Ch. 5- Blizzard's Grotto

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard © Me

Blizzard quietly padded through the sun-dappled forest. His pink eyes narrowed as he focused on the path ahead of him. Dead leaves crunched beneath his paws as he walked...and not too far from him, Luffy and Chopper peeked from behind a tree before they glanced at each other and nodded their heads, then proceeded to follow after him.

As Blizzard walked, his ear suddenly twitched at the sound of soft footfalls behind him. He turned around fast, but he found no one there. At least, that's what the wolf-dog thought. What he didn't realize was that Luffy and Chopper had ducked behind a bush just as he turned around, both of them covering their mouths. Blizzard blinked for a moment in perplexity, but ultimately shrugged off his suspicions and continued walking, causing Luffy and Chopper to heave quiet sighs of relief before they both poked their heads out.

"Where do you think he's going?" Chopper whispered.

"I dunno," Luffy whispered back. "Must be somewhere cool if he's this far out."

With that, they proceeded to follow the wolf-dog, who seem to remain completely unaware of their presence.

"How much further do you think he'll keep walking?" Luffy asked. "I'm starting to get hungry."

"What else is new?" Chopper muttered under his breath as he walked alongside his captain.

As they rounded a bend, Luffy and Chopper gasped upon seeing that Blizzard had somehow vanished. The only thing they saw in front of them was a cliff face, and it was covered with long ivy.

"What the-?" Luffy questioned. "Where did he go?!"

"He was right in front of us!" Chopper answered as he approached the ivy and felt around, only to feel nothing but stone. Luffy stood beside him and felt through the ivy, as well, but still found nothing.

"I don't get it," Luffy said. "How could he just disappear like that?"

"Hmm..." Chopper hummed as he leaned against the cliff face...but then, out of nowhere, he gasped as he suddenly fell backward, disappearing behind the ivy.

"Chopper?!" Luffy asked as he pulled the ivy away...revealing a hidden tunnel behind it. "Whoa!"

"It's a hidden passageway!" Chopper exclaimed in excitement.

"So cool!" Luffy and Chopper shouted with sparkling eyes.

"Come on! Let's see where it leads!" Luffy said as he entered the tunnel, and Chopper soon followed after him, heading toward the light at the end.

XXX

Blizzard sighed as he sat at the edge of a small pond. His ears twitched at the sound of the tweeting birds up in the branches overhead and the tiny waterfall that fell into the pond. The wind blew softly and gently, carrying it with the slightly salty air of the sea. The wolf-dog smiled, his tail wagging back and forth as he felt a sense of calm.

'Ahh...this is much better,' he thought. 'Just me and my hidden grotto.'

He then frowned slightly as he stared at the water...and for a brief moment, he could see the smiling face of a man with pale skin and pale blonde hair.

'Master...' he thought...but then, his ears twitched as he heard the sound of encroaching footsteps. 'What? Intruders?!'

Soon, Luffy and Chopper exited from the tunnel, both of them shielding their eyes from the sunlight. The moment they let their eyes adjust, however, they both gasped at the beautiful grotto before them.

"Wow...!" Chopper whispered. "It's a secret grotto!"

"Cool!" Luffy exclaimed. "But...where's Blizzard?"

Grrrrr...!

"What was that?" Chopper asked.

"Might be my tummy," Luffy said as he put his hands on his stomach. "I said I was getting hungry."

"Uh...Luffy?" Chopper asked as his eyes looked nervously at a nearby rock. "I don't think that's your tummy."

Luffy followed Chopper's gaze, only to find Blizzard, growling viciously as he stood on top of the rock, glowering at the two pirates.

"Blizzard!" Luffy exclaimed as the wolf-dog climbed down from the rock and stalked toward him and Chopper, who gulped nervously as he hid behind his captain. Blizzard barked at the two of them with fangs bared and his fur bristling.

"Uh...Chopper?" Luffy asked. "What is he saying?"

"He's asking what we're doing here," Chopper said, "and we better answer fast."

"We only followed you because Hillary asked us to," Luffy said, causing Blizzard to stop growling. "You just up and disappeared and she was worried, so Chopper and I came looking for you."

Blizzard's growling ceased as he blinked at Luffy, who smiled at him.

"So this is where you were, huh?" he asked. "This is a pretty neat place you've got, huh?"

"Yeah, it's beautiful!" Chopper added, causing Blizzard's ears to droop and he backed away, which Luffy and Chopper quickly took notice. "What? What'd I say?"

Blizzard sighed before he turned and sat down in front of the pond, again, causing Luffy and Chopper to glance at each other before they approached him and sat down beside him.

