Seeing his opponent finally appear, Will immediately broke into a grin and said, "Old lady, I'm taking Chopper with me."
"I came here to let him say his goodbyes to you."
Whoosh!
As soon as the words left his mouth, Dr. Kureha vanished from her spot, only to reappear in front of Will in an instant, launching a swift kick.
"You damn brat! How many times have I told you not to call me old lady?!" she snapped.
Thud!
Will casually raised a hand to block her attack, completely unfazed. In a calm tone, he teased, "Hey, old lady, you're getting up there in years. Don't get so fired up."
"Hmph, cheeky punk…" Dr. Kureha muttered, retracting her leg and crossing her arms. She then turned to Chopper, who stood nearby. "So, what's your take on this? You really planning to board this guy's pirate ship?"
At her words, Chopper's gaze wavered for a moment. Then, taking a deep breath, he looked up with determination. "Doctorine, I've decided to go out to sea with him! I really want to see what the world beyond is like—what the seas have in store!"
Seeing the eager spark in Chopper's eyes, Dr. Kureha couldn't help but let out a helpless chuckle. "What a foolish son you are…"
She turned to Will, flashing a toothy grin. "Alright, kid. Since Chopper's made up his mind, I'm entrusting him to you. The Grand Line's a complicated place, so you'd better be careful. Don't let Chopper get caught up in some unknown danger."
Hearing her well-meaning advice, Will's face lit up with a confident smile. "Don't worry. With me around, he'll be fine."
He then looked down at Chopper. "Alright, I'm heading back to the tavern below. Once you've packed up what you need, come find me there."
"Got it!" Chopper nodded eagerly.
Whoosh!
Without another word, Will vanished from the spot in a flash.
Now, only Dr. Kureha and Chopper remained. Chopper suddenly felt a wave of nervousness and cautiously glanced at Doctorine.
Dr. Kureha caught his expression and found it amusing. She let out a hearty laugh. "Alright, enough dawdling! Go pack your stuff and get moving with that guy. It'll save me a fortune on food bills."
With that, she turned and headed back toward the castle.
Realizing she wasn't upset, Chopper broke into a grin and hurriedly scampered after her.
At a dock near Horn Village on Drum Island, Will and Nami were the first to return to the ship, with Karina and Vivi close behind. Chopper, meanwhile, stood on the shore, carrying a bundle several times larger than himself, bidding farewell to everyone.
"Doctorine, everyone, I'm heading out now," Chopper said.
Dr. Kureha pushed her sunglasses up to her forehead and grinned. "Go on, get moving already."
Dalton nodded solemnly. "Be careful out there."
Though reluctant to leave, Chopper steeled himself, turned, and dashed up the gangplank onto the ship's deck.
Seeing Chopper board, Will instructed Karina to take him to the cabin to find a room and stow his belongings. Then he turned to Nami. "Let's set sail. Onward to Alabasta!"
As he spoke, he glanced toward the shore, where a crowd of villagers had gathered. Grateful for Will's role in defeating Wapol, they had come to see him off, even insisting on loading the ship with essential supplies.
Watching them wave enthusiastically, Will smiled and waved back in farewell.
Nearby, Vivi overheard Will's words, her eyes flickering with unspoken thoughts.
"That kid," Dr. Kureha muttered, watching Will's waving figure on the ship. She chuckled, then turned to Dalton. "By the way, what did that guy hand you before he left?"
Dalton blinked, then pulled a book from his coat and handed it to her. "This. Will said he wrote it last night. He also mentioned that if I had any questions, I should ask you. I didn't quite catch what he meant at the time."
"You didn't take a look?" Dr. Kureha raised an eyebrow, taking the book and flipping it open.
Dalton shook his head. "Not yet. I was planning to read it later."
"Hm?!" Dr. Kureha's eyes widened as she scanned the contents, a glint of surprise flashing through them. "Physical techniques… and Haki?!"
Though the handwriting was a bit sloppy, likely due to being rushed, and the text wasn't lengthy, the content was written in a clear, accessible way—obviously intentional.
She handed the book back to Dalton with a meaningful smile. "I think I get what he's up to. Once you've read it, you can teach the techniques to some suitable villagers."
Pausing, she added casually, "If there's anything you don't understand, come find me at the castle."
With that, Dr. Kureha turned to leave, muttering loudly to herself, "That damn brat, always stirring up trouble for me. Stealing my foolish son wasn't enough—he had to dump this on me too."
Dalton watched her retreating figure, puzzled, then curiously opened the book. As he read the contents, his pupils shrank in shock. "This is?!"
By the time Dalton looked up, Will's ship had already vanished beyond the horizon.
The Grand Line
"Colonel Smoker!" Tashigi jogged to the bow of the warship, saluting as she reported, "The ship has successfully passed through the Calm Belt and officially entered the Paradise section of the Grand Line."
"Hm." Smoker, cigar in mouth and coat hanging open, stared thoughtfully at the sea ahead. He hadn't expected that madman Will to remain so quiet after entering the Grand Line, without causing any major incidents. It made him uneasy, as if the man was planning something big.
"Colonel Smoker, where are we headed next?" Tashigi asked curiously, clutching her beloved sword. She knew their mission was to track down the madman Will, but with no recent news about him, she wondered where Smoker planned to search.
Smoker pondered for a moment, then said with a serious expression, "Head to the waters around Alabasta. It's a major kingdom, and one of the Seven Warlords is entrenched there. Knowing that guy's personality, there's no way he'd pass up a place like that."
"Yes, sir!" Tashigi saluted without hesitation, then turned and quickly walked off.
A few days later, in the waters just outside Saint Tin Island, near the Kingdom of Alabasta, a medium-sized ship sailed steadily forward. At its bow stood a shadowy figure.
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