Chapter 71 Chopper's Inner Conflict
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became heavy.
Nami's lips trembled slightly.
Of course, she knew what that meant—her physical condition simply couldn't support her going out to sea right now.
If she forced herself to go, she might collapse before even reaching Alabasta, and by then... A wave of unwillingness surged in her heart, but she had to admit that Dr. Kureha was right.
Nami bit her lip, silent for a few seconds, and finally slowly lay back down.
Sanji finally breathed a sigh of relief, and Lin Ning also nodded from the side: "That's right, you need to get well first before you can help Vivi."
"Hmph." Dr. Kureha snorted coldly and turned to leave.
But just as she reached the door, Luffy suddenly spoke—
"Old hag!"
Dr. Kureha paused, raised an eyebrow, and slowly turned around, her gaze sharp: "...Boy, what did you just call me?"
Luffy didn't notice her expression at all, excitedly standing up, "You can be our ship's doctor! We really need a doctor!"
Lin Ning was stunned, and Sanji was so shocked he almost dropped his cigarette, with a look on his face that clearly said, "Are you crazy, kid?"
Dr. Kureha was momentarily stunned, then her mouth twitched, revealing a sinister smile.
She suddenly raised a foot and kicked Luffy flying—
"Bang!"
Luffy crashed against the wall and slid down.
"You brat!" Dr. Kureha stood with her hands on her hips, her eyes dangerous,
"You better watch your mouth! I'm a beautiful 130-year-old maiden, how could I go out to sea with you stinking pirates? Dream on!"
Sanji's mouth twitched, and he quietly took a step back, afraid of being caught in the crossfire.
Luffy got up from the ground, scratching his head, "Eh? You don't want to?"
"Nonsense!" Dr. Kureha rolled her eyes impatiently, "I don't want to waste my prime years on you lot!"
Luffy still wanted to say something, but Dr. Kureha was already too lazy to bother with him, turning and walking out with a flourish.
Lin Ning shrugged and patted Luffy's shoulder: "Alright, don't waste your breath."
At this moment, Chopper, who had been standing at the door, secretly poked out half his body.
—He had been eavesdropping since earlier.
Unfortunately, he was hiding in the wrong direction.
His butt and tail were exposed, making him quite obvious from any angle.
"Eh? What's that?"
Luffy's interest was immediately piqued, his eyes lit up, and he lunged towards Chopper—
"It's a Reindeer!"
Chopper's face changed, "Oh no!"
He suddenly turned and ran.
"Don't run!"
Luffy chased after him, and Sanji, seeing that the situation was not good, immediately followed: "Hey, Luffy, don't mess around!"
—Chopper ran desperately in front, Luffy chased excitedly behind, and Sanji followed, cursing as he ran.
Lin Ning stood still, his mouth twitching.
He sighed and looked up at the ceiling.
"These guys... they're really something else."
Snow was still falling.
But it was warm inside, the fire in the fireplace burned brightly, crackling and popping.
Nami lay in bed, her complexion much better than before, and her breathing much steadier.
Lin Ning sat beside her, watching her, but his mind was on another matter—the ship's doctor.
Dr. Kureha pushed the door open, holding ointment for changing dressings, walking with a brisk pace, her eyes sharp as if she could see through everything.
Lin Ning seized the opportunity and spoke directly: "Hey, old hag."
Dr. Kureha's eyes turned cold: "...Say that again?"
Lin Ning immediately corrected himself: "Ahem, Kureha, that Chopper, he's your apprentice, right? How's his medical skill?"
Dr. Kureha's movements paused, she looked up at Lin Ning, narrowing her eyes: "What are you plotting?"
Lin Ning smiled: "You don't want to go out to sea, do you? But we really need a ship's doctor, and Chopper's medical skill must be good, right?"
Dr. Kureha let out a "laugh" of laughter, with a hint of sarcasm in her tone: "Heh, so that's it."
She lowered her head and continued to change Nami's dressing, her movements skilled and precise.
After a moment, she slowly said: "Chopper's medical skill? Hmm... Of course, he inherited my mantle."
Lin Ning's eyes lit up.
Dr. Kureha continued: "Over the years, I've taught him everything I know.
Whether it's internal medicine, surgery, or various difficult and complex diseases, he can handle them."
Nami opened her eyes upon hearing this and asked weakly: "Then can he... be our ship's doctor?"
