"Chopper?"
Arias stood still, recognizing the figure before him as Chopper in his human form. He hadn't expected to be so fortunate—to meet Chopper right after climbing the cliff, even before entering Drum City.
As Arias stepped forward, Chopper noticed and slowly backed away. He had tried to interact with humans before, but they always treated him like a monster. However, at this moment, he wasn't completely disillusioned or hurt by them. When Arias took out a piece of bread and offered it to him, Chopper hesitated for a moment, then cautiously took two steps forward.
Seeing that Arias had no intention of harming him, Chopper accepted the bread and began to eat. Arias had prepared the bread in advance, knowing Chopper's preferences; after all, Arias didn't eat bread himself. Although Chopper, after eating the Human-Human Fruit, could eat meat, he still preferred vegetarian food due to his reindeer nature.
"My name is Arias. What's yours?" Arias asked, looking up at the towering figure of Chopper in his human form.
"Me?" Chopper replied, his intuition telling him that this human was different from the others he had encountered—this one was kind.
"I don't have a name," Chopper said, devouring the last piece of bread. It had been a long time since he'd had a decent meal. If he hadn't been able to eat grass as a reindeer, he might have starved to death.
"Where is your family?" Arias inquired, knowing the answer but wanting to ease into conversation with Chopper.
As they continued talking, Chopper gradually let down his guard. Young and innocent, he quickly came to see Arias as a friend.
"So, you're a reindeer," Arias said with a smile. "The fruit you ate is called a Devil Fruit. By eating it, you gain various magical abilities. Among my companions, there's a water snake who also ate the Human-Human Fruit. She's very cute!"
Chopper's eyes lit up with interest upon hearing that another animal had eaten a similar fruit. "Really? Do you all accept her?"
Arias smiled warmly. "Of course! She was once my wife's pet, but now she's her favorite sister. We all care for her deeply."
Chopper's eyes were filled with longing. He wished he could be accepted too, but both reindeer and humans had always treated him as an outcast.
"You should join my crew and sail the seas to see the world!" Arias invited him.
"Me?" Chopper hesitated. "Is that really okay?"
"Of course!" Arias extended his hand. "Shaking hands is a human greeting. Once we shake hands, we'll be friends!"
Chopper hesitated but then extended his large, furry hand, shaking Arias's hand. It felt like a real human hand! After years of rejection, someone was finally willing to accept him.
Tears welled up in Chopper's eyes, and at that moment, he felt a deep sense of purpose. He would dedicate everything to the human standing before him.
Seeing Chopper's tears, Arias gently wiped them away. Despite his large human form, Chopper was still just a five-year-old child inside.
"Woooooo~~~" Chopper suddenly transformed into his smaller human-animal form, like a civet cat, and threw himself into Arias's arms, crying loudly.
Arias took out more food and handed it to Chopper. The two sat together in the snow, talking throughout the night. Chopper, speaking to a human for the first time, had so much to share.
"You are a reindeer with strong antlers that can cut down trees. From now on, you will be called Chopper—Tony Tony Chopper!" Arias said, giving him the name he would carry proudly.
Chopper beamed with happiness. "Thank you, Master Arias! I finally have a name!"
As the morning sun illuminated the world, everyone began to wake up. When they emerged from the tent and saw the civet-like Chopper with Arias, they couldn't help but approach in surprise.
Chopper, still shy around strangers, quickly hid behind Arias, but only managed to conceal his head while the rest of his body remained visible.
"What is this little thing?" Hiyori curiously poked the back of Chopper's head, causing him to jump in surprise.
"Don't be afraid. From now on, you'll be one of their companions," Arias reassured Chopper, introducing him to the group. "This is Chopper, a reindeer who ate the Human-Human Fruit!"
Only then did everyone realize that this was the "monster" Arias had been searching for.
"Human-Human Fruit? But why does he look so different from Sister Salome?" Carina asked boldly, stepping closer to Chopper, unable to reconcile his appearance with what she knew of the fruit's power.
Arias pointed to Salome and explained to Chopper, "She, like you, also ate the Human-Human Fruit."
Salome eyed Chopper warily. Was this Arias's new pet? She didn't want to be outshone! Transforming into her true form, the massive water snake startled Chopper, who leaped three feet into the air.
"A snake! What a huge snake!" Chopper exclaimed, his eyes wide with fear.
Salome, sensing his terror, quickly reverted to her maid form, her serpentine features vanishing.
Seeing Salome's transformation, Chopper began to accept the reality of the situation, though he couldn't help but wonder why she could look so human while he couldn't. With slightly pointed teeth and horns, Salome was almost indistinguishable from a human.
In contrast, Chopper felt discouraged by his appearance. Did he really eat the Human-Human Fruit?
Fortunately, everyone here accepted him as a companion rather than treating him like a monster as the people on Drum Island had. His cute demeanor quickly won everyone over.
After breakfast, the group set off together, while Arias, Hancock, and Salome stayed behind at the tent. Zoro was still unconscious.
Nine-year-old Zoro had climbed a 5,000-meter-high cliff—a miraculous feat! During the climb, he had become the first of the young group to sense energy. Arias believed that with his guidance, Zoro's growth would accelerate, reaching the level of the battle against Jhin at least three years ahead of schedule.
In the distance, Chopper acted as a guide, leading the group to places he knew well. Though these places had once held painful memories for him, revisiting them now felt entirely different.
"Are you one of those reindeer?" Nokigao asked Chopper, pointing to a herd of reindeer ahead.