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The leisurely and relaxing voyage soon came to an end.
The originally comfortable and warm climate suddenly turned cold, and the bitter cold wind mixed with snowflakes blew in their faces.
In front of the Endless Dream, an island covered in ice and snow appeared in sight.
The cylindrical peak stood tall like a drum. This was Drum Island, also known as the "Kingdom of Doctors."
"Hehehe, it was so sunny in Alabasta, how did it suddenly get so cold?"
Standing at the bow, Aqua had already put on thick winter clothes, with a white furry hat on her head.
The Water Goddess was quite adept at dealing with the scorching desert environment, but in this icy world, she still shivered from the cold.
"This is the weather of the Grand Line. It will get even worse in the latter half, the New World."
Zyhark, also dressed in a warm black coat, looked at the approaching Drum Kingdom.
The main purpose of coming here was, of course, to get the rare shape-memory alloy—Wapometal—from Wapol, the user of the Baku Baku no Mi.
Although this thing was only researched after Wapol was defeated by Luffy, the core ability of the Baku Baku no Mi was still there, and it wasn't particularly difficult to obtain it in advance.
After all, in the face of a strong will to survive, anyone would erupt with a strong desire to live, right?
"Hey, Zyhark, this island looks like a cake!"
Wearing a pink down jacket, Kanna pointed at the uniquely shaped peaks of Drum Island.
"The Kingdom of Doctors, huh? It suddenly brings back some very distant memories."
Looking at the familiar island, Brook, who had once come here with the Rumbar Pirates, couldn't help but sigh softly.
Then, a cold wind blew, making the poorly dressed Brook shiver.
"So cold, so cold! Even though I only have bones, I'm getting goosebumps! Yohohoho~"
"You're too spineless, Brook. It's just winter, what's so cold about it, meow!"
Covered in fur, Meowth stood tall, facing the snow-laden sea breeze head-on.
"Before that, can you take off that big coat of yours first?" Brook said, looking at Meowth with a resentful gaze.
Looking down, Meowth was wearing a large brown coat, with both paws in the pockets, looking quite imposing.
"No way, meow!" Meowth tightened his body.
"We're about to dock," King said in a low voice, his arms crossed.
Thanks to persistent training, he, the physically weakest among them, was wearing the least, still sporting a slightly flamboyant floral shirt.
His partially exposed muscular frame showed his strength.
So, training does have its benefits!
Boom!
Just as the Endless Dream was about to dock, a huge explosion suddenly sounded from the snowy peaks of the island.
The partners who were preparing to disembark were all attracted by the commotion and looked towards the direction of the explosion.
"What is that?"
Electric arcs flickered around Zyhark, and his Observation Haki spread out instantly.
His consciousness extended to the location of the explosion at the castle gate, and after understanding the situation, his pupils shrank suddenly.
"Aqua, you guys wait for me on the ship!"
Without explaining the situation to his bewildered companions, Zyhark turned into a bolt of lightning and disappeared instantly.
Maintaining the coverage of Observation Haki required physical exertion, so he didn't always have it activated.
Unexpectedly, he had missed such a major event happening in the Drum Kingdom!
(This event happens about four or five years later, so it doesn't affect the main storyline of this book.)
Let's move the timeline back a bit, to when Drum Island just appeared in everyone's sight.
In front of King Wapol's castle gate.
Snowflakes filled the sky, and pure white snow covered the entire square.
"Hahaha! Hiriluk, I didn't expect you, this quack, to really come to me. It seems your medical skills are garbage, and your IQ is also negative!"
King Wapol, clad in heavy armor, laughed recklessly, surrounded by his guards.
Beside him stood 20 of the kingdom's best doctors, wearing masks.
They were directly under the king's command, the "Doctors 20." The people of this country had to kneel before King Wapol and pay a hefty fee to see a doctor.
All other doctors had been driven away or killed by the evil King Wapol. Only two doctors were left to complete his plan to monopolize the nation's healthcare.
Kneeling in the snow on the opposite side was one of them.
The quack doctor—Dr. Hiriluk.
"That's great, all the Doctors 20 are safe, that's really great, so the people won't die from illness!"
Hiriluk's face did not show the despair, grief, or regret that Wapol had hoped for after learning that all the doctors were sick and that it was a ruse to lure him out.
Instead, there was only a face of relief.
Hiriluk's words caused the indifferent doctors and the kingdom's guards to feel a pang in their hearts, silently lowering their heads.
"Are you scared stiff, Hiriluk? Because of your foolishness and naivety, you're going to be executed now!"
The ruthless Wapol couldn't understand Hiriluk's mindset at that moment. He could only terrorize like a clown, desperately wanting to see the scene he anticipated.
However, Hiriluk, whose terminal illness had relapsed and who had just drunk Chopper's deadly "panacea," was already prepared to face death calmly.
From the moment he decided to come here, he never thought of returning alive!
"Wapol, and you doctors, when do you think people truly die?"
Hiriluk's face was calm as he took out a bottle of explosive liquor from his briefcase.
"It's not when they're shot in the chest, nor when their terminal illness relapses, nor when they're poisoned to death, but when..."
