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Chapter 8
The cannon blast instantly carved a massive crater where Victor had stood, the shockwave even sending the cannon and King Wapol flying backward.
The king emerged unscathed, though looking quite disheveled.
"Hahaha! All that talk, and you still got blasted to bits!"
Not seeing Victor anywhere, the king assumed he'd been obliterated and burst into triumphant laughter.
"Is that so? You really are full of yourself. I wasted too much time talking. Hmm… actually, you're not completely useless."
Victor's voice came from directly behind the king, calm and quiet.
"What?! You're still alive?! What the hell are you?!"
The king spun around in terror, stumbling backward when he saw Victor unharmed.
Victor didn't bother replying. Black Armament Haki coated his fist. With a single leap, he delivered a clean punch to the king's face, knocking him out cold.
"Sigh… just an ordinary person who ate the fruit. You didn't unlock even a fraction of its potential. What a disappointment."
Victor shook his head in disdain at the unconscious king.
One last chance—maybe he could still get the Baku Baku no Mi.
But first, other business.
Victor hoisted the king over his shoulder and tracked down the doctors who had fled outside.
"Do any of you know where Crocus is?"
The doctors exchanged glances.
"Crocus? He hates crowds—he never joins us."
"He's usually out gathering herbs in the mountains or treating poor people in town."
"If he's not in town, he's probably deep in the mountains."
They clearly knew Crocus but had no exact location.
Victor could tell they weren't lying. He nodded.
"Pack your things and head down to the town square. Gather there."
He gave them a quick glance and dismissed them.
Then, still carrying the king, Victor went to find Dr. Kureha (Dolly the Witch Doctor).
He located her easily.
Dr. Kureha appeared to be in her seventies or eighties but looked no older than fifty or sixty.
Victor was tempted to ask her secret to longevity.
"Hohoho… isn't that our dear king? Looking quite pathetic. Seems a truly remarkable guest has arrived."
Dr. Kureha raised an eyebrow at the sight of Victor carrying the unconscious monarch.
"I'm Victor. Hakime masu, Dr. Kureha."
Victor greeted her politely.
"Oh? Victor, my boy. What brings you to me?"
She smiled, lighting a cigarette.
"Two things. First: I'd like to invite you to join us as our ship doctor. Second: I plan to publicly execute this idiot pig of a king."
Victor continued calmly. "Dr. Kureha, would you be interested in helping elect a new king for this country?"
Dr. Kureha took a long drag on her cigarette and laughed.
"Oh? Are you inviting me to sea… or planning to kidnap me? Are you a pirate?"
Victor shook his head.
"Not yet. But after today's events get reported to the World Government, I probably will be."
"I'm inviting you properly—no threats. If you're not interested, no hard feelings."
Dr. Kureha studied him for a moment and chuckled.
"With that handsome face, you certainly don't seem like a brute. Ahahaha!"
She laughed heartily.
Victor shrugged. "Since you're not interested, I won't waste your time. Shitsurei shimasu."
He turned to leave.
"Wait—didn't expect you to be so reasonable. While I won't join your crew, I wouldn't mind watching this fool get publicly executed."
Victor paused.
"By the way, Dr. Kureha—do you know where Crocus is?"
She exhaled smoke.
"Crocus? He came back recently but went straight into the mountains to gather herbs. It'll be hard to find him. Either wait in town for him to return or search the mountains yourself."
Victor nodded.
"Thanks. I'll wait in town then."
With a powerful leap, he vanished from the castle rooftop.
By now, the town had gone from cautious glances to full-blown panic. People had either fled indoors or hidden completely. Streets were empty, shops shuttered.
Heracles, unable to buy supplies, shook his head helplessly.
When the crew brought the ship back to shore at his signal, Victor returned.
"Hey, Victor—you're finally back. I was bored out of my mind. Couldn't even study plants."
Heracles sighed in relief. These scholars were here for research, not excitement. Watching this mess was far less interesting than botanical data.
Victor dropped the unconscious king at his feet.
"I'm back. Things are about to get interesting."
He addressed the crew.
"Gather all the townspeople in the square. We're going to execute the King of Drum publicly."
He paused.
"Oh—and collect every fruit in town. We'll need them later."
The crew nodded casually—it was a simple task—and went to work.
Soon the residents were herded into the central square.
Dr. Kureha arrived fashionably late, riding her reindeer-drawn sleigh.
The townspeople lit up at the sight of her—swarming like she was their savior.
"Quiet down! Just watch the king get what he deserves. He's earned it."
She raised her voice.
"And let's hope the next ruler actually cares about this country."
At that moment, Crocus appeared—still young, having just returned from the mountains.
"Kureha? What's going on here?"
He asked in alarm.
Dr. Kureha and the nearby residents quickly explained the situation.
Crocus listened, then relaxed.
"So that's it. Yeah… this guy really does deserve it."