Chapter 118: Kuma Comes Knocking
The snow in the port fell heavier.
"Mwahahaha!" Wapol said, casually tossing a cannonball into his mouth and crunching on it. "Chess, did I hear that right? What did this guy say just now? He wants to ask my doctors some questions?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Chess said with a bow. "This outsider obviously doesn't know the rules of the Drum Kingdom. I'll just have him…"
"Eh, no need!" Wapol smacked his lips, still savoring the taste, and looked up at the burly man. "To be able to fly, and so fast… you're a Devil Fruit user too, right? And a strong one at that!"
Am I strong?
Kuma hesitated for a moment, thinking of his recently issued bounty… 296 million Berries.
In the first half of the Grand Line, that should be considered strong, right?
So, he nodded.
"Mwahahaha!" Wapol suddenly slapped his belly and laughed. "I knew it! This is getting interesting!"
His metal-plated chin stretched into an exaggerated grin. "Hey, big guy! You want to ask my doctors some questions? Fine! I can agree to that!"
Kuma's eyes lit up, and he was about to bow in thanks.
"Don't thank me yet!" Wapol said, shaking his head and holding up a finger. "There's no such thing as a free lunch. I have a condition of my own!"
His fat finger suddenly pointed at the distant towns, which were faintly twinkling with lights. "See those towns? That's all my land! And right now, there are two outsider pirates causing trouble everywhere! If you can take care of them for me—"
Wapol spread his arms, a warm smile on his face. "—I'll lend you all twenty of my most elite doctors! These are the best doctors in the entire Drum Kingdom! You can ask them whatever you want! How about it?!"
"Two pirates?" Kuma frowned slightly and looked in the direction Wapol was pointing.
In the wind and snow, the distant towns were hazy with lights, and he could vaguely see smoke rising from the chimneys.
Kuma's Observation Haki quietly spread out, and he soon picked up on a few special auras.
Two of them were particularly strong.
One was as sharp as a sword, its edge exposed. The other was calm and quiet, as if hiding in the darkness.
If one didn't sense it carefully, it would be easy to overlook.
"Yes! Two vicious, dangerous individuals!" Wapol gritted his teeth. "A little brat with black hair, and a woman in a hat!"
"Your Majesty," Chess whispered in Wapol's ear, "why don't you just tell him the black-haired brat's real name…"
"Shut up!" Wapol slapped Chess away and sneered in a low voice, "Do you think I'm an idiot? A monster with that kind of reputation… if I just blurt it out, what if this big guy gets scared and runs away?"
He turned to Kuma, a kind smile on his face again. "So, what do you say, big guy? It's a good deal, isn't it?"
Kuma was silent for a moment, a little conflicted.
He could tell that the king before him, like King Bekori, whom he had just repelled, was no good person.
If he were asked to deal with anyone else, he would have refused.
But… two pirates, freely invading another country, seemed to be the greater evil. They should be dealt with.
"I understand," Kuma finally said, his voice still gentle. "But I need to confirm one thing first."
"What is it?"
"If I take care of those two pirates…" Kuma looked straight into Wapol's eyes. "…will you really keep your promise?"
"Of course!" Wapol puffed out his chest. "A king always keeps his word!"
Kuma looked at him deeply for a moment, then nodded and turned to face the town.
"Then please wait here. I'll be right back."
POP! His figure instantly vanished, leaving only an expanding shockwave.
"He… he's gone?!" Kuromarimo's eyes widened in shock. "He just left? Your Majesty, why didn't that big guy even ask us where those two are?"
"You ignorant fool! Don't assume everyone is as stupid as you!" Wapol said dismissively. "I am a king who has attended the Reverie! A guy like that usually possesses that power… what's it called? Observation! He can lock onto his target in no time! You don't need to worry about it!"
"All soldiers, wait here for me!"
He gave the order and then excitedly led his two ministers to the nearest hill.
He snatched a spyglass from each of their hands and popped them into his mouth.
Crunch, crunch. The two spyglasses were gone in a moment.
And Wapol's eyeballs suddenly bulged out like the lenses of a telescope, his vision instantly zooming in dozens of times, locking onto the black shadow flying through the sky.
"Mwahahaha! I see him! I see him!" he shouted excitedly, his eyeballs darting back and forth. "That guy is flying so fast! If I just follow him, I can find out where that great pirate, Shane, is right now! This is going to be a good show!"
