Warm Memories and Brotherly Bonds

Chapter 22: Enter Cotton Candy Lover: Tony Tony Chopper

"Man, I'm getting cold just watching you two run," Usopp said as they went running after Luffy and Sanji. "How can Luffy run with sandals and shorts? What's wrong with him?!"

"I noticed that," Chopper said as he looked around at all the snow in wonder—it was so dreamlike to be surrounded by snow again after all this time. "He doesn't seem to get cold nearly as easily as the rest of you do. I think it has something to do with his rubber skin."

"You mean it's not because he's so slow?" Sanji asked as they were trying to get used to the fact that they were able to walk on top of the snow without leaving any prints behind them.

"Well, it might take a while for him to realize that he's cold," Chopper admitted, "But his rubber skin helps to block out a lot of the cold, however at the same time it doesn't seem to breath well when he's really hot."

"Oh, is they why he was such a pain when we had to deal with him in Alabasta?" Zoro asked. "He was half mad when we had to drag him through the desert."

"It has something to do with that," Chopper acknowledged as he thought it over. "But remember, even as a little kid, the cold never really seemed to bother him."

"That's interesting," Brook said thoughtfully as Luffy suddenly called out, "It feels like it's gotten a little colder. The wind's picking up too."

Past Sanji rolled his eyes, as if fighting back to urge to tell him 'No duh...' But instead he asked, "So why don't you think about putting on some real shoes? Even seeing your feet like that is painful!"

"No way! This is my polissu," Luffy answered.

"Polissu?" Usopp repeated, not having the slightest clue to what he's talking about.

"Your polissu!?" past Sanji asked in annoyance. "I think you mean policy!"

"Yeah, that's it," Luffy said in agreement as Zoro noticed something moving from behind one of the pine trees. When he looked, he saw something with red eyes, and long ears looking at them with sharp teeth.

"What's that?" Zoro asked, pointing it out.

Chopper looked and declared worriedly, "That's a Lapahn!"

"Lapahn? You mean some of those monster rabbits that Dalton guy was talking about?" Franky panted as he tried to keep up with them. "Huh, it doesn't look that dangerous."

"And you were scared over that little thing?" Zoro said, rolling his eye at Sanji who glared at him.

"That's just a baby!" Chopper said, staring around him, knowing that the parents couldn't be far behind. "Wait till you see full grown Lapahns! They are dangerous!"

But most of the crew was listening to Luffy as he talked to Sanji about how people in countries of snow never sleep at all.

Past Sanji looked to him. "Huh, why?"

"Cause if they do they'll freeze to death," Luffy said as if it was a little known fact.

"What an idiot," Nami sighed, getting tired of all the running already and she looked back to Chopper, wondering if it would be worth asking for a ride again.

"Actually, that's about right," Robin chuckled, as Usopp gave her a frightened look as she went on, "However, what he's talking about would happen if they fell asleep outside with no way to keep warm. Basically, they pass away peacefully in their sleep by freezing to death."

"How horrible," Brook said quietly as he thought it over, "Just thinking about it makes my skin shiver! Not that I have skin, Yohohoho!"

Past Sanji thought that over before he cried out, "Don't be an idiot! Everyone has to sleep sometime!"