Dr. Kureha sneered: "Whether he can or not depends on whether you have the ability to make him willing to go with you."
Lin Ning frowned: "What do you mean?"
Dr. Kureha put the ointment back into the medicine box, stood up, looked out at the wind and snow, was silent for a moment, then slowly began: "That child, Chopper, has a knot in his heart."
She turned her head, looking at Lin Ning and Nami, her eyes less sarcastic, more serious:
"If you can untie his heart's knot, I won't stop him from following you as pirates."
Lin Ning's heart stirred, knowing there was a chance, and immediately asked: "What is his heart's knot?"
Dr. Kureha was silent for a moment, her tone suddenly becoming low: "His past."
She walked to the fireplace, picked up a wine bottle, took a big gulp, her gaze seemingly drifting back to a long time ago.
"Chopper... he's not an ordinary Reindeer." She slowly said,
"He ate the 'Human-Human Fruit' and became half-human, half-beast. The ironic thing is, humans don't accept him, and Reindeer don't accept him either."
Nami's heart tightened, and Lin Ning's expression also became serious.
"When he was little, right after he ate the Human-Human Fruit, he naively ran back to the Reindeer herd, wanting them to accept him."
There was a chill in Dr. Kureha's voice, "And what happened? They treated him like a monster, frantically goring him with their antlers, driving him out of the herd."
Nami clenched her fists.
Dr. Kureha continued: "He had nowhere to go, so he could only go to human villages, but when the villagers saw him like that, their first reaction was to shoot.
He was hunted, driven away, and called a 'monster'."
Nami's eyes were a little red.
"Finally, he wandered alone in the snow, starving to death." Dr. Kureha pursed her lips, her eyes complex, "Then, he met that man."
Lin Ning suddenly looked up: "Who?"
"Hiriluk! Chopper's adoptive father!" Dr. Kureha sighed softly,
"That crazy doctor picked Chopper up, gave him food, gave him a home, and even gave him a name."
Nami asked softly: "'Chopper' is the name he gave him?"
Dr. Kureha nodded: "Yes, Hiriluk said his antlers were 'amazing' and could 'chop down a tree,' so he named him 'Tony Tony Chopper'."
Lin Ning murmured: "...Chopper who chops trees."
Dr. Kureha whispered: "Chopper felt 'accepted' for the first time."
She took a gulp of wine and continued: "But, good times don't last.
Hiriluk contracted a terminal illness and didn't have long to live. Chopper, to save him, desperately searched for the legendary 'all-purpose medicine'."
Lin Ning frowned deeply.
Nami asked softly: "...Did he find it?"
Dr. Kureha sneered: "He found a 'mushroom,' thought it was the all-purpose medicine, and happily brought it back for Hiriluk to eat."
Lin Ning's heart suddenly sank.
Dr. Kureha slowly said: "But that was actually a poisonous mushroom."
Nami gasped.
"Hiriluk ate it." Dr. Kureha's voice was very calm, "Then, he died."Chapter 72 Wapol's Attack
The room was terrifyingly quiet.
Lin Ning whispered, "...Chopper must be blaming himself."
Dr. Kureha put down her wine bottle, looked at the flames in the fireplace, and sighed softly, "He always believed he was responsible for Hiriluk's death."
Nami's tears streamed down her face.
Lin Ning was silent for a long time, then took a deep breath and looked up at Dr. Kureha, "So, he's afraid to leave here. He's afraid of the outside world."
Dr. Kureha nodded, "Yes."
She looked at Lin Ning, a slight smile playing on her lips, "If you can help him overcome this, I won't stop you."
Lin Ning clenched his fist, his eyes resolute, "...I will definitely get him to join the crew."
Nami wiped her tears and said softly, "Chopper... he deserves a wider world."
Dr. Kureha smiled faintly, raising her wine bottle, "Then I wish you good luck."
"Oh, and Chopper's adoptive father, Hiriluk's, greatest wish was to cure this country!"
Lin Ning and Nami exchanged glances, understanding that this was Dr. Kureha's hint to them.
They could start from this angle to resolve Chopper's inner turmoil.
Outside the castle, a commotion erupted, like someone shouting, or someone yelling provocatively.
The wind and snow carried the sounds into the room, bringing with them a biting chill.
Lin Ning frowned, listening intently.
