Chapter 119: The Great Bear Arrives at the Door [6K]

The snow at the port was falling even harder.

"Muahahaha!"

Wapol casually tossed a cannonball into his mouth, chewing it with a loud crunch. "Chess, did I hear that right? What did this fellow just say? He wants to ask my doctors some questions?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Chess bowed deeply. "This outsider clearly does not know the rules of the Drum Kingdom. I will immediately make him..."

"Eh, no need!"

Wapol smacked his lips with lingering satisfaction and looked up at the burly man. "You can fly through the sky, and fly so fast at that. You're a Devil Fruit user too, right? And a very strong one!"

Am I considered strong?

Bear hesitated slightly, recalling the bounty number issued against him not long ago...

296 million Berries.

In the first half of the Grand Line, that should count as being strong, shouldn't it?

Thus, he nodded.

"Muahahaha!" Wapol suddenly slapped his belly and burst into laughter. "I knew it! This is going to be interesting!"

His metal jaw split open in an exaggerated grin. "Hey, big guy! You wanted to ask the doctors some questions, didn't you? Fine! I, the King, grant you permission!"

Bear's eyes brightened slightly, and he was about to bow in gratitude.

"Don't thank me yet!"

Wapol shook his head and held up a finger. "There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world; I, the King, have a condition as well!"

His obese finger pointed sharply toward the distant towns where faint lights flickered:

"See those towns? They are all my land! And right now, two foreign pirates are causing trouble everywhere! If you can eliminate them both for me—"

Wapol spread his arms wide, displaying an enthusiastic smile:

"I will lend you all twenty of my most elite doctors! These are the finest physicians in the entire Drum Kingdom; you can ask them whatever you wish! How about that?!"

"Two pirates?"

Bear frowned slightly, following the direction Wapol indicated with his gaze.

Amidst the wind and snow, the distant towns were shrouded in hazy light, with wisps of cooking smoke faintly visible rising into the air.

Bear quietly activated his Observation Haki, quickly detecting several distinct presences.

Among them, two were particularly powerful.

One was sharp as a sword, its edge fully exposed, while the other was calm and steady, as if hiding within the darkness.

If one did not perceive carefully, it would be easy to overlook them.

"Yes! Two vicious and dangerous fellows!"

Wapol gritted his teeth. "A black-haired brat, and a woman wearing a hat!"

"Your Majesty."

Chess whispered in Wapol's ear, "Why don't you just tell him the real name of that black-haired boy..."

"Shut up!"

Wapol slapped Chess away, lowering his voice to sneer. "Do you think I'm stupid? If I directly spoke the name of such a notoriously monstrous figure, what if this big guy got scared and ran away?"

He turned back to Bear, piling an amiable smile onto his face again. "So, big guy? Isn't this a very fair deal?"

Bear remained silent for a moment, feeling somewhat conflicted.

He could see that the king before him, just like Bekori whom he had repelled not long ago, was absolutely no good person.

If the person he was asked to deal with were anyone else, he would certainly refuse.

But...

Two pirates who arbitrarily invaded another country seemed to be an even more evil existence; they indeed deserved to be expelled and eliminated.

"I understand."

Bear finally spoke, his voice still gentle. "But I need to confirm one thing first."

"What?"

"If I eliminate those two pirates..." Bear looked straight into Wapol's eyes. "Will you truly fulfill your promise?"

"Of course!" Wapol pounded his chest to guarantee it. "I, the King, always keep my word!"

Bear gazed deeply at him for a moment, nodded, then turned to face the direction of the towns.

"Then, please wait here; I shall return shortly."

Snap! His figure vanished from the spot in an instant, leaving behind only a ring of expanding air waves.

"Van... vanished?!"

Kuromarimo's eyes widened in shock. "He just left like that? Your Majesty, why didn't this big block of a man even ask us where exactly those two fellows are?"

"Ignorant Bai Chi! Don't assume everyone is as stupid as you!"

Wapol scoffed. "I am a king who has attended the Levely! Guys like this generally possess that kind of power... what was it called again? Observation! They can lock onto targets very quickly; there's no need for you to worry!"

"All soldiers wait here for me!"

After issuing this command, he excitedly led his two ministers straight toward the nearest hilltop.

Then, he snatched a telescope from each of their hands and tossed them into his mouth.

Crunch, crunch; within moments, the two telescopes were swallowed.

Wapol's eyeballs suddenly protruded like telescope barrels, his field of vision instantly zooming in dozens of times, firmly locking onto that black shadow streaking across the sky.

"Muahahaha! I see it, I see it!"

He shouted excitedly, his eyeballs rolling around continuously. "That guy is flying so fast; as long as we follow him, we'll be able to find out exactly where that great pirate Siano is right now. This is going to be a good show!"

"Your Majesty?"