"Your Majesty?" Chess asked nervously. "This big guy is strong, but he's no match for that Shane, right? Maybe we should…"
"Shut up! A good show like this doesn't come around every day! Don't interrupt my fun!" Wapol grinned. "We don't know what the outcome will be yet. If the big guy wins, then I can go back to the castle and be king again. If he loses…"
"…we've already packed up all our supplies and personnel, and we're so close to the port. We'll have plenty of time to escape. What's the hurry!"
"A wise decision, Your Majesty!"
"As expected of Lord Wapol!"
The two ministers immediately chimed in with their flattery.
…
In the falling snow, the night grew deeper.
Kuma, holding his bible, flickered through the sky, covering hundreds of meters with every teleport.
As he moved, he observed the lights below, and a thought came to him—
This country… I don't see any damaged towns or displaced people.
Are those two pirates really, as the king said, here to plunder this country?
...
In the treehouse.
In the warm, orange light, Shane was lying on the bed, wearing only a pair of shorts.
"Gently, old hag! I wasn't taken down by my enemies, but I'm about to be sent to my grave by you!"
His face was buried in the pillow, his voice muffled. Kureha was sitting on his back, looking at the bent needle in her hand, a vein throbbing on her forehead.
"Shut up, brat!" she said, exasperated, and slapped Shane on the back. "I've been a doctor for over a hundred years, and I've never seen anyone as ridiculous as you! If it weren't for the fact that you managed to help Chopper, I would have never taken on such a difficult job!"
What in the world is this kid's body made of?
From the surface of his skin to his muscles and blood vessels, every inch of him defied medical logic. The strength of his muscle fibers was beyond anything she had ever seen.
She had already failed several times. This time, she had finally managed to force the needle into his skin.
But the muscle fibers, as if they had a mind of their own, had contracted and writhed, pushing the needle out with an astonishing elasticity.
After all this time, I can't even get a needle into a blood vessel? For a doctor, it's a great humiliation!
And this was with Shane doing his best to cooperate and relax his body.
Four broken needles were already piled at the foot of the bed. Chopper was fumbling through the first-aid kit. "Doctorine! We're all out of the reinforced syringes! There are no more!"
"Forget it then," Shane sighed, grabbing his pants and preparing to get up. He had never considered treating the poison a necessity anyway.
This half-human, half-monster appearance would only last for a little over two weeks at most.
When he got back to the ship, he would just spend the next two weeks in the training room and his bedroom, and he wouldn't see anyone.
"Get back on the bed!" Kureha slammed a fist down and said fiercely, "I refuse to be beaten today! I'll go all out if I have to!"
"Chopper!" she whipped her head around. "Go! Go to the basement and get the super-alloy syringe we use for the Sea Kings! I'm going to give this brat this shot if it's the last thing I do!"
"Yes, Doctorine!"
The small reindeer scrambled to the basement.
A moment later, he returned, panting, with a metal syringe that was thicker than his head, the needle glinting coldly in the light.
"I-Is this really okay?" Chopper asked, tentatively handing over the syringe. "Doctorine, Shane is a good person. Please don't…"
"Don't worry~!" Kureha said, taking a large gulp of liquor and cracking her knuckles with a savage grin. "This kid is much tougher than a Sea King!"
…
Half a minute later.
"Ha! I finally did it!"
Kureha pulled out the massive syringe. Vwoom. The dark sheen that had been covering the needle quickly faded.
"You old hag…" Shane said, wincing as he sat up. "I'm starting to think you're just taking this opportunity to get back at me."
Just for a shot, and she used Armament Haki.
And another thing… for a doctor, she knows how to use Haki? This old hag is definitely not simple!
"Less talk!" Kureha said, proudly waving the empty syringe. "The poison has been neutralized. You just need a good night's rest, and the purplish-blue color on your face will be completely gone by morning. Now, pay up!"
"How much?" Shane asked, a little depressed. "I saved Chopper's life. Can't you do it for free just this once?"
"I'll give you a discount then. 50 Berries off," Kureha said, lighting a cigarette and taking a leisurely drag. "The original price was 100 million Berries. Now, it's only 99,999,950. How about that? A fair price, wouldn't you say?"
"You're a heartless old hag!" Shane roared. "It's just some poison on my skin! It's not like you saved my life! 100 million Berries, you might as well just rob me!"
"Waaah, Doctorine," Chopper said, tugging on Kureha's clothes, his face pitiful. "Am I only worth 50 Berries?"