Luffy's voice, boisterous and lively, carried his usual fearlessness and excitement.
Dr. Kureha put down her wine bottle, snorted, a hint of sarcasm in her eyes, "That fellow is back."
"Who?"
"The root of this country's suffering—Wapol."
Lin Ning and Nami exchanged glances and quickly walked to the window.
Outside the window, Luffy, Sanji, and Chopper were confronting three people, one of whom was corpulent, with teeth protruding like a beast's, and an arrogant expression.
Dr. Kureha sneered, pointing at the man, "That's Wapol, the current King of Drum Kingdom, and a complete scoundrel."
Nami's eyes widened, "What evil deeds has he done?"
Dr. Kureha's gaze turned cold, her voice like a sharp blade, filled with deep-seated anger:
"He abandoned all his citizens and fled to avoid danger.
Before that, to control the citizens, he blockaded all medical care in the country, forcing all doctors to obey him, using medical control to control the people!"
Lin Ning's eyes slightly chilled.
Dr. Kureha continued, "What's more despicable is that he tricked Hiriluk, saying there was a patient who needed treatment, and lured him to the castle gates.
But before the poisonous mushroom could kill Hiriluk, Hiriluk detonated a bomb and committed suicide!"
"What a rotten person," Lin Ning's voice was low.
Lin Ning looked at Chopper by the castle gate, sighing inwardly.
Lin Ning sensed that this little fellow yearned for recognition, yearned for companions, yet was also afraid.
He needed an opportunity. Lin Ning looked out the window, narrowing his eyes and smiling:
"Since the root cause is back, it's much simpler then. Drum Kingdom, let's change the King."
Nami suddenly looked up, staring at Lin Ning with an expression that said, "Are you kidding me?"
Dr. Kureha was stunned, "You mean...?"
"Chopper's inner turmoil, Hiriluk's wish, isn't it precisely this? To fundamentally cure this country," Lin Ning shrugged,
"Since he's back, let's deal with him. That way, Chopper will have nothing to hesitate about."
With that, he leaped out of the window.
Snowflakes fluttered, landing on his shoulders, cool to the touch. Lin Ning landed steadily at the castle gate, looking up at the confronting figures.
"Luffy, what's going on?"
Luffy turned, waving excitedly, "Lin Ning! They say they're the owners of this castle and they want to attack us!"
Lin Ning's gaze swept over the three.
Wapol was short and stout, with a large belly, overall barrel-shaped, and relatively short limbs.
His chin was very large and strangely shaped, his mouth wide and often revealing two prominent front teeth.
He wore a heavy coat, his belly round, his face full of disdain.
Next to Wapol were two subordinates, one tall and thin, standing rigidly.
His hair was black and white in a checkerboard pattern, somewhat resembling a chessboard design.
His beard also looked like a chessboard, and he wore heavy fur clothing, looking like a noble knight, holding a bow and arrow.
The other was a sturdy, muscular man, looking more like a warrior.
He had two oversized, round, black "pom-pom" hairstyles on his head, looking like giant wool balls, very peculiar.
He wore dark fur clothing and was glaring fiercely at Luffy.
Wapol laughed arrogantly, "That's right! The entire country is my private property!"
Kurozumi! Chess! Get rid of them, let these ignorant fellows know that this is not a place for them to run wild!"
Lin Ning, however, smiled, raising his hand to pat Luffy's shoulder, "Luffy, these guys are yours. Consider it a welcome gift for our new companion."
Luffy's eyes lit up, "Lin Ning! You also want Chopper to be our companion?"
"Chopper? Companion?" Wapol sneered, "That snow monster? You want to take it?"
Chopper suddenly froze.
"Hmph, who wants to be your companion!" Chopper turned his head, shouting stubbornly.
But his voice trembled slightly, and his heart pounded. Humans... actually acknowledged him as a companion?
Luffy scratched his head, grinning, "But Chopper, you clearly want companions, don't you?"
Chopper's pupils contracted slightly, and his feet unconsciously recoiled.
Wapol roared, "How dare you ignore me? Kurozumi! Chess! Go!"
Kurozumi grinned savagely, his figure exploding forward, smashing the snow with a kick, and swinging his fist at Luffy!
"Gum-Gum Pistol!"
Luffy's fist instantly stretched, smashing fiercely into Kurozumi's face!