Jess leaned in nervously, "That big guy is strong, but he doesn't look like he stands a chance against that Siano; maybe we should still..."

"Shut up! We rarely get to see such a splendid show; don't ruin my enjoyment!"

Wapol bared his teeth, "The outcome remains uncertain; if the big guy wins, I can return to my castle and resume my reign in peace, but if he loses..."

"In any case, all supplies and personnel are packed, and we're so close to the port that fleeing by sea is still an option; what's the rush!"

"Your Majesty is wise indeed!"

"As expected of Lord Wapol!"

The two ministers immediately chimed in with flattery.

Amidst the swirling snow, the night grew ever deeper.

Kuma, clutching his bible, flashed repeatedly through the high sky; each teleportation carried him over a hundred meters.

As he advanced, he observed the lights below and couldn't help but fall into thought—

In this kingdom, there seemed to be no signs of damaged towns or displaced people.

Were those two pirates truly here to plunder this kingdom, as that king had claimed?

Inside the treehouse.

Beneath the warm orange lamplight, Siano, wearing only shorts, lay prone on the bed.

"Go easy, old hag! I wasn't beaten down by enemies, but I'm about to be sent to my grave by you, the doctor!"

He buried his entire face in the pillow, his voice muffled, while Kureha sat astride his back; glancing at the bent needle clenched in her hand, the veins on her forehead bulged.

"Shut up, brat!"

Furious, she slapped Siano's back, "I've practiced medicine for over a hundred years and never seen such an outrageous fellow! If it weren't for the fact that you successfully guided Chopper, I wouldn't have taken on such a difficult job!"

What on earth is this brat's body made of?

From the skin's surface down to the muscles and blood vessels, every inch defied medical logic; the strength of the muscle fibers even shattered the limits of her understanding.

She had already failed consecutively several times before; this time, she had finally managed to force the needle into his skin.

Yet those muscle fibers, as if alive, contracted and writhed on their own, squeezing the needle out with astonishing elasticity.

After all that effort, she still hadn't managed to pierce a blood vessel? For a doctor, this was simply a humiliating disgrace!

And this was even the result after Siano had tried his best to cooperate and relax his body.

Four broken needles were already piled at the foot of the bed, while Chopper frantically rummaged through the medical kit, "Doctor! All the reinforced syringes are used up; there are none left!"

"If it won't work, then forget it."

Siano sighed, grabbed his trousers, and prepared to get up; he had never considered treating this toxin as an absolute necessity.

In any case, this grotesque appearance would last at most another half-month or so.

At worst, once back on the ship, he would spend that half-month shuttling only between the cultivation room and his bedroom, avoiding any outsiders.

"Get back down!"

Kureha slammed her fist down and growled fiercely, "Today, I simply refuse to believe it can't be done; even if I have to spare no expense!"

"Chopper!"

She whipped her head around, "Go! Fetch the super-alloy syringe from the basement—the one used for injecting Sea Kings! I will give this brat this injection no matter what!"

"Yes, Doctor!"

The little reindeer scrambled up and rushed toward the underground warehouse.

Moments later, panting heavily, he returned clutching a metal syringe thicker than his own head, its needle tip gleaming with a cold, sharp luster under the lamp.

"Is... is this really okay?"

Chopper handed over the syringe trembling, "Doctor, Big Brother Siano is a good person; please don't..."

"Don't worry~!" Kureha gulped down a mouthful of sake, grinned sinisterly, and cracked her knuckles, "This kid is far sturdier than a Sea King!"

Half a minute later.

"Ha! Finally succeeded!"

Kureha yanked out that super-thick syringe; with a hum, the dark black sheen covering the needle tip rapidly faded.

"You old hag..." Siano grimaced as he propped himself up, "Why do I feel like you're taking this opportunity to get revenge?"

Just for an injection, she even employed Armament Haki.

Furthermore, what seemed even more worth noting was that despite being a doctor, she actually possessed Haki; this old hag was truly not simple!

"Less nonsense!"

Kureha triumphantly shook the empty syringe, "The toxin has been neutralized; just rest well tonight, and by tomorrow morning the bluish-purple discoloration on your face will vanish completely. Now, pay the consultation fee!"

"How much?" Siano asked somewhat dejectedly, "Considering I saved Chopper's life, couldn't you at least do it for free once?"

"Then I'll give you a discount; deduct 50 Berries."

Kureha lit a cigarette and puffed leisurely, "The original price was one hundred million Berries; now I'm only charging you 99,999,950. How about that? Quite fair, right?"

"That's too black-hearted, you stinky old hag!"

Siano flew into a rage, "It's just some toxin residue on the skin; it's not like you saved my life! One hundred million Berries? You might as well go rob someone!"

"Waaah, Doctor." Chopper tugged at Kureha's hem, looking aggrieved, "Am I only worth 50 Berries?"

"That's certainly not it."

