"Who are you?"
"Us? Well—"
Kai leaned toward Chopper, grinning ominously. "We're a beast-hunting crew. We travel the seas capturing rare animals like you, then selling them to wealthy, powerful people."
Sigh, Kai's theatrical side is acting up again.
Kozuki Hiyori and the others exchanged glances, sighing helplessly but still cooperatively adopting sinister expressions—practically writing "we're bad guys" on their faces.
"Eh?"
Chopper's face changed drastically, his body trembling violently. But beyond everyone's expectations, he didn't turn and flee.
"C-can you wait until I deliver this Amiudake mushroom to Dr. Hiriluk before capturing me?"
Tears welled in his eyes as Chopper looked up at Kai pitifully, voice choked. "Please rest assured, I promise not to run away."
"Oh? You're taking that to kill someone named Hiriluk?"
Kai's mouth curved playfully. "Seeing how obedient you are, I suppose I could help with this little favor."
"You're talking nonsense! How could I hurt Dr. Hiriluk!"
Chopper angrily raised the mushroom, defending himself loudly. "This is a panacea that can cure all diseases!"
Kai shook his head. "You're wrong. This is a poisonous mushroom."
"Impossible! You're lying!"
Chopper was thunderstruck, his hooves trembling as he held the mushroom. Unable to accept this, he hurriedly removed his small backpack and pulled out a thick medical book, frantically flipping to a page.
"Look! It clearly shows this symbol here! Hiriluk told me this is the 'Symbol of Hope'! How could it be poisonous!"
Chopper pointed with his small hoof at the skull symbol in the book, his voice rising between excitement and pleading, hoping they'd take back those terrible words.
Only now did everyone understand. This innocent reindeer had never systematically studied medicine, couldn't even read, and didn't understand basic common sense.
"You've got it wrong, little reindeer. This symbol means 'danger' and 'poisonous.'"
Bonney raised her head with slight pride. "Even Bonney knows this."
"Why... why is this happening..."
The hopeful light in Chopper's eyes instantly vanished. He seemed to lose all strength and color, freezing in place like a statue.
After a long while, he deeply lowered his head, suppressing sobs, begging in a barely audible voice. "Then can you let me say goodbye to Hiriluk first before I leave with you?"
Seeing the pitiful Chopper before him, Kai abandoned his teasing.
"That was all just a joke."
His tone softened. "We're not any beast-hunting crew, just passing pirates."
"Pirates? You're pirates? The kind that fly skull flags?"
Strangely, upon hearing "pirates," Chopper didn't react fearfully but became excited, eyes sparkling.
"That's right, we're the Beast Pirates." Yamato tilted her head.
"Then can you save Hiriluk?"
Like grasping a final lifeline, Chopper urgently grabbed Kai's pant leg with both hooves, pleading desperately. "As long as you can save him, I'll pay any price!"
"I'm very useful—I can chop wood, wash dishes, mop floors—"
Watching Chopper desperately promote himself, Kozuki Hiyori and the others fell silent, as if seeing their former selves in him. Hadn't they also fought desperately to grasp that single light capable of illuminating their darkness?
"Kai-sama—"
Violet bit her lip slightly, eyes showing sympathy, wanting to plead for Chopper but hesitant to make decisions for Kai.
Kai said nothing, just staring at Chopper in prolonged silence. Chopper's heart sank with this silence. Just when he was nearly despairing, Kai's mouth finally curved upward.
"Deal."
"That's wonderful!"
Grasping his lifeline, Chopper smiled happily, yet tears flowed uncontrollably. But quickly, Kai's tone shifted, becoming serious.
"I can try saving him once, but I can't guarantee success."
Though plenty of Healing Tears remained, facing Hiriluk's terminal illness, how much effect they'd have was unknown. If Princess Mansherry were here, it wouldn't be a problem.
"It's okay! Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Chopper bowed deeply in thanks. He understood this might be his last chance to save Hiriluk. Even Kureha could only delay death—with just ten days left to live, Hiriluk couldn't wait for other cures to appear.
So Kai's group changed direction, following Chopper's lead toward a nearby peak. That was Hiriluk's home.
On the way, Chopper introduced himself to everyone and, at their questioning, briefly recounted his story of meeting Hiriluk.
When hearing how Hiriluk, to gain trust from Chopper—who'd just been hurt by both his herd and humans and was full of wariness—resolutely stripped naked in the freezing snow to show no malicious intent, everyone felt deep respect.
This was a remarkable man.
"Hiriluk is really amazing."
Speaking of Hiriluk, Chopper was like a child showing off his greatest treasure, eyes shining. "He once saw a pirate with a terminal illness miraculously cured by cherry blossoms! So he devoted his life to researching and recreating those miraculous cherry blossoms! He said they're a panacea that can cure everything!"
From his narration, everyone finally understood why, upon hearing they were pirates, Chopper immediately asked for their help.
"Hiriluk said men flying skull flags can accomplish anything!"
Chopper's eyes sparkled as he repeated these words.
Ten minutes later, everyone followed Chopper to Hiriluk's residence—a tree house.
Rather than a doctor's home, it resembled a chemist's laboratory. The room was filled with various alcohol lamps,differently shaped reagent bottles, complex distillation devices, and other chemistry equipment.
"Hiriluk, I'm ba—"
Chopper's excited words cut off as he froze in place, voice stopping abruptly. The room was empty, all experimental equipment unusually organized and arranged neatly. This wasn't Hiriluk's habit.
