Chapter 53 Cherry Blossoms Bloom, Reindeer Join the Navy"Soul Extraction."
As Human Path raised his arm, a pale blue phantom was forcibly ripped from Hawkins' body.
That was Hawkins' soul!
Hawkins' expression froze in that instant of terror, then his pupils dilated, and his body slumped to the ground like a rag doll.
No matter how many Stands there are, once the soul is extracted, the body is nothing but an empty shell.
Human Path casually tossed the soul into Yama's mouth, the chewing sound sending chills down everyone's spine.
"Damage Transfer?" Luffy looked at the corpse on the ground. "What's the use of physical damage immunity? The soul's gone, let's see how you transfer it."
In the corner, Kureha, who had witnessed the whole thing, was completely dumbfounded.
"The Grim Reaper...it really exists?" she murmured, her worldview shattered. "Then what's the point of us doctors risking our lives to save people?"
Luffy walked over and helped her up, a soft green light emanating from his hand.
"Of course, it's to snatch them back before Death strikes!"
At this moment, Chopper had reverted to his reindeer form and was fast asleep beside him.
Luffy quickly stopped Kureha's bleeding with his Healing Jutsu.
"I'm only a half-baked healer; I can only treat superficial wounds. Internal injuries are your own responsibility."
Kureha stared in astonishment at her healed wounds; the speed of healing was unheard of.
She looked up, staring intently at the young man in the straw hat before her.
"Who exactly are you?"
Luffy gave a thumbs-up, revealing not only his back but also the resounding word "Justice."
"I don't change my name, I'm Monkey D. Luffy, a proper Rear Admiral of the Marine Headquarters."
"Marine? Why would the Marines patronize this godforsaken place?"
Kureha raised an eyebrow, her face full of wrinkles etched with suspicion.
Luffy picked up his teacup, his smile as bright as the sun: "I just wanted to get a reliable ship's doctor for my warship. I heard the Drum Kingdom's medical skills are amazing, so I came to try my luck and, while I'm at it, take care of that bastard Wapol."
"Wapol?"
Kureha paused, her eyes instantly sharpening: "You mean that damned king?"
"King or whatever, he's just a pirate captain in royal robes, the White Iron Pirates, I think. Since he's run into me, a righteous Marine, wouldn't it make me look incompetent if I didn't take care of him?"
A glint of shrewdness flashed in Kureha's cloudy old eyes as she scrutinized the young man before her: "Young man, you're quite interesting. In that case, this old woman has a suitable candidate to recommend to you."
Luffy's grin stretched to his ears: "Great! I'm all ears."
When Sanji and Zoro finally reached the summit, huffing and puffing, the scene they saw almost gave them a heart attack.
Luffy was lounging in the castle, legs crossed, happily sipping his black tea.
The two looked around, bewildered by the mess and still-smoking traces of the fight, then at Luffy's relaxed demeanor. Their heads were spinning.
Did they just finish World War III?
Luffy saw them and lazily raised his hand: "Hey, are you two turtles? I've been warming up for ages."
Zoro stared at the small mountain of corpses belonging to the Hawkins Pirates, his eye twitching. "What's going on? A massacre?"
"Ugh, don't even mention it. Some clueless little pirate, got himself into trouble, so I just stretched my legs a bit."
Zoro walked over to a corpse and kicked it. "Coming all the way to this freezing place to cause you trouble? That pirate's got a screw loose, huh? Seriously."
"Seriously? You'll see when you get to the New World. Those mad dogs are the real lawless ones," Luffy blew on his teacup, took a sip, and said, "That's the arena for the strong."
Hearing the word "strong," a glint of fire instantly ignited in Zoro's eyes. "Is that so? Then we definitely need to go see for ourselves."
"By the way, weren't you saying you were looking for a ship's doctor? Where is he?"
Sanji lit a cigarette, his brow furrowed as he looked around. His gaze suddenly fixed on a furry bundle on the bed, his eyes instantly turning into searchlights: "Hey? There's a reindeer calf hiding here? The ribs from that are absolutely delicious pan-fried!"
"Don't be silly, that's our new ship's doctor."
"Oh... so it's the ship's doctor... what?!"
Zoro and Sanji nearly dropped their jaws: "..."
"What?!"
Outside the door, Nami and the others stared at Chopper, his body sticking out of the doorway while his head was hidden behind the doorframe, their worldviews shattered.
"You call this the ship's doctor? It's just a tanuki!"
