The day went on and Chopper was finished making Kari's medicine, all he had to do was roll them into small, easy to swallow spheres the size of marbles. The others were out doing their own thing. Usopp was practicing his shooting skills, Nami and Robin were taking inventory, Sanji was cooking up some food with Luffy watching nearby, Chase was standing guard by the den to make sure that only the Straw hats entered, and Zoro was napping in a tree. Once Chopper was done rolling the medicine small enough to swallow whole he sighed and walked to the mat Kari was asleep on. He tapped her gently to wake her up. The girl opened her eyes slowly and yawned.

"... who're you?" She asked in a low tone.

"I'm Chopper. I'm a doctor."

"A... Raccoon dog?"

"I'M A REINDEER! THE ANTLERS! SEE THE ANTLERS?!" Kari smiled shyly.

"... my bad, sorry." She apologized. Chopper sighed then held up one of the medicine balls. It was a mossy green like color.

"Here, take this medicine. It'll help you get better. You should drink a lot of fluids like water and eat plain food like rice. You also need plenty of rest. If you do all this you should be better in two days." Chopper said with a smile. "Take this medicine twice a day, before breakfast and dinner is what I'd recommend. It helps with timing and all.." The reindeer smiled and handed Kari the medicine and she popped it in her mouth. Chewed it then swallowed and shivered. Her lips puckered and her eyes watered.

"it's so bitter..." The girl muttered, sticking her tounge out in disgust. Chopper nodded.

"It's either eat bitter medicine for a while or get really sick for longer." He said. Kari nodded in understanding. "Also, you didn't have to chew it ya know. I made sure you could just swallow them." The reindeer informed. Kari blinked a few times.

"oh... " She yawned and laid back down. "ok. Night." Kari then curled up and fell asleep. Chopper smiled kindly then left the den.

"How is she?" Chase asked upon seeing the doctor. Chopper looked up at the dragon and informed him of what Kari needed to get better.

"I've done all I can. I'll check in later to see how she's feeling. She should be better with in two days at least." Chase nodded in response, smiling lightly.

"Hey," Usopp called from the distance. "I'm kinda curious. What's a dragon doing here? I thought dragons were nothing but myths." Usopp sat down on a nearby rock and eyed Chase. The dragon sighed.

"I'd rather not say too much. Lets just say food got scarce years ago on the island all dragons called home. That's all I'm willing to say." Usopp nodded.

"Fair enough." The sharp shooter sighed then hummed in thought, remembering earlier that day about the log pose pointing straight in the air. "Hmmm..." Chase blinked then stood up to stretch. He arched his back then shook from side to side after straightening out, he then unfolded his wings to their full length of nearly twenty feet in length. Chase then scratched behind his ear while Luffy walked up, his left hand red and a bump on his head.

"Hey guys." He said, putting his right hand in the air with a neutral face. The captain looked at Chase. "So, you gonna join my crew?" He asked. Chopper and Usopp froze while Zoro, who heard Luffy, fell from the tree he was in.

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Usopp yelped.

"SHHH!! KARI'S SLEEPING!!" Chopper and Chase shushed in unison.

Zoro stood up quickly and rushed towards the three. "Luffy, seriously? He's a dragon! We don't know what he can do!" He grumbled. "Not to mention the girl might come with and she looks pretty weak..." He thought with a huff.

"Zoro, it's a talking DRAGON! Seriously! You don't get a chance like this everyday!" Luffy grinned widely while giggling like a child. Chopper, Zoro, and Usopp grumbled and hit their faces with their palms.

"Whatever." They said in unison.

Chase chuckled then sighed. "I'm still thinking about it. I'll have to talk with Kari first. If she's not going, I'm not." The dragon replied. His left ear twitched towards the den as he heard foot steps. "Kari, you should be--"

"... chase... why're humans here?" Kari asked, glaring at the three humans present. She wore a midday sky blue T shirt with a silver crescent moon on the front, loose fitting blue jean shorts that went slightly below her knees, and a black unzipped hoodie with large sleeves. The have pockets sewn in the sleeves and inside of the hoodie. She also had on her silver ninja scarf that dragged slightly on the ground. She wore no shoes and her feet were wrapped up in white bandages like her right arm and neck and her hair was put up in a ponytail that spiked out in different directions. Luffy, Usopp, and Zoro stared at Kari in confusion.

"It's a long story but they said they'd help. I couldn't leave you like that. If they tried anything I would've taken their heads."

"I DON'T CARE!! HUMANS ARE NOTHING BUT MONSTERS!! THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING! THEY NEVER DO AND BY THE LOOKS OF THINGS NOW THEY NEVER WILL!" Kari growled. "I can't believe you Chase!" Kari growled.

"Hey take it easy, he was just trying to help you out. You should be resting anyways." Zoro informed with a huff.

"I COULD'VE DONE WITHOUT YOUR HELP! FILTHY HUMAN SCUM!! AND DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! I'M NOT LIKE YOU!" Kari bellowed then went into a coughing fit. "I just thought I'd come for a nice walk to get some air... and I find this!"

"Uh, but, you're a human too." Usopp blinked. Kari flinched.

"No I'm not! I'm a dragon!" Kari growled. "And I  don't need help from you!" Kari hissed in pure rage. Chase sighed.

"Kari, go back inside. I'll talk with them." Chase ordered. Kari just stood there then turned right, towards the town, and walked through the forest. Chase growled. "KARI!"

"I'M GOING FOR A WALK! LEAVE ME ALONE! I DON'T CARE IF I'M STILL SICK CUZ I'M FEELING FINE!" Kari replied and kept walking. Chase grumbled.

