Chapter 227: Chopper
Not until the noise outside disappeared completely...
"Hah... hah..." Chopper collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath, his small face covered in cold sweat and melted snow.
"Th-Thank you... sob..."
He looked up cautiously and finally noticed the two strangers standing before him were human men.
Chopper's eyes widened instantly. His reflexes faster than his brain, he scrambled backward while shouting stammeringly, "Wait... y-you're humans?! D-Don't eat me!!!"
Law blinked, whispering in surprise, "This reindeer can actually talk?"
The man also widened his eyes. "It-It's him... I heard from relatives in the next village about a blue-nosed reindeer that can speak human language. It secretly treated villagers but was chased all over the mountain by soldiers..."
Roy stood aside, glancing indifferently at Chopper, but inwardly thought:
So this is Chopper after eating the Human-Human Fruit, Commoner Model? Kind of cute...
At this moment, Chopper was still full of terror, frantically looking for cover.
He scurried behind a broken wooden table in the corner, trying to hide himself... but he only hid his head. His round butt and hind legs were sticking high out in the open, looking utterly comical.
Law was stunned watching this, while Roy chuckled outright. "Oi, little guy, you forgot to hide your butt."
Chopper flinched violently, realizing he was exposed. He hurriedly shifted his body, changing angles to "hide" again... only to expose the two antlers on his head.
The girl's father couldn't help but burst out laughing. The atmosphere by the fireplace relaxed considerably.
Only then did Chopper cautiously poke his head out, speaking tremblingly, "Th-Thank you..."
Roy couldn't help but laugh, taking two steps forward. "Eat you? Why would we eat you?"
"B-Because I'm a monster... Everyone says I'm a devil, a freak, that I spread diseases and transform to bite people..."
Chopper's voice was thick with grievance, his eyes red. "Everyone is afraid of me... and hates me..."
A trace of pity flashed in Law's eyes. He walked slowly up to him, crouched down, his tone calm but firm: "Are you a doctor?"
Chopper froze. This human didn't show disgust, but instead asked him with an almost gentle tone.
"Mm... I-I study medicine with Dr. Kureha..."
There was a hint of pride in his words, but mostly uncertainty and inferiority.
Law blinked. In this moment, he seemed to feel a certain resonance.
"Then why were you being chased?" he asked softly.
Chopper lowered his head, hooves clutching his basket trembling slightly. "Because the King forbids commoners from treating illnesses themselves... I saw someone was very sick, so I secretly treated them... but the soldiers found me..."
"They said I... have no right to save people..."
Speaking of this, Chopper finally couldn't help but sniffle. Tears rolled down again, but he stubbornly refused to cry out loud.
Law lowered his head, silent for a moment, then said slowly, "You are not wrong."
"The one who truly has no right is the king who treats doctors as tools of power."
This sentence was like a light piercing through the gloom in Chopper's heart.
He looked up at this strange human—in those eyes, there was no contempt, no fear, only recognition and respect.
Just then, Roy walked over, extended his hand, palm open, smiling.
"We are also looking for a way to change this country."
"Want to join us?"
Chopper stared blankly at the hand extended toward him, momentarily at a loss.
He opened his mouth but couldn't speak, tears flowing uncontrollably.
That was trust no one had ever extended to him. That was an invitation no one had ever given him.
The small door of his heart opened quietly amidst this wind and snow...
Drum Kingdom · Dr. Kureha's Residence
Cold wind howled. Amidst the heavy snow, an old wooden house built halfway up the mountain shone with warm yellow light, standing lonely but firm in the storm.
Inside, the fireplace burned, firelight dancing, illuminating the herbs and medical tools hanging all over the walls.
Dr. Kureha sat in a chair, holding a bottle of strong liquor, frowning as she looked out the window.
"That brat Chopper, sneaking out to pick herbs again... it's so chaotic outside now, what if something happens..."
"Creak—"
The door was pushed open gently, a gust of cold wind mixed with snowflakes blowing in.
Chopper poked his head in carefully, covered in a thin layer of snow, voice timid: "Doctorine... I'm back..."
"You brat—" Kureha started to scold him as she stood up, but suddenly paused. Her gaze moved past Chopper to land on the two people walking in behind him.
"Oh? Chopper, you brought back two incredible guys this time..."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, obviously recognizing the visitors.
Walking in front, Roy waved lazily, tone relaxed. "Yo~ borrowing a place to shelter from the wind."
Beside him, Law nodded slightly, attitude humble. "I've heard a lot about you, Dr. Kureha. It's an honor to meet you in person."
Kureha raised an eyebrow, sizing up the two. She took a swig of liquor, smiling meaningfully.
"Marine Vice Admiral · Roy, and 'Surgeon of Death' Trafalgar Law... well, well, it's quite lively today."
"Why would two big shots like you run to this godforsaken place? This isn't your usual patrol turf."
Chopper walked to her side, shrinking into a ball, whispering, "They... saved me. I was picking herbs in the snowfield just now and got chased by soldiers. They brought me back..."
Hearing this, Kureha frowned, huffing coldly. "Hmph, Wapol's dogs are biting randomly again."
Law looked around, seeing the simple yet clean and tidy medical tools in the corner, frowning involuntarily.
"Drum Kingdom was once a top medical power in the world, yet now..."
His tone grew heavier. "It has fallen to the point where it can't even maintain a decent clinic."
"That's because this country has been thoroughly eroded by human calamity," Kureha sneered.
"Back then, that idiot Wapol issued an order to 'screen' the doctors nationwide, keeping only 20 in the palace for research while expelling, monitoring, and suppressing the rest."
"Sick commoners have nowhere to seek treatment and can only rely on the two of us making secret house calls." She looked at Chopper. "Otherwise, countless people on this island would have died long ago."
Law said gravely, "Wapol's actions are no longer just policy deviation, but a thorough trampling of a doctor's dignity."
"Heh, nice words." Kureha smiled sarcastically. "That guy doesn't care about medicine. He only recognizes one word—Power."
Chopper lowered his head, whispering, "But... he is the King... and Drum Kingdom is a member nation of the World Government... what we can do is too limited..."
The atmosphere grew heavy for a moment.
Discussing this, Law also frowned, seemingly pondering the possibilities of the next step.
However, amidst everyone's contemplation, Roy suddenly chuckled softly and said casually, "Is there a need to make it so complicated?"
As his words fell, the room fell silent instantly.
Kureha and Law turned to look at him simultaneously, expressions slightly puzzled.
Roy spread his hands, sitting by the table and crossing his legs, tone understated:
"Since Wapol is the root of this country's problem, then..."
He looked up, lips curving slightly.
"Then solve the root."
Kureha looked at him, startled at first, then threw her head back and laughed loudly. "Ahahahaha! Brat, I like your way of thinking!"
"Indeed, seems like it?" She took a swig of liquor, smacking her lips. "Thinking about it feels pretty good."
Law finally came back to his senses, eyes turning slightly cold. "Compared to going through legal procedures and reporting to the World Government... solving the problem directly is indeed much simpler."
Chopper looked blankly at the three of them exchanging words, head full of question marks, as if the characters "???" were floating above his head.
Staring blankly at the three: "S-Solve... what does that mean?"
Roy rubbed his head, smiling. "It means making sure he can never harm the people again."
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