"Bang!"
Kurozumi's figure flew over ten meters, crashing heavily onto the snowy ground!
Luffy hadn't even used full force, otherwise, it wouldn't have been as simple as flying ten meters.
Chess, seeing this, held his bow and arrow, drawing the bowstring into a full moon and shooting at Luffy.
Luffy, seeing this, grinned, with absolute confidence; these opponents were not worth Luffy's serious attention.
At this moment, Lin Ning reminded Luffy.
"Luffy, this country is sick, and these three people in front of us are the root cause, and also the wish of our new companion Chopper's adoptive father."
"He wanted to cure this country!"
Luffy, hearing Lin Ning say this, immediately understood Lin Ning's meaning.
He turned and gave Lin Ning a toothy grin, assuring Lin Ning:
"I know what to do, just watch me!"
At this moment, the arrow shot by Chess came hurtling towards Luffy with a whooshing sound.
And he shouted arrogantly, "You dare to be distracted while fighting me, die! Haha!!!"
"Gum-Gum Finger Pistol!"
Luffy didn't even look at the arrow; his Observation Haki had already predicted it.
In Chess's disbelieving eyes, Luffy's index finger, covered in Armament Haki, instantly elongated.
Moving several times faster than the arrow, it directly destroyed the arrow and instantly pierced Chess's chest.
Chess couldn't react at all to the extreme speed of Luffy's move and was hit directly.
"How... could he be so strong!"
Chess fell, carrying his desire for life, crashing heavily onto the ground.Chapter 73 Chopper Boards the Ship
The scene fell silent, and everyone looked at this with different thoughts.
Chopper, who was nearby, saw how powerful Luffy was with just one finger, and his eyes widened.
He repeatedly exclaimed, "So amazing!" his eyes sparkling with admiration.
Dr. Kureha, standing by the castle room window, was also momentarily stunned, then smiled.
She hadn't expected the hot-blooded, mischievous young man to be so powerful, and thinking that Chopper might follow such a strong person out to sea, her worries lessened slightly.
Kurozumi, who had been sent flying by Luffy earlier, saw this scene and, feeling timid, wanted to sneak away.
This was simply not an enemy he could resist; Jess, whose strength was comparable to his, was instantly killed.
Their strength was not on the same dimension; he understood the absolute disparity in power.
Moreover, these people were unreasonable, going straight for the kill; he was scared!
Just as he was getting up to run, a figure stood in front of him.
"Hey, hey~! Trying to run?"
Sanji had been watching him; how could he let him escape?
Sanji took a deep drag from his cigarette, his foot already covered in thick, black Armament Haki.
His black leg, radiating intense heat like it was on fire, melted the snow on the ground.
Kurozumi, seeing this, was scared to death, cursing himself for encountering such monstrous perverts today.
His body, which had just stood up, knelt heavily on the ground, begging Sanji for mercy.
"Please, spare me..."
Between life and death, Kurozumi chose to kneel and beg for mercy.
This was something he had never experienced in his noble life; it had always been others kneeling to him.
Now, the noble him was kneeling and pleading; this was a disgrace.
A hint of resentment flashed in Kurozumi's eyes.
"It seems you're quite unconvinced." Sanji keenly sensed Kurozumi's resentment.
"If you can withstand this kick of mine, I'll spare you!"
Before Kurozumi could react, Sanji's kick, carrying a fierce gust of wind, had already landed.
"Diable Jambe: Grill Shot!"
With scorching flames coiling around his leg, Sanji delivered a heavy kick, striking Kurozumi's chest!
"Boom—!"
The moment Kurozumi was kicked, all the ribs in his chest shattered, and blood gushed from his mouth.
His internal organs were all pierced by the shattered ribs.
He was then violently blasted away by this force, down to the base of Drum Mountain.
Wapol, seeing the unfavorable situation and that his two capable subordinates had been killed, already intended to flee.
He was not someone who would hold his ground against a strong enemy; otherwise, he wouldn't have abandoned his citizens and fled to avoid powerful foes.
Seeing that the enemy before him was not someone he could handle, he was calculating how to escape.
"I am the King of a World Government affiliated country! You cannot kill me!"
"If you kill me, you will be hunted by the World Government!"
The bullying-the-weak-and-fearing-the-strong Wapol was scared; if the enemy was strong, he ran; if the citizens were weak, he bullied them.
