Chapter 171: Wave Theory

Gao Wen had long been intimately familiar with Xiang Keluo's personality and said nothing more, instead quietly increasing his speed.

……

At the same time.

Kestad.

In the ward.

Kureha slowly opened his eyes and turned to look around the ward.

He saw that the number of patients housed here had increased significantly since before, yet each person's breathing was perfectly steady and their complexion had returned to normal.

Clearly, their conditions had improved to varying degrees.

Chopper, exhausted from overwork, was dozing lightly atop the desk, still clutching several herbs in his hand, occasionally murmuring in his sleep.

"Kureha medical mother~"

"Am I really…… a qualified doctor?!"

Kureha froze, sensing his body temperature gradually dropping and the changes within him, then smiled with relief:

"Of course you are."

He slowly rose, fetched a blanket, and draped it over Chopper, gazing at the small reindeer with a look of distant memory, murmuring:

"If Shiruluk knew his son had become so outstanding, he'd laugh himself awake in his dreams."

"But how could one person possibly cure an entire nation…"

He recalled Shiruluk's past experiences.

A gravely ill pirate had been instantly cured upon witnessing blooming cherry blossoms in a certain land.

No matter who you told this to, they'd only think it a joke—but that man had always believed it firmly.

He even attempted to heal the nation's inner wounds and revive the entire country by making it blanketed in cherry blossoms.

"What an…… utterly irrational dreamer. Even if this country were covered in cherry blossoms, it wouldn't change people like Wapol!"

Kureha's gaze fell to the window.

All he saw was a world of pure white, and snowflakes drifting down from the horizon.

"I do hope, one day, this country truly will bloom with cherry blossoms."

With a sigh,

Kureha returned to his bed, his mind churning as he once again recalled what Gao Wen had told him:

"Kindness alone cannot make a doctor; medical skill alone cannot make a doctor; reckless little fool…"

"Come to think of it."

"He asked me to find the Wave Theory the other day—I recall it's a study on the transformation principles of Zoan-type ability users?"

"That paper is from long ago; I remember storing it in the attic."

Kureha rose, took up pen and paper from Chopper's desk, wrote down the approximate location based on his memory, and placed it on Chopper's desk.

Having finished all this,

Kureha felt a wave of dizziness wash over him and promptly lay back on the bed, slipping quickly into unconsciousness.

……

The next day.

A cry of alarm jolted Chopper awake from his slumber atop the desk.

"No good!"

"Kureha medical mother's condition has worsened drastically!"

Several pirates who had come with Gao Wen gathered around Kureha medical mother's bed, utterly at a loss.

Chopper transformed into his human form, ignoring everything else, shoved past the crowd, performed a basic examination on Kureha medical mother, then made his judgment:

"It's too severe!"

"The spores have invaded deep into the lungs—if this continues, the infection cannot be contained!"

Saying this,

Chopper's eyes filled with urgency:

"Hurry!"

"Prepare emergency equipment!"

At Chopper's command, everyone sprang into action, quickly assembling the emergency equipment, and Chopper immediately began resuscitation efforts.

Several hours passed.

Kureha medical mother's condition gradually stabilized, yet everyone's expressions were grim beyond measure.

"Her age is simply too advanced."

"Though her physical condition is far better than most of her peers, her resistance still cannot match that of the young."

"And with this infection striking so violently, we have little time left."

One pirate couldn't help voicing his lament, plunging the group into deeper silence.

Chopper, in his human form, sat nearby, fists clenched so tightly his fingertips nearly dug into his flesh.

Whether or not Kureha medical mother had ever acknowledged it, she was Chopper's only remaining family—his teacher, his foster mother.

A flicker of helplessness crossed Chopper's face; he forced himself to rally:

"Gao Wen is right—it's not about whether we can do it, but that we must do it."

"The development of the miracle drug must be accelerated—we need to reach human trials within these few days, but with only my strength…"

"Damn it! Why now, of all times…?"

"Kureha medical mother…"

Suddenly.

Boom!

The sound of a heavy object hitting the ground drew everyone's attention.

Chopper immediately reacted, looking up toward the window; the instant he made out that huge figure, a sense of security inexplicably welled up in his heart.

"Captain!"

"The captain has returned!"

Amidst everyone's cheers.

The clinic's main door was pushed open; Gao Wen and Xiang Keluo walked in side by side, followed by Van Augur and three men dressed as doctors.

"They are..."

