Zoro looked at Shin'ya's actions and asked in confusion, "Why are you bringing them along? Wouldn't it be easier to just throw them off?"
Shin'ya didn't answer. Instead, he asked Zoro back, "Do you remember what Wapol said when you hit him with the Demon Slash?"
Zoro was puzzled. "I didn't pay attention. Is it important?"
"Of course. He said he was beaten by a fat black man yesterday and fled his country. That means he didn't protect his people but abandoned them and ran from Drum Island with his royal army to become a pirate at sea," Shin'ya explained.
He continued, "So, he's definitely not a good king. It's highly likely the people of his country dislike him. And we're pirates — no one would be happy about a group of pirates showing up on their island, especially asking for help. That's where Wapol and his crew come in handy."
Zoro caught on. "Let him draw their attention. If what you say is true, the people of Drum Island will want to kill him even more, and our pirate status won't matter as much. That's clever!" Zoro grinned, giving a thumbs up.
Luffy, getting anxious on deck, asked Vivi, "Do you know how much longer until we get there?"
Vivi was troubled. "I… I don't know either… We don't have a sea chart, so there's no way to tell the distance."
Shin'ya, however, reassured Luffy. "Don't worry. We should be arriving soon. Since we ran into Wapol here, Drum Island can't be far. It's only morning now, which means they've been on the run for just one night. At our speed, we should be there in two hours."
Sure enough, a little over an hour later, Zoro, using Usopp's telescope from the crow's nest, spotted an island.
When the Going Merry reached the shore and stopped, Luffy, carrying Nami, disembarked with his companions — only to realize something was off.
The shore was crowded with people, and almost all of them were armed.
Before anyone could speak, a man who was clearly the leader stepped forward. "I am the guardian of this kingdom, Dalton. Are you pirates?"
Luffy nodded anxiously. "That's right, we're pirates. My companion is sick — do you have a doctor?"
But as soon as Luffy admitted they were pirates, everyone raised their weapons, and whatever Luffy said after was drowned out by tension.
Dalton spoke again, "Leave Drum Island immediately. This is our land. No pirates allowed."
Shin'ya gave Zoro a look, and Zoro immediately understood. "Ahem… Excuse me, but…"
Everyone turned their eyes on Zoro, waiting.
He laughed awkwardly. "Hehe… You guys… you don't happen to hate your king, do you? Because we caught a group of pirates on the way here — they claimed to be the king of Drum Island."
Dalton's eyes widened in shock, and then he grinned. "Are you serious? You caught Wapol? If you really have them, I'll allow you onto the island. But you must promise not to harm anyone here."
"Okay, no problem," Zoro quickly agreed, giving Shin'ya another look.
Shin'ya got the message and said, "Move back a little, I'll bring them up."
Dalton ordered the crowd to retreat. Before long, he nodded to Shin'ya. "Everyone's clear. Go ahead."
Without wasting words, Shin'ya vanished in a flash, steady on the surface of the water, grabbing the large ball with his right hand and lifting it. In the next instant, he appeared near Dalton.
With a punch, Shin'ya shattered the wooden ball into pieces, revealing a pirate ship and a group of people on board.
Some citizens nearby recognized Wapol and shouted, "It's Wapol! It's really him! But… why does he look so miserable?"
Shin'ya approached Dalton and said, "Wapol's a Devil Fruit user. If he wakes up, you won't be able to handle him unless you keep him submerged in seawater — though he might freeze to death like that. I'll help you restrain them so none of them can escape. Now… how about telling us where the doctor is?"
Dalton's eyes burned with anger as he looked at Wapol, then nodded. "No need. We've got a few Seastone handcuffs. And to thank you, I'll tell you where the doctor is. But be warned — there's only one doctor left on the island, and whether they treat you depends entirely on their mood. They might not help your friend."
He pointed to the mountain to the left. "Keep walking that way and you'll see a castle. The doctor's there."
With that, he turned his attention to organizing the townspeople and dealing with Wapol's men.
Shin'ya immediately appeared beside Luffy. "I know the way. Get ready — I'll fly you over."
To the astonishment of Dalton and the others, a giant wooden dragon appeared under the crew's feet and carried them soaring towards the mountain.
Everyone exclaimed, "As expected of the crew who captured Wapol — what an amazing ability!"
As the massive dragon reached the base of the cliff, Shin'ya directed it to climb the rocky face.
Inside the castle, Tony Tony Chopper was busy making medicine under Dr. Kureha's supervision.
Suddenly, the ancient castle trembled slightly, the shaking growing stronger and stronger until it felt like an earthquake.
The two staggered to the door, concerned the structure might collapse.
But the moment they stepped out, their faces froze in shock. A hundred-meter wooden dragon was flying up from below at high speed — and in a blink, its head was right in front of them.
"Doctor! Who's the doctor here? Please, hurry — save Nami!" Luffy shouted the moment they stopped. He jumped forward, holding Nami in his arms, and pleaded.
Dr. Kureha took a swig of liquor from a flask at her waist to steady herself. "What rude brats! Can't you ask for help properly? You nearly scared us to death!"
Everyone gathered around as Shin'ya dispelled the wooden dragon and bowed slightly. "I apologize. My companion was bitten by poisonous insects on Ancient Island. We'll meet any conditions you ask — just save her."
Vivi quickly produced the bottle containing the insects and handed it to Kureha. "Doctor, please — these bit her."
Kureha took the bottle, but when she saw the insect inside, her expression turned grave. "Chopper, quick — get the patient to the infirmary!"
She then addressed the others, "You lot, come inside too. But no noise, and don't cause trouble."
Everyone followed her inside. Luffy gently laid Nami on the bed while the others sat quietly — a rare sight, as it was the first time anyone had seen Luffy so serious and well-behaved.
Kureha handed the bottle to Chopper. "It's the same poisonous insect you were studying today. I'm leaving the antidote preparation to you."
"Yes, Doctor!" Chopper answered, inspecting the insect before heading to the pharmacy.
"You guys, come with me. I'll show you to the resting room," Kureha ordered, and they followed.
Before long, Chopper returned with freshly ground medicine.
He carefully picked up a pill and approached Nami, placing it in her mouth and watching her swallow it.
But just as everything seemed fine, something unexpected happened. Nami groggily sat up, eyes hazy. "Who… who are you? Where is this?"
Startled, Chopper panicked like a frightened rabbit and bolted from the room, trembling at the doorway.
Seeing his reaction, Nami sighed, "Don't hide — I see you."
Chopper hesitated, then poked his head out from the doorway, his body half-hidden behind the wall.
"You're hiding in the wrong direction," Nami pointed out dryly.
Chopper, realizing his mistake, quickly disappeared again — this time hiding completely.
Just as Nami was about to say something else, Chopper suddenly burst out. Though his voice was fierce, his appearance made it more adorable than threatening.
"You're too noisy, human! Has your fever gone down?" Chopper demanded, trying to sound stern.
Nami shrieked in shock. "It… it spoke! The raccoon dog spoke!"
Hearing this, Chopper panicked, smacking his head against a rock and immediately fainting.
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