Chapter 326: Destination
A small white ship sailed across the sea, the emblem of Mr. 3 still displayed prominently on its sail.
The surrounding waters were calm.
The ship itself was not.
"You bastard!"
A furious little voice rang across the deck.
"You bastard! You bastard!"
Chopper hid behind the cabin in his usual terrible hiding position, most of his body still visible as he trembled and glared at Axel.
Axel ignored him completely.
He was stretched out comfortably on a lounge chair made from the wax covering parts of the ship, looking as though he had not kidnapped anyone at all.
The person Axel had mentioned taking from Drum Island was, of course, Chopper.
Vivi approached carrying a small tray.
She placed it on the table beside Axel.
There were several slices of bread stuffed with seafood, along with a drink.
Even by the generous standards of improvised shipboard cooking, the combination looked questionable.
Vivi glanced toward Chopper.
"Is this really okay?"
She was not asking about the food.
Axel picked up the drink and took a sip.
"My body still needs a doctor while I recover."
He glanced toward Chopper.
"So yes. This works out nicely."
Vivi stared at him.
"You kidnapped a doctor and expect him to take care of you."
She sighed.
"At this point, you should be grateful if he doesn't poison you."
Axel seemed unconcerned.
"Then I'll deal with it when that happens."
Vivi gave up.
"Fine. Do whatever you want."
Then she noticed something.
"Why aren't you eating?"
She pointed toward the seafood-filled bread she had prepared.
Axel coughed lightly.
"I was thinking Karoo might like it."
Karoo, who had been relaxing near the edge of the deck, looked over.
"Quack?"
Axel met his eyes.
There was nothing overtly threatening in his expression.
Somehow, Karoo still understood immediately.
"QUACK!"
He nodded vigorously.
Vivi narrowed her eyes.
Karoo avoided looking at her.
From behind the cabin, Chopper watched the interaction.
Despite himself, a little envy appeared in his eyes.
They were strange.
Very strange.
But they looked comfortable around each other.
Almost like companions.
Then Chopper remembered who had dragged him onto this ship in the first place.
He immediately became wary again.
No matter what Axel had done for him before leaving Drum Island, kidnapping was still kidnapping.
He could not forgive that so easily.
A hand suddenly touched his shoulder.
Chopper nearly jumped out of his fur.
He spun around.
Wapol stood behind him.
For one instant, Chopper froze.
Then rage surged through him.
"You!"
His body expanded.
In an instant, the small reindeer transformed into his large humanoid form.
Chopper drew back a heavy fist and swung directly at Wapol.
Wapol's eyes bulged.
"WAIT!"
The punch never landed.
Chopper's body suddenly locked in place.
Invisible force restrained his limbs, and a moment later he toppled onto the deck.
"Bastard!"
He did not even need to look.
He knew exactly who had stopped him.
Axel.
Chopper gritted his teeth.
His enemy was standing right in front of him, yet he could not even throw a punch.
Wapol, meanwhile, had fallen backward onto his rear in panic.
"You damn animal! You actually dared to..."
He stopped.
Axel looked over.
Just once.
Wapol's expression changed immediately.
"Ah."
He cleared his throat.
"Why are you lying down?"
He hurriedly stepped forward.
"Come on, let me help you up."
Chopper glared at him.
"Don't touch me!"
Wapol recoiled.
"Fine! Fine, I won't!"
He retreated immediately.
Wapol had learned quickly over the past several days.
Axel had made certain of that.
At one point, Axel had casually wondered whether Wapol could eat seawater.
Then he tied him up and threw him overboard to test the idea.
For Wapol, there had been very little uncertainty involved.
Devil Fruit users and seawater were natural enemies.
No matter how broad the Munch-Munch Fruit's appetite might be, seawater and Sea Stone were still beyond what Wapol could simply overcome.
He had come close enough to death several times to understand one important lesson.
When Axel looked at him a certain way, obey first.
Questions could come later.
Chopper returned to his smaller form.
The invisible restraint around him loosened.
He stood, moved as far away from Wapol as possible, and slowly approached Axel.
"You really are a bad guy."
Axel took another sip from his drink.
"I never said I was a good guy."
He paused.
"Or a good person."
Chopper hesitated.
Axel had admitted it too easily.
"That's the problem."
