Chapter 178: Let the Pink Cherry Blossoms Bloom Across This Kingdom!
The Straw Hat Pirates all understood perfectly well.
It was Ralph's miraculous hypnotic ability that had taken care of Wapol.
But no one said it out loud.
Meanwhile, Lufia was calling for Usopp to help her catch Chopper.
"Hey! Blue nose! Don't run!"
Lufia chased a blue figure through the castle.
Chopper ran for his life on his short little legs, but with limited space in the castle, he was soon cornered against a wall.
"J-Join my pirate crew!"
Lufia's eyes sparkled, "You're strong! You can transform! We need you!"
Chopper had heard about the vastness of the sea from Dr. Hiriluk, whom he respected most.
Guarding the pirate flag left by the doctor, he had more than once entertained the idea of adventuring on the sea as a pirate.
But as an outcast, his experiences of being rejected by both deer and humans filled him with timidity.
"I... I'm a reindeer... How could I ever become a human's companion?"
Lufia said matter-of-factly:
"What's the big deal! We already have a duck and a dinosaur on our ship!"
Chopper:
"...Huh?"
He hadn't expected the Straw Hat Pirates' crew to be so... diverse, and was momentarily stunned!
But in the end, Chopper still shook his head:
"N-No... I..."
At this critical moment, Ralph had to step in.
He didn't waste words, getting straight to the point:
"Tony Tony Chopper."
His voice was calm, yet carried a certain force.
Chopper looked up.
Ralph looked into his eyes and asked:
"Tell me loudly—what is your dream?"
This question, like a key, unlocked a certain floodgate.
Chopper's body stopped trembling.
He stood up straight, took a deep breath, and shouted with all his might:
"My dream is—to become a doctor who can cure all diseases!!"
His voice echoed through the castle hall.
Ralph nodded:
"That's right."
An idea occurred to him, and he continued:
"In my homeland, there was once a doctor. He also wanted to save his country with medicine."
Chopper was taken aback:
"Th-that's just like Dr. Hiriluk..."
Ralph shook his head, "That doctor from my homeland later discovered—studying medicine alone cannot save a country."
Chopper's eyes widened:
"That's not true! Dr. Hiriluk's research was already successful! A country can be treated!"
"Correct."
Ralph smiled, "Both Dr. Hiriluk and the doctor I mentioned, they weren't wrong. A sick country can indeed be treated—it's just that the method of healing isn't limited to medicine alone."
He crouched down, meeting Chopper at eye level:
"You must deeply understand what the people of that country need, understand the root cause of its illness, only then can you prescribe the right remedy, heal that country, and save its people."
Chopper's breathing grew rapid.
Ralph's voice was like a powerful hammer, striking blow after blow upon his heart:
"You want to become a doctor who saves people from all diseases? Then are you prepared... to witness the suffering of the entire world?"
Heavy.
The topic suddenly became unbearably heavy.
Chopper had never considered that his dream could entail such a heavy responsibility.
A sliver of fear rose from the depths of his heart.
Just then, a hand stretched out before him.
Lufia's hand.
"Come be our nakama!"
Her smile was like sunshine, "No matter how difficult your dream is to achieve, we'll be right by your side!"
Chopper looked at that hand, then at the people standing behind Lufia.
Sanji was smiling, Zoro nodded, Nami and Vivi waved, Usopp gave a thumbs-up, and Ralph... was looking at him encouragingly.
Tears welled up without warning.
"Wah... wahhh..."
Chopper turned and dashed toward the depths of the castle:
"I—I'm going to say goodbye to Doctorine!!"
The farewell was more intense than expected.
"What nonsense are you talking about?!"
Dr. Kureha's furious roar echoed from the room.
"Pirates are nothing but trouble!!! What's a reindeer like you doing going out to sea?! Looking to die?!"
Then came the sound of things being thrown, swords being drawn, and Chopper's flustered explanations.
"I'm sorry, Doctorine! But I really want to set sail!"
The Straw Hat crew stood outside the castle gate, listening to the commotion inside and exchanging glances.
Rapid footsteps—hoofbeats—sounded.
Reindeer Chopper rushed out, pulling his little sled.
Amidst the swords, spears, and weapons flying from behind, Chopper shouted as he ran:
"No time to explain! Get on the sled!"
"This farewell..."
Usopp swallowed hard, "Isn't it a bit too intense?"
Immediately after, Dr. Kureha leaned out of the window, holding a scalpel:
"Chopper! You come back here!!"
"I'm sorry, Doctorine! I'll come back to see you when I become a doctor who can cure any disease!!"
