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The Strongest Frost Loli Re-(162)
🕑 Added 2024-12-03 16:01:27 +0000 UTCChapter 162 - Island of Snow
A day had passed since the Straw Hats departed Lunes, setting course for the Drum Kingdom.
The journey wasn't long, and the climate, now consistently cold, blanketed the ship in a layer of snow. Nami’s condition remained unchanged. While the immediate danger to her life had passed, she needed treatment soon, or she risked lasting complications.
“Hey, how much longer until we reach a doctor?” Luffy asked, perched cross-legged on the ship's figurehead. He addressed Pedro, their temporary navigator, who consulted the Log Pose.
“At this speed, another day, maybe a day and a half. Rushing won't make the ship go any faster.” Pedro, a seasoned sailor, remained calm, gently admonishing Luffy’s impatience.
“Zepo's looking after your navigator. He’s confident she won’t die within a day or two. You should be thinking about what we’ll do when we arrive.”
“When we arrive?”
“Aren’t we just looking for a doctor?”
Luffy and Usopp, both tilting their heads in confusion, directed their questions at Pedro. It wasn't simply a matter of being pirates and facing difficulties finding a doctor willing to treat them.
Pedro, searching for the right words, began his explanation.
“The Drum Kingdom is renowned for its medical expertise. Their skills are unparalleled.”
“So, there are lots of doctors there?”
“Not exactly. Recently, the king initiated a ‘Doctor Hunt’.”
Only twenty doctors remained in the kingdom, all employed by the royal medical institution. Almost every other doctor had been exiled. The reason for this drastic measure remained unclear, but it was undoubtedly a devastating blow to the citizens. Finding a doctor in the Drum Kingdom, therefore, would be no easy feat. A request from pirates for treatment by royal physicians was unlikely to be granted.
“So, we’re going to a place with no doctors?! Shouldn’t we go somewhere else?!”
“Don’t panic. While most doctors were captured, there’s at least one who escaped… I heard she’s an old woman, nearly a hundred and forty years old.”
“A hundred and forty?! Is she even still alive?!”
Her advanced age, suggested she might be closer to death than their patient. This prompted Usopp’s incredulous outburst.
“We need to replenish our supplies anyway. You didn't find any food on Lunes, did you?”
“Oh, Sanji mentioned that. It's a problem if we run out of food.”
Luffy, the primary culprit for their rapidly dwindling supplies, made this nonchalant remark. His habit of sneaking into the galley for midnight snacks was a constant drain on their provisions.
Usopp, his accomplice, nodded sagely. "Food is important," he agreed. But it wasn't just food. They needed medicine for Nami, even if they couldn't find a doctor. They had to ensure she lasted until they reached Alabasta, where they were supposed to rendezvous with Vivi's bodyguard, Igaram.
“We have a lot to do. As captain, you should be aware of these things,” Pedro spoke seriously.
“Aye!”
***
As Pedro predicted, the Merry Go reached the Drum Kingdom a little over a day later. It was a winter island, covered in snow. Despite Nami's condition, Luffy whose adventurous spirit was undeterred, expressed his excitement in his usual attire: shorts, a red vest, and sandals. An outfit seemingly ill-suited for the frigid climate.
Usopp, shivering in his winter clothes, couldn’t help but comment.
Luffy, finally registering the cold, exclaimed, “Brrr! It’s cold!” and dashed back inside for warmer clothes.
Zepo and Pedro, however, remained relatively lightly dressed.
“Aren’t you cold?”
“Pedro’s a jaguar mink, so he needs some layers, but I’m a polar bear mink. We don’t need thick clothes like you.”
Their natural fur provided ample protection against the cold. Conversely, they weren't fond of heat, making Alabasta a less-than-ideal destination.
“So, you’re minks?”
“That’s right. We’re from Zou, an island in the New World.”
“So, you’re not Devil Fruit users?”
“Well, we’re a rare breed, but we’re not Devil Fruit users. We’re a proper species.”
Minks were a warrior race, possessing exceptional combat abilities from a young age. Zepo and Pedro were no exception. Their appearance, however – a bipedal jaguar and polar bear – had almost led to a friendly fire incident during their fight against Maraptonoka’s forces.
“Sorry about that, by the way.”
“It’s fine. It was a chaotic battlefield.”
Pedro accepted Zoro’s apology with a curt nod, his gaze turning skyward as he recalled the threat of Maraptonoka.
“She’s a merchant who’s been expanding her influence recently. She uses strange weapons, either acquired or created.”
“The ones that were fed Devil Fruits?”
“That’s a recent development. Probably still experimental.”
However, many questions remained unanswered. The sheer number of weapons, all seemingly imbued with Devil Fruit powers, was peculiar.
A Devil Fruit’s power was unique, only appearing once in a generation. Yet, Maraptonoka’s forces had included multiple individuals with seemingly identical abilities. Even Twilight, known for hoarding Devil Fruits, didn't possess such a large number of users. How had she acquired so many Devil Fruits? How had she replicated their abilities? The questions were endless.
“There are rumors of artificial Devil Fruits circulating in the underworld… but their authenticity is unconfirmed.”
Pedro and Zepo, pursuing their own objectives, weren’t privy to the details of Maraptonoka’s operations. They only knew what they had heard through rumors.
As they spoke, they reached the Drum Kingdom, searching for a suitable landing spot outside the main harbor. Another pirate ship had already anchored there.
“Pirates! What do we do, Luffy?!” Usopp cried while hiding behind Zoro.
“Nothing. Nami’s more important.”
Luffy, unfazed, prioritized their tasks.
Nami’s health came first. Leaving Sanji in charge of procuring food, Luffy, Pedro, and Zepo carried Nami towards the nearest town.