Kureha glanced at Chopper and said with a grin, "You aren't worth 50; Hiriluk gave you to me for free."

Eh?

Chopper's eyes widened; just then, a tremendous "Boom" suddenly echoed from outside the house.

The entire treehouse shook violently, causing the medicine jars hanging on the walls to clatter wildly, nearly falling to the floor.

"Waaah!"

Chopper trembled in fear; just as he was about to dash into Kureha's arms, he hesitated for a moment, then quietly retreated behind Siano.

"Finally here, is it?"

Siano merely grinned, rubbed Chopper's head, seeming to have expected this scene all along.

He stood up, dressed himself, pushed open the door and walked out; Robin also chuckled softly and followed immediately.

Outside the treehouse, wind and snow raged.

A towering figure, massive as a mountain, stood silently in the snow.

A thick layer of snow covered his bear-ear hat, while his gentle eyes gazed through the swirling flakes at the treehouse glowing with warm light.

In his hand, he carried a struggling, obese figure.

"Let me go, let me go..."

"Wapol?!" Kureha had just stepped out when she saw this scene, her eyes widening instantly, "How did that scoundrel king..."

"Nice to meet you."

Bear's gentle voice penetrated the wind and snow; he bowed slightly with polite grace, "Forgive the intrusion, Lord Siano, Lady Kureha."

He casually tossed Wapol into the snow like garbage, prompting the latter to immediately let out a pig-slaughtering scream:

"It hurts to death! You bastard, how dare you betray His Majesty! Didn't we agree you would help me deal with..."

Slap! Bear lightly struck with the edge of his hand, causing Wapol's eyes to roll back as he fainted on the spot.

"My apologies."

Bear bowed slightly to Siano with regret, "I was deceived by this king; he claimed two vicious pirates were plundering his nation, but along the way, I found the towns completely intact, so I immediately turned back to question him, prying information from his two ministers..."

"Only then did I learn that the one who arrived on the island was none other than Lord Siano."

Bear sighed lightly, "And this king is the one whose character is unbelievably despicable; merely hearing a slight disturbance, he lost all courage, prepared to abandon his country and flee with every doctor and treasure in the nation, unwilling even to leave a single physician for his people."

Well, that's just how Wapol is.

Siano glanced at the fat man lying unconscious on the ground and raised an eyebrow.

From any angle, this guy was thoroughly scum, yet in the original timeline, thanks to his Devil Fruit ability, he ultimately thrived, living an increasingly prosperous life.

Tsk, calculating it out, I suppose this means I've played the role that Blackbeard occupied in the original timeline.

Ever since deliberately letting those soldiers escape, he had periodically used Observation Haki to monitor movements at the castle atop Shanfeng.

Naturally, he also knew that the other party had already fled toward the seaside.

Originally, he had planned to head to the port and intercept them before administering treatment.

However, an unexpected variable arose: an extremely powerful aura suddenly appeared on the island, causing Wapol and his group to halt their escape immediately.

He had assumed some powerful reinforcement summoned by Wapol had arrived, never expecting it to be Bear.

—Bartholomew Bear.

Siano looked up; the Bear before him wore a warm, gentle smile, not yet resembling the silent wooden puppet of memory, clearly not yet modified.

He quickly sorted through the timeline in his mind.

If his memory served correctly.

At this time, Bear should have just been wanted for sinking a Marine warship, fearing he would implicate his hometown and Bonney, thus setting out to sea as a "pirate."

Evading pursuit while searching everywhere for a cure for the Sapphire Scale Disease.

As for cooperating with the World Government to be modified, that would happen next year, after Bear met Dragon and was guided by Dragon to Vegapunk's location.

Thus, Bear appearing now on Drum Island, this formerly renowned "Great Medical Kingdom," was only natural.

"From your tone, it seems you've known me for quite some time?" he asked.

"Yes."

Bear nodded, "I once belonged to a mysterious organization... forgive me, but I cannot yet disclose the organization's name."

"In short, several years ago when Your Lordship was still in the East Blue, your reputation had already reached us; my superior had even originally planned to invite you to join our organization as soon as you came of age."

A superior within the Revolutionary Army... what, did Dragon once break out in a cold sweat over me?

Siano was speechless, "So you didn't expect that the guy who cleared the East Blue of great pirates would become a pirate himself immediately upon coming of age and setting sail?"

"An adventure crew, not pirates."

Bear shook his head, correcting immediately, "The truth cannot be concealed forever; Your Lordship remains exactly as before, your original heart never having changed, has it?"

He smiled and said, "I recently visited Loguetown in the East Blue, where I heard people discuss Your Lordship; a person willing to wage war against the Marines to protect the citizens of Loguetown could never be the wantonly plundering, vicious pirate this king describes."

"Oh oh oh!!!"

