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Even if two people have just met—if they can open up to each other—
It's enough to say their bond is growing fast.
Even if those two are a dumbass and a reindeer.
Luffy: "You're awesome, Chopper! Hahaha!!!"
Back at the castle, Luffy was patting Chopper's head like crazy, grinning the whole time.
"Cut it out! Just 'cause you're praising me doesn't mean I'm happy, you jerk!!!"
Chopper, of course, was being his usual tsundere self.
Then Luffy launched into a full-on retelling of his adventures since he set out to sea—
Putting special emphasis on the cool stuff about his crewmates.
Chopper's eyes sparkled as he listened, his body even squirming with excitement. You could tell—he wanted to get out there and sail right now.
Meanwhile, Bai Ye found Kureha again.
He brought up the second reason he'd come here:
"I was hoping to take this opportunity to talk with you about something."
With another flick of his wrist, a few glowing pills appeared in his palm.
What Bai Ye wanted to discuss with Kureha—was alchemy.
Sure, Bai Ye had inherited the peak knowledge of ancient alchemists...
But let's not forget, at the moment, he could still only make lower-grade pills.
Alchemy wasn't like Qimen Dunjia techniques—it didn't rely purely on talent or enlightenment.
This was a craft that took time, patience, and a whole lot of hands-on experience.
So if he didn't have a master to guide him, his only way forward was to practice, observe, and figure things out himself.
That's why Bai Ye figured: if he could discuss medicine with one of the top doctors in this world—
Maybe it'd help him make some breakthroughs in his alchemy.
And sure enough, he was right.
Even though alchemy and medicine weren't exactly the same, Kureha still gave him solid advice—
Especially on analyzing ingredients and managing flame control during refining.
It didn't exactly level him up or anything, but it gave him a much deeper understanding of the recipes he already had.
Plus, it helped reduce how often his cauldrons exploded.
Kureha also helped evaluate what his pills could actually do right now.
She didn't say much about who she really was, but come on—anyone who's lived this long and mastered medicine like she has?
Her perspective is on another level entirely.
First, she checked out his Tier-9 healing and blood-replenishing pills.
They were great for minor wounds and small internal injuries. Very useful for everyday travel.
But in battles on the Grand Line?
Those kinds of pills wouldn't cut it.
The energy and healing inside them were just too weak. Like, a single punch from a strong enemy might take ten or more pills to fix.
The stronger you were, the less effective the pills became.
Then Bai Ye brought out the Tier-8 and Tier-7 healing pills.
Stuff like Qi Recovery Pills and Blood Restoration Pills.
He used Luffy's current strength as a reference point—and came to a pretty clear conclusion:
They were helpful... but limited.
Bai Ye wasn't shocked. Honestly, with how much Luffy and the crew had grown since setting out to sea—
Especially after going through the purification effects of the Tier-7 Marrow-Cleansing Pill—
Lower-tier healing pills just weren't going to impress anymore.
Thankfully, Bai Ye still had the skills to make some Tier-6 pills.
And for now, that was good enough.
All in all, the Drum Island trip had been incredibly rewarding for him.
And not just for him—Kureha benefitted too.
After seeing Bai Ye's healing and blood pills, Kureha quickly figured out some of their components.
She realized that some of the herbs used in alchemy didn't even exist in this world.
If they did, Bai Ye was pretty sure Kureha could've recreated the pills on the spot with her skill.
For the first time, Bai Ye felt a deep respect for this world's craftsmanship.
Before this, armed with the [Daoist Manual of Alchemical Recipes], he always carried a faint sense of superiority.
But now, he was starting to shift his mindset.
He was on the Grand Line now. And his future opponents would be this world's top-tier monsters.
If he kept acting like he had some kind of natural advantage, he might end up paying for it—badly.
After realizing that, Bai Ye's mental cultivation made a huge leap forward.
His strength didn't jump immediately, but this kind of clarity would definitely help his training in the long run.
So, to thank Dr. Kureha for her indirect help...
Bai Ye generously gifted her a bunch of commonly used herbs from his internal world.
Then, while they were chatting, Bai Ye also started probing a bit—
Asking about some of the rumors he'd heard back in his past life.
Like... was it true that Blackbeard could eat two Devil Fruits because Kureha did some kind of body modification on him?
Was Kureha once the ship doctor for the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger?
Or maybe... a member of the Rocks Pirates?
And then, there was the question of how she'd managed to live this long—Could it be that someone with the Ope Ope no Mi had given her the Immortality Operation?
As for Kureha, she never actually confirmed or denied any of those questions.
Which just made Bai Ye's head hurt.
This old lady's definitely hiding something.
Later, once Bai Ye had wrapped up his own matters, the group realized there was no reason to hang around any longer.
It was time for Chopper to say goodbye to Kureha.
At the castle gates~
"Doctorine!"
Chopper gathered all his courage and looked up at Kureha.
"I'm going to set sail with Luffy and Bai Ye. I want to join their pirate crew."
"I wanna be their doctor, and see the great ocean Dr. Hiriluk always talked about!"
His voice was low and full of emotion—he didn't want to part with the woman standing in front of him.
But what he didn't expect was…
Kureha just kept drinking the spiritual wine that Bai Ye had gifted her—She didn't even look at him.
After a long silence, Kureha finally said:
"So... you're really gonna just leave me behind and take off on your own?"
"You're my only assistant, you little brat. Better get your head on straight."
She turned to face Chopper, her gaze sharp and intense:
"Being a pirate's not some walk in the park. If you're not careful, you could die!"
"That's okay!"
Chopper stared back at her with determination:
"Luffy and Bai Ye… they're just like Dr. Hiriluk and you. They don't care that I'm a monster."
Then, for the first time ever, Chopper shouted at Kureha:
"So how could I ever walk away from a chance to go out to sea?!!"
Bai Ye smiled at that, and even Luffy looked at Chopper with a proud, glowing expression.
As for Kureha? She just burst out laughing.
"Ahahahaha! So you've got that kind of resolve, huh?"
She looked at Chopper:
"Then get the hell out of here and ride the seas. Use that medical training I taught you!"
"And for god's sake, don't embarrass me out there."
There was something complicated in her gaze—hard to describe. Then she said just three words:
"You silly boy~"
"Doctorine!!!"
That was it. Chopper couldn't hold back anymore. Tears started pouring out of his eyes.
He dropped to his knees in the snow and bowed low to the ground.
"Thank you so much… for everything all these years!"
Watching this familiar scene unfold in front of him, Bai Ye casually pulled out some tissues and handed a few to Luffy.
"....."