Chapter 72: Linlin Ran Away with All the Doctors from Drum Kingdom!
At the edge of a rocky town, the short man in the demon mask stood silently, gazing across the rugged terrain.
"Pandora, let's go."
No response.
He sighed, climbed the tallest boulder, and looked toward the horizon. Moments later, a miniature sun zipped back from afar, glowing with excitement as it hovered near his masked face.
"Master! Didn't you say I needed to get stronger?" Pandora said brightly. "There was a fire in the town, so I devoured all the flames!"
Roy blinked behind his mask.
"...Let's go."
He stepped onto Pandora's glowing surface, and the little sun shot upward, carrying him high into the sky.
From above, Roy looked down at the harbor below. Several pirate ships burned furiously, their hulls charred and collapsing into the sea.
He gave Pandora a sideways glance. "That's your idea of getting stronger?"
Apparently, Pandora had burned the ships first just to eat the fire afterward.
"Genius…" Roy muttered under his breath.
---
Not long after, on a deserted island nearby, Pandora descended gently to the sand. Roy hopped off, greeted by a beautiful green-haired woman and a floating thundercloud.
"How did it go?" Toki asked anxiously.
"Let's eat first, then talk," Roy said, handing her the food he'd brought.
"Tch. I say let her die," Pandora grumbled, drifting aside.
The little sun clearly held a grudge against Charlotte Linlin—but despite his words, he never stopped Roy from looking for her. That was already merciful.
"Watch your mouth! If something happens to Mom, I'll fight you to the death!" Horus barked, sparks of lightning flashing across his cloudy body.
"Huh? You want to fight me, you stormy furball?" Pandora sneered, his glow flaring.
The two glared at each other, crackling with heat and thunder. For the past year, they hadn't gone a single week without fighting.
Both were once Homies—one belonging to the nun, the other to Linlin—and ever since joining Roy, they'd been in constant competition.
"Enough." Roy's sharp tone cut through their squabble.
"Understood!" the two chorused instantly.
But as soon as Roy turned away, they started glaring at each other again.
"Hmph."
"Tch."
Toki quietly ate her meal while watching the newspaper Roy had spread across the rock between them.
"Just yesterday, Linlin was spotted by CP agents in Drum Kingdom," Roy explained, pointing at the article. "She killed the agents, took several doctors, and left the island."
Toki frowned. "What is she trying to do…?"
Roy's eyes narrowed. "She wants to cure her food cravings. And the best doctors for that… are in Drum Kingdom."
He looked over at the two elemental Homies, who were still pretending not to fight. "Come here, both of you."
"Oh~" Pandora floated closer, his golden light softening.
"Move, he called me!" Horus quickly morphed into a soft cloud and rubbed against Roy's arm affectionately.
Roy sighed. "Stop fooling around. We're heading to the first half of the Grand Line next."
"What if Mom's not there?" Horus asked, worry in his voice.
"Then we'll find her," Roy replied calmly.
Pandora muttered something under his breath but froze when Roy shot him a look. "I mean, yes, yes—find her!"
"Good. We'll rest first, then depart."
As they settled down, Horus and Pandora quietly drifted to Roy's side, letting him use them as makeshift pillows.
Toki chuckled softly at the sight. Despite being dangerous, the two looked almost… cute next to him.
Soon after, Roy and Toki took to the skies once again, sitting on Horus while holding Pandora in their arms. Their destination: Drum Kingdom.
In this final year, Roy intended to help Linlin no matter what.
A changed Charlotte Linlin—and a reformed Totto Land—was something worth seeing.
---
Drum Kingdom, Grand Line
Several Marine warships were docked by the snow-covered shore.
Inside a large mansion, Kong stood with members of CP0, examining the damaged laboratory below.
"What was she trying to do here?" muttered one of the masked CP0 agents, his voice sharp and cold.
"Food cravings," Kong said grimly. "She's escaped. That cunning little brat."
The CP0 agent lifted a Den Den Mushi and spoke into it. "What's the situation in Elbaf?"
"Roy is still there," came the reply.
Kong's expression darkened, but he gave a curt nod and turned away.
"So… if she really manages to cure her condition," the CP0 agent mused, "should we use her—or is she using him?"
His tone dripped with amusement. As he stepped outside, the sea breeze caught his cloak, revealing a few strands of golden hair beneath the mask.
---
Somewhere on the Grand Line
A massive pirate ship cut through the waves, its black sails fluttering in the cold wind.
At the bow stood Charlotte Linlin—noticeably thinner than before—her gaze sharp and determined. Zeus hovered quietly beside her.
Inside the ship's cabin, several elderly doctors worked frantically, papers scattered everywhere.
They weren't prisoners. When they'd heard of Linlin's strange affliction—a sickness that caused uncontrollable hunger and loss of self-awareness—they'd come willingly, desperate for a chance to solve a mystery that no one else in the world could.
Each of them dreamed of finding the cure and leaving their names in history.
But after a year of effort, they had no results.
No medicine, no surgery, no treatment could break through her monstrous resilience. Not even a needle could pierce her skin.
So Linlin had been forced to collect her own blood samples each time.
"Where are we heading next?" one of the old doctors asked as he stepped out of the cabin.
"Old man, don't worry about it—cough, I mean…" Linlin caught herself mid-sentence, recalling Roy's lessons.
A ruler must speak kindly to her people.
She clenched her fists. "Thank you for your work. I'll do my best."
The doctor smiled wearily. "Remember, control your cravings. Each episode begins when you fixate on a particular food. The key is to calm your thoughts."
Linlin nodded silently. "I'll… try."
The old man left her to the wind and the sea.
A year had passed since she'd started this journey—and she was still fighting the hunger that once consumed her.
But this time, she wasn't doing it for herself.
She was doing it for her brother.
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