Without looking back, Chopper charged toward the rope connecting the mountaintop to the base.
The Straw Hat crew hurriedly followed.
Everyone jumped onto the sled, and Chopper pushed off with all four hooves, racing swiftly along the rope.
...
The wind howled, and snowflakes brushed against their faces.
Outside the castle gate, Dr. Kureha chased after them, watching the receding sled and the shrinking blue figure. Tears finally welled up in her eyes.
"Idiot... have a safe journey..."
She whispered softly.
Just then, a voice came from beside her:
"Every farewell really finds a new way to be dramatic."
Dr. Kureha turned sharply—
Ralph?!
When did he get here?!
Wait!
"Aren't you going with them?"
She asked in surprise.
Ralph smiled:
"There's something I haven't finished yet. Once it's done, I'll catch up."
"What else could there be?"
Dr. Kureha frowned, "Weren't you in a hurry to leave earlier? Surely you don't want to stay a few days because of your illness now?"
"Of course not."
Ralph pointed to the top of the castle, "Wapol mentioned that in the room at the top of the castle, there's something called the 'Royal Drum Crown Seven-Shot Triple Protein Iron Cannon.' It hasn't been maintained for a long time and was turned into a nest by snowbirds. But earlier... I fixed it up a bit. It should be usable now."
Dr. Kureha froze.
She looked at Ralph, her expression shifting from confusion to shock, and then to...
"How did you know..."
Her voice trembled, "That I need a cannon?"
Ralph didn't answer, only smiled faintly and activated Geppo to leap into the air:
"Don't worry about that. Hurry and let the pink cherry blossoms bloom across this land—"
He turned mid-air, stepping on the air as he chased after the distant sled, his voice carried by the wind:
—Is there a more romantic farewell than this?"
Under the night sky, the Going Merry set sail.
All crew members present.
Lufia, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Vivi, Ralph, and the newly joined Chopper, along with unofficial members Karoo and Munch-Munch.
Chopper stood at the stern, gazing at the increasingly distant Drum Mountain, his eyes filled with reluctance.
"Doctorine... Dr. Hiriluk... Drum Kingdom..."
Just then—
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Seven cannon blasts echoed from the mountaintop.
Not attacking cannon fire, but... some specially made shells.
The shells exploded in the air, with no flames, no smoke, only a sky filled with... pink powder.
The powder mixed with the perpetually overcast clouds above Drum Island, and under some chemical reaction, the clouds began to change color.
From lead gray, to light pink, then to a brilliant cherry blossom pink.
And then—
It snowed.
But not white snow.
It was pink snow.
Like cherry blossom petals, drifting and falling from the sky, covering the entire island.
The residents of Drum Island stepped out of their homes, looking up at this miraculous sight.
Children reached out their hands, catching the pink snowflakes, letting out delighted laughter.
Chopper's tears welled up.
He remembered Dr. Hiriluk's words:
"Once, there was a thief with an incurable illness who, after seeing the mountains covered in cherry blossoms, started a new life.
From then on, he firmly believed that miracles existed in this world!
Under such a hopeful and beautiful sight, even an evil-hearted person could turn over a new leaf, and a crumbling country could surely be saved too!"
"Dr. Hiriluk..."
Chopper choked up, "Your research succeeded... Cherry blossoms... will heal this country... People will definitely get better and better..."
The rest of the Straw Hat crew was also stunned by the beautiful scene.
"..."
Nami whispered.
"Romantic."
Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke.
"It truly is a poetic sight."
Zoro remarked, which was rare for him.
Vivi clasped her hands together, praying for the country.
Lufia stood at the bow, looking back and exclaiming, "So amazing!"
Just then, a discordant voice rang out:
"It's not that easy, is it?"
Everyone turned—
Ralph leaned against the ship's railing, looking toward Drum Island with a calm expression.
Chopper looked at him with teary, questioning eyes.
Ralph sighed:
"Chopper, you're a qualified doctor now. You should understand—"
He gazed at the gradually receding island, "It's so difficult to cure even one patient, let alone an entire country!"
"On one hand, you need the right treatment; on the other, it requires gradual recovery."
"How could curing an illness be achieved overnight?"
Fortunately, the cancer of this country has been removed. If nothing goes wrong... it will get better and better."
Chopper nodded, half-understanding.
Ralph smiled and said no more.
He pulled something out from his chest—
A purple, two-lobed fruit that looked like a closed mouth.
He tossed it lightly.
"Gulp!"
The little black dinosaur, Munch-Munch, jumped up and swallowed it in one precise bite.