One Piece: The Deadly

The Thousand Sunny glided smoothly across the sea, the post-Christmas calm settling over the crew. One week had passed since their festive, lovely, celebration, and the Straw Hats were back to their usual antics. The sun was shining, the waves were gentle, and everything seemed peaceful.

Too peaceful for the StrawHats.

That's when it happened.

Chopper, the ship's adorable and skilled doctor, stood on the deck near the railing. At first, he appeared to be lost in thought, staring off at the horizon. The crew didn't think much of it—until he started to move.

It was subtle at first. A small sway of his hips, a bob of his head. His tiny hooves tapped the deck rhythmically, and soon enough, he was spinning in circles, his antlers swaying in perfect synchronization.

The crew stopped what they were doing to watch him, their expressions a mix of confusion and curiosity.

"Uh… Chopper?" Nami asked, raising an eyebrow. "What… are you doing?"

Chopper didn't answer. Instead, he kicked his hooves up, spinning in a perfect pirouette before striking a pose, his arms outstretched dramatically.

"What the hell is this?" Zoro muttered, leaning against the mast.

"I think he's… dancing?" Robin said, her usual calm demeanor tinged with amusement.

Kikidori tilted his head, scratching his chin. "Is this some sort of new medical technique? Like… therapeutic dance moves or something?"

"It's kinda cute!" Brook said, his bony hands clapping together in delight. "Though I'd join, but you know, I don't have muscles! Yohohoho!"

Sanji, puffing on a cigarette, squinted at Chopper's movements. "That's… actually not bad form. I'd say he's got some style."

But Chopper was far from done. He transitioned into a lively jig, his little legs moving so fast they were a blur. His face was lit up with pure joy, and it was clear he wasn't stopping anytime soon.

Luffy, naturally, was the first to join in. "Dancing? Count me in!" he said, immediately starting to flail his arms and legs in an energetic, chaotic motion.

"Wait, are we really doing this?" Usopp asked nervously as he watched Luffy begin to groove across the deck.

Ere'ana nudged Kikidori with her elbow, a grin on her face. "Well? Are you going to join them or what?"

Kikidori rolled his eyes. "Ugh, fine. But if I embarrass myself, it's your fault."

Within moments, the deck of the Sunny had transformed into an impromptu dance floor. Nami and Robin exchanged looks before shrugging and joining in, their moves far more graceful than the rest of the crew's. Franky cranked up a speaker from his chest, blasting a funky beat that seemed to energize everyone even more.

"SUPER DANCE PARTY!" Franky shouted, striking a pose mid-dance.

Even Zoro, who initially refused to participate, eventually gave in when Raiko dragged him into the chaos. "This is stupid," he grumbled, but his half-hearted steps quickly turned into actual moves when Robin smiled encouragingly at him.

Sanji, of course, tried to impress Nami and Robin with his suave spins and footwork. "Ladies, let me show you how it's done!" he declared, twirling dramatically—only to slip on the wet deck and land flat on his back.

"Smooth," Nami said with a smirk.

Brook played along by tossing his head back and forth, making his afro bounce in time with the beat. "If only I had flesh and a heart, I'd be sweating right now! Yohohoho!"

The real highlight of the impromptu dance session came when Kikidori attempted to mimic one of Luffy's wild moves, only to lose his balance and fall straight into Chopper, who was still dancing like his life depended on it. The two tumbled across the deck, crashing into a pile of snow that hadn't melted from Christmas.

Ere'ana couldn't contain her laughter. "You're supposed to dance *with* him, not *on* him, Kikidori!"

Kikidori groaned, shaking the snow off his hair as Chopper quickly got back to his hooves, unfazed. "How are you still going? Don't you ever get tired?" Kikidori asked incredulously.

Chopper grinned, puffing out his chest proudly. "I'm the ship's doctor! Stamina is important!"

Luffy, who was now spinning in circles like a human tornado, suddenly stopped and pointed at Chopper. "This is awesome! Let's make it a competition! Who can dance the longest?"

The crew exchanged glances, their competitive spirits igniting.

"You're on," Zoro said, cracking his knuckles.

"Prepare to be amazed," Sanji said, adjusting his tie.

"I'll show you all!" Usopp declared, striking a dramatic pose.

What followed was one of the most ridiculous events in the history of the Straw Hats. For hours, they danced non-stop, trying to outlast one another. Luffy's boundless energy kept him going, while Chopper amazed everyone with his endurance. Nami and Robin eventually stepped aside to watch, sipping warm drinks as they laughed at the chaos.

By the end of it, only two remained: Luffy and Chopper. Everyone else had either collapsed from exhaustion or given up.

"You're pretty good," Luffy said, grinning at Chopper.

"You too!" Chopper replied, though he was clearly starting to wobble.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Chopper stumbled and fell onto the deck, completely spent. Luffy raised his arms in victory. "I win!" he shouted, laughing triumphantly.

"Yeah, yeah, you're the king of dance or whatever," Nami said, rolling her eyes. "Now can we please clean up this mess? The deck looks like a tornado hit it."

Despite the exhaustion, the crew was all smiles as they began tidying up, the energy from their spontaneous dance party lingering in the air. It was moments like these that reminded them of how much fun it was to be together, even in the middle of the unpredictable Grand Line.

As the sun set, Kikidori flopped onto the deck next to Ere'ana, still catching his breath. "Well," he said, "that was unexpected."

Ere'ana chuckled. "You have to admit, though—it was fun."

Kikidori sighed, staring up at the sky with a small smile. "Yeah, it was."

The End of Chapter 73.