Chapter 170: Darkness Under the Lamp

"Save me!"

"Come out quickly, save me~"

Sensing the killing intent radiating from Xiang Keluo, growing heavier by the moment, even becoming visible to the naked eye.

Wapol nearly pissed himself on the spot, wailing and begging for mercy from those around him.

Yet this time, even Jass and Cromartie, who had once been his bodyguards, could only stand by and watch helplessly.

Dalton watched the scene with cold eyes, a hint of satisfaction in his gaze.

He had once been Wapol's bodyguard and knew clearly how many commoners, just like Wapol now, had knelt on the ground begging him, only to cure their own and their families' illnesses.

But all they received in return was this man's mockery.

Heh, indeed, the world is a cycle.

"Forget it."

Xiang Keluo, losing patience, waved the claw knives in his hand, preparing to strike and end Wapol's life right there.

As for the so-called king of a World Government member nation, he hadn't failed to kill one before.

What happened in the Goa Kingdom had already proven that the World Government did not care at all about who was truly the king of that nation.

They only cared whether the Heavenly Tribute offered to Mary Geoise could be handed over on time.

In fact, as long as you were not openly confronting the World Government, paying money was enough to earn their recognition.

This could be seen from the fact that the Black Drum Kingdom, which Wapol re-established in the original story, was also recognized by the World Government.

In other words, to the World Government, these member nations were essentially leeks.

This was no different from the thugs who used force to occupy a street in a small town and collected protection fees.

Having seen through this, Xiang Keluo acted with even greater recklessness.

After all, in terms of murderous intent, among the officers on Gao Wen's ship, Xiang Keluo was the heaviest, not Roubo Luqi.

"Killing you here, I can also..."

"Wait!"

More than ten people dressed as doctors walked out from behind, standing in a row before Xiang Keluo.

The man in the center slowly removed his mask, revealing a face etched with extreme hardship, while the other doctors simultaneously took off the masks on their faces.

They were the finest doctors in the nation, forcibly conscripted by Wapol, also known as the Doctors-20.

These doctors had different appearances and different ages, but two words were written on every face: humiliation! The humiliation of submitting to Wapol's power!

But now the devil looming over them had lost the ability to resist.

Someone looked down at their own hands; those should have been hands that healed the sick and saved lives, yet now they were stained with blood and filth.

"I... I am a doctor too, but I am also afraid of death."

"That year, I didn't want to do it either, but my wife and children all died..."

"We are not worthy of being called doctors..."

Tears of humiliation fell from the eyes of the assembled doctors.

The elder in the center looked up at Xiang Keluo, then at Wapol, his gaze gradually hardening:

"A few years ago, a foolish doctor was killed right before our eyes; since then, we have been waiting for this day."

The elder sighed, yet his eyes held a touch of despair:

"But you have come too late."

"The special medicine we developed a few years ago against the Moshuru spores has long lost its effect; this is also the reason Wapol was so eager to flee."

"This nation is beyond saving."

Dalton's pupils contracted; he stepped back a few paces, despair filling his eyes:

"The Witch has fallen ill; even you have no solution for the Moshuru ward?!"

"Then this nation..."

As he spoke.

The faces of the villagers from Big Horn Village flashed before Dalton's eyes.

Those people, upon learning they had come here and that doctors could save them, had hope in their eyes; but if it was truly as the Doctors-20 said, then who could save them?

He turned to look at Wapol, who had just awakened and was tiptoeing away; in that moment, only unspeakable fury filled his mind, causing his eyes to turn completely red:

"If I could have made up my mind a little earlier, I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely would have split you with a single slash; now... go and be buried with those who died because of you!"

Dalton, furious, grabbed the Violin Strange Blade with one hand and charged at Wapol, slicing off Wapol's head in a single strike.

Slish!

Blood gushed forth, forming a pool of blood; Wapol's headless body trembled twice before losing all signs of life.

Having done all this, Dalton knelt halfway on the ground.

Only then did he realize what he had done, yet he felt no regret, even though he had killed the child of the benefactor who had once saved him.

No!

Wapol's very existence was an insult to that person!

Moreover, just thinking of the hope in those villagers' eyes made his heart ache sharply:

"They were all such ordinary people, trying so hard, wanting so much to live... Damn it!"