Chopper instantly realized: these were precisely the culprits who, together with Wapol, had set the trap that sent Hiriluk to his death.

Doctor -20.

"What are you doing here?!"

"Are you here to kill Doctor Kureha just as you killed Hiriluk?!"

The leader among the three was a doctor with an afro; upon seeing Chopper's form, he immediately remembered.

This strange creature before his eyes was indeed the adopted son of that foolish doctor.

"You are Hiriluk's child, aren't you?!"

The afro-haired man spoke, nothing but unspeakable guilt in his heart; bending down toward Chopper, he said earnestly:

"I'm sorry, truly... I'm sorry!"

He knelt on the ground and pressed his head straight into the snow at the doorway:

"The foolish doctor—no, Hiriluk—he was a great man."

"That day, we originally intended to mock him, but that man laughed loudly and drank the explosive liquor."

"He even said... fortunately Wapol deceived him; as long as this country still has doctors, there is still hope."

"From that day on, we have been waiting, waiting for the day Wapol would meet his end."

"Whether afterward you wish to kill me or seek revenge against me, right now, no matter what, please let me join you to save those patients."

"After all, we... are also doctors!"

As his voice fell, the other two also knelt before Chopper, assuming a posture fully resolved to face death.

"You..."

Chopper pressed his lips tightly together, striving hard not to let tears fall.

Countless times in the past, he had imagined this scene: imagining that, before Hiriluk's eyes, he could punch Wapol and these doctors flying.

Like a hero.

And like a pirate.

Yet he never expected that when this day truly arrived, it would be in such a manner.

Chopper suddenly recalled Hiriluk's former goal—to heal this country.

If judged solely by medical skill for treating bodily illnesses, Hiriluk was a thoroughgoing quack, yet his goal from beginning to end had always been to heal this country.

Seen in this light, his medical art was far more superb than imagined.

Thinking of this.

Chopper reached out and pressed down on the hat atop his head, his voice already tinged with sobs:

"Mr. Gao Wen, did you do this?!"

"You..."

Gao Wen paused, turned to look at Xiang Keluo, whose face wore an expression of someone straining on the toilet, then directly placed his hand on Xiang Keluo's shoulder and smiled, saying:

"No."

"We did it."

"From today onward, there will no longer be any Wapol in this country."

Plop!

Plop!

Plop!

Tears streamed down Chopper's face, fell to the ground, and shattered upon impact.

"This is wonderful... truly wonderful..."

A few breaths later.

Chopper raised his hand, wiped the tears from his face, and his gaze once again grew resolute:

"No matter what, I cannot forgive you on Hiriluk's behalf, but right now this country needs you."

"Come with me!"

"Thank you!"

The three slowly rose, their faces showing expressions of deep shame.

After all, which doctor's initial dream was not to treat illnesses and save lives?

Even those doctors who went astray mostly forgot their original intentions due to various reasons.

These three had originally chosen to aid tyranny out of fear of Wapol's power, but now they had picked up once more their earliest dream.

Without a moment's delay, the three disinfected their clothes, entered the ward, and began taking over the patients in the clinic.

Chopper turned around, took out the note left by Doctor Kureha, and handed it to Gao Wen, saying:

"Mr. Gao Wen, this must be the note Doctor Kureha left for you after she woke up in the middle of the night yesterday."

Gao Wen reached out to take it, glanced at it, and understood—it was the related material Ku Leiha the medic had found after he mentioned the Blue Wave Ball.

"Thank you."

Chopper shook his head, his eyes filled with tangible gratitude:

"No, I should be thanking you."

"You've shown me that pirates really are just as Dr. Hiriluk said—they can do anything."

"So, do you want to join my ship?"

"I…"

Chopper looked at his small hooves:

"I'm a monster—I have a blue nose…"

As he spoke, Chopper's spirits sank:

"I—!"

"Enough nonsense!"

Van Okka pressed one hand on Chopper's shoulder, half-lidded, and said:

"Meeting us here is your fate."

"Can't you change your catchphrase?"

Xiang Keluo fell silent for a moment, then turned to look at Chopper and said:

"In terms of medical skill alone, you've passed!"

"So~"

Sanji, cigarette dangling from his mouth, leaned in from behind:

"Mmm~ Could also serve as emergency rations!"

"That's absolutely out of the question!"

Chopper gasped, instantly shifting into human form, frantically slamming the clinic door shut, then turning and storming into the ward.

Listening to the laughter outside the ward, his eyes glowed with boundless longing.