"Sorry about her. She's... Not very accepting of humans. Even though she knows she's one." Chase stated. Luffy stared in the direction Kari walked off with a neutral expression. Zoro looked to Luffy in unison to Usopp and Chopper.

"Luffy. What're you thinking." Zoro asked. Luffy looked to the swordsman then back towards the direction Kari stormed off.

"I'm gonna go talk with her, maybe see if she'd wanna join the crew." Luffy said then walked off. Zoro sighed and let Luffy be. Chase gulped as he watched the pirate walk off.

----------

In Mock town Kari walked through the crowd with her hood up and her hands in the pockets of her hoodie. She growled then turned into an old building that no one used anymore. It was once used for pirates to sell off and trade items they found on their journey with other pirates but after a while it was abandoned. Kari gave a small smile then took out a note pad and a sketching pencil. She then went to sit under a large hole in the ceiling on a creaking wooden bench. Kari looked up at the sky then down to her paper and began to sketch the clouds. After a while she began to write what was on her mind in the form of a short story.

"It was not long before I felt the flames of--" Kari grumbled at the way it started then tried again.

"I'm not sure--" Kari frowned then turned to a clean page.

"I was so young when it happened." The girl nodded in approval then began to write again. "The screams still haunt me to this day, but I keep moving forward. Each night is a new nightmare. Each day is a new adventure. My home town, lost in the flames of disaster yet I am still standing. I am Ashes, and I will survive." Kari chuckled at this, proud of her work. She kept writing until she heard a creak in the flooring not too far away. Kari gasped lightly then closed her note pad and hid under an old stall.

"You idiot! You need to keep quiet!" A voice called.

"Sorry! I forgot the floors creaked here."

"Well whatever. That girl is in here somewhere, I saw her so hurry up." With that multiple footsteps echoed throughout the building. Kari gulped and stayed hidden while the people walked around. Soon a crash sounded and everyone rushed that way.

"What was that?!"

"Was it that girl?!"

"Shut up and go find out!" Kari blinked and peaked from her hiding spot to look around really quick. No one was around, so she took this chance to run home. When she went into the main hallway, which led to the exit, someone grabbed her scarf.

"I'VE GOT HER!!" A man called with a chuckle. That was when two other men walked up with evil smirks.

Kari flailed around as she was picked up by the hood, only to then be grabbed by her hair after her hood was pulled down to reveal her face. "LEMME GO!! I'LL BURN YOU TO A CRISP!" Kari yelled in anger, small flames escaping her mouth each time her lips parted, but the men did not notice. The men laughed.

"Go ahead and try it! We know how to--" As the leader of the three spoke the wall to Kari's right began to crumble. A fist zoomed from the dust and hit the man that was holding Kari, knocking him to the ground and dropping Kari. It then tuned and hit the other two men present. As the dust settled Kari saw Luffy standing there with a small smile.

"Hiya." He greeted. Kari just stared. "You okay?" Kari nodded in reply. Luffy chuckled as his smile grew a little. "That's good. Uh, what were they after you for?" Kari glared at Luffy.

"Why should I tell you?" She snarled. Luffy shrugged.

"Just wondering." He replied then looked to the three he punched. They were getting up. Luffy grabbed Kari's right wrist and chuckled then ran. He was not in the mood to deal with these guys. Kari yelped in shock.

"H-HEY WHAT'RE YOU--"

"I'm getting us outta here." Luffy cut Kari off as he ran out of the building and ran farther away from the forest.

"Uh, hey, you're not heading towards the forest." Kari mumbled.

Luffy skid to a stop then looked at Kari. "I'm not?" Kari grumbled.

"Follow me stupid human." She ordered then ran towards the forest, Luffy following close behind. "I know this forest very well so we can easily shake them off." The girl informed then jumped into the trees and sped up.

"Danm it!"

"They got away!"

"Shit! We could've been rewarded so well for capturing her for our boss... He'll have our heads if we go back empty handed." The three gulped then decided to push onward into the forest. The three quickly regretted this decision and ran away after they saw what they thought was some kind of carnivore in the shadows. Once they were gone Kari laughed wildly.

"HAHAHA!! LOOKIT THEM RUN!!" She said.

"YEAH!! THEY WERE SO SCARED!! HOW'D YOU DO THAT?!" Luffy asked, laughing as well. Kari sniffled and caught her breath. The girl pointed to her right eye, her left was closed and had a small tear in the corner from laughing so much.

"My eyes are cat like so they shine in the darkness easily. I also added a bit of flame for effect. Watch." Kari jumped into the shadows across from Luffy and opened her eyes, her pupils like angry slits. She opened her mouth to allow a small flame escape and illuminate her eyes a little bit to intensify how evil her eyes looked, lastly Kari let out a low growl. Luffy screamed and Kari laughed again then came out of the shadows. "See? Cool right?" Luffy gulped, quickly collected himself then nodded.

"Yeah! Really cool!" He chuckled. The two decided to talk while they walked around since there was no rush to get back to Kari's den. "Hey, Kari." Luffy began. Kari looked up at him. "I asked Chase if he'd like to join my crew. He said he wouldn't if you wouldn't. So I thought I'd ask once you're better."

"Technically I'm still sick. I'm just feeling a bit better... " Kari stated then began to feel dizzy. "... welp... spoke too soon..." Kari quickly passed out. Luffy widened his eyes and panicked for a bit then decided to head back to the den.

It took longer than it should have but Luffy finally arrived back at the den that Kari and Chase called home just in time for dinner. Chase rushed up to Luffy and asked what happened quickly and Luffy explained as best as he could then put Kari back on her mat. Everyone sat down and ate dinner happily then went to bed for the night.