Chapter 168: Worsening

Panic spread through the small town; some even incited the villagers to surround Kureha's clinic, shouting that only by burning the witch to death could the plague be averted.

Fortunately, Xiang Gaowen appeared in time and, with the bearing of a king, restored reason to the villagers on the verge of losing control.

After all, if things continued as they were, the net might not break, but the fish would certainly die.

Yet the plague's spread was like a bursting mountain flood, causing more and more people to fall ill.

It was said that not only Kestda, but also the Great Horn Village where Xiang Gaowen's pirate crew had gone ashore, and indeed the entire Dongdao, had begun to show infected cases.

And the situation Xiang Gaowen had least expected had finally come to pass.

As the purple mist in Kestda Town grew thicker and more people fell ill, among them was even Doctor Kureha.

She was, after all, of advanced years; even though her appearance was far younger than her peers, her resistance could not compare with that of the young.

Unlike Xiang Gaowen, Sanji, and Chopper, who possessed physiques stronger than any human's, they had not been infected despite spending the entire day with Nami.

At this moment.

Inside a ward.

Doctor Kureha's face was flushed, her temperature alarmingly high; showing symptoms almost identical to Nami's, she lay on the hospital bed, gasping for breath, nearly losing consciousness.

Chopper was using ice packs to apply physical cooling to her.

Xiang Gaowen and the others gathered around her, their expressions unable to help but turn Solemn.

After all, on this island now, only the Doctor Kureha before them had the ability to treat Nami; if she too fell, the only fate awaiting Nami and the others was certain.

Such an outcome was something neither Xiang Gaowen nor Sanji could accept.

But the situation now...

"Captain, what should we do?"

Seeing events develop toward the most dangerous outcome, Sanji was momentarily at a loss.

He instinctively turned to look at Xiang Gaowen, placing everything on the shoulders of the once omnipotent captain.

Yet this time Xiang Gaowen could only remain silent; power sufficient to sweep away all things often proved powerless against disease.

At such a time, only an omnipotent god or a doctor could snatch Nami back from Death's grasp.

After a moment of contemplation, Xiang Gaowen made a decision:

"Xiang Keluo set out for Drum City several days ago; even at walking speed, far slower than our flight, he should have arrived by now."

"There are twenty elite doctors handpicked by Wapol; even if their abilities do not match Doctor Kureha's, they should still be capable—!"

"It's no use!"

A weak voice cut off Xiang Gaowen's words.

He turned and saw Doctor Kureha, who had managed to sit up with difficulty.

Doctor Kureha grabbed a pack of ice and pressed it to her forehead, thereby maintaining her consciousness:

"Those doctors are indeed outstanding; they very likely developed a special medicine targeting the Moshuru fungus spores. If faced with Moshuru from over ten years ago, it would have been effective."

"But this time, the spores, in both their properties and complications, are completely different from those of twenty years ago."

"Rather than calling it an infection caused by fungi, it is more like..."

Halfway through her words.

Doctor Kureha's face flushed red; she opened her mouth and coughed up a large mouthful of blood, her complexion instantly turning deathly pale.

"Doctor Kureha, do not force yourself."

Chopper stepped forward with concern, but Doctor Kureha pushed him away with one hand; she turned to look at Xiang Gaowen and said:

"It is like a biological weapon."

"Only that fellow Moshuru could achieve such a degree; you must have discovered this long ago, right?"

Xiang Gaowen nodded, a chilling killing intent permeating his voice:

"Even back at Silver Moon Port, I had my suspicions."

"My people began searching for Moshuru's whereabouts several days ago, but that fellow is more cunning than imagined."

"These past few days, apart from burning several islands completely overrun by spores, Jin and the others have found nothing."

"No wonder..."

Doctor Kureha sighed and said:

"If it were me, knowing my opponent is one of the Seven Warlords, I would not engage in direct combat either."

"Indeed, just as now, relying on the Devil Fruit ability to wage constant guerrilla warfare, wearing down the opponent's forces, is what that fellow excels at."

"Cough, cough, cough—!"

Accompanied by the coughing.

Doctor Kureha's figure hunched over, as if coughing up her very lungs, yet she forcibly maintained her reason and said:

"To truly solve this problem, we must rely on special medicine and vaccines."

"Hey~"

A faint smile curled at the corners of Doctor Kureha's lips as she said:

"Didn't you secretly say back then that I was unworthy of being a doctor?!"

"Then now, let the one who truly matches your view of a doctor attempt to save this nation."

"Chopper!"

"Yes!"

Chopper instinctively responded; looking up, he saw Doctor Kureha's earnest gaze and swallowed all his words of concern.

"My time is running out."

"Though I am reluctant to admit it, your talent in medicine is even enviable to me; everything I could teach you over these years has already been taught."

"So... from now on, this is your graduation examination."