"Of course not," Kureha said, glancing at Chopper with a grin. "You're not worth 50. Hiriluk gave you to me for free."
Huh?
Chopper's eyes widened. Just then, a loud BOOM came from outside.
The entire treehouse shook violently, and the medicine jars on the walls clattered, nearly falling to the ground.
"Waaah!"
Chopper, terrified, was about to run into Kureha's arms, but after a moment's hesitation, he quietly retreated behind Shane.
"So you've finally arrived?" Shane grinned, ruffling Chopper's head. He had expected this.
He stood up, got dressed, and pushed open the door. Robin followed with a soft laugh.
Outside the treehouse, the snow was falling heavily.
A mountain-like figure stood silently in the snow.
His bear-eared hat was covered in a thick layer of snow, and his gentle eyes looked through the falling flakes at the warm light of the treehouse.
And in his hand, he held a struggling, obese figure.
"Let me go! Let me go…"
"Wapol?!" Kureha, who had just come out, saw the scene and her eyes widened. "That bastard king, how…"
"Nice to meet you," Kuma's gentle voice carried through the wind and snow. He bowed slightly. "I apologize for the intrusion, Lord Shane, Dr. Kureha."
He casually tossed Wapol onto the snow like a piece of trash. The latter immediately let out a pig-like squeal. "It hurts! You bastard! You dare to betray me?! Didn't we have a deal?! You were supposed to help me deal with…"
THWACK! Kuma chopped him on the neck, and Wapol's eyes rolled back in his head, and he passed out.
"My apologies," Kuma said, bowing apologetically to Shane. "I was deceived by this king. He claimed that two vicious pirates were plundering his country, but as I walked through the towns, I saw that they were all unharmed. So, I immediately returned to question him, and I got the information out of his two ministers…"
"…only then did I realize that it was you, Lord Shane, who had come to this island."
Kuma sighed. "And this king is the one who is unbelievably vile. He was so scared by a mere rumor that he was preparing to abandon his country and flee with all the nation's doctors and treasure, not even willing to leave a single doctor for his people."
Wapol… that sounds about right.
Shane glanced at the fatso who had passed out on the ground and raised an eyebrow.
This guy was a complete scumbag from every angle, but in the original timeline, because of his Devil Fruit ability, he had ended up doing very well for himself.
Tsk, so in a way, I'm playing the role of Blackbeard in the original timeline.
Ever since he had deliberately let that group of soldiers go, he had been using his Observation Haki to keep an eye on the castle at the top of the mountain.
So, he knew that they were already fleeing to the sea.
Originally, he had planned to stop them at the port before getting treated.
But then, something unexpected had happened. A very powerful aura had suddenly appeared on the island, and Wapol and his men had stopped their escape.
He had thought it was some powerful ally that Wapol had called for, but he had never expected it to be Kuma.
—Bartholomew Kuma.
Shane looked up. The Kuma before him had a warm and gentle smile. He hadn't yet been turned into the silent, robotic man from his memories. He had clearly not been modified yet.
He quickly went over the timeline in his head.
If he remembered correctly, at this time, Kuma had just been issued a bounty for sinking a Marine warship and had become a "pirate" to avoid bringing trouble to his hometown and Bonney.
He was traveling the world, looking for a cure for the Sapphire Scale disease.
As for his cooperation with the World Government and his modification, that would happen next year, after Kuma met Dragon and was told where to find Vegapunk.
So, it made sense that Kuma would be on Drum Island, the once-famous "great medical kingdom."
"From your tone, it sounds like you've known me for a long time?" he asked.
"Yes," Kuma nodded. "I was once a member of a secret organization… please forgive me for not being able to tell you the name of the organization at this time."
"In any case, a few years ago, when you were still in the East Blue, your fame had already reached us. My superior was even planning to invite you to join our organization once you came of age."
A superior in the Revolutionary Army… what, did Dragon break out in a cold sweat over me too?
Shane was speechless. "So you didn't expect that the guy who cleaned out all the pirates in the East Blue would also become a pirate himself the moment he came of age?"
"An adventure group, not a pirate crew," Kuma said, shaking his head and immediately correcting him. "The truth can't be hidden forever. You are still the same as you were back then. Your heart has never changed, has it?"
He smiled. "I was just in Loguetown in the East Blue a while ago, and I heard the people there talking about you. A man who would go to war with the Marines to protect the people of Loguetown, how could he possibly be the vicious, plundering pirate that this king described?"
