Cherry blossoms fell gently, casting the scene in a dreamlike haze.
Gazing at the drifting petals, Dr. Kureha stood on a cliff, tears already flowing down her aged cheeks. Her eyes lingered on the vast sea under the starlit sky as she murmured to herself:
"If you want to be a Pirate, then go… Chopper, you foolish… son."
In the distance, Dalton watched silently, not daring to disturb the elderly doctor.
Around him stood the 20 doctors who had once been confined under Wapol's tyranny. Now, they gathered with reverence, fully recognizing Dalton as the rightful ruler of their country.
Dalton looked up at the pirate flag adorned with cherry blossoms fluttering above the castle.
"Hiruluk, your son has gone to sea with a remarkable Pirate Crew," he said softly. "Rest easy. Your spirit lives on in us."
Just then, a guard dashed up the mountain path, panting heavily.
"Dalton-san! A newspaper from several days ago just arrived. It was delayed somehow—please, take a look at these wanted posters!"
Dalton took the posters and froze upon seeing the familiar faces.
"Straw Hat Pirates Vice Captain, 'The Plunderer' Shirogai Yamikuro — Bounty: 100 million Berries!"
"Straw Hat Pirates Captain, Straw Hat Luffy — Bounty: 30 million Berries!"
Gasps echoed among the gathered doctors.
"What?! Their combined bounty is already 130 million Berries? That's insane!"
They had spent months at sea under Wapol's command as unwilling ship doctors aboard the Tin-Plate Pirates' vessel, facing numerous pirate crews.
Despite their misfortunes, the Pirates had proven strong, crushing most opposition. Wapol would devour enemy ships using his ability, forcing enemy pirates to abandon ship and flee.
They had even encountered some notorious figures—like the Outlaw Madman, with a bounty of 50 million Berries, and the sharpshooter known as Sea Arrow, with a 20 million Berries bounty. These were formidable enemies with well-staffed ships.
And yet, the Straw Hat Crew, with barely a handful of members, had already surpassed those larger crews in notoriety.
"As expected, they aren't just some wandering upstarts," Dalton said with a rare smile of relief. "With a Captain and Vice Captain like that, the rest of their crew is bound to shake the world soon."
Dr. Kureha walked over, snatched the posters from Dalton's hand, studied them briefly, and chuckled.
"Heh. A Vice Captain worth 100 million Berries and a Captain worth 30 million? That's quite the criminal pair."
"Straw Hat Luffy?" one of the guards muttered, scratching his head. "I think I've heard that name before…"
He perked up suddenly.
"Oh right! About a week ago, a strange traveler showed up in Robel Town. It was one of the rare days it didn't snow. He said he was looking for Blackbeard, who had attacked our country."
"When he learned Blackbeard had already escaped, he told me, 'If you ever see a Pirate with a Straw Hat, tell him I'll be waiting in Alabasta.'"
Dalton crossed his arms in thought.
"Hunting Blackbeard alone? That kind of man isn't ordinary."
The guard's eyes widened as he recalled something.
"That's right! He said his name was Ace!"
Dalton nodded slowly.
"Ace…? Regardless, they're all heading to Alabasta anyway."
Dr. Kureha tossed the posters back to Dalton and sat down, staring at the moonlit sea.
"So, what do you plan to do with Wapol and Mushuru?"
Dalton couldn't suppress a sly grin.
"That Pirate already took care of them. Honestly, what he did fits those two scumbags perfectly. You should come see for yourself, Kureha-san."
"Oh? Now I'm curious."
She followed Dalton through the castle until they reached the room where the two former tyrants had been imprisoned.
Upon entering, Kureha's eyes widened.
"What in the world is this?"
At the center of the room stood a two-meter-tall mechanical box. Its conveyor tracks rotated endlessly as pirate soldiers and guards placed sand and stones onto them. The materials were pulled into the box, and after a few seconds, emerged on the other side as solid bricks.
The workers quickly transported these bricks to restore the castle's crumbling walls.
Dalton pointed at the box, laughing.
"You don't recognize him? This is Wapol!"
Suddenly, two tiny eyes popped open on the side of the box—eyes unmistakably Wapol's.
"Witch! Dalton!"
They swiveled around menacingly as a robotic voice echoed from inside.
"You wretched peasants! How dare you treat me like this! When I break free, I'll make you suffer!"
"Is that really… Wapol?" Dr. Kureha circled the mechanical box, barely believing her eyes.
"How… how was this done?"
Inside the box, Wapol's robotic voice roared in fury.
"That damned Pirate! He stole my Devil Fruit powers! Turned me into some kind of… machine! When I escape, I'll turn him into one too!"
"Wapol, you're noisy as ever," Dalton muttered. He approached the control panel and pressed a red button marked with a crossed-out mouth.
Instant silence.
Kureha blinked.
"This… was done by Shirogai?"
Dalton nodded.
"He said it was through the power of his Devil Fruit. Wapol is now a processing machine. Feed raw materials into the track, and select a product to produce."
Dr. Kureha leaned over the panel and spotted dozens of selection buttons—over a hundred, actually.
To demonstrate, Dalton signaled the guards to feed in some fabric, sand, and fluff, and pressed a button shaped like a toy with antlers.
Creak… creak…
Seconds later, a dozen plush Chopper-shaped dolls rolled out.
Dr. Kureha picked one up, examining it with mixed awe and horror.
"A Chopper doll? That's… twisted."
"It's very popular with children!" a guard chimed in proudly. "My daughter absolutely adores them."
Kureha chuckled despite herself.
"So, Chopper is beloved by kids…"
Dalton continued.
"That Pirate turned Wapol into this to atone for all the suffering he caused this land."
He gestured for her to follow.
"Mushuru's in another room."
They entered a pitch-black chamber. A torch was lit, revealing a grotesque scene.
In the center of the room was a thick wooden pillar stretching to the ceiling, covered in mushrooms. At the top sat a pink wooden head—Mushuru's lifeless expression stared down at them.
"Kill me, Dalton… please… just kill me…" the head groaned.
Kureha recoiled.
"How did he end up like this?"
Dalton shrugged.
"Shirogai did this too. Don't ask me how."
Suddenly, Mushuru's wooden face contorted in rage, and the entire pillar shook.
"He's a demon! A monster! He turned me into this… thing! I'll never forgive him!"
As the pillar trembled, small mushrooms rapidly grew, plumped, and fell to the ground in waves. New ones immediately began to grow.
Kureha stared in silent disbelief.
Dalton explained calmly:
"As long as the pillar is agitated, mushrooms will keep growing. Just water the base occasionally. There's enough here to feed every citizen on Drum Island."
Kureha didn't respond. Her expression was unreadable.
If she'd ever visited Earth, she might have understood—this was madness.
They stepped back outside into the moonlight.
But Kureha's mind was troubled.
Was it truly wise to let Chopper follow a man like that?
Shirogai Yamikuro hadn't just defeated Wapol and Mushuru… he had broken them, forcing them to live on in torment, unable to die.
A man like that…
He was terrifying.
---
Achoo!
Onboard the Going Merry, Shirogai Yamikuro sneezed lightly.
He rubbed his nose and glanced around, puzzled.
"Is some beautiful woman thinking about me again?"
---
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