"So, what's your plans for the future, king?" I asked with a smile as I sat in Drum castle's main hall, with Dalton sitting not far away, taking a break from his kingly duties.
It has been several days since I last saw Dalton on the execution stand, as I had taken the chance to start exploring around the island and seeing what it has to offer.
The only reason I came back was that Kureha called me, informing me she was ready to start Chinjao's surgery. The surgery had already begun some minutes ago, but I didn't think the old pirate would appreciate me watching Kureha split open his skull, so here I am.
"Wapol has left quite the mess..." Dalton said with a sigh as he turned to look at me. "I feel that no matter what I do, and no matter how badly I screw up, it will be an improvement over what Wapol left behind..." he added, messaging his forehead in frustration.
"Well, don't let that stop you from trying your best," I said with an amused chuckle, shaking my head.
"It won't," Dalton drawled, giving me the side-eye. "What about you? Are you off to free another country after you depart Drum island?" Dalton asked in a neutral tone, though there was a faint, humorous smile on his smile.
"It would depend on how I'm feeling once I get there," I said with a shrug, dismissively snorting at the statement.
"How pirate-like," Dalton said with a raised eyebrow, laughing slightly.
"Well, I am a pirate after all," I concluded with a smile.
...
As I sat alone in the main hall, playing my guitar to pass the time, my ears twitched, picking up several familiar footsteps, causing me to stop as I turned to face their source with a smile.
I wanted to say something witty or funny, but no such words came to mind as I saw Chinjao's comically nail-shaped head.
"You don't have to say anything; your expression is enough of an insult, brat," Chinjao said with twitching eyes as he saw my expression, messaging his head.
"I say, Dr, did you accidentally give the old man the ability to read minds as well while fiddling with his skull?" I asked with a raised eyebrow as I turned to look at Kureha.
"No, your expression was just that easy to read," Kureha said with a chuckle as she took a sip from her plum sake bottle.
"In any case," I said with a sigh. "Now I've fulfilled my end of the bargain, so it's your turn, old man," I said with a smile, extending my hand towards Chinjao.
"Hmph, of course, you greedy brat," Chinjao said with a snort, fishing through his pockets to retrieve a notebook. "Here you go, one Observation Haki training manual," he added, putting the notebook in my hand.
"Pleasure doing business with you, old-timer," I said with a smile as I stored the notebook in my backpack. "And Dr. Kureha, here's your payment for the second surgery," I said as I took a black piece of cloth from my bag.
"It's worthless right now, but everyone will come to fear it sooner or later," I added as I unfurled the piece of cloth, revealing my jolly roger.
"Well, I'll just consider it an investment then," Kureha said with a chuckle as she took the flag.
"Either way, this flag is my pride and joy," I said in a solemn tone. "As long as you fly it on the castle, then this island is under my protection," I added while gesturing towards the jolly roger.
"And whether it deters anyone or not right now, I'll personally take offense at anyone making trouble beneath it," I explained while gesturing with my hand to the side.
"So I'm always one call away," I concluded with a nod.
"Needless to say, I am as well," Chinjao said with a nod of his own as he looked at Kureha. "You've done a great favor for me, doctor, greater than you realize," he concluded with a smile, messaging his beard.
"I'll keep that in mind," Kureha said with a smirk. "In any case, I need some rest now, so I'll be going," Kureha added while stretching her neck.
"I don't need to tell you this, but if I wake up and find you gone, then there will be hell to pay, old brat," Kureha remarked as she turned to look at Chinjao, the smile vanishing from her expression.
"I still need time to make sure everything is in order, and that there won't be repercussions to the surgery," she concluded with the same frosty look, causing Chinjao to nod with a panicked expression.
"Good," Kureha said with a nod, regaining her smirk as she turned around and left.
"What a scary woman..." Chinjao said, heaving an exasperated sigh as he resumed messaging his long beard.
"She sure is, so you better do as you're told, old man," I remarked with a smile, shrugging my shoulders as I too turned and left.
...
"We've done all we set of here to do, captain," Laffite said in his usual cheerful tone, sitting next to me as we lazed around in the castle's bar along with Elly and several others.
"That we did," I briefly replied with a nod as I turned to look at him.
"So, where are we going next?" Laffite asked in a curious tone. "Don't get me wrong, Drum island isn't bad, but the snow is getting old rather quickly..." he added, making me raise an eyebrow.
'A complaint from Laffite, now that's new...' Laffite was never one to complain no matter where we went or did, always content to follow orders and do what's needed, so it's no wonder I paused a little before I could think of an answer.
The weird looks Elly and the others gave Laffite weren't particularly strange either.
"We'll gather everyone, spend another day or two here, then set sail," I replied in a cheerful tone, nodding in satisfaction.
It might have sounded like I wasn't satisfied with Laffite's new attitude, but in truth, I was thrilled about it. Laffite was and will probably always be the most reliable member of my crew. But his lack of autonomy, and how little desire he displayed for anything, was mildly off-putting.
"I see, and where will be going, captain?" Laffite asked after a seconds pause with a smile on his face.
"Well, you did say you were tiring of the snow," I replied with a chuckle. "So we'll be going into a summer island with no single snowflake within sight there," I added, earning an interested look from Laffite and the others.
"We'll be sailing into the Alabasta Kingdom, located on Sandy island," I explained with a shrug. "Though I imagine you'll be getting sick of the sand there after a while too," I added, jabbing my sailor in his side.
"I'll deal with that when we get there, captain," Laffite said with a chuckle, and I wanted to tease him more, but it seems that will have to wait as the door opened and a solemn-looking Doc Q entered the bar.
"We need to talk..."