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Chapter 163: I Will Return as Fast as I Can
"Let me… guard the ship alone!"
Chopper gathered his courage, holding his breath for a few seconds before letting it out in a rush. He first glanced up at Ganyu beside him, an apologetic look in his eyes, then turned to face Luffy and the others. He shouted the words, his voice determined, even if it was noticeably trembling at the edges.
The salty ocean breeze seemed to vanish. The air went completely silent for a moment.
Everyone froze in unison, turning around to look at the little reindeer, quite surprised.
To all of them, Chopper was the youngest in mind, the most innocent, and the crew member who naturally needed the most protection. Though he possessed the Rumble Ball and could shift into terrifyingly strong forms in a life-or-death fight, on an ordinary day, everyone subconsciously took extra care of him. They almost never assigned him to act alone in a totally unknown, potentially hostile environment.
So, they never expected him to volunteer to guard the ship entirely on his own today.
For a moment, watching him try to act incredibly tough while his furry little legs visibly shook beneath him, the crew felt both amused and a deep, swelling sense of pride.
Ganyu blinked, her amber eyes widening slightly. She knelt down to his eye level, asking uncertainly, "Are you absolutely sure about this, Chopper?"
"Mhm!" Chopper nodded heavily, his little hat bobbing, showing he was completely serious.
Ganyu looked deeply at him, falling silent as a myriad of thoughts raced through her mind.
She knew perfectly well what might happen next. If the plot's inertia remained unchanged, the self-proclaimed 'God' Enel would find a way to transport the Going Merry from this peaceful beach straight into the heart of his deadly domain, the Upper Yard. And waiting for Chopper there would be a Priest wielding Mantra and dials, who would beat him to a bloody pulp.
But…
A thoughtful, calculating look flashed across Ganyu's eyes. Enel had likely already sensed her presence. Mantra covered the entire island. In that case, his approach to dealing with the Straw Hat Pirates might already be fundamentally altered. Or rather, knowing there was an anomaly—a being capable of threatening his divine rule—would he refrain from proactively starting trouble to observe them first?
Could this trip to Sky Island actually go without a hitch?
The moment the hopeful thought surfaced, Ganyu's combat instincts firmly dismissed it. Recalling Enel's narcissistic, tyrannical personality from her knowledge of the world, he definitely wouldn't just let a crew of heavily armed Blue Sea dwellers wander around his territory unbothered. To a god, defiance was an invitation for smiting.
A battle was absolutely unavoidable.
If that was the case, her forcibly staying behind, or leaving Chopper alone on the ship, were two sides of the same coin. Leaving him alone would be like intentionally exposing a glaring weakness, giving Enel an opening to make his move and scatter the crew. But if she stayed, Enel might strike the others in town instead. If she let Chopper face this, her crewmates would quickly realize there was a powerful, predatory enemy eyeing them on Sky Island, shattering their relaxed tourist mindset. Furthermore, Chopper needed this crucible to forge his own confidence.
The only downside was that her sweet little friend might have to suffer immense pain to achieve that growth.
Ganyu looked at the brave, trembling reindeer with a hint of profound pity, finally shaking her head with a faint, resigned smile. "Alright."
There's no other way, Chopper. This is a hardship you must endure to become the brave warrior you wish to be.
"Then we're leaving the Merry in your capable hands, Chopper!" Luffy laughed loudly, stepping forward to pat Chopper firmly on the shoulder, flashing his trademark bright, hearty grin. He didn't show a single ounce of doubt.
Chopper paused for a second, absorbing the weight of his captain's absolute trust, then nodded forcefully. "Yeah! I… I'll do my best to protect her…"
Only this time, looking at the massive, empty ship behind him, his voice didn't sound quite as resolute. He kept subconsciously stealing nervous glances in Ganyu's direction. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he had caught a fleeting glimpse of deep sympathy in the adeptus's beautiful eyes just now. That unspoken pity only made the already unconfident reindeer even more terrified of what might be lurking in the clouds.
But there was no backing out now. A pirate never goes back on his word.
"It's not too late to regret it, Chopper. Don't go crying all alone on the ship the second we leave," Usopp teased, seemingly noticing his friend's escalating fear, and stepped over to pat his fuzzy head.
Hearing the sniper's teasing tone, Chopper, who had been genuinely terrified a second ago, instantly changed his tune, forcing his chest out to look tough. "B-Bastard! I won't cry! Just go already! Go have fun! I'll be totally fine!"
Usopp smirked, seeing right through his bravado. "But you clearly look like you're about to cr—"
Smack!
Before Usopp could finish the word, Nami's Clima-Tact swung in a brutal arc, cracking precisely against the back of his head. A massive, comical lump swelled instantly on Usopp's crown, and he dropped face-first into the sand, completely immobilized.
"You absolute idiot, stop trying to scare Chopper!" Nami hissed, retracting her weapon and casually dragging Usopp away by the collar of his overalls, speaking loudly as she marched toward the town. "We need to get going! If we dilly-dally any longer, it'll be dark before we even see the main street!"
"Coming, coming!" Luffy cheered, sprinting to be the first in line.
"Good luck, Mr. Doctor." Robin smiled gently, offering a polite nod.
"Watch the ship well," Zoro left a brief, stoic remark as he sauntered past, hand resting casually on his swords.
"Chopper! We'll bring back something incredibly tasty for you! Don't eat all the emergency rations!" Sanji waved cheerfully, twirling away.
Ganyu trailed at the very back of the group. Before she followed them onto the road, she paused, pondering for a moment. Then, she raised her left hand, grasping at the empty air.
The temperature around them plummeted instantly. Condensing the ambient moisture of the White Sea, a magnificent, ornate bow of solid, glowing ice materialized directly into her grasp, radiating a chilling mist.
With her right hand, she reached out again, and a slender, razor-sharp arrow of pure, solid frost condensed in her palm at a visible speed, glittering under the sky-sun.
Under Chopper's wide, bewildered gaze, she knelt down and gently handed both the freezing bow and the icy arrow to him. Despite being made of ice, the grip felt strangely warm and comfortable in his hooves.
"Chopper," Ganyu said, her voice dropping to a serious, solemn whisper, her amber eyes locking onto his. "If you encounter any danger you cannot handle, aim this arrow at the sky and release the bowstring. No matter where I am, I will see it, and I will return to you as fast as I can. Do you understand?"
Chopper swallowed hard, looking from the magical weapon to her reassuring face, and gave one final, firm nod.
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