"What's wrong with you, Blizzard?" Luffy asked.

Blizzard only kept staring at the water while Chopper came and sat by him, staring at the pond's surface with him before Blizzard started to make little growls and whines.

"Your...special place?" Chopper repeated.

"What do you mean?" Luffy asked.

"He says that this is where he and his master would come and play together," said Chopper. "It was their own little grotto."

"...Oh," Luffy muttered in realization before he looked at Blizzard. "The mayor says you come here after you have a bad day...was...was yesterday a bad day for you?"

Blizzard glanced at Luffy before he smiled and started to bark.

"He says 'No, actually,'" Chopper translated. "'You were the first person in a long time to actually treat me nicely.'"

"Really?" Luffy asked. "Then...why'd you come here?"

Blizzard heaved a sigh as he looked at the water.

"He says 'It's because you reminded me of him,'" Chopper translated, again. "Blizzard...when you say 'him', do you mean your master?"

Blizzard nodded his head as he looked up at the sky, where he saw a flock of seagulls fly by.

Flashback

The sky was filled with dark clouds that poured unrelenting rain. Thunder rumbled in the heavens and lightning split the clouds, momentarily sending light throughout the empty streets. Inside an alley, shaking from both the cold wind and the fright of hearing the thunder...there was a tiny puppy, hiding under a wooden box in an attempt to find shelter from the rain. Unfortunately, the box was cracked in some places and proved not to be as dry as the pup had wished.

His ashen fur was now smudged with rainwater and grime. His pink eyes, wide and scared. His tiny body shivered, his body temperature falling due to being cold and wet.

He didn't know what happened. One day, he remembered being placed in a cardboard box with all his brothers and sisters. Their mother, Delilah, sat nearby, watching proudly as she waited for her puppies to be adopted by many different people for just 2,000 Berries each. All of them got to go to new homes...except for him.

Why? Why did no one want him? He was cute, wasn't he? Sure, he was smaller than all the others, but he was also the oldest out of his litter. Why wasn't he picked first? Why didn't he go to a new home? Why did his mother's owner drop him off here, all alone?

Why couldn't he stay on the farm with his mother, instead? At least then, he wouldn't be all alone.

It wasn't fair. Why did it he get the short end of the stick out of all his siblings?

"Oh, my goodness! Robby, over here! Look at this!"

The puppy looked up, and imagine his surprise: a man and woman, standing side-by-side. The woman had short, blonde hair and a mauve blouse, as well as a ten-gallon hat and blue trousers. Standing beside her was a man with pale skin and platinum blonde hair, as well as blue eyes. He had on a dark red shirt and a pair of white pants with black boots, and he was holding an umbrella over his head. The man had a rather scruffy mustache, too.

"What's this little guy doing all alone out here?" asked the albino man as he kneeled down and held his hand out to the puppy, who sniffed his fingers before licking them lightly. "Aww, you poor puppy."

The man gently took the puppy into his arms while the woman wrapped up him in a thick, warm cloth.

"The poor thing," she said.

"Hillary, we gotta get this little guy outta the rain," said Robby. "He could freeze to death!"

"I agree," Hillary nodded. "Let's get him somewhere safe."

"You're coming with us, little guy," said Robby, giving the pup a reassuring smile...and that made the puppy's tail begin to wag. "You're pretty fierce-looking for a little thing, I'll give you that much. A pup like you, able to survive way out here in the middle of a typhoon? That takes guts."

"Absolutely," Hillary smiled as she gently stroked the pup's head. "What do you think we should call him?"

"...Blizzard," Robby answered.

Flashback end

Blizzard smiled, wagging his tail at the fond memory while Luffy and Chopper sat nearby, the latter having explained to the former what the wolf-dog recalled.

"So that's how Robby found you?" asked Luffy, prompting Blizzard to nod his head. "Wow...he really liked you, huh?"

Blizzard nodded his head and gave a few barks.

"He said that he liked him, too," Chopper said.

"What was it like, being with him?" Luffy inquired, causing Blizzard to look at the sky, once more...and this time, he could hear the sounds of laughter and happy barking.

Flashback

Robby laughed as he and Blizzard ran up the mountain trail, the latter barking as he chased after his master, playfully nipping at his heels. Blizzard was a little bit bigger in size, now. Not quite as big as his present-day self, but he was getting there.

"Come on, boy!" Robby called while Blizzard barked, running after him as fast as his legs could take him. "Hahahaha! That's it! You're getting faster every day, aren't you?"

