We're all stories in the end

Kureha had sent you out of the castle for the second time that day.

It wasn't to forage like before, it was because…well, you'd kind of blown up the lab a little bit.

As it turned out, having a devil fruit that lets you charge objects with kinetic energy could be a little destructive, and you were going to have to figure out how to not do that. Or, at least, only when the situation called for it.

You sat on a tree stump at the clearing where you usually met Dalton for training, coat pulled tightly around you in the chill air. You'd spent a year in the Sakura Kingdom already, but you still weren't fully acclimated to the constant bitter cold yet. Especially when you weren't moving around and swinging your axe.

A little pile of items that you'd gathered laid at your feet. Acorns, stones, pinecones. Anything small you'd been able to spot on your way.

“Okay…”

You picked up one of the acorns and rolled it between your fingers, focusing in on it. Warmth spread to your fingertips, just like it had when you blew up that beaker in the lab, but it didn't charge up the acorn. No, it was your glove that began to glow pink.

“Oh, shit!” You scrambled to slip the glove off, throwing it as far as you could. The moment it hit the ground, it exploded, flinging snow and dirt into the air.

And you laughed in relief that you hadn't blown your own hand off the first day you had your powers.

“Let's try this again,” you said to yourself, picking up the acorn once more. And this time, it began to glow. You held onto it for a few seconds, letting the light grow brighter before you threw it just like you'd done with your glove.

Another explosion.

Luckily you'd told Dalton about the situation, otherwise you'd be concerned about worrying the people in town.

You charged another acorn, then a stone, both ending up the same way and putting little craters in the ground.

“So, it requires skin contact to work. Good to know.”

You charged up a pinecone and grinned.

Luffy was going to love this.

A few hours after, you returned to the castle, unable to take much more of the frigid temperatures. You carefully stepped into the throne room, checking to see if Kureha was inside

She was there, sitting in one of the chairs with a book in her lap, and she did not look particularly thrilled to see you.

“I'm sorry, Doctorine,” you said, and not for the first time that day.

“You should be,” she flipped the book closed. “You destroyed one of my good beakers.”

You clasped your hands together, and Kureha noticed your missing glove. “I've been practicing since I left, but it's going to take a while before I have this power down. I'll try my best not to damage anything else.”

Kureha stood up with a sigh, tossing the book down into her empty seat. “Chopper's done worse. I don't know if you've noticed, but he can be clumsy.”

You smiled at the mention of him, and chuckled when you realized that, yes, he definitely could be.

“It's about time for dinner.” She picked up her bottle of booze and walked past you. “Don't blow up the kitchen. Got it?”

“Yes, Doctorine.”

A while later, the both of you sat at the dinner table, each with a steaming bowl of chicken soup sat in front of you.

Yes, you'd managed not to destroy anything else in the process.

Kureha took a spoonful and deliberated for a moment before tilting her head. “Not bad. Could be better.”

It was the same response you got every time you cooked, but you couldn't really blame her.

You had a spoon of the soup yourself and sighed. You knew flavors and ingredients pretty well, but you didn't have anywhere the technique and skill that Sanji did. When you finally saw him again, you'd have to take him up on those private cooking lessons he'd offered you more than once. Assuming he'd even be able to get any teaching done without being ‘distracted by your beauty’ or something like that.

The thought made you smile.

“I know. Once you've had food from the best chef in the world, you can't go back...”

The air was still and quiet in that little clearing outside of Big Horn.

Well, it was quiet aside from the sound of Dalton's spade striking your axe.

It was a familiar dance at this point. Blocking, slashing, deflecting. Watching his body language, anticipating what he might do. You'd gotten quite good, he would say. Which wasn't a surprise since you hadn't taken a single day off in the last year and a half. Even if he had other duties to attend to, you would come out to this spot and practice all on your own.

So much training was bound to take a toll, just not on you.

The blow was no different from any other, except that it was accompanied by the cracking of wood.

You gasped as the handle of your axe split down the middle, and Dalton was just able to stop his attack from following through and hitting your body.

The blade fell to the snow, part of the handle remaining in your hands. As your stared down at it, your eyes started to sting.

You dropped to your knees and placed your hand to the blade, a tear falling down your cheek.

Dalton frowned. “Are you hurt?”

“No, no.” You sniffled, wiping the tears away with your sleeve. “It's just that…Usopp made this for me.”

Even with the time that had passed, you could remember the moment he'd given it to you as clear as day. How much it had warmed your heart, and how proud he'd been when he realized you liked it. And now, it was broken.

You'd missed your friends plenty since being forced apart from them, and you always handled it. Always distracted yourself somehow, kept yourself from being too sad.