"They are forgotten by everyone!!"
In the icy wind and snow, he shouted passionately, startling Wapol, who hurriedly hid behind his guards, ordering them to execute him immediately.
Click, click.
The sound of bullets being loaded echoed, and black gun barrels aimed at Hiriluk in the snow.
Hiriluk raised his hand to stop the soldiers from firing and continued his unfinished words.
"As long as the will can be passed on, I will never truly die. One day, this sickly country will be saved!"
Looking down at the liquor in his hand, Hiriluk suddenly thought of that foolish reindeer.
"My life is truly wonderful!!"
He laughed loudly, drinking the liquor in one gulp.
Boom!
A violent explosion immediately sounded, bringing a fleeting warmth to the cold square.
Thick smoke mixed with snowflakes rose, blurring the eyes of the captain of the guards, Dalton, and the many doctors.
In the extreme shock of the people, no one noticed the flash of lightning in the sky.
When the smoke was again covered by heavy snow, Wapol, sweating on his forehead, looked up to see an empty charred crater with no sign of any body.
Was Hiriluk blown to ashes?! The violent explosion attracted everyone's attention.
At the foot of the mountain, in the snowstorm, a blue-nosed reindeer wrapped in bandages, with tears and snot streaming down, ran frantically toward the direction of the explosion.
Finally reaching the castle square, Chopper, in a mad frenzy, tried to attack Wapol for revenge but was forcibly stopped by the fellow Zoan-type user, Dalton.
...
On the Endless Dream.
"That's about it. Show us your proud resurrection skill, Aqua."
Zyhark placed the charred, lifeless body of Hiriluk in front of everyone.
He had great respect for Hiriluk, who wanted to save the kingdom with all his heart.
Since he happened to catch this event, he wanted Hiriluk to see the beautiful cherry blossoms blooming in Drum Kingdom.
And it was a good opportunity to test the so-called divine resurrection skill of the foolish goddess Aqua.
After all, this life-and-death trump card was extremely important and couldn't fail on her.
"Zyhark, what do you mean by this? It's terrible to kill someone just to prove a point!"
Aqua looked at Zyhark with deep disdain, her wise eyes shining.
"...Do I look like the kind of person who would stop at nothing to achieve my goals?" Zyhark was speechless.
After serious consideration, Aqua nodded vigorously, "Very much so!"
In this respect alone, the other companions nodded in agreement.
Seeing the thoughtful little detective look on the foolish goddess, Zyhark twitched his mouth, giving her a memorable electric shock.
After the electric shock, he briefly explained the situation to his companions.
"True death is when you are forgotten by people. I see, he seems like a pretty good guy."
Aqua, with her blue hair standing on end from the shock, held her chin with one hand.
As a goddess who valued reputation and fame, she surprisingly agreed with Hiriluk's statement.
So.
A brilliant blue light shone, Aqua summoned her goddess staff, her body glowing with divine power, and a complex magical array appeared beneath Hiriluk's charred body.
After a simple incantation, the array glowed with colorful light, enveloping Hiriluk's corpse.
It was like throwing a stone into a calm lake, creating ripples in the surrounding space.
When the light faded, the charred body lying on the ground had regenerated flesh and skin.
After a few seconds, his exposed chest slowly rose and fell, showing signs of life.
Even the well-traveled Meowth and others were stunned by this miraculous scene, standing dumbfounded.
Aqua's resurrection skill really worked?! 'This is the true power of Aqua, the water goddess from another world…'
Among them, the most shocked was Brook, who had died once.
This resurrection ability far exceeded the realm of devil fruits!
As everyone was in shock, the exhausted Aqua felt her legs go weak and started to fall backward.
Lightning flashed, and the quick-eyed Zyhark appeared behind her, gently catching her.
With the foolish goddess's physique, she wouldn't die from a fall, but he was worried that if she hit her head and lost her remaining intelligence, it would be troublesome for him!
On the floor, Hiriluk's tightly closed eyes trembled and slowly opened.
"Is this hell? Hahaha, for a useless doctor like me, heaven is indeed impossible."
The ever-optimistic Hiriluk scratched his head, laughing loudly.
"You're far from dead. This is the sea restaurant Endless Dream, anchored near the Drum Kingdom."
Zyhark interrupted his wild thoughts.
Although the restaurant was no longer open to the public, he still carried the name.
"Sea restaurant Endless Dream?"
The familiar name made Hiriluk frown slightly. Shaking his head to clear it, he asked, "Did you save me?"
"Accurately speaking, the doctor on our ship saved you."
Zyhark pointed to Aqua lying in his arms.
He naturally wouldn't easily expose such a world-shaking thing as resurrection.
Not to mention, the man in front of him developed the "decoy tactic" of throwing Chopper at the enemy!
"That's right, my resurrection…"
Thunk thunk!
The exhausted Aqua, about to boast, was knocked on the head twice by the pre-emptive Zyhark.
King and others tacitly kept silent, even Kanna stood obediently in place.
The difference in intelligence was obvious.
"A doctor? That's impossible; I remember very clearly, that liquor would explode!"
Clearly, Hiriluk knew his stuff well.