Van Augur looked at the despairing Dalton, then at the Doctors-20 who had already given up, and said with drooping eyelids:

"Doctors who bow to fate cannot be considered qualified~"

"Is it not the doctor's duty to snatch lives back from the hands of the Grim Reaper?"

"Xiang Keluo, am I not right?!"

Keluo's eyebrow twitched:

"At least add 'Captain,' wouldn't you?"

"Yes, Vice-Captain!"

The corner of Keluo's mouth twitched; he shot Van Auger a withering glance, ceased his banter with him, and instead turned to look at Doctor 20, saying:

"Kureha anticipated this situation long ago."

"However."

"If that fellow Gao Wen were here, he would probably say... For you, saving even one person is also atonement, isn't it?!"

"Well, that fellow always says things like that; he doesn't act like a Captain at all—!"

Keluo's jest was cut off halfway.

The group of doctors in the distance immediately brimmed with tears, their eyes turning completely red.

The elder leading them looked down at his own hands, then clenched them tightly, his gaze instantly becoming resolute:

"That's right!"

"For people like us, burdened with sin, even saving a single person constitutes atonement."

Having said this.

The elder raised his head to look at Keluo:

"Young man, it seems you... have a very good Captain!"

Keluo:

"..."

"Thanks a lot!"

Dalton, standing nearby, also regained his composure at this moment; he wiped his face with his hand, restoring his former steady and reliable demeanor, then turned to Keluo and said:

"Is it the man who stopped you that day?!"

"He possesses not only great strength but also a powerful heart!"

"You have a very good Captain."

Keluo's expression remained unchanged, but in truth, his inner defenses had already completely collapsed.

That's my line! My line! Why does every single one of you hold that fellow Gao Wen in such high regard?!

For a moment.

Keluo wore an expression as if he were constipated.

He could only comfort himself that matters were finally developing in the direction he desired, and Doctor 20 had finally been found.

Upon learning Keluo's request, Doctor 20 immediately understood that Keluo and his group were preparing to develop a new medicine targeting the spores.

"Using the special medicine we created as a reference to develop a targeted new drug?"

The leading elder asked; seeing Keluo nod, he immediately issued an order:

"Zeta, Gabu, Soras, you three are skilled in this kind of work; go with this Mr.!"

"Yes!"

"The rest of you, follow me; we... we..."

The elder choked with sobs, yet still held his head high, gritting his teeth as he declared:

"We go to atone!"

"To fulfill the duties true doctors should perform!"

"To save this country!"

At this moment, every doctor present had red-rimmed eyes and responded with hoarse, forceful voices:

"Yes!"

Seeing this, Dalton looked at these doctors, a trace of gratitude in his eyes.

He nodded to the doctors present, then turned to the bewildered guards nearby and spoke sincerely:

"Everyone, if you wish to punish me for killing Wapol, I have no words to argue; but before that, please join me in saving the people of this country."

"After that...!"

"Captain Dalton, we will go with you!"

A guard lowered the weapon in his hand, cast a disgusted glance at Wapol's corpse, and continued:

"In Wapol's eyes, we were merely his property; compared to him, you are the one who truly cares about this country!"

"You should be the King!"

As soon as the words landed.

The guards responded one after another, immediately laying down their weapons to follow beside Dalton, and the situation at the scene was brought under control.

In front of everyone, Van Auger finished off Chess and Kuromarimo with two shots, then calmly departed with Keluo and the three research-type doctors.

Bang!

The castle gates were thrown open.

The cold wind struck everyone's faces, yet it could not blow away the fire rising in their hearts, a fire nearly bright enough to illuminate the entire kingdom.

Keluo turned back, looking at these people, a hint of appreciation flowing in his eyes:

"Even in the hearts of the weak, can such a burning will exist?"

"Ah~"

Van Auger responded with a murmur:

"Challenging fate, is it?!"

"That is far more difficult than yielding to fate, but also far more interesting."

"Let's go."

Xiang Keluo said indifferently:

"We too have our own destinies to challenge."

"Nami and that sailor are still waiting for us to save them."

Having said that.

The few fell silent, braving the wind and snow filling the sky, walking toward the cableway stretching into the distance.

Yet at this very moment.

At the limit of their vision, a crimson figure came roaring against the wind and snow, instantly capturing everyone's attention.

"What... is that?!"

"A dragon?!"

