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Drum Castle
Luffy and Usopp were outside, engaging in an energetic snowball fight, while Sanji busied himself in the kitchen, preparing refreshing dishes to help Nami recover.
Ikki and Vivi, however, waited anxiously outside the ward.
"Nami... she'll be okay, right?" Vivi asked softly, worry evident in her voice.
"Don't worry!" Ikki reassured her. "Dr. Kureha is one of the best doctors in the world. If anyone can cure Nami, it's her."
Just as he finished speaking, the door to the ward opened. Kureha stepped out, carrying her signature bottle of wine and wearing a sly smile.
"I didn't expect you to have so much confidence in !" she teased. Behind her, Chopper followed quietly, glancing around nervously.
Seeing Kureha, Vivi imdiately stood up. "Miss Kureha, how is Nami? Is she okay?"
Kureha turned to Vivi, a sharp glint in her eyes. "Before I answer, tell this: how did that little girl end up infected with the Kestia tick?"
"Kestia tick?" Vivi repeated, startled.
"That's right," Kureha replied. "Poisonous insects like the Kestia tick should have gone extinct over a hundred years ago."
The words struck Vivi like a bolt of lightning. She suddenly rembered Little Garden, the ancient island they had recently visited. Given that the island was ho to dinosaurs, it wasn't far-fetched that it might also harbor creatures thought extinct in the rest of the world.
"Then... can it be cured?" Vivi asked hesitantly.
Kureha took a sip of her wine, then smirked. "Of course it can. Lucky for you, I happened to have so Kestia tick heat-poison serum on hand."
Hearing this, Vivi exhaled deeply in relief. "Thank you so much, Miss Kureha."
But Kureha's smile turned sharp as she leaned forward and tapped Vivi on the forehead with her index finger. "Not so fast, little girl. Don't thank yet—I haven't told you the cost of the treatnt."
"C-cost...?" Vivi stamred, her heart sinking.
She had heard of Kureha's reputation as a "witch doctor." The fee was bound to be steep.
Before Vivi could ask further, Kureha waved a hand and declared, "You're pirates, aren't you? I want all the treasure on your ship!"
Vivi turned to Ikki, uncertain, but Ikki nodded without hesitation.
As the Straw Hats' vice-captain, Ikki knew the crew's financial situation all too well—they didn't have any treasure to give. With Nami as their navigator and treasurer, whatever ager funds they managed to scrape together were typically drained by Luffy's monstrous appetite.
What Ikki didn't ntion, though, was that he personally had a secret stash of wealth. During his adventures, he'd won a lot of bronze-level items in his lottery draws, including gold nuggets, gems, and other valuables. Selling just a fraction of it would cover Kureha's fee and then so. He had no problem using his treasure to ensure Nami's recovery—and to repay the woman who would eventually help them recruit Chopper, the crew's future genius doctor.
"Don't worry!" Ikki declared confidently. "The treasures on our ship will satisfy you!"
Kureha raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. She hadn't expected such an eager response.
Kureha had fully expected these little pirates to resist her demands.
After all, a pirate's treasure isn't easily earned. Whether through daring robberies or perilous explorations of ancient ruins, pirates risk their lives, dancing on the edge of a blade, to secure their loot.
She usually enjoyed watching the despair on people's faces when they were forced to part with sothing precious. But Ikki's nonchalant attitude toward treasure surprised her.
"Haha... what an interesting little pirate," she muttered, amused.
Just as Kureha turned to leave, a commotion erupted from the end of the corridor. All heads turned to see Chopper sprinting toward them, with Luffy and Usopp hot on his heels.
"Little raccoon dog, stop running!" Luffy shouted.
"I told you, I'm a reindeer!" Chopper retorted, huffing with frustration.
"I don't care if you're a raccoon dog or a reindeer—co be my crewmate and go on adventures with !"
"Idiot human! Who wants to go to sea with you?" Chopper snapped.
The chase continued until Chopper reached the ward's door, ducking behind Kureha. He peeked out cautiously, his wide eyes fixed on the approaching Luffy and Usopp.
"Huh? Doctor Granny!" Luffy exclaid as he skidded to a stop in front of Kureha.
Kureha's face twitched. It was the third ti he'd called her that.
Ignoring him, she turned to Ikki and said, "Leave your ship behind, and I'll consider healing this boy's brain."
Ikki sighed. "..."
Luffy, however, was undeterred. "Old lady, is Nami okay?"
"She's fine now," Kureha replied calmly. Then, without warning, she kicked Luffy into the wall.
Unfazed, Luffy pulled himself free, his mind already jumping to his next objective. Now that he knew Nami was safe, he had only one goal in mind.
"Old lady, co join my crew and adventure with on the sea!"
Before Kureha could reject him outright, Ikki intervened. "Luffy, instead of asking Miss Kureha, why not ask the reindeer over there?"
Luffy blinked, confused. "The reindeer?"
Ikki nodded. "That reindeer is Miss Kureha's close disciple. He's not just a talking reindeer—he's also a skilled doctor who can shapeshift. Don't you think that's interesting?"
Luffy's eyes lit up. "Really?!" He turned to Chopper, who was trying to sneak away.
"Reindeer! Don't run! Join my crew and be my partner!"
"Wait up, Luffy!" Usopp called as he chased after him.
After the trio disappeared, the corridor grew quiet once more.
Kureha glanced at the empty wine bottle in her hand and turned to Ikki. "Boy, are you planning to kidnap my little reindeer?"
Ikki grinned. "This isn't kidnapping. Leaving here to sail the seas is Chopper's true destiny!"
As he spoke, Ikki summoned a bottle of 1982 Lafite from his inventory. He handed it to Kureha with a smile.
"Besides, is there any reason to stop soone who's called to the sea?"
Kureha took the bottle, flicking her fingers to pop the cork. After taking a long sip, she gazed down the hall where Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper had gone.
"Yeah... there's no reason to stop you from going to the sea, Chopper," she murmured to herself.
Elsewhere
anwhile, Luffy and Usopp had finally managed to corner Chopper.
Frustrated, Chopper transford into his Heavy Point form, towering over them as he threw a powerful punch, sending the pair flying.
"Foolish humans! I... I won't join your crew!" Chopper huffed, his voice tinged with both anger and hesitation.
Luffy, however, only grew more determined. His eyes sparkled with excitent at the sight of Chopper's transformation.
"Okay! I get it! If I beat you in a fight, you'll join my crew!" Luffy declared with his usual confidence.
Chopper blinked, dumbfounded. "What? That's not what I said at all!" He sighed, realizing that Luffy wasn't going to listen.
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