章 64: Chapter 64: Chopper Joins the Crew, Farewell with Cherry Blossoms.
"Mr. Dalton, your injuries..."
On a cable car connecting to the mountaintop, Vivi, Zoro, Usopp, a few armed militiamen, and:
A burly middle-aged man.
Dalton, the captain of the Drum Kingdom's guards, could be considered the only 'official' in this country who cared about the people. However, for this reason, he was the first target of Wapol's return to make an example of.
"It's nothing, I must defeat Wapol!"
The middle-aged man, covered in wounds, gritted his teeth. Although he was considered the 'second strongest combat power' in this country, he was still no match for Wapol and his two former colleagues. But:
"Even if I'm no match, I must go up!"
"If I don't fight, who will change this country?"
What royalty... what politics...
"What's wrong with wanting to govern the country with 'heart'?"
---
Boom!
"Hahaha, you brat, you were too careless."
Wapol, laughing with his hands on his hips, had just blasted through the building in front of him with a point-blank 'mouth cannon' (physical), finally venting his anger from being beaten by Roman. But:
Thud,
"You were the careless one."
Luffy, who had instantly moved behind Wapol, grabbed him, twisted his body several times, and then:
"Gomu Gomu no Rocket!"
Boom!
Wapol, thrown upwards by Luffy, crashed through the roof and got stuck in the ceiling, facing:
A tattered cherry blossom skull flag.
It was the flag he had previously blasted with a cannon, now reinserted into the roof by Luffy.
Slap,
Luffy also flipped up from below, landing on the roof with his fists clenched.
"You ungrateful fool, don't touch people's skull flags!"
Although there were plenty of scoundrels on this sea who flew skull flags while burning, killing, and looting, there were also fools who carried their dreams with this flag!
"Gomu Gomu no—"
Luffy's hands stretched back, back, and further back! With Wapol stuck, this time Luffy could fully charge up until:
"Wait... wait, I'll make you a noble, don't..."
"Look, there's someone on the roof!"
This was Zoro, Vivi, Usopp, and the big man named Dalton, who had just arrived by cable car.
"Master... Drum Kingdom..."
This was Chopper, looking up.
"It's over,"
A rare 'simple mission.'
This was Roman, adding a page to "The Thief's Extreme Art."
"Stop... I'll make you the vice king—!!"
Facing Wapol's panicked bribe, the answer was:
"Rocket!"
Boom!!
Poor Wapol, under Luffy's fully charged rocket punch, turned into a meteor in the sky. He would never have the chance to return and harm Drum... no, soon to be renamed Cherry Blossom Kingdom.
The dust settled, and everyone was happy!
"Bring the patients in,"
Dr. Kureha waved to everyone, and when she saw the duo leaning against the window on the second-floor corridor, her brows furrowed.
"You two, get back to your rooms!"
"Alright, Nami, let's go back."
Roman complied easily, but Nami looked anxious.
"If we keep delaying like this, how worried must Vivi be..."
"Yeah..."
To be honest, Roman wished he could stay here and recover for a year or two, develop his fruit powers enough, and ideally train his Haki to a high level... but:
Crocodile's actions wait for no one!
And if it weren't for all the unexpected events, Roman wouldn't even know when he could learn 'elementalization' and 'Observation Haki'...
It seems people are indeed forced to grow under pressure.
Then let's face it!
Isn't it just the Seven Warlords of the Sea?
Those otherworldly seniors, didn't they all defeat the Seven Warlords of the Sea as easily as drinking water and eating food? There's no reason I can't do it too...
"Dalton, where is the key to the castle's armory?"
Hearing Dr. Kureha ask the injured man beside her, Roman's eyes lit up, and he controlled his spider wheelchair to move over.
"That key has always been kept by Wapol himself," the gentle man wrapped in bandages replied, "which means the key should have been sent flying along with Wapol."
"In that case..."
"Excuse me," Roman 'walked' over and nodded to the 139-year-old Dr. Kureha.
"If it's about unlocking, I can help."
"But in return, we hope to be discharged early. What do you think?"
——————
"Paper Dance - Key."
The piece of paper in his hand slipped into the keyhole, and with a gentle turn from Roman, the iron lock on the door clicked open.
Devil Fruit powers are really convenient...