"Does such a creature truly exist in this world?!"

The doctors who had exited the castle were all stunned by the crimson dragon galloping toward them from afar.

For even if they combed through every biology book, they would absolutely struggle to find such a towering creature.

"Heavens, am I dreaming?!"

Only when the crimson dragon crashed heavily to the ground did the few doctors following behind Xiang Keluo realize that everything before their eyes was not a dream.

"Gao Wen?"

Xiang Keluo paused, his gaze growing ever more Solemn:

"Even you have personally set out; has the situation become this severe?!"

"Get on, and we'll talk!"

"Alright!"

Xiang Keluo and Van Augur grabbed several nearby doctors and leaped onto Gao Wen's back.

Where had the three doctors ever seen such a scene; they were directly frightened silly.

Instinctively clutching the barbs on Gao Wen's back, they were then, amidst several startled cries, enveloped by Gao Wen's scales.

Whoosh—!

The crimson dragon flapped its wings and, under the shocked gazes of Dalton and the others, roared away into the distance.

"That was... a dragon?!"

"Do those pirates possess the ability to control dragons?!"

"Oh my god!"

The group of doctors were instantly dumbfounded; some feared it was a trap set by the giant dragon.

Others, even at the cost of their lives, wanted to touch the giant dragon's scales, unable to help but reveal expressions of envy.

Watching the giant dragon roar away, what floated in Dalton's eyes was the young face that had caught bullets with bare hands at the entrance of Big Horn Village that day.

"Is it you?! It must be you!"

"Such power..."

A trace of self-mockery flashed through Dalton's eyes:

"If you had truly intended to kill people that day, not a single one present would have survived; that doesn't seem like a pirate's style."

After muttering a few words to himself, Dalton cast aside the clutter in his mind and focused his attention on the matters at hand.

He divided the guards and doctors present into several groups.

Each group was responsible for an area of Dongdao, setting out for villages across the Drum Kingdom, hoping that before the special medicine could be developed, they would do their utmost to save as many civilians as possible.

Everyone's expression was incredibly serious; some had even secretly sworn before departing that they would not hesitate to sacrifice their own lives.

Their motives varied, but their goal was only one.

Save this country!

Save as many people as possible!

High in the sky.

The crimson dragon roared, galloping swiftly toward the direction of Kester.

Xiang Keluo crouched on Gao Wen's back, letting the cold wind strike his face, his expression unchanged, saying Solemnly:

"You couldn't even wait these two days; what exactly has happened?!"

"Ajin and the others have burned down several small islands around the Drum Kingdom where purple dust rose, yet they still haven't found any trace of Mushuru."

Gao Wen spoke, explaining:

"I suspect that the sources of infection continuously appearing around the Drum Kingdom are a deception left behind by Mushuru."

"His true body is either far outside the Drum Kingdom, watching all this, or it is a case of darkness under the lamp—he is right above the Drum Kingdom itself."

"Sanji's strength is considerable, but compared to Mushuru, he ultimately falls a bit short."

"I need you to hold the line at Kester to ensure the safety of Nami and the others; afterward, I will act to patrol Dongdao."

"Your speed is the fastest on the ship besides mine; should anything happen, you can provide timely support to Ajin and the others."

"Additionally, the number of infected on the island is growing; if this continues, the people on the island might all die before Nami and the others' illness is even cured."

Hearing this, a trace of fierce light flashed in Xiang Keluo's eyes:

"A cunning fellow!"

"Sooner or later, I will tear him apart with my own hands!"

Thinking back.

This time was almost the most frustrating experience Gao Wen's pirate crew had ever endured.

Even when Gao Wen and Zoro had previously been defeated by Hawk-Eye, with their lives hanging in the balance, Xiang Keluo had not been this furious.

After all, that was simply a matter of inferior hard power; a top-tier powerhouse like Hawk-Eye could slaughter most opponents at will even in the New World, let alone in the East Blue.

Mshuru was different; his combat strength was merely average, definitely below that of Xiang Keluo and Gin, yet knowing he was no match for Gao Wen, he avoided direct confrontation entirely, slipping away as slickly as a loach.

Or rather, this was simply how troublesome a Paramecia-type ability user became once they found the correct way to fight.

Thinking of this, Xiang Keluo's gaze grew increasingly sinister.

(End of Chapter)