Drum Island, located in the first half of the Grand Line, was an island where snow fell all year round. It had once been a world-famous medical kingdom.
But after "White Iron" Wapol took the throne, he ordered all the doctors on the island expelled, leaving only a handful of top physicians in the entire kingdom for his personal use.
He also established a cruel rule: even if the people wanted treatment from the twenty excellent doctors personally selected by "White Iron" Wapol, they first had to kneel and beg him.
Although most of Drum Island's doctors had been driven away, a few still resisted and refused to leave.
The first was the witch, Dr. Kureha.
An old woman over a hundred years old living on Drum Island, she would later become Chopper's second mentor in life. She was also known as "Doctorine," while Chopper called her "Doctorine!"
Her favorite phrases were, "Want to know the secret of my eternal youth?" and "Are you happy?" Her medical skill was extraordinary, though her fees were outrageously expensive. She often went down the mountain herself to treat patients.
Wapol had sent no one knew how many royal guards to search for the "witch" Dr. Kureha, but that old woman was too good at hiding. No matter how hard they searched, they could never find her.
The second was Hiriluk, the quack doctor living at the foot of Drum Mountain. He had originally been a notorious thief, but later contracted an incurable illness.
Decades ago, after witnessing the miraculous sight of cherry blossoms blooming on a certain mountain, he recovered without medicine. From that day on, he devoted the rest of his life to researching that miracle of the cherry blossoms, hoping to use it to save people's hearts.
When Wapol later fell terminally ill, he tricked Hiriluk into coming to the castle. With nowhere left to go, Hiriluk chose to drink wine laced with explosives and end his own life.
So now, Wapol's greatest concern was still that old woman, Dr. Kureha. He desperately wanted the secret of longevity in her hands.
Although he had also been tempted by the life-extending medicine reported in the newspapers before, that stuff was too expensive and far too scarce.
Besides, the medicine could at most restore around fifteen years of vitality. Since there was no stock to buy anyway, Wapol hadn't rushed to get it.
On this day, Wapol was throwing a tantrum from his throne in the royal palace.
"Trash! A bunch of useless trash! Why haven't you found that old hag, Dr. Kureha yet? What are you idiots even here for?!"
Kneeling below him were the three most capable subordinates by his side.
The first was Chess, the strategist of the Drum Kingdom—a man with thick, wavy lips and unusually long arms.
He used a bow and was a sharpshooter, capable of hitting a target with three arrows at once. He firmly believed Wapol's tyranny was a way to protect the people, and remained loyal to him to the very end.
The second was Kuromarimo, a royal official of the Drum Kingdom, a man with an enormous afro beard who wore boxing gloves. His main attacks involved electrified fur balls made from his own explosive hair.
He had a bad habit of constantly urging people to drink and believed that controlling the people was far more important than actually governing the kingdom well.
The third was Dalton, a Zoan user of the Ox-Ox Fruit who could transform into a bison. He was kind and honest by nature, and had tried many times to stop Wapol from driving out the doctors, though none of it had done any good.
Chess lowered his head. "Your Majesty, that old woman's movements are too hard to track. The method we used on that quack doctor didn't work on her at all. She wouldn't fall for it."
Kuromarimo hurriedly nodded. "Your Majesty, that old woman is too slippery. We can't find her anywhere. And she's not weak either. Last time, we were just about to catch her, and she beat up several of our men."
"Useless trash!"
Wapol's face turned dark as he pointed at Dalton.
"I'm giving you seven days. Seven days to find her. If you can't, then you won't need to keep your job!"
Hearing this, Chess and Kuromarimo both showed traces of schadenfreude.
In their hearts, they were already praising the king's wisdom.
They had long been dissatisfied with Dalton. If not for the previous king's final instructions, how could a man with that soft-hearted, upright personality possibly still remain here?
Besides, Dalton had always opposed them before. Both of them had wanted an excuse to get rid of him for a long time. Now it seemed that chance had finally come.
That woman was no easy target. Dalton was as good as finished.
Dalton let out a sigh inside.
King Wapol's temper was growing worse and worse, and the orders he issued were becoming increasingly harsh.
Dalton had personally received the former king's final instructions: he must protect and assist King Wapol as best as he could.
What a pity that Wapol had never liked him very much.
Over time, Dalton himself had gradually become numb.
So now, all he could do was obey.
As long as he still held his position for one day, the ordinary civilians of the kingdom could suffer a little less.
Dalton lowered his head, his face calm and unreadable.
"Your Majesty, Dr. Kureha is too difficult to track. I truly can't find her within seven days."
He remembered Hiriluk's unyielding spirit in the face of death.
That man had truly been a good person.
And little by little, Dalton had come to admire him more and more.
Wapol's expression darkened completely, his face turning iron-blue.
In a low voice, he said, "Are you trying to defy my orders, Dalton? Don't forget—I am the king of this country!"
Dalton lowered his head. "I wouldn't dare. But, Your Majesty, this is an order I truly cannot carry out. That old woman is not easy to deal with."
Chess and Kuromarimo's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
It looked like Dalton might be finished today.
The two of them were already laughing wildly inside.
Wapol grabbed a fruit from beside him and hurled it at Dalton.
Smack!
The apple burst against Dalton's head, and he didn't dare dodge.
The anger on Wapol's face only deepened.
"You damned bastard! How dare you defy my order! I am the king! My commands must be obeyed unconditionally!
"Even if you die, you still have to go do it! Not stand here telling me what you can't do!"
Wapol kept cursing and shouting, while Dalton remained silent, head lowered.
For some reason, Dalton once again thought of Hiriluk's unbending spirit in the face of death.
The more he thought about it, the more he admired that man.
And gradually, a thought began to rise in Dalton's heart.
Why can't I resist?
Why must I obey this foolish, tyrannical king?
He can do nothing except endlessly squeeze the common people dry!
I tried to stop him before, tried to persuade him not to issue the order expelling the doctors.
And what happened in the end?
I got scolded and thrown into prison.
The more Dalton thought about it, the more stifled he felt.
Why could such an idiot become king...
while he could not?
Then, for no reason at all, a sentence suddenly surfaced in Dalton's mind:
Are kings, nobles, generals, and ministers born that way?
Wapol eventually grew tired of cursing. He grabbed his wine and took a huge gulp.
But looking at Dalton still kneeling there in silence only made him angrier. He picked up his goblet and hurled it down.
Crash!
The wine cup shattered on Dalton's head. Fragments scattered into his hair, and wine slowly trickled down through it.
Fortunately, it was warmer inside the palace. Otherwise, it would have frozen already.
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