"OHHHHH!!!"
Chopper's eyes were sparkling. He poked his head out from behind the doorframe. "I knew it… Big brother Shane, you really are a super good person! So you've had an experience like that too!"
"I wouldn't say I'm a super good person," Shane said, stroking his head with a smile. He turned to Kuma. "You're making me blush. Come on in and talk. It's too cold out here. The inside is warm. You already know Dr. Kureha's name, so the doctors at the port must have told you a lot about this country."
"I haven't agreed to anything yet! Don't act like you own the place, brat!" Kureha said, throwing an empty liquor bottle at him.
Slap. Shane casually caught it. "Don't mind her. This old hag may be grumpy, but she's a brilliant doctor. You came here mainly to see her, right? If you have something to say, just talk to her directly."
"Thank you," Kuma said, nodding to Shane. He then bowed deeply to Kureha and Chopper.
He then brushed the snow from his clothes, carefully ducked his head, and stepped inside.
Kureha had been about to turn the big man away, but seeing his attitude, she finally just shrugged and stood guard at the door. When everyone was inside, she closed it.
And by then, Chopper had already trotted over and brought Kuma a cup of hot tea.
Hehe, this is the first time anyone has ever bowed to him. What's with today? So many nice people.
Big brother Shane is a good person, big sister Robin is a good person, and this strange uncle with the bear-ear hat is too!
...
In the warm treehouse, the aroma of tea filled the air.
Kuma held the hot tea and was silent for a moment before finally speaking. "Dr. Kureha, I've actually come to the Drum Kingdom to ask for your help. The doctors at the port told me that you are the most skilled doctor on this island, and that if they can't solve a problem, you are the only one who can."
"Oh?" Kureha said, taking a large gulp of liquor, a look of surprise on her face. "So those self-deprecating slaves of Wapol still have that much sense… what is it?"
"My daughter, Bonney," Kuma's voice was low and gentle, a flicker of pain in his eyes. "She has a rare disease, the Sapphire Scale disease."
"Sapphire Scale?" Kureha frowned and put down her liquor bottle. "That's a rare one. Tell me the symptoms in detail."
Kuma nodded and carefully took a photo from his coat, handing it to Kureha.
In the photo was a small, pink-haired girl with a bright smile, clinging to Kuma. They were clearly very close. And on the little girl's exposed skin, you could faintly see bluish scales, like jade.
"At first, it was just blue spots on her skin. Then, they gradually spread and formed these jade-like scales. When it acts up, she's in terrible pain, with a high fever, and she can't be in the sun…" Kuma's voice trembled slightly. "I've taken her to many doctors, but they were all helpless. One doctor even said…"
"…that your daughter won't live past the age of ten?" Kureha said calmly.
"Yes!"
Kuma sat up straight, his energy suddenly returning. He had only just mentioned the symptoms, and she had already accurately predicted Bonney's life expectancy. She was clearly familiar with the disease.
It seemed he had come to the right place. The most experienced doctor in the Drum Kingdom was truly as good as her reputation!
Kureha took the photo and examined it carefully for a moment. Then, she stood up and pulled several thick medical books from the bookshelf, flipping through them quickly.
The room fell silent, the only sound the rustling of the pages.
Chopper stood nervously to the side, his small hooves fidgeting. Shane and Robin exchanged a look and tacitly remained silent.
Shane thought to himself.
In his memory, Chopper didn't know Kuma, which meant that in the original timeline, Kuma probably hadn't come to Kureha for help when he came to Drum Island seeking a cure.
But… could Kureha really do anything?
Kuma had traveled the entire world for Bonney. Perhaps in this entire sea, only the genius Vegapunk, with his technology that was five hundred years ahead of its time, had a real solution.
And sure enough, as he had expected, after a long time, Kureha closed the last medical book and sighed.
"I'm sorry," she said, looking straight into Kuma's eyes. "I can't cure this disease."
Kuma's body stiffened slightly, and the light in his eyes faded.
"Even you can't do anything…" he murmured, his broad shoulders slumping.
"The cause of the Sapphire Scale disease is still unknown. It seems to have been born in this world from some kind of bloodline experiment. All the existing treatments can only alleviate the symptoms," Kureha said, shaking her head. "I've lived for over a hundred years, but this disease is beyond my abilities."
She paused, and seeing Kuma's disappointed expression, she added, "But I do know of one place that might be able to help you."
Kuma looked up, a spark of hope in his eyes. "Where?"
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