Upon hearing this, Chopper instantly bristled, leaping out from behind the door and roaring, "You're the tanuki! Your whole family are tanuki! I'm a reindeer! A reindeer!"
Meanwhile, Nami and Vivi had already been taken to Luffy's warm castle.
The witch Kureha, aside from her advanced age, was actually quite unharmed. It was Chopper who, in protecting the old woman, had taken considerable damage and was now covered in bandages, looking like a miniature mummy.
The highly skilled healer Kureha was referring to was, of course, this blue-nosed reindeer who yearned for freedom.
The old woman knew perfectly well that the little guy's soul had already flown to the sea; he dreamed of seeing cherry blossoms in full bloom.
So, even though Chopper cried and protested, Kureha hardened her heart and decided to throw him out, forcing him onto Luffy.
Nami and Vivi, seeing Chopper's pouty and pitiful expression, were instantly overcome with maternal instincts, their eyes practically glowing with pink bubbles—a devastating blow to any girl.
Luffy, looking at Chopper, was also filled with mixed emotions.
He had been thinking about what kind of lie to convincing this adorable creature to join his crew, but then Hawkins, that unlucky fellow, intervened with divine intervention, not only allowing him to show off his muscles but also getting Kureha to entrust her son to him.
Luffy had originally planned to use Wapol's head as a token of loyalty to get closer to Chopper, but now it seemed completely unnecessary.
Luffy silently gave Hawkins a "good guy" card in his mind; this guy was reliable, and he'd really step up when needed.
"Wow! It spoke!"
Everyone stared wide-eyed at Chopper, who was arguing his case so vehemently. Were animals sentient these days?
"Calm down, calm down. This unfortunate kid was originally a reindeer, but he accidentally ate the Human-Human Fruit - Commoner Form, which gave him human intelligence and the ability to transform."
Luffy solemnly explained to everyone, "Don't let his cute appearance fool you, when it comes to a fight, his strength is definitely no less than... uh... no less than Usopp!"
Usopp's forehead veins bulged: "╯︵┻━┻! You praise him, but why are you putting me down?! Am I that weak, you idiot?!"
"Anyway, from now on, he's a member of our pirate ship... oops, I mean, our warship!"
Luffy waved his hand, making the decision.
Chopper, upon hearing this, instantly twisted his body into a pretzel, but still arrogantly said, "Baka yarou! Who wants to join you guys?!"
Everyone was speechless: "...His body language is too honest, a typical case of saying one thing but doing another."
Chopper hesitated for a moment, then looked timidly at everyone: "You guys...aren't you scared of me? I can talk, and I have a blue nose..."
"Scared?" Everyone looked at Chopper like he was an idiot. "What's there to be scared of? We've seen way more terrifying than you."
"Speaking of horror..." Nami suddenly grabbed Luffy's head and spun him 720 degrees like twisting a bottle cap, "This guy is more like a monster, isn't he?"
Chopper's jaw slammed to the ground: ┌┐!
"Head! Head! My head's twisted into a pretzel!!"
Chopper was terrified, spinning around frantically.
"Hey, don't use me as a prop! Look at that long-nosed Usopp over there, isn't he pretty 'unconventional' too?"
Usopp roared, "Hey! You're not going to let this joke go?!"
"What...what's wrong with him?" Chopper pointed at Luffy, his hooves trembling.
"As you can see, just like you, he's a Devil Fruit user, and a Zoan-type, Mythical Zoan-type, Human-Human Fruit, Sun God Form!"
"Human...Human-Human Fruit?!"
Chopper's eyes widened, as if he'd heard something utterly unbelievable.
"That's right, Zoan-type, Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan-type, Nikka Form. We're distant relatives, the same type!"
Luffy grinned and leaned closer, this lie so blatantly fabricated.
Chopper instantly broke down, tears welling in his eyes, as if he'd found his long-lost older brother in a vast sea of people. He burst into tears, throwing himself into Luffy's arms and wailing.
Estranged from the deer herd because of his blue nose since childhood, and later beaten by humans for being a monster after eating the fruit, looking at Luffy now, that loneliness vanished instantly.
"Didn't Luffy eat the Gum-Gum Fruit?"
"Who cares? I'd believe him even if he said he ate the God Fruit. He's never been normal anyway."
Vivi and Nami whispered amongst themselves, clearly used to Luffy's wild tales.
Luffy gently stroked Chopper's head, soothingly saying, "Kureha told me Hiruluk had a terminal illness, even a god couldn't save him. His death had nothing to do with you."
