Chopper

Until the outside sounds completely disappeared,

"Huff--Huff--" Chopper collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, his little face covered in cold sweat and snow.

"Thank you so much... Waaah..."

He cautiously looked up and finally noticed that standing in front of him were two unfamiliar human men.

Chopper's eyes widened instantly, his reaction faster than his brain. He stammered as he shrank back, "Wait... you... you're human?! Don't... don't eat me!!"

Luo blinked, then couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, "This reindeer can actually talk?"

The man's eyes widened. "Yes, it's him... I heard from a relative in the next village that there was a blue-nosed reindeer that could talk, who secretly treated the villagers' illnesses, and then was chased all over the mountains by soldiers..."

Roy stood to the side, his gaze sweeping over Chopper indifferently, but inwardly he couldn't help but think:

"Is this Chopper in his Human-Human Fruit, in his civilian form? He's actually quite cute..."

Chopper was still terrified and hurriedly sought cover.

He darted behind a broken wooden table in the corner of the room, trying to hide himself... but he only managed to bury his head inside, leaving his round bottom and hind legs sticking out high, making him look utterly comical.

Luo was taken aback, while Roy simply chuckled, "Hey, little guy, you forgot to hide your butt."

Chopper was startled and shrank back, only to realize he had been exposed. He quickly moved his body and "hid" himself again from a different angle... but ended up revealing his two antlers on his head again.

The girl's father couldn't help but chuckle, instantly easing the tension around the fireplace.

Chopper cautiously peeked out, his voice trembling as he said, "Th-thank you all..."

Roy couldn't help but laugh out loud, taking two steps forward and asking, "Eat you? Why would we eat you?"

"Because... because I'm a monster... everyone says I'm a demon, a freak, that I can spread infectious diseases, and that I can transform and bite people..."

Chopper's voice was filled with deep grievance, his eyes red, "Everyone is afraid of me... and hates me..."

A flicker of pity crossed Luo's eyes. She slowly walked up to him, knelt down, and asked in a calm yet firm tone, "Are you a doctor?"

Chopper was stunned. This human not only didn't show disgust, but asked him in an almost gentle tone.

"Um... I... I'm studying medicine with Dr. Kureha..."

His words carried a hint of pride, but more than that, they reflected uncertainty and inferiority.

Luo blinked; at that moment, he seemed to feel a certain resonance.

"Then why were you being chased?" he asked softly.

Chopper lowered his head, his hooves trembling slightly as he held the basket on his back. "Because the king forbids his people from treating their own illnesses... I saw some people who were very sick, so I secretly treated them... but the soldiers found out..."

"They said I... wasn't qualified to save people..."

At this point, Chopper finally couldn't help but sniffle, tears streaming down his face again, but he stubbornly refused to cry out loud.

Luo lowered his head, remained silent for a moment, and slowly said, "You are not wrong."

"The one who truly lacks the qualifications is the king who treats doctors as tools of power."

These words were like a ray of light, piercing through the darkness in Chopper's heart.

He raised his head and looked at this stranger—in his eyes there was no contempt, no fear, only recognition and respect.

Just then, Roy walked over, extended his hand, palm open, with a smile on his face.

"We are also looking for ways to change this country."

"Want to come along?"

Chopper stared blankly at the outstretched hand, momentarily at a loss for what to do.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word; tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.

That was Trust that no one had ever extended to him, an invitation that no one had ever given him.

The little door to my heart quietly opened amidst the wind and snow...

Drum Kingdom - Dr. Kureha's Residence

Amidst howling winds and swirling snowflakes, an old wooden house perched on a mountainside glows with a warm yellow light, standing alone yet steadfastly in the wind and snow.

Inside, the fireplace was burning, its flickering flames clearly illuminating the herbs and medical instruments hanging on the walls.

Dr. Kureha was sitting in a chair, holding a bottle of liquor, her brow furrowed as she stared out the window.

"That Chopper, he's sneaked out to gather herbs again... It's so chaotic outside, what if something happens to him..."

"Crunch--"

The door was gently pushed open, and a gust of cold wind carrying snowflakes rushed in.

Chopper cautiously peeked out, a thin layer of snow still clinging to him, and said timidly, "Dollyre... I'm back..."

"You brat—" Kureha had just stood up to scold him when she suddenly stopped, her gaze passing over Chopper and landing on the two people who walked in behind him.

"Oh my? Chopper, you've brought me back two pretty impressive guys this time..."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, clearly recognizing the newcomer.

Roy, walking ahead, waved lazily and said casually, "Hey~ Can I borrow a place to get out of the wind?"

Standing beside him, Luo nodded slightly, his attitude humble. "I've long admired your name, Dr. Kureha. It's an honor to meet you in person."

Kureha raised an eyebrow, sized up the two of them, tilted her head back and took a swig of her drink, her smile somewhat meaningful:

"Marine Vice Admiral Roy, and ' Surgeon of Death... Well, this is going to be quite a spectacle today."

"What are you two important figures doing in this godforsaken place? This isn't your usual patrol area."

Chopper walked to her side, curled up into a ball, and whispered, "They... saved me. I was gathering herbs in the snowfield when soldiers were chasing me, and they brought me back..."

Kureha frowned upon hearing this, and snorted coldly, "Hmph, Wapol's lackeys are starting to bite people again."

Luo looked around and frowned as he saw the simple yet clean and tidy medical tools placed in the corner.

"The Drum Kingdom was once a world-leading medical powerhouse, but now..."

His tone became more somber, "It's gotten to the point where we can't even keep a decent clinic going."

"That's because this country has been completely eroded by human error," Kureha sneered.

"Back then, that fool Wapol gave an order to 'screen' all the doctors in the country, keeping only 20 for research in the Royal Palace, while the rest were expelled, monitored, and suppressed."

"The sick people have nowhere to go for medical treatment, so they can only rely on the two of us to secretly make house calls." She glanced at Chopper, "Otherwise, countless people would have died on this island long ago."

Luo said in a deep voice, "Wapol's actions are not merely a deviation from government orders, but a complete trampling of the dignity of doctors."

"Ha, that's easy to say." Kureha chuckled sarcastically. "That guy has no medical knowledge whatsoever. He only knows two words—power."

Chopper lowered his head and said softly, "But... he's the king... and the Drum Kingdom is Affiliated Nation of the World Government... there's so little we can do..."

The atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

At this point in the discussion, Luo frowned, seemingly considering the next possible step.

However, just as everyone was deep in thought, Roy suddenly chuckled and casually remarked, "Is it really necessary to make things so complicated?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Kureha and Rozia turned to look at him, their expressions slightly puzzled.

Roy shrugged, sat down at the table, crossed his legs, and said in a nonchalant tone:

"Since Wapol is the root of this country's problems, then..."

He raised his head, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Then let's address the root cause."

Kureha looked at him, paused for a moment, then threw her head back and laughed, "Hahaha! Kid, I like your way of thinking!"

"Indeed, it seems so?" She took a swig of her drink, smacked her lips, and said, "It's actually quite enjoyable to think about."

Luo finally came to his senses, his eyes turning slightly cold. "Compared to going through legal procedures and reporting to the World Government... it's certainly much easier to just solve the problem directly."

Chopper stared blankly at the three of them, who were talking amongst themselves, his head full of question marks, as if the word "???" was floating above his head.

Staring blankly at the three of them. "What do you mean by 'solve'...?"

Roy ruffled his hair and chuckled, "It means he'll never be able to harm the people again."