Chopper's eyes sparkled as he listened, poking his head out from behind the doorframe, "I knew it... Brother Siano, you really are a super good person, so you actually had experiences like this!"

"I wouldn't go so far as to call me a 'good person'."

Siano smiled, patting Chopper's head, then turned to Bear and said:

"Your praise makes me a bit embarrassed; come inside and chat, the wind and snow outside are too severe, it's warm inside. Since you already know Dr. Kureha's name, it seems those doctors you met at the port also told you much about this country."

"I haven't agreed yet, don't act like the owner without permission, kid!" Kureha complained, tossing an empty bottle at him.

Slap, Siano caught it casually, "Don't mind her; although this old woman has a temper, her medical skills are truly superb. You mainly came to find her, right? If there's anything you wish to say, discuss it directly with her."

"Thank you, Lord."

Bear nodded to Siano, then bowed sincerely to Kureha and Chopper.

Only then did he brush the snow from his body, carefully lower his head and bend his waist, stepping into the room.

Kureha had originally intended to refuse entry to this large man, but faced with such an attitude, she finally shrugged, voluntarily guarding the doorway until everyone was inside, before closing the door behind them.

By this time, Chopper had already happily trotted over to serve Bear a cup of hot tea.

Hehe, this was the first time anyone had ever bowed to him; what was going on today, actually meeting so many good people in succession.

"Big Brother Siano is a good person, Big Sister Robin is a good person, and this strange uncle wearing a bear-ear hat is too!"

…………

Inside the warm treehouse, the scent of tea curled gently through the air.

Kuma held his hot tea, fell silent for a moment, and finally spoke:

"Doctor Kureha, the truth is, I came to the Drum Kingdom this time with a request. The doctors I met at the port told me you are the most skilled physician on this island; if they cannot solve it, only you can."

"Oh?"

Kureha gulped down a large mouthful of sake, raised an eyebrow in surprise, and said, "So those scoundrels who willingly debased themselves to become Wapol's slaves still have that kind of awareness... What is it?"

"My daughter, Bonney."

Kuma's voice was low and gentle, a flicker of pain flashing in his eyes. "She has contracted a rare illness: Jade Scale Disease."

"Jade Scale?"

Kureha frowned, set down her sake bottle, and said, "This disease is uncommon. Describe the symptoms in detail."

Kuma nodded, carefully took a photograph from his chest pocket, and handed it to Kureha.

The photo showed a pink-haired little girl smiling brightly, snuggled tightly against Kuma, clearly indicating a deep bond between father and daughter; on the girl's exposed skin, faint blue scales resembling jade were visible.

"At first, blue spots merely appeared on her skin, but later they gradually spread, forming these jade-like scales. When it flares up, she suffers excruciating pain throughout her body, runs a persistent high fever, and cannot be exposed to light year-round..."

Kuma's voice trembled slightly. "I have sought many doctors, but all were helpless; one even declared..."

"That your daughter will not live past ten?"

Kureha said lightly.

"Yes!"

Kuma suddenly sat up straight, instantly reinvigorated; he had only just mentioned it, yet she had accurately deduced Bonney's life expectancy limit, clearly indicating she possessed knowledge of this condition.

It seemed he had come to the right place; this most senior doctor of the Drum Kingdom truly lived up to her reputation!

Kureha took the photograph, studied it carefully for a while, then stood up, pulled several thick medical texts from the bookshelf, and began flipping through them rapidly.

The room fell silent for a time, with only the rustling sound of turning pages.

Chopper stood nervously nearby, anxiously rubbing his small hooves together, while Siano and Robin exchanged a glance and tacitly remained silent so as not to disturb them.

Siano pondered quietly.

In his memory, Chopper did not know Kuma, meaning that without the influence of his own butterfly effect, when Kuma came to Drum Island to seek medical help, he most likely had never visited Kureha.

But... could Kureha really have a solution?

Kuma had traveled the entire world for Bonney's sake; perhaps in this vast sea, only that peerless genius Vegapunk, who mastered technology surpassing five hundred years, could truly find a solution through technological means.

Indeed, just as he had expected.

After a long while, Kureha closed the last medical book and ultimately let out a sigh.

"I apologize." She looked straight into Kuma's eyes and stated bluntly, "I cannot cure this disease."

Kuma's body stiffened slightly, the light in his eyes dimming.

"Even you have no way..." he murmured softly, his broad shoulders seeming to slump all at once.

"The cause of Jade Scale Disease remains unknown to this day; it seems to have emerged in this world due to some kind of lineage experiment. Existing treatment methods can only alleviate the symptoms."

Kureha shook her head. "Although I have lived for over a hundred years, this disease truly exceeds the limits of my ability."

She paused, then, seeing Kuma's disappointed expression, added, "However, I do know of a place that might be able to help you."

Kuma abruptly lifted his head, hope reigniting in his eyes: "What place?"

(End of Chapter)