"His only wish was that you wouldn't forget your original aspiration and become a great doctor. As for the dangers at sea, you saw them yourself—it was those bastards who injured you and Kureha."
Thinking of Hawkins and his gang, Chopper's little face was filled with anger.
"And we are the Navy, dedicated to bringing such scum to justice, to uphold the freedom and justice of the seas! So, Tony Tony Chopper, the Navy welcomes you!"
Chopper's mind flashed back to the tragedy caused by trusting pirates, and then he remembered Kureha's injuries…
He sniffled hard and nodded vigorously: "I'm willing to join the Navy!"
Zoro, Sanji, and the others grinned, their smiles full of welcome.
"Yoshi! Ladies, let's have a feast!"
"Awoo—!"
The group escorted Chopper back to the Going Merry.
"This…is a warship?"
Chopper looked at the cute sheep-head prow, his eyes sparkling as he asked Luffy.
Luffy blushed, coughing awkwardly twice: "Ahem, yes, this is the latest…disguised warship."
Zoro and the others looked at him with disdain. They were clearly dirt poor; they couldn't afford a proper warship.
"Yosh! Cheers to Chopper joining the crew!"
A barbecue grill was set up on the deck, everyone raised their rum, the atmosphere so lively it seemed to melt the snow.
Just then.
Atop Drum Island, a massive beam of colored light shot into the sky.
Everyone instinctively turned to look towards Drum Island, where a pink mist instantly enveloped the perpetually snow-capped peak.
The snowflakes, tinged with pink, gathered and scattered in the air, like giant cherry blossom trees proudly blooming in the dead of winter.
Chopper, gazing at this cherry blossom miracle formed from snowflakes, couldn't stop the tears from streaming down his face, and cried out at the top of his lungs, "Dr. Hiruluk! Did you see that?!"
"My God..."
"It's so beautiful..."
Everyone was speechless, stunned by the breathtaking scene, only able to utter heartfelt praise.
Luffy, watching this, borrowed a light from Sanji, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag. This was a miracle created by a quack doctor who had poured thirty years of his life into this frigid winter island.
Meanwhile, atop the palace rooftop, Kureha and Dalton stood side by side, behind them a dozen soldiers frantically firing pink dust cannons into the sky.
"From now on, this mess is yours, King Dalton. Have you decided on a new name for the country?"
Kureha took a large gulp of wine and asked, turning her head.
Dalton was already in tears: "I never thought this country would really be saved just as he predicted... From now on, let's call this place the Cherry Blossom Kingdom."
"The Cherry Blossom Kingdom?" Kureha gazed at the falling pink snow, a smile playing on her lips. "Sounds not bad."
"Then, to this newborn nation, cheers!"
"Doctor, is this alright? The Drum Kingdom is history, and I've found my companions."
Chopper watched Drum Peak recede into the distance, silently bidding farewell in his heart.
"Hey! Chopper! Don't just stand there, come have a drink!"
"Ah! Baka yarou, who wants a drink?!"
Usopp stuck two chopsticks up his nose and made a face: "Come on, Chopper, learn from me!"
Thump!
Nami, her face dark, punched Usopp to the ground, black smoke seemingly rising from her back:
"Don't corrupt the children, you bastard!"
Nami sighed, crouching down and looking at Chopper gently: "Did I scare you?"
"So you're on the same boat now, a companion to this bunch of lunatics."
Chopper blinked his big eyes, a mixture of anticipation and uncertainty on his face: "Companions?"
"That's right. Even though these guys are clueless and lack common sense, we're all companions. You'll have to get used to their abnormality eventually."
Nami smiled and patted Chopper's hat.
Chopper nodded excitedly: "Yeah! I'll definitely adapt as soon as possible!"
After saying that, Chopper picked up the chopsticks Usopp had dropped and stuck them up his nose, grinning foolishly.
Nami: "..."
"These... you really don't need to learn..."
Before Nami could finish speaking, Luffy and Usopp grabbed Chopper and started a chaotic dance with him.
"You bunch of bastards! That's enough! Chopper is our only doctor, don't corrupt him!"
Nami roared in frustration, looking at Chopper who was gradually turning into a husky, feeling utterly exhausted.
Zoro, listening intently, was completely bewildered: "What?! This little guy's a doctor?"
"Really?" "Amazing!"
Nami facepalmed, speechless at her teammates: "Seriously, what did you guys even want from letting him on board?"
Sanji exhaled a smoke ring and calmly uttered four words: "Emergency food."