"When you heard about the sea restaurant earlier, you paused obviously. So, don't you remember our origin?" Zyhark smiled.
"Sea restaurant, sea restaurant…"
Hiriluk muttered, suddenly widening his eyes, his face changing dramatically, "I remember now, you're the new Warlord of the Sea, who has been making headlines recently!"
"So now, do you still think we lack the means to save you?" Zyhark's smile remained.
Hearing this, Hiriluk lowered his head in silence.
He knew how vast and amazing the outside world was, and nothing was too surprising.
"So, why did you save me?"
"Passing by, out of interest."
"Interest, huh, didn't expect to be so lucky…"
Thinking of his unfulfilled dream, Hiriluk burst into tears.
He no longer questioned his rescue but bowed deeply with gratitude, "Thank you so much for saving my life!"
"If possible, please allow me to leave first. I will spend the rest of my life repaying your kindness!"
Standing up from the floor, Hiriluk looked anxious.
He was worried that the foolish reindeer would do something irreversible after hearing of his death.
"Are you worried about the blue-nosed reindeer wanting revenge? Don't worry, he's fine." Zyhark stopped him.
Since it happened, let Chopper fully learn the lesson of grief and loss in the first place!
Hearing that Chopper was safe, Hiriluk sighed in relief.
"If you don't mind, have lunch on the ship first. I have some business with your king, and I might need your help later."
This man, who had dominated the newspapers for months, was here for Wapol? Hiriluk was surprised, after all, this was a new Warlord of the Sea!
Looking at Zyhark's gentle smile, he couldn't help but feel that the Drum Kingdom might be saved.
"It would be my honor."
Thus, the successfully revived Hiriluk stayed on the Endless Dream for lunch, and then...
Naturally, he owed a ten-thousand-Beri bill.
Time passed quietly to the evening.
At Dr. Kureha's house on the snowy peak.
"A man who flies the skull flag can do anything, Hiriluk. I will become the best doctor!"
The heavily injured Chopper waved the cherry blossom pirate flag, crying out his oath to Hiriluk's grave in the stormy snow.
Next to him, the nearly one hundred and thirty-year-old Dr. Kureha leaned against the wall, her eyes moist as she watched Chopper's determination.
"Chopper, if Hiriluk were still alive, he would be so happy about your growth."
She muttered softly, looking up at the snow-covered sky.
Then, she saw a man with a cross-shaped hairstyle walking down the snowy peak.
"Am I drunk?"
Dr. Kureha was startled, rubbing her eyes with her wrinkled hand.
After confirming that the man was indeed Hiriluk and not a hallucination, even the well-seasoned Kureha was stunned.
This is impossible?
Under Kureha's incredulous gaze, Hiriluk approached the flag-waving Chopper.
"I heard you, Chopper. A man's words must be carried out no matter what!"
The familiar voice startled Chopper, who slowly turned around, stiff with shock.
Seeing the smiling face, the cherry blossom pirate flag fell to the ground.
After ten seconds of blankness, Chopper ran crying into Hiriluk's arms.
"You idiot! You big idiot! That was a poisonous mushroom! Why did you still drink it as a panacea?!"
Chopper punched Hiriluk, shouting hoarsely.
Only this could calm his overly joyful and excited heart.
"Sorry, Chopper, I'm sorry, I lied to you!"
Hiriluk hugged Chopper tightly, crying just as much.
His cries quickly overshadowed Chopper's—Chopper's small frame almost suffocated in the embrace.
"Alright, alright, if you keep hugging him, Chopper will suffocate."
It was Dr. Kureha who finally spoke, saving Chopper.
"Hiriluk, what is going on?"
Kureha looked at Hiriluk, "You don't look like someone who was blown to pieces."
Hearing this, Hiriluk wiped away his tears, his expression turning serious.
"Before explaining, Kureha, please promise me one thing."
"Go ahead."
"Lend me ten thousand Beri."
"..."
The atmosphere froze instantly, even the howling snowstorm seemed to stop.
"Oh, you want to borrow money, no problem."
Seeing that Hiriluk was serious, Kureha's face showed no emotion as she slowly turned to walk inside.
Hiriluk, puzzled by the usually stingy old lady's quick agreement, was suddenly kicked several meters away by a swift one-hundred-and-thirty-year-old foot.
"Did you think I'd agree to that?!!"
Kureha, baring her teeth angrily, rolled up her sleeves and stepped towards Hiriluk, who was stuck in the snow.
"So scary! Dr. Kureha is so scary!" Chopper shivered in the corner.
A few meters away from Hiriluk, Kureha stopped, looking ahead.
In the snowstorm, a skeleton in a black suit walked slowly towards her and stopped in front.
"My beautiful lady, could you tell me your underwear color?"
Brook's opening line was as bold as ever, shocking everyone.
Seeing the empty eye sockets, Kureha froze again.
After several seconds of reaction, she took a sip of liquor, laughing, "The secret to eternal youth works, hahaha!"
"Hey, weird guy from a grave, listen carefully, today I'm wearing..."
(Ending the chapter here, leaving you in suspense! Hehehe~)
(End of Chapter)