Pedro, glancing at the other pirate ship’s flag, stroked his chin.
“That flag…”
“Do you recognize it?”
“Yes. They’ve noticed us too, but they don’t seem hostile.”
Leaving Zoro to guard the ship, they set off for the town with Vivi and Karoo accompanying them.
It was safer for Vivi to stay with Pedro and Zepo than be left alone on the ship. There was also the possibility that Igaram had already arrived. Since Vivi was the only one who knew his face, she was the only one who could identify him if he was in town.
Luffy carried Nami as they made their way towards the town. While the path seemed untrodden, the fresh snow bore the distinct footprints of the other pirates they had seen earlier.
“Our priority is to avoid causing a scene. This is a World Government affiliated nation, and they have dealings with Twilight. Causing trouble will only jeopardize Nami’s treatment.”
“Got it.”
Luffy nodded seriously, understanding the gravity of the situation. Nami’s recovery was paramount. He wouldn't let anything interfere with that.
They reached the nearest town without encountering anyone. “Town” might have been an overstatement. It was more of a village, a small cluster of houses.
“A village! Let’s ask if there’s a doctor!”
“Did you not hear a word I said?!”
Luffy, remembering Pedro’s explanation about the Doctor Hunt, stopped in his tracks. There was, however, supposed to be one doctor who hadn't been exiled. A doctor who had escaped the king’s purge was a valuable asset to the citizens. While they wouldn't likely betray the king, would they share information with pirates?
“We have to try. Who’s going?”
“We’ll go. You guys wait here.”
Sanji and Usopp volunteered, heading into the village. Vivi attempted to follow, but Pedro stopped her.
“I’ve been instructed to prioritize your safety. Please stay here until we’ve confirmed it’s safe.”
“But I’m indebted to this crew! I can’t just sit here and do nothing…!”
“I’m not asking you to do nothing. Everyone has their role to play. Yours will come later.”
Pedro’s words soothed Vivi’s anxieties. They waited at the edge of the village for Usopp and Sanji’s return.
Soon, figures emerged, but they weren’t Usopp and Sanji. They weren’t villagers either.
A group of people, carrying a large box, approached from the direction of the coast. The only path leading there was the one they had taken from their ship. They must be the other pirates they had seen earlier.
“…Hmm?”
He almost missed it, but among the group carrying the box was a polar bear. Luffy and Vivi, exchanging glances, looked at Zepo, who stood beside them.
“What’s wrong?”
“That…”
Zepo, turning towards Luffy’s pointed finger, gasped.
“…Bepo?!”
“Huh? Why did you call my name… Brother?!”
“Brother?!”
Luffy and Vivi stared at Zepo, surprised by the polar bear’s exclamation.
Zepo, already running, met Bepo, who had dropped the box, halfway. They embraced and began crying joyously. The other pirates watched, bewildered. Vivi turned to Pedro, pointing at the reunited brothers.
“What was that about?”
“That’s Zepo’s younger brother, Bepo. He must have gone out to sea… though I don't know why.”
“That’s right! Why are you here?! You’re supposed to be on Zou!”
“Hehehe… I left Zou to search for my brother, but I ended up in the North Blue…” Bepo explained sheepishly. He had become friends with the locals there and joined their pirate crew. A reunion with his brother in such an unexpected place… perhaps it was fate.
Bepo’s crewmates, seeing no need to be hostile towards a fellow pirate crew, especially one connected to their navigator’s brother, approached Luffy and the others. Zepo and Bepo continued their conversation.
“So, you’re with the pirate crew my brother’s working with?”
“I suppose that’s one way to put it…”
“Yes, we’re indebted to them. What about you?”
“I’ve known Bepo since we were kids. We’ve travelled together.”
While they had only recently declared themselves pirates, having just entered the Grand Line, they were essentially rookies, like Luffy and his crew. Their captain, however, wasn’t present.
“We’re the Heart Pirates. You are?”
“The Straw Hat Pirates. That guy with the straw hat is our captain.”
“Nice to meet you!”
Pedro introduced them, and Luffy, grinning, shook their hands. They seemed curious about Nami, whom he carried on his back, but seeing her condition, they refrained from asking.
“The Heart Pirates… so you’re the Trafalgar siblings from the North Blue. That flag looked familiar.”
“Y-you know us? We’re famous, huh? Right, Shachi?”
“You bet!”
“Pedro, do you know them?”
“They’re fairly well-known. Their bounty is quite high for rookies.”
Their captain, Law, had a bounty exceeding twenty million berries, placing him firmly in the category of high-profile rookies. While his sister, Lami, didn’t have a bounty, they always travelled together, so it was assumed that a portion of Law’s bounty reflected her dangerousness as well.
“Hmm… So, you’re after the One Piece too?”
“Of course! We’re pirates! Though we get laughed at a lot…”
“I see. So, we’re rivals. But I’m going to be King of the Pirates.”
Shachi and Penguin, the Heart Pirates’ crewmembers, stared at Luffy, surprised. Not mockingly, nor with laughter. They were simply taken aback by his casual declaration of his ambition.
“…Right. Rivals!”
“Don’t underestimate our captain! He’s going to be King of the Pirates!”
They responded in kind, their competitive spirit ignited. Just as their glares intensified, Pedro stepped between them.
“Excuse me, but I have a question. There’s supposed to be a doctor on this island who hasn't been captured. Do you know anything about her?”
“A doctor? Ah, I see.”
Glancing at Nami, Penguin scratched his head; he looked troubled.
“I don’t know the details… but I know about that. You’re out of luck.”
“…What do you mean?”
A sense of foreboding washed over him Pedro. He hoped his fears were unfounded.
"They caught the last doctor. It was only yesterday."
