Episode 84: The Reindeer has a Blue-Nose! Chopper's Secret
Air Date: 2001-10-21
Opening: Believe (2nd Opening)
Ending: Before Dawn (5th Ending)
Manga Chapters: Chapter 139 (8-19/19), Chapter 140 (1-18/19)
Short Summary
Kureha and Chopper treat Nami, Luffy and Sanji. Chopper is a reindeer who has eaten a devil fruit that allows him to transform into a near-human(keeps his blue nose and fur). Meanwhile, Wapol is about to ascend the mountain. Back with Usopp, Vivi and Zoro, Dalton is dug up but his heart has stopped. Luffy vows to make chopper his crewmate.
In-Depth Summary
Nami and Chopper talk, before an old woman walks in and takes Nami's temperature. She introduces herself as Dr Kureha. Nami realises she's on the mountain top castle, and enquires about Luffy and Sanji's condition. After reassuring Nami that they are OK, Kureha goes on to describe Nami's illness, which is called Kestia. Kureha tells Nami how close she came to death and offhandedly remarks how rare the disease is - unless of course she goes around prehistoric islands with her belly sticking out - but is surprised to hear that Nami seems to know something on that score...
Worried about Vivi, Nami tries to leave when Kureha tells her she'll have to stay for 3 days, but is stopped when Kureha puts a knife to Nami’s throat and remarks that people leave her healthy...or dead.
Elsewhere in the castle, Chopper is tending to an unconscious Luffy and Sanji, and thinks back to just after he'd saved Luffy from falling down the mountain.
In the flashback, Kureha and Chopper examine the trio and a shivering Luffy asks Kureha to save his friends before passing out.
Back to the present and as Chopper is still staring at him, Luffy awakes and stares back, seeing...meat. Scared, Chopper backs up and bumps into Sanji, who starts muttering out venison recipes. Now terrified, Chopper screams and runs away as the pair chase after him. As they run past Nami they stop for a quick chat, relieved that Nami is better, before running off in pursuit of Chopper again.
Kureha explains to Nami that Chopper has eaten the Hito Hito(Human Human) devil fruit, as we see him transform into a human type reindeer and bash Luffy & Sanji's skulls into the ground. She also explains that she has taught him all her medical knowledge.
Meanwhile, Wapol and his retainers are at the foot of the mountain, and are planning to ascend it, while at the village, Vivi, Usopp and the villagers are frenziedly trying to dig Dalton out of the snow as Zoro watches in bemusement, having no idea what is going on. A villager manages to dig Dalton out, but they find his heart has stopped.
Back at the castle, Luffy asks Kureha to join his crew as doctor. After casually calling her an old woman, Kureha kicks him in the face, remarking that she is in her "too young" 130's. Sanji soon receives the same treatment. Chopper sneaks close and overhears that Luffy is a pirate, but having done a rather poor job at hiding, Sanji & Luffy run after him with Kureha in pursuit of them. As they run through Nami's room she wakes up. Chopper sneaks back to her room to stop her from moving, stating that she is still ill.
Luffy and Sanji are still running through the castle looking for Chopper, and notice how cold it is, before Kureha catches up with them and they yet again start running, but this time away from Kureha.
Chopper examines Nami and asks her whether they are pirates. Nami offers Chopper a place on the crew but Chopper refuses, seeming puzzled that she would offer, remarking that he is a reindeer with a blue nose. Luffy & Sanji then burst in, see Chopper, and the pursuit begins anew as they chase Chopper off. A few seconds later Kureha staggers in and sits down, tired from her chase of Luffy & Sanji. She notes that it won't be easy for Nami to get Chopper to join the crew, as he has mental scars that Kureha has been unable to fix. She tells Nami that as a baby, Chopper was abandoned by his parents because of his blue nose and had to trail the herd at a distance. Once he had eaten the Hito Hito fruit, they wouldn't even let him do this and chased him away viciously. After that he tried to fit in with humans, but they too attacked him and called him a monster, as they could see he wasn't human from his blue nose. Chopper had to run away to live on his own, as both sides had rejected him. Kureha asks Nami what she can do about the emptiness in Chopper's heart.
Luffy & Sanji find the castle's front door open, with snow sweeping in. As they try and close it Chopper tells them to stop, but they ignore him. Angry, Chopper transforms into human form and screams for them to stop. Sanji notices snowbirds nesting at the top of the door and figures out that if the door were closed, then their nest would be destroyed. As Chopper walks away, Sanji and Luffy then suddenly realise that Chopper was walking upright and talking, and excitedly declare him to be a monster.
Hearing this, Chopper slumps as he dejectedly walks off, missing Luffy both remarking to Sanji how cool Chopper is and vowing to make him join the crew.
Darkstorm's Notes
So we see some of Chopper’s past here, and how both parts of his nature - Human and Reindeer - branded him a monster. As we can see with his interaction with Nami, he seems to kind of believe it himself now, and sadly walks off when he hears Luffy voice the same opinion. Of course to Luffy, that's the coolest thing ever!
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