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Chapter 37 - Chapter 37 – Chohige

All three turned their eyes toward Dr. Kureha. She wore a black leather bodysuit and pants, her face lined with visible wrinkles, yet her spirit radiated vigor.

"Hard to believe she's 139 years old," Rainer muttered in awe. She looks more alive than I do.

"We came to see the doctor."

Rainer pushed himself up, patted the snow off his clothes, and signaled Zoro. "He's the one. Can you treat his injuries?"

From the climb earlier, Zoro had stripped off his only thin shirt. His bare torso revealed scars crisscrossing his entire body—like a monstrous centipede crawling across his skin.

"And who might you be?" Dr. Kureha didn't answer directly. Her sharp eyes narrowed, suspicion evident.

"We're pirates!" Luffy blurted out with his usual grin.

Hiding behind Dr. Kureha, clutching her legs tightly, Chopper peeked out with wide, curious eyes. "Pirates… just like Doctor Hiriluk said."

"I can treat him," Dr. Kureha said at last, smirking slyly. "As long as you can pay my fee."

"How much?" Rainer frowned. Dalton had already warned him: this so-called witch doctor demanded outrageous sums for treatment.

If the price was too high, he thought grimly, they could always abduct Chopper first, then patch up Zoro later.

"Let's say… twenty million Berries!"

That cheap?!

Rainer froze. Then he corrected himself—no, twenty million wasn't cheap. It was enough to support an ordinary family for years.

It was just that he was too wealthy. Still, even if he thought it, he snapped back angrily:

"Old hag! That's robbery! Look at my crewmate—he climbed Drum Mountain barehanded with these injuries. He's practically bouncing with energy! And you've got the nerve to charge twenty million?!"

"Take it or leave it," Dr. Kureha shot back impatiently. "I said twenty million. Don't have it? Then get out."

Rainer glared and reached into his coat as though for a gun.

Kureha's expression darkened. From her sleeves, several throwing knives slipped into her fingers, ready to strike.

But then—she froze.

And slowly lowered her hand.

"Twenty million. Deal."

Because what Rainer pulled out wasn't a weapon, but a fat stack of Berries. He held it out calmly.

At this point, she can't raise the price anymore, he thought.

Kureha: "…"

"You're an interesting brat. Fine, come with me."

The group followed Kureha and Chopper into the castle. Zoro was taken to a makeshift operating room—once just a bedroom before Kureha remodeled the castle after Wapol's departure. From inside came constant pig-squealing screams.

Meanwhile, in the hall, Rainer and Luffy were busy trying to win Chopper over. Knowing they were pirates made him nervous, but curiosity soon got the better of him.

"Hey, hey, do you guys have a Jolly Roger?" Chopper asked eagerly.

"Shishishi, of course we do! I'll draw it for you!"

Luffy grabbed a pen and paper, scrawling furiously. "There! That's it!"

On the sheet was a crooked skull, supposedly wearing a… well, something that might barely pass as a straw hat. It looked nothing like their real flag.

Leaning back on the sofa, sipping tea, Rainer groaned. "Luffy… your drawing is…"

"Wow! That's so cool!!"

"Pffft—cool?! Where?!"

Rainer nearly spat his drink. So that's what you're into, Chohige. He glanced at Chopper oddly, then smirked. "Since you admire pirates so much, why not join us at sea?"

"Yeah, come with us, Chopper!" Luffy beamed.

Chopper's excitement quickly faded to hesitation. Of course, he dreamed of being a pirate—Doctor Hiriluk himself had once been one. But…

"I… I can't be a pirate." His ears drooped, eyes dim with sadness.

What bound him was himself.

"Why not?"

"Don't ask me anymore!" Chopper cried, bolting away.

"That's weird. How can someone not be a pirate?" Luffy crouched monkey-like on his chair, scratching his head as he watched him go.

Bang.

The "operating room" door swung open.

"All done. Let him rest a while."

Dr. Kureha dusted off her hands and flopped onto the sofa, grabbing a bottle of liquor. She guzzled deeply, then glared at them. "You little brats, trying to abduct my pet behind my back?"

"Ahahaha, you caught us," Luffy grinned, unfazed.

"If you want to take him, then go ahead," Kureha smirked. "That is… if you can."

"You sound almost eager to see it happen." Rainer chuckled, passing her a cigarette.

"He's always wanted to be a pirate."

"Then why hasn't he?"

"Because he's sick. A sickness of the heart. Even I can't cure it."

Exhaling smoke, Kureha closed her eyes, her voice softening with memory. Slowly, she told them of Chopper's past.

"Born with a blue nose, he was rejected by his herd. Always left behind, alone.

"Then he ate a Devil Fruit. Even the reindeer turned on him as a freak. Bloodied and broken, he wandered into human villages. You've seen what he looks like. The result was obvious—fear, disgust, rejection.

"Humans hate what they don't understand. They cursed him, beat him, even shot at him."

Her throat dry, Kureha chugged another swig before continuing:

"Until that man appeared—Hiriluk. A quack doctor with clumsy hands and foolish dreams of a cure-all, raving about cherry blossoms blooming across this country.

"And yet, that fool was the one who saved the 'monster' neither man nor reindeer would accept."

Kureha finished her bottle and set it down on the marble table with a sharp clink.

"After his foster father died, the brat clung to me, saying he wanted to become a doctor who could cure anything. A foolish boy."

She fixed her gaze on them, dead serious.

"He's afraid of being hurt again. He shut himself off, convinced even he's a monster. That's his sickness. So…"

Kureha paused, a smirk tugging at her lips. "If you think you can change that, then try."

"Shishishi… I've decided."

Luffy's grin stretched wide. "I'll make him our crewmate for sure!"

"Perfect. Our ship is already full of monsters," Rainer added with a laugh, tightening the dark-blue sleeves of his coat. "Let's go, Luffy. I can't wait."

"Shishishi! Operation Capture Chopper—begin!" Luffy yelled, dashing out first.

"You idiots!"

Kureha spat to the side, popping open another bottle. How they've lived this long, I'll never know.

"Still… fools attract fools."

Sinking into the sofa, eyes on the ceiling, her expression softened, tinged with melancholy.

So… it's time, Chopper.

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