Wapol was adept at this game; for the sake of his own life, he brought up the banner of the World Government.
Thinking of this, he immediately became arrogant again: I am the King of a World Government affiliated country.
Who dares to touch me? Who dares to kill me!
"World Government? I don't care who they are!"
Luffy roared, looking at the arrogant Wapol before him.
"You're the culprit, aren't you? You're the one who made my new companion Chopper unhappy?"
"Then no matter who you are, you are an enemy of the Straw Hat Pirates!"
Luffy said this with a serious expression; he would not let any villain who bullied his companions go.
Chopper, standing nearby, heard Luffy's words, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Chopper had never imagined that someone would consider him a companion and stand up for him.
These were the companions he had always longed for, the dream he had yearned for.
Chopper, who was naive, was completely moved by Luffy's sincerity and almost burst into tears.
"You're truly mad! You're really not afraid of the World Government!"
"Less talk! Let's fight!" Luffy completely ignored the World Government he spoke of.
Wapol saw that Luffy was unmoved and knew he had to fight.
He roared, opening his gaping maw, and shouted:
"Don't think that just because you killed two of my subordinates, you can defeat me!"
"Let me show you the power of my Munch-Munch Fruit!"
"Munch-Munch House Transformation!"
As Wapol activated his Munch-Munch Fruit ability, his body underwent a massive transformation.
His body turned the size of a house, and his arms became giant cannon barrels.
"Hahaha, in this form, how will you deal with me!"
With greatly enhanced defense and attack power, Wapol regained his confidence.
"Devil Fruit ability? Useless."
Luffy stood still, watching Wapol complete his transformation.
"Armament—Finger Pistol Gatling!"
"Bang bang bang bang bang—!"
Luffy's fingers were covered in Armament Haki; as his ten fingers extended and retracted, countless finger shadows shot out like lasers.
With incredible speed and terrifying penetrative power, they completely enveloped Wapol's massive form.
In the shocked eyes of Chopper and Dr. Kureha, Wapol was riddled with holes like a beehive in the blink of an eye.
Wapol didn't even have a chance to speak; he fell with holes all over his body.
He was dead!
Dr. Kureha, standing at the castle window, looked at Luffy in shock.
"That Wapol was killed so easily; what incredible strength."
Dr. Kureha exclaimed to Nami.
Nami had long been immune to the monsters around her and said to Dr. Kureha:
"Heh, just a minor character, not worth mentioning..."
Chopper, standing nearby, stared blankly at the scene, his eyes slightly red.
"Chopper!"
Luffy turned, grinning: "Come on! Let's go on an adventure together!"
Chopper's lips trembled; he wanted to say "no," but a voice in his heart screamed: "Go! This is what you've always longed for!"
He looked at Wapol, the one who had once dominated his fears, now easily killed by this group of people.
Chopper clenched his fists tightly, and tears finally burst from his eyes.
"...I...I want to go!!!"
In the wind and snow, Chopper took that step.
Just then, the sound of a cable car echoed on Drum Mountain; a group of people, led by Dalton, ran up furiously with weapons.
It turned out that Dalton, having received news of Wapol's return, no longer wanted the citizens to be oppressed by Wapol.
He wanted to resist, even if it meant sacrificing his own life.
But Dalton, with a determination to die, saw Wapol lying cold on the snow in front of the castle.
He was instantly stunned; Wapol was dead!
The sky of the Drum Kingdom finally cleared.
Dalton looked at Luffy, who stood at the forefront, and Lin Ning, who was behind him with a calm expression; he immediately understood.
The reason Wapol met this end was that he had kicked an iron plate.
"Respected strong ones, thank you for your contributions to the citizens of the Drum Kingdom!"
Dalton stepped forward and knelt heavily on the ground in front of Luffy.
Luffy was bewildered and helped Dalton up.
"What are you talking about? I'm doing this for my companion, Chopper!"
Luffy glanced at Chopper, who was in an emotional state, and Chopper's tears finally stopped.
Looking at Luffy's expectant face, he nodded vigorously.
"Mhm!!!"Chapter 74 Cherry Blossoms Blooming on Drum Island
The summit of Drum Mountain was covered in thick white snow.
A cold wind howled past the steep mountain cliffs, sweeping up snowflakes that danced in the air.