Chopper looked away.
"Because even though I don't want to admit it..."
His voice became quieter.
"I think you are a good person."
Axel glanced at him.
Chopper continued before he could interrupt.
"Otherwise, you wouldn't have done all that before we left."
Axel said nothing.
"I asked Dalton."
Chopper's expression softened.
"He told me you were the one who asked him to prepare everything."
The memory returned immediately.
The sky above Drum Island had been filled with cherry blossoms.
Not real blossoms, but something far more magnificent.
A vast pink snowfall spreading across the winter island.
Dr. Hiriluk's dream.
The sight he had spent his life trying to create.
And Kureha's farewell gift to Chopper.
For a few precious moments, the entire frozen kingdom had seemed to bloom.
Chopper would never forget it.
Axel looked away.
"I wanted to see it too."
Chopper stared at him.
"You're lying."
Axel did not respond.
Chopper lowered his head.
Then said quietly,
"Thank you."
Axel's gaze shifted back toward him.
"I'll treat your injuries."
Chopper clenched his small hooves.
"But once you recover, I want you to let me go."
Axel remained silent.
Chopper gathered his courage.
"I want to follow Dr. Hiriluk's path."
"I want to go out to sea."
"And I want to become a pirate and chase my own dream."
"No."
Axel answered immediately.
Chopper's head snapped up.
"What?!"
"No."
"Why not?!"
This was the first time Chopper had truly worked up the courage to speak to Axel about what he wanted.
He had not expected to be rejected without even a second of thought.
Axel ignored the question.
"There are pens inside the cabin."
Chopper blinked.
"And a blank flag."
"What?"
"You can draw your own pirate flag."
Axel pointed toward the mast.
"Hang it up there."
Then he settled more comfortably into the wax chair.
"Think of a good name for your crew."
He looked at Chopper.
"And congratulations."
"You'll be Captain Chopper."
Chopper froze.
His mouth opened.
Closed.
Then opened again.
"You bastard!"
His face flushed.
"Don't think saying something like that is going to make me happy!"
His body immediately began swaying from side to side.
A pleased smile spread across his face despite his best efforts to suppress it.
Vivi watched in disbelief.
That was it?
That was all it took?
She looked from Chopper to Axel, then back again.
What kind of creature was this reindeer?
More importantly, what kind of logic did either of them operate on?
Vivi decided she did not want to know.
Then she remembered something more important.
"Axel."
"Hm?"
"Which direction are we sailing today?"
Axel pointed ahead.
"Straight."
Vivi paused.
"Still straight?"
"Yes."
That was strange.
But she did not immediately question him.
Axel had always seemed frighteningly intelligent.
Whatever else could be said about him, blindly sailing across the Grand Line without a plan did not fit the image she had built of him.
He had managed to obtain a Log Pose for Drum Island.
Getting another route should not have been difficult.
Which only made the situation more confusing.
What exactly lay in a straight line from Drum Island?
Vivi finally asked,
"Where are we actually going?"
She paused.
"And when are we going to Alabasta?"
Axel thought about it.
Then shrugged.
"I don't know."
Vivi stared at him.
"Huh?!"
Her face went blank.
Then horror slowly replaced the confusion.
They were on the Grand Line.
Sailing without knowing the destination was not adventurous.
It was suicidal.
Her shout startled everyone else.
Karoo raised his head.
Chopper stopped swaying.
Even Wapol looked over.
All three reacted with the same confusion.
Vivi pointed at them.
"Why are all of you acting surprised?"
Then she stopped.
"Wait."
Her expression became worse.
"Do any of you actually understand why this is a problem?"
Karoo shook his head.
Chopper shook his head.
Wapol shook his head.
All at once.
Vivi covered her face.
This crew was hopeless.
Their future was not looking bright.
At all.
Axel finally took pity on her.
"Relax."
Vivi looked up.
"I was lying."
Her shoulders dropped with relief.
"I do know where we're going."
Vivi almost sagged against the railing.
"That is the best thing you've said all day."
Axel continued.
"I don't know where the next island is."
Vivi slowly straightened.
"But I memorized the magnetic field of the Calm Belt."
Silence.
Vivi stared at him.
"...What?"
Axel smiled.
"We're heading for the Calm Belt."
Vivi's face went completely blank.
....
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