Dawn of Drum

Drum Kingdom - Castle

"Useless!! All of you are useless!!"

A deafening roar echoed through the Throne room, and the magnificent Throne trembled violently under the weight of the enormous figure.

Wapol's face contorted with rage. He grabbed a gold cup from the table and smashed it violently against the kneeling soldier. Wine splattered everywhere, and the gold cup rolled onto the cold floor tiles.

"You can't even catch a little blue-nosed reindeer?! Are you bunch of useless trash just for decoration?!"

The soldiers knelt with their heads bowed, foreheads pressed against the floor tiles, fists clenched beneath their armor, but not one dared to utter a sound.

"The king? He's nothing but a Tyrant maintains stability through intimidation."

"The people are almost all dead, yet he only cares about authority and saving face..."

In the silence, the palace gates were suddenly flung open, and a panicked figure stumbled into the hall.

"Your Majesty!! Something terrible has happened!!"

Staff officer Kuromarimo, his forehead covered in sweat, his voice trembling with fear:

"Dr. Kureha —she, she's openly practicing medicine in the Central Square!!"

"And... patients from half the kingdom have all rushed there!! The queue stretches out of the square!!"

"What?!" Wapol jumped to his feet, the Throne creaking as he did so.

"That old hag dares to openly defy my decree?!"

He was furious, his fat jiggling, his eyes burning with naked rage and humiliation.

"Is she planning a rebellion?! Or do you all want to see me make a fool of myself?!"

"Guards! Assemble the Guards and escort me to the square! I will publicly execute those lowly commoners who dared to disobey my orders!!"

Drum Kingdom - Central Square

The wind and snow continued, but the square was unusually lively today.

On the thick snow, the makeshift medical area, constructed with tents and planks, was bustling with activity, and long queues stretched out in a winding line.

Coughing elderly people, feverish children, injured miners... many faces that had long been filled with despair now showed a renewed glimmer of hope.

Chopper tiptoed to bandage a child's arm, carefully and attentively, his lips turning purple from the cold, yet he still managed a forced smile.

"Dollyre... are we really alright?" he asked softly, his hooves trembling slightly as he gripped the bandages.

Dr. Kureha, who was stitching up her wound while heartily chugging down a drink, glanced at him upon hearing this.

Don't worry, Chopper.

She glanced at Luo, who was patiently examining a patient beside her, then at Roy, who was sitting on a bench not far away, feigning sleep. A distinctively cold smile curled at the corner of her lips.

"The world's most powerful navy is right here beside us!"

"Boom--!"

The heavy city gates swung open with a deafening roar, shaking the snow-covered ground!

Wapol led over a hundred fully armed soldiers into the square with imposing force, their cloaks billowing and their armor gleaming blindingly in the snow.

"Stop right there, all of you!!"

His roar was like a thunderclap, and in an instant, the entire square fell silent.

The patients huddled together in fear, trembling. Some children huddled directly in their mothers' arms, but not a single one of them fled the medical tent.

Chopper stopped what he was doing, staring wide-eyed at the menacing soldiers, his eyes filled with terror.

Wapol sat atop his mount, looking down at the crowd with a livid face, his scepter pointing straight ahead.

"How dare you practice medicine under my orders?! Dr. Kureha! You old hag!!"

"Kneel down and confess your sins immediately, and I might even grant you a complete corpse!"

Dr. Kureha stood up, dusted off the blood from her hands, took a sip of strong liquor, and chuckled.

"Haha, Wapol, you're still the same as ever."

"Having come this far, haven't you grasped the situation yet?"

"The situation?!" Wapol roared in exasperation, "In my country, I am the situation!"

"Soldiers! Give it to me--"

Before he could finish speaking...

"Whoosh--!"

A figure flashed into view, and an irresistible pressure suddenly descended.

The next second, Roy was already standing silently in front of Wapol.

He slowly opened his eyes, his dark pupils reflecting that fat, terrified face.

Roy spoke softly, his tone as cold as a snowy mountain night wind: "You said—"

"Whose king are you?"

"Bang--!"

With a deafening roar, Wapol's hundreds-of-pounds body was sent flying like a rag doll, crashing heavily through the stone wall and iron railings at the edge of the square, sending shards of stone flying and kicking up a cloud of snow dust!

The entire venue fell into dead silence.

The soldiers looked at each other, filled with a mixture of fear and apprehension.

Chopper's eyes widened, and he asked in a low voice, "He... he's not dead, is he?"

"Whether she lives or dies is unimportant." Kureha clicked her tongue, a thoroughly gleeful smile spreading across her lips.

"The important thing is, this time no one can stop us from rescuing people."

"Bang--!"

Amidst flying debris, Wapol's body writhed in the ruins, struggling to his feet in a disheveled state.

His face was swollen like a fermented pig's head, his nose was bruised and swollen, blood was dripping from the corner of his mouth, his crown was crooked, his cloak was torn, and he looked like a pile of fat meat in the snow.

"Who the hell are you?!"

He roared hysterically, spitting as he spoke, "How dare you lay a hand on me?! I am the King of Affiliated Nation recognized by the World Government!!"

"You dare attack me, you will be wanted, tried, and executed!"

With that, he abruptly turned and roared at the frozen soldiers, "What are you all standing there for?! Kill him!! Tear him to pieces!!"

The soldiers looked at each other, fear and hesitation flashing in their eyes, but years of oppression made them instinctively raise their weapons.

"Buzz--!"

An indescribable sense of oppression instantly swept through the entire venue!

Roy's eyes suddenly turned cold, and his Conqueror's Haki erupted like a raging storm, sweeping across the square!

"Boom--!"

The air vibrated violently, the snow shattered instantly, and the Shockwave threw the soldiers several meters into the air!

Hundreds of soldiers collapsed to the ground, their eyes rolled back and foams at the mouth, their weapons clattering to the floor, scattering into a mountain of steel debris.

Surprisingly, the patient inside the tent was unharmed, only taking a few steps back in fear, his eyes filled with shock and awe.

Chopper's eyes widened. "W-what kind of aura is this...!"

Dr. Kureha, biting the bottle, Flash her eyes. "As expected of him..."

Wapol's face was deathly pale, his whole body was trembling, and his lips were twitching, yet he was still stubbornly holding on!

"I am the king... I have weapons!! I have power!!"

"Tuntun - Cannon Mode!!"

He opened his enormous maw, which instantly transformed into a jet-black cannon barrel, from which dark purple projectiles coalesced, roaring furiously, "Die!!"

"Boom--!"

The shell roared out, tearing through the Sky Splitter, and hurtled towards Roy!

Roy's eyes were calm as still water as he raised one hand.

"Snap."

With a casual slap, as if he were swatting a fly, he sent the shell flying. The shell exploded in mid-air, and flames and Shockwaves bloomed into a fiery lotus flower!

In the firelight, his figure suddenly vanished.

"Whoosh!"

In the next instant, he appeared in front of Wapol like a ghost, grabbed Wapol's throat with one hand, and lifted him off the ground like a dead pig!

"If your life didn't still have some value..."

Do you think you're still alive?