The weather was very cold, but the castle was lively.
With Wapol's death, the militiamen following Dalton also relaxed.
Bustling under the command of Dr. Kureha, they opened the castle's armory.
Many cannons were rolled out from the armory and placed in the open space in front of the castle gate, a scene of busy activity.
Dr. Kureha had long wanted to open the castle's armory, but had always lacked the key.
Wapol's arrival this time allowed her to successfully obtain the key from him.
She wanted to fulfill the wish of Chopper's adoptive father, Hiriluk, and also to see off Chopper, who was about to leave.
Just then, Chopper suddenly pushed the door open from outside and rushed in.
His footsteps were hurried, and his tone was urgent.
"Dr. Kureha! Dr. Kureha!"
Chopper's urgent tone made Dr. Kureha, who was in the middle of drinking from a bottle, turn her head.
"I have something to tell you." Chopper was covered in sweat, whether from anxiety or running, it was hard to tell.
"Chopper, where have you been? Come downstairs and help move the cannons!"
"Dr. Kureha, listen to me, I'm going to be a pirate and go on an adventure with them!"
"What did you say?"
"I'm going to sea, as their ship doctor and companion! To travel the world with them!"
"What nonsense are you talking about! Listen here, you're my only assistant, who taught you your medical skills? Are you not grateful at all?"
"That's not what I mean." Chopper spread his hands.
"I'm very grateful to Dr. Kureha, because I met Dr. Hiriluk and Dr. Kureha here, and I really like this place!"
"Hmph, then why don't you just stay! You won't find such a luxurious castle just anywhere!"
Dr. Kureha put her hands on her hips and warned Chopper:
"Being a pirate is very difficult! One wrong move and your life will be over!"
"That's fine too!"
"Don't be so willful with me! I've never heard of a Reindeer going to sea!"
"That's right, I'm a Reindeer, but I'm also a man!" Chopper shouted at Dr. Kureha in anger.
"Such bragging, but I still won't allow it!" Dr. Kureha was stunned for a moment by Chopper's declaration, but still refused.
"If you want to leave here, you'll have to defeat me first!"
"Dr. Kureha..." Chopper was startled, then saw a sharp giant axe swing past him.
It cut fiercely into the wall beside Chopper with a chilling whoosh.
Chopper shivered in fright and took a few steps back.
"You crybaby, calling yourself a man, don't make me laugh!"
Dr. Kureha, holding the giant axe, lunged at Chopper.
Chopper fled in terror, with Dr. Kureha chasing after him.
For a moment, the castle was in an uproar.
Until Chopper escaped the castle, he transformed into his four-legged Reindeer form.
He pulled the sled, shouting:
"I'm sorry, Dr. Kureha, I want to see this world properly!"
Behind him, Dr. Kureha chased out of the castle, shouting:
"Even if you go to sea, what then? Do you want to live in a fantasy like that quack doctor!"
"No, that's not a fantasy, the doctor's research is complete!" Chopper cried out in his heart.
At the edge of Drum Mountain.
Lin Ning and the others were already waiting for Chopper at the Drum Mountain cable car entrance.
"Chopper's here!" Sanji saw Chopper pulling a sled and rushing towards them.
They all looked towards Chopper, and noticed that an enraged Dr. Kureha was following him.
"What's going on, he's being chased..." Nami said in surprise.
"Everyone jump on, we're leaving!" Chopper shouted at them.
They instantly jumped onto the sled, and Chopper pulled the sled onto the cable rope, rushing down the mountain.
Dr. Kureha stared blankly in the direction Chopper left, lost in thought.
"Is this how we part ways!" Dalton walked up behind Dr. Kureha and asked.
"He's just a pet I fostered, now someone else wants him, that's all. I hate weepy goodbyes the most!"
Dr. Kureha spoke defiantly, but tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
She slapped Dalton hard and walked towards the castle.
"Are you ready, boys! Fire into the sky!" Dr. Kureha stood before dozens of cannons and commanded the militiamen.
"Fire!" Instantly, dozens of cannons fired into the sky simultaneously.
Amidst the cannon fire, Dr. Kureha recalled Hiriluk's thirty years of research results that he had given her.
With Dr. Kureha's command to turn on the lights, all the citizens of Drum Island witnessed a sight they would never forget.
The cold winter night of the Drum Kingdom welcomed the most miraculous scene—pink cherry blossoms fluttering in the snowy white sky.