"Someone come help me move things," Dr. Kureha nodded in satisfaction and turned to point at Roman, "Kid, I'm not sending anyone to watch you, there's a room with a change of clothes. But don't think about sneaking away—"
"Understood,"
Roman nodded. Grab the clothes and get out of here?
Alright.
---
"Hey, reindeer!"
"Come be a pirate with us!"
Roman controlled his spider wheelchair, carrying Nami, Sanji, and himself just out the door, when he saw Luffy shouting everywhere.
"Hey, Luffy."
"The person you're looking for isn't called reindeer, he has a name, it's Chopper."
"Oh, oh,"
Hearing Roman's words, Luffy shouted again.
"Reindeer Chopper!"
"Come be a pirate with us!!"
This guy...
"With you shouting like that, no one would want to..."
"It's not that I don't want to... but..."
A voice interrupted Roman's words, and the petite Chopper emerged from the nearby woods.
"But, but... I'm just a reindeer, with antlers, hooves, and a blue nose—"
"Stop babbling!"
However, Luffy just laughed heartily, interrupting Chopper's sadness.
"Just come with me!"
...
"Hmph, the one inviting others is saying 'stop babbling'..."
Zoro grinned.
"You really are greedy, Luffy."
Roman shook his head.
Nami, Usopp, Vivi... and the lying Sanji all smiled.
---
"I'll use a sled to take you down,"
Facing Chopper in his reindeer form, Roman didn't spoil the fun by saying he could make a 'glider' to take everyone down the mountain. Instead, everyone squeezed into the sled, and then:
Whoosh!
"Ahhh~~ We're going to die, we're going to die—"
In the night sky, under the bright moon.
A sled pulled by a reindeer flew through the air!
Of course, in reality, the sled was sliding on a cable pulled by Chopper. Very scientific, very normal. It's just that this way of going down the mountain was quite thrilling, and people with weak hearts—like Usopp—had already fainted with their eyes rolling back.
"Hahaha, if we 'crash', the Straw Hat crew will—"
"Shut up, Zoro!" x3
Boom, boom, boom!
At this moment, the sound of cannons came from the top of the mountain. As the safely landed Straw Hat crew looked up,
pink cherry blossoms began to fall from the sky!
"Whoa, whoa, whoa—"
Facing such a magical scene, Chopper looked up and cried with tears streaming down his face! Although the others didn't know the details, the overwhelming emotions...
"It's a grand farewell,"
It's really enviable.
Whether it's Nami, Usopp, Sanji who didn't witness it, Luffy... or Chopper in front of them.
When they set sail, they all had the most sincere blessings from their loved ones. Unlike—
"Why are you looking at me?"
Zoro felt uneasy under Roman's gaze, and even his non-human body that could swim in icy waters shivered.
"Hahaha, nothing, nothing!"
On this ship, probably only Zoro and I set sail alone, right?
Indeed, the strong are destined to be lonely~~
"Let's go, everyone!"
Facing Luffy's call, everyone followed.
"Back to the Going Merry, let's continue our journey!"
---
"Wow, I didn't expect to see cherry blossoms in the icy snow."
"There are many things you didn't expect, come, drink!"
Pouring a drink for Sanji, Zoro hadn't yet reached the point of arguing with the cook about everything.
"Hahaha, Chopper, want to give it a try."
Luffy and Usopp, with chopsticks in their noses, started fooling around again. Just as Nami covered her forehead and was about to speak:
"Chopper, don't imitate—?"
"Hahaha, Chopper, you're learning fast!"
...Ah, I see.
Roman, who was steering the ship, touched his chin.
No wonder he always felt something was missing. The Straw Hat trio of goofballs is complete! Right—
"I haven't thanked you yet,"
Roman turned to look at the calm little girl, Marianne, beside him. He had already learned from Zoro that if it weren't for this senior officer of the Baroque Works using her ultimate skill to help him at a critical moment, Roman wouldn't have awakened his 'Observation Haki', let alone found the Drum Kingdom.
"You're welcome."
The little girl named Marianne shook her head, "You kept your promise and released Mr. 3, Mr. 5, and Miss Valentine, so I will keep my promise to help you. —Until Alabasta."
"Well, that's a pity."
This was truly a god-level support, but everyone has their own aspirations, and you can't force it. So:
"For our new companion—"
As the party on the deck reached its climax, Luffy raised his glass. Everyone, even the non-drinker Roman, took the glass handed by Nami.
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!" x7
----
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