Chopper: Huh?! Σ(°△°|||)︴
Luffy looked at everyone with disdain: "Superficial! You guys have no idea what it means to have a 100-Berry bounty while fighting for hundreds of millions."
Everyone: Huh?
The next morning.
The sea was calm and the sun was shining brightly.
Chopper, excited like a hyperactive child, ran around on the deck.
"Wow! The sea is so big! It's all water!"
Chopper clung to the railing, excitedly shouting as he looked at the endless sea.
"Of course! This is the Grand Line, known as the graveyard of pirates! It's called the graveyard because of righteous Marines like us! Especially under the wise leadership of me, the great Captain Usopp!"
Usopp puffed out his chest, his nose practically pointing to the sky, and began to boast wildly.
Chopper's eyes were filled with admiration: "Usopp...Usopp is the best!"
Suddenly, a huge shadow fell over the deck, blocking out the sunlight.
Chopper pointed to the sky: "What's that? Such a huge bird!"
Zoro glanced up: "Oh, that's a seagull."
Nami rolled her eyes: "Does your seagull look like a bomber?"
Meanwhile, the innocent Chopper was already waving his hooves in greeting: "Hi! Hello, Mr. Seagull!"
The next second, the giant bird, roughly half the size of the Going Merry, swooped down, heading straight for the Going Merry.
Zoro nodded, his face full of certainty: "See? I told you it was a seagull."
Chopper was still excitedly shouting, "What an amazing seagull!"
Nami's forehead contorted in a cross shape: (╬￣皿￣)!
"Is this the time to discuss species? It's here for a buffet!"
The giant bird snatched Zoro, who was lifting weights, in one swift motion, and carried him straight into the sky.
Chopper was stunned at first, then terrified, and ran across the deck, clutching his head: "Oh no! Zoro's been carried away by a giant bird! Help!"
Luffy and his two companions, however, were sitting together playing cards, not even looking up.
"A pair of threes!"
"A royal flush!"
"Are you an idiot?! I play a pair of threes and you give me a royal flush?!"
"Good cards, I can do whatever I want, what's it to you?"
"We're on the same team, okay?!"
Chopper looked at these three guys who were acting like nothing was wrong, and his whole body cracked: "Hey! Zoro got eaten!"
Sanji stared at his cards and casually replied, "Did he scream for help?"
Chopper hesitated: "Uh... I don't think so."
Usopp nodded: "Then it's none of our business, let's go do what we were doing."
Luffy slammed his cards onto the deck: "Four twos! A plane with wings! Bomb!"
"What?! You cheated?! Where did you get so many bombs?!"
Chopper tried to salvage the situation: "But..."
"Three-Sword Style: Hawk Wave!"
A crisp slash suddenly rang out in the sky.
The unfortunate bird hadn't even had time to swallow before it was beheaded by its prey.
With a loud thud, the enormous carcass of the giant bird plummeted from the sky, pinning Luffy and his two companions beneath it.
"Hey, you perverted cook, I got some meat! Go cook!" Zoro sheathed his sword, looking at Luffy and the others, only their legs visible, trapped under the bird, with a puzzled expression. "Huh? What are you sleeping in the middle of the day?"
Luffy, Sanji, and Usopp struggled to their feet, roaring in unison, "This is all your fault!"
"Alright, stop fooling around. We're almost at Alabasta, everyone get serious!"
Nami's voice came from the second floor, tinged with tension.
The group gathered on the deck.
Vivi gave these bumpkins another lesson on the terrifying nature of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, her face so grave it seemed about to drip water:
"Crocodile is practically a national idol in Alabasta because he frequently defeats pirates attacking towns."
"But that's all an act! In reality, he's manipulating everything behind the scenes, instigating internal strife!"
"His goal is to steal the entire Alabasta, and so far, no one has discovered this conspiracy."
At this point, Vivi bit her lip, her voice trembling: "Even the people and my father are kept in the dark."
Luffy grinned, nonchalantly: "What's there to be afraid of? We're the righteous Marines! That Baroque Works? In a couple of days, we'll rename it the Bankruptcy Liquidation Company."
"Speaking of which, you must have quite a few of those millionaires and billionaires under your control, right?" Usopp thought of the attacks on Little Garden.
"Huh?" Zoro looked disgusted. "What's the point of controlling those small fry?"
"Pay back the money you owe Nami for the sword before you talk," Luffy said, rolling his eyes at the spendthrift who seemed oblivious to the value of money.