A moment later, inside the castle hall, Kureha's gaze shifted back and forth between Ivan and Chopper.
Whenever her eyes landed on Chopper, his body trembled uncontrollably.
Finally, Kureha sighed and fixed her gaze on Ivan. "Why has Shadow Garden appeared in the Drum Kingdom? Based on your usual habits, you're not here for tourism, are you?"
Ivan nodded without denying it. "That's right, we're not. But rest assured, my actions will not implicate you."
These words completely relaxed Kureha. It wasn't her own safety she was worried about—she was more concerned about Chopper.
Trouble on the level of Shadow Garden was not something a little reindeer like Chopper could get involved in.
Even she was nothing more than an ant in such matters!
Kureha took several large gulps of alcohol to warm herself before turning to leave. "You'd better remember your promise… Chopper, take the guest to a room to rest. Once he's finished his business, make sure he leaves immediately!"
Kureha's words clearly indicated her agreement.
Chopper was overjoyed and quickly extended his small hoof to Ivan. "Mr. Tanuki, follow me! I'll arrange the most comfortable guest room for you!"
...
On the Grand Line, there were always some breathtaking views that captivated Ivan.
He sat on the snowy ground at the edge of a cliff, admiring the snowy landscape ahead.
Several days had passed since Ivan moved into the castle. During this time, he would often create several Shadow Clones to search around the Drum Kingdom, ensuring he wouldn't miss the arrival of the warship transporting the Celestial Gold.
Suddenly, one of the Shadow Clones dispersed on its own, and Ivan gained a portion of its memories.
After digesting these memories, Ivan's calm and expressionless face finally broke into a smile. He teleported in front of Chopper, who was studying medicine in the medical room, and asked with a grin:
"Chopper, the time has come. I should fulfill my promise now. Do you want to witness Wapol's death with your own eyes?"
Chopper was stunned for a moment before nodding vigorously, tears instantly streaming from his eyes. "Yes, I'll go with you!"
At that moment, Kureha's stern voice rang out from the side. "No, you'll only get in Mr. Tanuki's way. In the upcoming battle, Mr. Tanuki won't be able to look after you!"
Simultaneously, Kureha's eyes locked firmly onto Tanuki.
Age brings wisdom, especially for someone over a hundred years old like Kureha. Her century of experience had given her an intimate understanding of the Drum Kingdom.
When Tanuki first arrived at the castle, she had already guessed what he might be planning.
Was he planning to emulate his previous actions and slaughter the corrupt officials of the Drum Kingdom? Or did he want to obtain her secret medical formulas to strengthen his organization?
Or perhaps he wanted to invite her to join Shadow Garden.
But none of these were the case!
It was only this morning that Kureha received news: the warship transporting the Celestial Gold would dock at the Drum Kingdom at noon today to receive the kingdom's tribute and resupply.
Combined with Tanuki's statement that the time had come, Kureha finally confirmed it—Tanuki actually intended to hijack the Celestial Gold!
Goodness, the Shadow Garden is truly audacious. First, they assassinated a Celestial Dragon, and now they've even robbed the Celestial Gold. Could it be they truly intend to wage war against the World Government?
Thus, Kureha knew that today's battle would be exceptionally fierce, so she absolutely would not allow Chopper to follow Tanuki.
Ivan could also roughly guess Kureha's thoughts and did not press the matter, leaving alone.
...
Drum Kingdom, port.
Crates filled with Berries and jewels were being loaded onto a large warship.
But aside from the Berries and jewels, there were also some strange large crates, from which faint sobbing and cries could be heard. A Marine carrying one of them grew puzzled and asked his companion:
"Hey, Sili, what's inside this? It feels like… people?"
Sili hurriedly covered his companion's mouth, glancing around to ensure no one had overheard their conversation, then lowered his voice and warned harshly:
"Shut up, do you want to live or not? Just do your job quietly. The more you ask, the sooner you die. We all know what's inside, but these matters aren't for low-ranking Marines like us to meddle in!"
The young Marine who had asked was stunned, the already dim light in his eyes growing even dimmer.
Once, he had joined the Marines with lofty ideals, wanting to eradicate all pirates and bring peace to the seas.
But as time passed, he had witnessed too much darkness—darkness so profound he could not resist it, causing the light in his heart to grow ever fainter.
Perhaps after this mission, the light in his heart would vanish completely, and he would become a seasoned cynic like Sili.
But was such a Marine still a Marine?
"Ahhh, Marine sir, those are people inside! They're people! My granddaughter Nasha is in there—she's not a slave!"
At that moment, a commotion erupted near the port as a white-haired old man barged in, trying to rush toward the large crates.
Upon hearing the old man's words, a loud thud came from one of the crates—clearly, his granddaughter was inside.
On one side of the port, a fire burned in an office, warming the air inside to a stark contrast with the bitter cold outside.
Inside the office, two men were chatting and laughing. One was Wapol, the king of the Drum Kingdom, and the other was Vice Admiral Doberman, the Marine officer in charge of protecting the Celestial Gold this time.
Both heard the noise outside.
Wapol's face stiffened, his expression somewhat awkward. "My apologies, Vice Admiral Doberman. There seems to be an unexpected situation."
A forced smile appeared on Vice Admiral Doberman's stern face. "Don't worry, King Wapol. It's just a minor nuisance. I'll handle it."
The two stepped out of the room together, moving from the warmth indoors to the frigid outdoors.
The old man, roughly shoved by several Marines, stumbled and looked up to see Wapol and Vice Admiral Doberman.
In his clouded eyes, a surge of bitter hatred for Wapol flashed first, then, as if grasping at his last hope, he trembled and pleaded with Vice Admiral Doberman:
"Vice Admiral Doberman, I beg you to uphold justice! I am a retired Marine veteran!
My son also inherited this sense of justice and died fighting at sea. My daughter-in-law passed away from overwork and illness…
Our family has a true legacy of service. You cannot allow this scoundrel Wapol to commit such atrocities!
He seized my granddaughter for no reason and intends to offer her to the Celestial Dragons! Please, save the child!"
The retired veteran looked hopefully at Vice Admiral Doberman, hoping he would help punish Wapol!
But Vice Admiral Doberman's reaction was completely unexpected.
Vice Admiral Doberman stared coldly and rigidly at the retired veteran, his expression icy: "It is your granddaughter's fortune to be offered to the Celestial Dragons. Get lost, don't cause trouble here, or I'll kill you!"
With that, Vice Admiral Doberman kicked out, sending the retired veteran flying far away.
Then he turned and left, chatting and laughing with Wapol as they walked toward the warm indoors.
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