When Chopper, pulling the cable car, slowly stopped and looked towards Drum Mountain.
He saw pink cherry blossoms dancing like snow across the sky, the entire sky adorned with a gentle glow, dreamlike and illusory.
Those were not real cherry blossoms, but the dream of Dr. Hiriluk during his lifetime—a special medicine he had developed.
When heated and dispersed into the air, it would transform snowflakes into cherry blossoms, as if spring cherry blossoms were in full bloom.
At this moment, tears shimmered in Chopper's eyes, and Hiriluk's words echoed in his mind:
"When does a person die? Is it when they are shot? No... It's when they are forgotten by the world!"
And now, Hiriluk's spirit had not been forgotten; his dream had finally come true.
Transforming into cherry blossoms dancing across the sky, bringing a new beginning to this country that had once been plunged into darkness.
Chopper remembered scenes of Hiriluk's life, and tears streamed down his face.
"Doctor,..." Chopper opened his mouth and cried out loud.
In the distance, Drum Mountain now resembled a giant cherry tree, glowing with a dreamlike pink light.
On the going merry, Luffy introduced Chopper to Zoro and the others who were guarding the ship.
Everyone quietly watched the cherry blossoms slowly falling from the sky, exclaiming in wonder.
"Cherry blossoms!" Zoro, holding his sword, exclaimed at the wondrous sight.
Usopp saw Chopper staring blankly at the cherry blossoms in the sky beside him, and worried:
"Is Chopper okay!"
Nami sighed and said, "Let him have his moment now!"
"He's experiencing the moment of embarking on a journey as a man!"
Sanji, standing nearby, took a drag from his cigarette and said melancholically.
"He's never left the island since he was born, and now he's leaving!"
Nami also understood Chopper's feelings at this moment.
"Doctor, Dr. Kureha, I'm leaving!"
"It's finally begun, my adventure!"
Chopper murmured as he looked in the direction of Drum Island.
"The moon is out, and the cherry blossoms have bloomed..."
"Hey, hey, Chopper, how long are you going to keep staring blankly!"
"To celebrate our new crewmate, let's have a feast!!!"
Lin Ning looked at the mischievous Luffy and smiled knowingly.
Usopp put his arm around Chopper and poured a large mug of beer into Chopper's mouth.
Chopper forgot his sorrow of leaving home and joined the revelry of the feast.
Suddenly, the going merry became lively.Chapter 75 Arrival in Alabasta
After a day and a night of sailing on the going merry, Lin Ning, Luffy, and the others finally arrived in Alabasta.
They reached Vivi's hometown and began their journey to the Kingdom of Alabasta.
As soon as they landed, everyone felt the special climate of Alabasta as a summer island.
Yellow sand filled the air, and dry, hot winds made it hard to open their eyes.
Under the scorching sun, the entire ground felt as if it had been baked hot; stepping on it, the fine sand was so hot it made them gasp.
Broken buildings leaned haphazardly, and cracks in the stone walls were filled with fine sand, as if they could turn to dust and disappear into this desert at any moment.
Occasionally, a few dead tree roots could be seen on the ground, twisted into painful shapes, telling of the life that once was and the despair that now existed.
Luffy looked around, rubbed his head, and grinned, "Oh, there's nothing here."
Vivi's expression was heavy, and she sighed softly, "That's right, this is already a ruined city.
But not long ago, this was a city full of greenery and vitality, known as the 'Green Oasis'."
Zoro kicked at the rubble on the ground, scattering dust, and frowned, "Just here, huh..."
Vivi nodded, her voice low, "Although it didn't rain often here originally, people would store every precious drop of rainwater to maintain the city's vitality.
But for the past three years, not a single drop of rain has fallen on this land."
Sanji's hand, holding his cigarette, paused slightly, the smoke dissipating in the scorching sun, and he frowned, "Three years? That long?"
Vivi's face was grim, with a hint of anger in her eyes:
"This situation has never occurred in Alabasta's history! The only exception is the capital, Alubarna, where it has rained even more than in the past."
Lin Ning's brows furrowed slightly, sensing something amiss, and he asked in a deep voice, "Why does it only rain there?"
Vivi took a deep breath and continued, "Until one day, someone discovered a merchant caravan cart heading to the royal palace.
