta, close enough to be considered a neighboring country.

Vivi had never been there, but she'd heard about some of its history. A ridiculous incident had once caused a worldwide uproar.

[The Doctor 20 Incident!]

Vivi slowly began explaining to everyone.

"The Drum Kingdom was once a country renowned for its medical skills.

"Then one day, its king chose the twenty best doctors who were willing to obey him, and killed or drove out all the others..."

"Why would he do that?" Nami asked curiously, setting down her cutlery.

Vivi squeezed the cutlery in her hand so tightly her thumb turned white. Her expression darkened, and she gritted her teeth, forcing out a few words through them.

"Because that disgusting king, Wapol, had a sick hobby. He liked watching his people kneel and beg him for treatment. It was entertainment to him..."

Though the little room was packed with people, an eerie silence fell over it for a moment.

Click!

"Wapol? That was the name that guy called himself, right?" Sanji asked casually as he lit a cigarette, seeming to check with Rainer and Zoro.

"Probably. I don't remember."

"It was him all right. He's already at the bottom of the sea, feeding the fish."

"What?! So the three of you just sank a king without saying a word, you bastards?!"

Nami let loose a furious tirade, then slowly sat down with a helpless sigh. "Never mind. At least you did it without making a fuss. It shouldn't cause any trouble."

"Huh? What happened?" Vivi looked utterly confused.

The conversation made it sound as though something incredible had happened.

"What's this Wapol jerk's deal? Let's go beat him up while we're there!" Luffy climbed onto a chair and stomped on the table, shouting angrily.

Everyone: "..."

"So slow on the uptake."

"And don't stand on the table, you idiot!"

Wham!

By noon the next day, the gray sky hung oppressively overhead, and heavy snow drifted down, reducing visibility at sea.

Nami and Vivi had both bundled up in thick clothes and put on warm earmuffs. They'd even specially tailored a warm coat for Run Fast.

The wind howled across the sea, and the frigid air cut to the bone. Even Nami had, unusually, put on thick pants.

What a bore.

Only two people on the ship were having a grand old time.

"Catch, Luffy!"

"Yikes! Damn it, take this, Usopp—Gomu Gomu no Snowball!"

"Hey, hey, wait! Using your powers is totally unfair!"

Bang!

"Ugh..."

A wraith falcon had broken away from the flock up on the lookout and flapped its way to the stern.

"Looks like we're close." Rainer put down his dumbbells and followed the falcon back to the lookout.

He gazed out over the sea. There was nothing but a blanket of white. The heavy snowfall blocked his entire view, and he could make out only a tiny black speck in the distance.

It took a while for the island to gradually come into focus. It was almost entirely covered in snow, with enormous white domes and towering, cylindrical peaks rising above it.

"We're nearing the island, everyone!"

"Here we go! Winter Island adventure!"

At that moment, in Big Horn Village on Drum Island, the thick snow on the streets had been swept into piles along the sides.

A flustered figure ran along the cleared road, footsteps pattering crisply.

"Oh no! The pirates are back!"

"Go notify Dalton!"

"Everyone, get ready to fight!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

In an ordinary-looking house, a rough pounding on the door startled the burly man who was eating.

"What is it?" He didn't sound angry. He simply got up and called out. His voice was steady and deep.

The answer came in the form of a panicked, urgent shout: "It's terrible, Dalton! The pirates are back!"

Dalton's brow furrowed at once. He quickly snatched up the oval double-bladed sword leaning against the wall, opened the door, and rushed outside.

"Get a few people to notify the nearby villages! The rest of you, grab your weapons and follow me!"

Dalton shouted gravely and charged toward the coast at the head of the group.

"Yes!"