The next morning, a biting cold wind, carrying fine snow particles, swept across the spired castles of Drum Kingdom.
Due to Walpole's unexpected death, Dolton was urgently summoned back to the palace.
As the only surviving royal bloodline of Drum Kingdom, and with Walpole having no heirs, the crown would, without a doubt, fall upon Dolton's shoulders.
At the port of Drum Kingdom, the cold wind whipped ice shards against the ship's hull.
Dr. Heasef carefully helped little Mitsuri onto the Infinite Space, his hands trembling slightly, a mix of reluctance and anticipation.
"Mr. Yun Lie, please take good care of little Mitsuri, I beg you!" His voice was full of earnestness, and with that, he bowed deeply to Yun Lie, his back forming a profound arc.
Dr. Heasef was an experienced physician, having met countless people over the years, honing a pair of 'fiery golden eyes' that could discern people and things.
He clearly saw the unparalleled medical talent in little Mitsuri, and also knew that in Drum Kingdom, with its limited resources and slow development, little Mitsuri's talent would gradually be buried.
While Yun Lie and his group were mysterious in origin, he could feel the righteousness emanating from them, and more importantly, they possessed the powerful strength to protect little Mitsuri.
Recalling how, during the last crisis, he had to rely on little Mitsuri to run around seeking help, his heart was filled with guilt and helplessness.
Yun Lie stood on the deck, his posture as straight as a pine, his eyes exuding a reassuring firmness.
"Don't worry, to harm little Mitsuri, you'd have to step over my corpse," he said, enunciating each word, his voice deep and powerful.
The little loli beside him was already in tears, crystal tears constantly rolling from her red-rimmed eyes, congealing into tiny ice crystals on her cheeks.
Farewells are always filled with bitterness and reluctance; although she understood the principle that "separation is for a better reunion," the pain in her heart at this moment was still overwhelming, like a surging tide.
Just last night, she had, with a nervous heart, quietly come to Yun Lie's room and softly asked if he was responsible for Walpole's matter.
Facing her inquiry, Yun Lie did not hide anything, nodding in calm admission.
Now, the crisis in Drum Kingdom had been resolved, and Dr. Heasef had been successfully released; true to her promise, and with Dr. Heasef's support, she resolutely chose to become a companion of Yun Lie and his group, embarking on an unknown adventure.
........
Time quietly slipped by, and on the third day after leaving Drum Island, the peaceful voyage was broken by a crisp "Buruburu~" sound.
The Den Den Mushi in Yun Lie's clothes began to vibrate; he reached out, took out the Den Den Mushi, gently pressed the answer button, and asked, "Hello? Who is this?"
"It's me, I'm Vivi," Princess Vivi's familiar and gentle voice came from the Den Den Mushi.
"Oh? Princess Vivi, you've returned to the palace?" Yun Lie's tone showed little surprise, as if everything was within his expectations.
"Yes, Mr. Yun Lie, my father, King Kobra, wishes to speak with you personally," Vivi said.
"No problem, hand the Den Den Mushi to your father, King Kobra," Yun Lie readily agreed.
Immediately after, there was a rustling sound from the Den Den Mushi, as if someone was passing it.
A moment later, the voice resumed, this time a steady and slightly weary voice of a middle-aged man: "Hello, Mr. Yun Lie, I am the King of Alabasta, Nafeltari Cobra."
"Hello, King Kobra, what do you wish to discuss with me?" Yun Lie asked, feigning ignorance, with a hint of composure in his tone.
"Regarding Crocodile's plan to usurp the throne, the information you provided us largely aligns with the intelligence I have gathered.
Now Alabasta is in peril, facing both internal and external threats; I wish to ask for your help, but our national treasury has limited resources, and we can only offer two Devil Fruits as compensation—these are all the remaining stock in our treasury."
Cobra slowly explained the situation, and as he spoke, his voice unconsciously carried a hint of pleading.
As the monarch of a nation, he rarely humbled himself like this, but for the sake of his country and his people, he set aside his dignity.
Yun Lie was silent for a moment, then asked again, "Only two Devil Fruits? Are they Zoan or Paramecia?"
"Both Devil Fruits are Zoan types: the Zoan-type Dog-Dog Fruit, Honey Badger Form, and the Zoan-type Ape-Ape Fruit, King Kong Ape Form," Cobra's voice came again; he felt a bit uneasy, as Zoan-type Devil Fruits, especially those of ordinary forms, were not particularly appealing to powerful pirates or other strong individuals.
But he had no choice; he could only bite the bullet and communicate with Yun Lie, hoping to gain his help.
"King Kobra, does your country possess a complete Devil Fruit encyclopedia?" Yun Lie pondered for a moment, then asked.
To clearly know the types and detailed information of Devil Fruits, coupled with the special identity of the Nafeltari family, it was within his expectations that they would possess a complete Devil Fruit encyclopedia.
"Yes," Cobra replied concisely.
"In that case, a complete Devil Fruit encyclopedia can offset the value of one Devil Fruit," Yun Lie proposed his condition.
"Thank you so much!" Cobra said excitedly.
A Devil Fruit encyclopedia, which he considered to have no practical use, could actually offset a valuable Devil Fruit; to him, it was like seeing a glimmer of hope in despair, truly a heaven-sent piece of good news.
After both parties settled on the terms of the transaction, they hung up the phone.
"Yun Lie, why would Alabasta seek help from outsiders rather than the Marine?" Little Mitsuri asked, somewhat puzzled.
Although she was young, she wasn't a naive little girl who knew nothing; she frequently followed the news and knew that Alabasta was an affiliated nation of the World Government, and by common sense, should be protected by the Marine.
In her opinion, if Crocodile was trying to usurp Alabasta, the Marine should, by all accounts, provide assistance.
The other girls were also full of curiosity, all turning their gaz gaze towards Yun Lie.
"Do you know the true identity of the Alabasta royal family?" Yun Lie scanned everyone and asked.
The girls shook their heads, indicating they didn't know.
Yun Lie then proceeded to tell them the true identity of the Nafeltari family.
It turned out that the Nafeltari family of Alabasta and the World Government were not of the same kind.
Their treasury contained a Poneglyph that recorded information about the ancient weapon Pluton.
The Marine, as the enforcement and coercive arm of the World Government, if they knew this secret, would inevitably report the news to the World Government.
At that time, the Nafeltari family would inevitably be purged by the World Government.
Even if Alabasta had a standing army of six hundred thousand, it would be futile in the face of the World Government's vast power; before true powerhouses, the strength of these armies seemed so insignificant.
Therefore, for Alabasta, seeking help from the Marine would be like inviting a wolf into their home. It was also for this reason that the Nafeltari family, despite having a powerful bloodline, had few descendants, and very few strong individuals appeared generation after generation.
"Yun Lie, if six hundred thousand troops can't solve this problem, can we really solve it?" Karina grasped the core of the issue, her voice tinged with fear and worry.
Although she knew Yun Lie was strong, she wasn't sure what the upper limit of his strength truly was.
As an ordinary person, the enormous number of six hundred thousand troops had too great an impact on her. Deep down, she believed in Yun Lie's strength, but facing such a massive challenge, she couldn't help but worry.