After the cart overturned, its contents scattered everywhere, and people saw... Dance Powder."
Lin Ning was taken aback, "Dance Powder?"
Nami interjected, explaining, "Dance Powder, also known as Rain-Summoning Powder."
Chopper tilted his head, blinking curiously, "Summon rain?"
Nami nodded and continued, "I've heard that it was invented a long time ago by researchers in a severely arid country.
As long as Dance Powder is sprinkled into the air, it can quickly condense small clouds into rain clouds, thereby artificially creating rain."
Usopp crossed his arms, frowning in thought, "Wait, this thing sounds like a treasure, how could it cause this situation?"
Nami sighed softly, her gaze deepening, "It was indeed like that at first; the country that invented Dance Powder got rain, and people danced with joy.
That's why it was given this name. But... it has a fatal flaw."
Everyone looked at Nami, waiting for her to continue.
Nami slowly said, "Dance Powder doesn't create rain out of thin air; it just 'plunders' rain from other places."
Lin Ning suddenly understood, and whispered, "So, it steals rain that was originally supposed to fall elsewhere?"
Nami nodded, "That's right. Dance Powder makes small cloud clusters in the air turn into rain clouds prematurely.
Therefore, clouds that were originally supposed to drift elsewhere are forcibly kept in the place where Dance Powder is used to form rainfall.
But this way, other regions become even more arid."
Usopp clicked his tongue, "So... this thing is a double-edged sword; it can bring happiness, but also disaster."
Vivi gave a bitter smile, her expression growing heavier, "When the news spread that a large amount of Dance Powder was secretly being transported to the royal palace, people across the country fell into despair.
Everyone believed that the King was using Dance Powder to steal the rain, turning their homes into deserts."
Upon hearing this, Luffy frowned and angrily pointed at Vivi, "What the! Vivi, this is your dad's fault!"
No sooner had he spoken than a foot kicked him hard on the head, making him stumble.
"Bastard! What nonsense are you spouting, you idiot?!" Sanji roared furiously, almost biting off the cigarette in his mouth,
"How could Young Miss Vivi's father do such a thing!"
Vivi smiled bitterly, "Of course not. My father had no idea how this Dance Powder got into the royal palace.
But... this means there are traitors even within the royal palace."
Lin Ning's eyes narrowed slightly, and he said in a low voice, "It seems this matter is more complicated than imagined..."
The scorching sun still baked the earth, and the air was so dry it felt like it could crack a person's skin.
Amidst the yellow sand, a broken ruin snaked along, clearly once a wide road, but now mostly swallowed by sand, severely damaged.
Sanji stood by the ruins, tilting his head to Vivi, and asked curiously, "Young Miss Vivi, what was this road used for before?"
Vivi's gaze was complex, and she sighed softly, "This used to be a canal."
"A canal?" Sanji was startled.
Vivi slowly nodded, her gaze sweeping over the ruins before them, her voice tinged with helplessness and anger:
"This canal was originally an important waterway that drew water from the Sandora River into the city.
Because of it, this city was able to maintain its greenery year-round and was called the 'Green Oasis'. But... it was secretly destroyed."
Everyone frowned at this news.
Vivi continued, "Without the canal, the water supply could not be guaranteed.
Coupled with years of no rain, the city quickly withered.
People could only pray, hoping for heaven's mercy, but unfortunately—nothing changed.
Especially after the Dance Powder incident, the people's distrust of the King grew, and their resentment deepened..."
Zoro crossed his arms and said in a deep voice, "All of this... is Crocodile's plan."
Vivi gritted her teeth and nodded, "Yes. Later, war finally broke out.
Exhausted people, to escape the war and find water, left here one after another, searching for oases elsewhere.
Gradually, this city was abandoned and eventually withered completely..."
As she spoke, her voice already held a slight tremor.
Suddenly, a strange wind blew through the ruins, its wail desolate, as if carrying a bizarre sob, making one's hair stand on end.
"Woo woo woo—"
Usopp jumped in fright, backing away repeatedly, "Hey! It can't be Baroque Works chasing us, can it?"
Zoro tilted his head to listen, and calmly said, "No, it's just the wind."
Luffy's eyes, however, became serious, and he whispered, "No... that's a human voice."
Usopp completely panicked, looking around, his voice trembling, "It's coming from all directions... What do we do, what do we do