But there was something about watching your weapon, the only tangible thing you owned that connected you to your friends, fall apart in your hands.

Dalton kneeled down with you, placing a hand on your shoulder. He could understand that your weapon had sentimental value, and that you still missed your friends, even though the day of your reunion drew closer and closer.

“Usopp made you this weapon so you could protect yourself, didn't he?”

You nodded.

“And you've used it in how many battles?”

“Quite a few,” you said softly.

“Then it's served you well.” He picked up the remnants and placed them into your hands. “No weapon lasts forever. Every one has to be put to rest eventually.”

“I just didn't think it would happen so soon.” Your fingers tightened around the wood. “It's my fault for being too rough with it.”

You'd been experimenting with charging your axe with your devil fruit ability. Not to make the weapon itself explode, but to boost its attack power. It worked, you just hadn't expected it to cause this.

“I'll need another one. It'll have to be really strong to survive the New World.” Your gloved fingertip traced the blade. “Can we use some of the metal from this one somehow?”

“We can do that.”

Dalton got to his feet and offered you a hand. You took it, hugging the pieces of the axe to your chest with your other arm.

You hoped that Usopp wouldn't be too upset about it when you saw him again.

You stood at the entry to the lab, weapon at your back as you shifted your weight from foot to foot. Kureha didn't even look back at you.

“You're not gone yet?”

“Heading out now, actually.” Your fingers gripped at the strap of your crossbody–hot pink and marked with a white X, just like Chopper's own medical bag. “I just wanted to say thanks for everything you've done for me.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Kureha waved you off. “Now scram.”

In spite of her harsh words, you smiled. “I hope we see each other again someday, Doctorine.”

With that, you walked away, leaving behind the castle you'd lived in for two years and one of the mentors you'd learned so much from.

Only to find the other waiting for you as you entered Big Horn.

“I thought I'd come and see you off,” Dalton said.

“Thank you.”

You walked through the village alongside him, looking around at it one more time. There were other towns in the Sakura Kingdom, and you'd visited them several times to work with the other doctors on the island, but most of your time was spent in Big Horn. It wasn't home by any stretch of the imagination, but it had become a comfortable place to be at least.

On your way to the gate, you said farewell to the people you'd helped care for for two years, accepting hugs and well wishes.

Dalton accompanied you all the way to the shore, where a small ship waited to take you to Alabasta.

You turned to him and held out a hand. “Thank you, Dalton. I wasn't ready for the New World–or even the Grand Line, honestly–but thanks to you, I feel so much more capable of holding my own. I'll never forget what you've taught me.”

Dalton clapped his hand to your forearm, and you gripped his in return. “It was the least I could do after what your crew did for this country.” He let go of you after a moment. “Keep up the training.”

“I will. Zoro will probably be happy that I've actually got some skills now.” You smiled and gave one more look towards the island entrance. “You keep taking good care of the people.”

He nodded to you.

You turned to the boat and closed the distance, taking a few steps up the gangplank.

“See you around, Dalton.”

Not long after, the Sakura Kingdom disappeared from the horizon, and you let out a sigh from your seat on the deck. It was real now. You were so close to being back with your friends. Back home on the Sunny.

You reached into your crossbody in search of the little snack you'd packed that morning, but you found a surprise.

The plan had been to restock your first aid supplies in Alabasta, not wanting to take from Kureha's supply. But your bag was topped off with everything you needed…

You looked back towards Sakura Island and smiled.

“Thank you, Doctorine…”

A few days later, the ship was closing in on Alabasta.

The change in climate was the first thing to clue you in, but then you noticed that familiar island on the horizon. Seeing that place sure brought back memories of events that felt like a lifetime ago.

As you approached the shore, you spotted a familiar blue ponytail, and your face split into a grin.

“VIVI!”

You hadn't expected to see her until you reached the capital, but there she was waiting for your arrival.

She called your name in response, giving you a big wave. Even Karoo, who stood next to her, waved a wing.

The gangplank couldn't go down fast enough, and you ran down it as soon as it hit land. Vivi met you halfway to the ship and threw her arms around you.

“It's so good to see you!” She gave you a squeeze, letting out a little laugh.

“You, too. It's been forever!” You pulled back a bit, eyes scanning over her. She wore her traditional royal clothing, just as she had been when she said farewell to the Straw Hats. But she seemed different, even more poised and mature.

She let you go from the hug, but kept her hands on your upper arms. “You'll have to tell me everything that's happened since we parted ways! I've seen what's in the news, but I'm sure there's more.”

“You have no idea.”