"The patients of this kingdom, Knight Xiang Gaowen's companions, and my fate—I entrust them all to your hands."

"Try to prove it to me, if you still wish to become a doctor!"

As the voice landed, Kureha's body swayed, then she fell backward, losing consciousness immediately.

"Doctor Kureha! Doctor Kureha!"

Chopper was extremely anxious.

Yet his words could not bring Doctor Kureha back to consciousness at all; he could only watch as the old man before him lay on the sickbed, his breathing growing increasingly rapid.

Only now did he realize that after Dr. Hiriluk, who was like a foster father to him, died, the only one who had stayed by his side was Doctor Kureha before his eyes.

But now it seemed Doctor Kureha, too, was about to die before him.

Chopper lowered his head to look at his two small hooves, his teeth clenched tight:

"Can I... can I really do it?!"

"Doctor Kureha~"

"Now is not the time to ask whether you can do it, but that you must do it."

Xiang Gaowen reached out his hand.

Placing it on Chopper's shoulder.

Now that Doctor Kureha had fallen, if the twenty doctors were truly as useless as she said, then in this kingdom without doctors, the only hope left was Chopper.

"I understand."

Chopper raised his hand to wipe the tears from his face, his gaze gradually becoming resolute.

That's right, I must do it now!

Dr. Hiriluk also said that in this world, there is nothing a pirate cannot do!

"Everyone, follow Doctor Chopper's orders now!"

"Yes!"

Sanji and several pirates nearby subconsciously responded; when they looked at Chopper, they felt that this reindeer, who resembled a tanuki in some ways, possessed something more.

Under Chopper's command, the clinic quickly restored order.

Doctor Kureha and Nami and the others were isolated by Chopper in the ward to begin targeted treatment.

Sanji, who had become panicked when Doctor Kureha collapsed, also felt a pillar-like strength emanating from him.

Only now did everyone realize that this reindeer was far stronger than they had imagined.

Outside the ward.

Xiang Gaowen and Shanfeng stood shoulder to shoulder, waiting anxiously.

A full two hours later, Chopper finally emerged from the ward, drenched in sweat, and said in a deep voice:

"My surgery can only temporarily control the symptoms; to solve the problem, we still need special medicine and a vaccine."

"Moreover..."

Chopper looked into the distance.

A layer of purple dust mist permeated the air; those were countless spores diffusing through the atmosphere.

Even though passersby had put on masks, the continuous sound of coughing still made people shudder with fear.

Chopper's expression grew increasingly Solemn.

At this moment, he realized more of the responsibility a doctor bears, and his gaze became steady, no longer bearing the childish immaturity of the past.

Then Chopper turned his head to look at Xiang Gaowen and said:

"Mr. Xiang Gaowen, if possible, please help me find the special medicine Doctor Kureha mentioned; even if it has no effect, it holds reference value."

"If we can obtain it, it will save us a great deal of time, and what we need most right now... is time!"

"I understand."

Xiang Gaowen nodded and said:

"My companions set out for Drum Castle several days ago."

"Even though they were delayed slightly by the blizzard in between, they should be arriving soon; at the latest, we will have news tonight."

"Mm."

Chopper responded with a sound, then turned and walked back into the ward.

Xiang Gaowen watched his back, and the desire in his heart to recruit Chopper became increasingly difficult to suppress.

It was only because today, from this reindeer, he had seen a quality never displayed in the original work.

Strength.

A reindeer who, for the sake of those who acknowledged him, dared to challenge his own former herd alone—how could he possibly be weak?

Elsewhere.

Amidst the sky-filling wind and snow.

A tall figure clad in a green outer robe strode quickly through the snowy plains, his target directly aimed at Drum Castle, situated atop a mountain peak in the very center of Dongdao.

This person was naturally Dalton.

Several days earlier, when Dalton learned from Xiang Gaowen that Wapol's whereabouts had appeared at Silver Moon Port, he realized that something terrible was unfolding.

As the eldest son of the former king, Wapol was not only cruel by nature but had also been personally ordered by the old king to be exiled; his return to his homeland now could certainly not be due to so-called nostalgia.

Especially with the purple spores drifting in the air, visible even now across the snowy plains, Dalton's inner unease reached its extreme.

"This time, that fellow is likely coming to destroy the entire Drum Kingdom!"

"Infected individuals have already appeared in Big Horn Village and several nearby towns; the only ones who can save them are the doctors by Wapol's side!"

Saying this,

Dalton could not help but think of the current king of this country, and for a moment he clenched his teeth tightly:

"No matter how willful you were before, I could always attribute it to you not yet being a qualified monarch, lacking a sense of responsibility."

"But this time, if you continue to act recklessly according to your own whims, I will absolutely not allow you to continue harming this country, no matter what."

"The late king... he would understand my actions, wouldn't he?!"

(End of Chapter)