An ominous premonition gripped Chopper's heart.
Just then—
Bang!
The door was forcefully pushed open again. A gray-haired old woman wearing a midriff-baring outfit despite the snowy weather appeared before everyone—tall and striking.
Chopper turned at the sound, shocked.
"Doctorine?"
"Chopper?"
The woman called Doctorine—Dr. Kureha—had no mind to attend to Kai's group of strangers. Her sharp gaze quickly scanned the empty room, her brows furrowing tightly.
"Where's Hiriluk?"
"He's not here." Chopper shook his head blankly.
"No good! That complete idiot!"
Kureha's face changed as she cursed loudly. Only now did she notice Chopper's injuries and bloodstains, her face growing even more concerned.
"Chopper, how did you get hurt? Can you still move?"
Having vague guesses, Chopper immediately wiped blood from his forehead, answering loudly. "I can! Doctorine, did something happen to Hiriluk?"
"That idiot probably fell for Wapol's trap and is heading straight for the castle!"
Kureha angrily scolded Hiriluk's naivety. Everyone on Drum Island knew what kind of person Wapol was.
The Doctors 20 all sick in the castle, needing immediate treatment or Drum Kingdom would have no doctors left—this obviously flawed message was clearly Wapol's trap to lure her and Hiriluk.
Wapol definitely planned for them to walk into his net, then capture them all. Thus, only his so-called "Doctors 20" would remain in Drum Kingdom. From then on, residents needing treatment could only grovel at Wapol's feet.
Idiot! Fool! Hopeless moron!
Kureha continued cursing internally.
"Doctorine, quickly get on."
Chopper had already transformed to his full beast form, crouching on his forelegs and calling Kureha to ride his back.
Kureha wasted no words, nimbly mounting Chopper's back with a flip. The next moment, this duo shot out like arrows, their figures quickly disappearing into the vast snow, leaving only Kai's confused group in the room.
"Wow! Chopper can transform!"
Yamato was first to react, pointing at Chopper's vanishing direction, eyes sparkling.
Kai's mouth twitched slightly. So that's all you're focusing on?
"Sounds like there's excitement to see over there—want to follow and watch?"
Kai raised his eyebrows with interest, inviting his companions.
"Of course!"
Everyone responded in unison.
This empty treehouse had nothing to stay for. With their target Kureha already gone, going out to watch the drama couldn't be better.
Drum Castle
Though called a castle, it was actually a magnificent structure standing atop Drum Peak.
Before the castle gates, a group of soldiers already stood in strict formation. At the soldiers' center were twenty equally armed doctors.
At the very front, a man with a bloated ball-like body wearing iron armor, sporting deep purple hair and an enormous mouth with his chin modified into an iron cylinder, rode a sturdy hippopotamus.
This was Drum Kingdom's current king, Wapol.
On Wapol's sides stood Dalton on one side and his two trusted subordinates, Jess and Kuromarimo, on the other.
Opposite them stood a solitary figure in a black coat and top hat. He had an exaggerated hairstyle—his head had one thick hair column jutting upward and one on each side.
Hiriluk—the man's name.
Having come with the naive hope of treating "Doctors 20," he understood the moment he saw the opposing formation that he'd fallen into Wapol's trap. But he wasn't angry about being deceived. He'd come on the chance the news might be true.
"No one's sick—that's wonderful. This country won't face disaster. Fortunately, it was just a deception to lure me out."
The man murmured. His taut nerves suddenly relaxed. Hiriluk's body weakened, involuntarily kneeling on the cold snow as warm tears moistened his eyes.
"Heh, scared into weak legs already? Useless trash."
Wapol disdainfully picked his nose, his free hand casually waving backward.
A uniform mechanical sound as all soldiers simultaneously raised their rifles, black muzzles aiming at this man who wholeheartedly wanted to heal this nation.
Facing imminent death threats, Hiriluk acted as if he didn't see them, directly sitting cross-legged and opening his carried suitcase. Inside were simple medical instruments and a bottle of wine he'd long prepared. He removed the bottle and cup, pouring himself a full glass.
Then, fearlessly facing those murderous soldiers, he used all his strength to issue an earth-shattering declaration.
"You cannot kill me!"
"Do you think people die when their hearts are shot through?"
"Wrong!"
"When they contract incurable diseases?"
"Wrong!"
"People die when they're forgotten!"
As Hiriluk's thunderous proclamations exploded across the snowfield, subtle commotion appeared in the previously orderly formations—many faces showing hesitation.
Hiriluk paid no mind to their reactions. He raised his cup high, face blooming with an incredibly sincere smile, as if attending a grand feast rather than facing executioners.
"Even if I disappear, my dream will still be realized! It will definitely save the people's hearts!"
"My life has been truly wonderful!"
At this moment, his smile was pure and brilliant, as if facing not those taking his life but close friends seeing him off. He would use his final life to administer one last bitter medicine to this sick nation.
Sorry, Chopper. Please forgive me for driving you away that way.
Deep sorrow flashed through Hiriluk's eyes. He hesitated no more, bringing the liquid-filled cup toward his lips.
Crack—
A crisp shattering sound suddenly rang out. The cup in Hiriluk's hand seemed struck by an invisible bullet, instantly exploding into pieces. The liquid splashed, falling on the white snow and spreading into a glaring wet stain.
"Yare yare, if I let you die, how do I explain it to Chopper?"
A somewhat troubled male voice leisurely rang out. "That little guy really expects me to cure your terminal illness."