Blizzard barked happily as he continued to chase after Robby. They raced through the forest together, jumping over rocks and shrubs until finally pushing through a wall of ivy, and as Blizzard playfully tackled his master, they soon came tumbling out the other side, revealing themselves in the same grotto. Blizzard barked as he licked Robby's face, causing him to laugh at the ticklish feeling of the puppy's tongue lapping against his cheek.

"Okay, okay!" he exclaimed. "You got me!"

Blizzard barked, once again, his tail wagging so fast that it almost seemed invisible. Soon, the two sat down together before the pond with Blizzard sitting in Robby's lap. They could hear the sound of the babbling waterfall and they could smell the scent of the sea on the wind. Robby sighed, a feeling of tranquility washing over him as he gently stroked Blizzard's head.

"Isn't this great, Blizzard?" asked Robby. "Just you, me, and our secret place..."

Blizzard sighed as he curled up on Robby's lap, prompting him to chuckle.

"You know what I really love about this place, Blizzard?" he asked, causing the puppy to tilt his head in curiosity. "I'll show you."

Soon, Robby got up and walked around to the other side of the pond and parted some bushes away...revealing a clear view of the vast, blue, sparkling sea, causing Blizzard to gape in awe at its brilliance.

"Such a beautiful view, isn't it?" asked Robby. "The Grand Line is a beautiful and mysterious place, it is...and somewhere on the very end of it lies the greatest treasure in the world: the One Piece."

Blizzard blinked up at Robby, who grinned at him.

"I know what you're thinking," he said. "What if you and I went out to look for that treasure, huh?" He then gave a light chuckle. "We could do it...we could go out on the sea, together...gather up all our friends, get on board a ship, and sail to the very end of the Grand Line! We'll be pirates, Blizzard, sailing the seas in search of freedom and riches!"

Blizzard barked excitedly at that.

"Haha!" Robby laughed. "I thought so...we'll get started on that, first thing tomorrow."

Blizzard barked again before he began to lick Robby's face again, causing him to laugh.

Flashback end

"...Wow...!" Luffy whispered in awe.

"Your master really was amazing, huh, Blizzard?" asked Chopper, prompting Blizzard to nod his head and wipe his eyes.

"Hey!" Luffy exclaimed. "That view of the sea...can we see it?!"

Blizzard blinked at Luffy in surprise...but then he smiled before he got up and walked around to the other side of the pond, then pulled the bushes back, just as Robby had done...revealing a grand view of the sea.

"Wow...!" Luffy and Chopper whispered in amazement, their eyes sparkling just like the water as the sun reflected off its surface.

"It really is pretty!" Chopper added. "No wonder you and Robby always came here!"

Blizzard smiled as he wagged his tail, feelings of nostalgia welling up inside of him...and then, all of a sudden, he felt a gentle hand on his head, causing him to look up and see Luffy, smiling down at him as he pet his head.

"I can see why you love this place, so much," said Luffy. "Don't worry...we won't tell anybody else."

Blizzard blinked at the Straw Hat Captain, who gave him a big, toothy grin. Blizzard was so enraptured by that smile...that he didn't even notice his tail was wagging.

XXX

"Oh, you're back!" Hillary exclaimed as Luffy, Chopper, and Blizzard approached the mansion. "And I see you found Blizzard, too! Thank you both."

"No problem, Hillary!" Chopper replied.

"So, where'd you guys go off to?" Hillary asked, prompting Blizzard to look up at Luffy.

"Ah, you know...nowhere special," Luffy shrugged.

"...I see," Hillary smiled while Blizzard walked up to her and jumped up on his hind legs, causing her to laugh as she kissed his nose. "At least you're safe, Blizzard."

Blizzard nodded his head before he walked up to his usual spot and sat down while Luffy and Chopper headed inside.

"Hey, Sanji!" Luffy called. "Is lunch ready?"

"Yeah, we're hungry!" Chopper added.

Hillary blinked before she looked over at Blizzard, who stared out toward the ocean.

'I don't know how...but Blizzard seems...different,' she thought before she smiled warmly. 'But that's not so bad.'

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next time on One Piece: The Rivet Island Arc!

Nami: So you're saying Blizzard's gotten more sociable?

Hillary: Yes. This is the happiest I've seen him in such a long time!

Usopp: Well, that's Luffy for you. He has a way of changing you for the better.

Hillary: I'll keep that in mind.

Luffy: Hey, Zoro. You know what I think?

Zoro: No. Don't tell me...you want Blizzard to join the crew, don't you?

Luffy: Yeah! How'd you know?

Next time: Luffy's Offer

Yeah, I know it took a long time for me to update this one, but at least I haven't abandoned it.

Review, please!