"Pirate… me?!"

Chopper stared at his hands, a slow smile spreading across his lips.

"Doctor Chopper, come in quickly!"

A call pulled Chopper's thoughts back.

He shook his head, clearing the distractions from his mind, and walked straight into the ward.

After explaining the patient's condition and treatment to the three doctors, Chopper turned and entered the pharmacy to prepare the special medicine.

But his mind kept replaying Gao Wen's three words, his eyes gradually brightening:

"Nothing is impossible for pirates."

"First, I must prove I can conquer disease—only then do I deserve to board Mr. Gao's ship!"

…

Snow and wind blanketed the sky; thick layers of snow piled on the trees outside the clinic.

Gao Wen and the other two gathered to discuss what came next.

"Xiang Keluo is fastest—he'll stay in Kaisda, ready to support A Jin or defend against Mshuru's surprise attack."

"Understood."

Gao Wen saw Xiang Keluo nod, then turned his gaze to Van Okka, hesitated a moment, then said:

"Van Okka, return to the ship."

"Huh?!"

"Captain, there are Xiang Keluo and Roubo Luqi as main combatants there—even one of them alone could handle Mshuru without major trouble."

Gao Wen shook his head; the situation was urgent, and he decided to reveal to Van Okka the truth about Roubo Luqi and the others.

After all, compared to the three young men—Zoro and the rest—Van Okka was far more mature. Though his acting was terrible, he was still better than the others' blunt honesty.

Besides, snipers rely most on perception and are more alert than anyone else.

"The problem is this—I want you to keep a close eye on Roubo Luqi and Miss Kalifa."

Van Okka froze, then immediately understood:

"They still haven't earned your trust? That makes sense—CP agents' identities really are…"

"No!"

"I've confirmed—they're undercover agents of the World Government. Their current motives remain unclear."

"Understood."

Van Okka pushed up his glasses, a cold glint in his eyes:

"Should I eliminate them?"

"Not yet."

Gao Wen shook his head:

"I still need to extract more information about the Six Powers from them."

"Once they've lost their usefulness—if they still stand with the World Government…"

"I'll handle them myself!"

"Got it!"

Van Okka replied, then pulled several oddly shaped bullets from his coat:

"These are sea-stone bullets I took from Zeffa—might be useful now."

Gao Wen was stunned for a moment:

"No wonder I couldn't find it back then; it turns out you little rascal pocketed it?!"

"Hey~!"

Fan Fan Aoka waved his hand, turned around, and slipped away as if fleeing, muttering incomprehensible words about fate and the like.

After Fan Fan Aoka left, Gao Wen handed all matters concerning Kester over to Xiang Keluo and was just about to set off to search for Mshuru and his group within the Drum Kingdom when he stopped his movements upon seeing the paper Chopper had given him.

Yet upon seeing the paper Chopper had handed him, he halted his actions.

"Rumble Balls?!"

"Never mind."

"A few more minutes won't make a difference."

Having said this,

Gao Wen turned back to Kureha's residence and, following the location she had indicated, finally found a document in a corner of the library, its paper long since yellowed and deteriorated.

He brushed the dust off the document and began to flip through it.

A few minutes passed; Gao Wen set the document down with a bewildered expression, the corners of his mouth twitching involuntarily:

"Wait..."

"Is this stuff really meant for humans to read?!"

For a moment, Gao Wen couldn't help but regret not studying medicine in his previous life.

Refusing to believe it, he read through it several more times and finally managed to glean a sliver of crucial information from between the lines.

"I can't understand those formulas, technical terms, and lines of reasoning, but within the introductory and concluding sections, which serve as summaries, I can catch glimpses of some useful information."

Gao Wen pondered for a few seconds before attempting to comprehend the content of these two parts; soon, his eyes lit up.

"The transformation process of a Zoan-type ability user is primarily controlled by neural excitation levels, while Rumble Balls are capable of disrupting this process."

"It is for this reason that when Chopper ingests a second pill, the repeated stimulation of his nerves causes him to lose control over the transformation process."

"Ingesting a third pill would even cause him to go berserk directly due to excessive excitation."

"To use an analogy:"

"The human form and the animal form represent two extremes; the further to the right, the closer one is to the human form, and the further to the left, the closer one is to the animal form."

"In that case, the form most suitable for me should lie somewhere between the human form and the hybrid form..."

"Regulating neural excitation levels, is it?!"

(End of Chapter)