"I... I understand..."
Hearing Dr. Kureha's words, Chopper nodded sadly.
At the same time, Dr. Kureha simply reached out and grabbed her brat's little hoof.
Leading her son home, Dr. Kureha spoke softly as they walked.
"I know you're still feeling bad, you brat."
Because being a doctor is a profession that is clearly about doing good deeds.
As a result, I don't know when it started, but even doing good deeds now requires legal permission, and we also need to consider the consequences of doing good deeds...
But there's nothing we can do about it; that's the rule in Winter Island and the Drum Kingdom!
As soon as she finished speaking, Dr. Kureha gently shook her head.
"I don't like these rules either, but we are people of Winter Island. As commoners, even if I, a renowned doctor, was once famous both at home and abroad, I can't change the mind of our mad king, Wapol ..."
"I understand, Dr. Kureha..."
Hearing Kureha's words, Chopper nodded gently.
"I know you've worked very hard taking care of me, and since we can't get medical treatment, neither of us has any income."
So don't worry, I will work hard to collect herbs and hand them over to Doctor 20 in exchange for supplies, and try my best to take good care of us!
And... I... I won't treat people casually anymore...
If I really get found out, then... Waaaaah, then I... Waaaaahh...
Accompanied by a series of suppressed sobs, Chopper was overcome with indescribable grief.
I can no longer treat my animal friends, because... I can't add any more trouble for the doctor!!!
Listening to Chopper's cries, Kureha shook her head helplessly.
Then, she couldn't resist picking up the reindeer, which was about the size of a raccoon dog.
She simply shook Chopper around like she was shaking out a wet garment.
Immediately afterward, Dr. Kureha said in an annoyed tone.
"Stop crying here, you brat!"
You said the same thing last time, and the time before that. Every time you cried so sincerely, I thought you really wouldn't do it again!
So, when have you ever actually succeeded?
As she spoke, Kureha lifted Chopper up in front of her and said with utmost seriousness.
"Fine, fine, you little rascal, you just drive me crazy!"
Besides, I have no right to criticize you, because I've also secretly treated some patients!
I have my patients, you have yours, we're all two of us, sneaking around like scoundrels!
So, if you ever want to treat your animal friends, feel free to bring some herbs with you!
"Really?!!"
Chopper immediately let out an excited scream, and then he excitedly stretched out his little hoof and hugged Kureha's face tightly.
Seeing this, Kureha pushed Chopper's hoof away in disgust, then picked Chopper up and continued speaking seriously.
"But let me tell you beforehand, you brat!"
You may only treat your animal friends secretly; you must never treat any humans in villages or towns!
"Why?"
Upon hearing this, Chopper's excitement immediately subsided considerably; he had thought he had already received Kureha's medical license...
Seeing Chopper's dejected expression, Chopper on the head with her free hand.
"Hey what!"
You brat, you have absolutely no sense of social etiquette. In Winter Island, where private medical practice is not allowed, you can only treat animals!
Besides, you're not human, so why don't you go and heal your fellow human beings? That would be perfect!
As for people..."
With that, Kureha put Chopper back on the ground, then wiped the fuzz off her hands on her pants before lighting a cigarette.
While smoking, Doriel said leisurely.
"How could you possibly understand? Humans and animals are different!"
The animals you heal will be grateful to you for life, and they would never do anything to turn around and hurt you!
But humans..."
Doriel reached into her pocket and pulled out a wanted poster.
Kureha threw the bounty poster in front of Chopper, and after Chopper caught it, she shook her head and said...
"This is the latest bounty issued by the Drum Kingdom. Wapol has offered a bounty of 200,000 Beli for people like you and me who are not part of the Drum Kingdom's Doctor 20 team!"
That's 200,000 Beli! It's not a lot, but it's enough to replace the income of the commoners in the Drum Kingdom for a whole month!
Can you tell whether the humans you heal might, after being cured, turn around and report you to Wapol for the bounty?
I can see through those people, so I can secretly heal them. I know which of them won't turn around and sell me to the Wapol's Legion for bounty money after I heal them!
But I can do it, you can't, you brat!
As soon as she finished speaking, Dr. Kureha gave Chopper's head another heavy slap.
For things that don't affect their fundamental safety, Kureha can give Chopper enough freedom.
But when faced with a mistake that could truly destroy their family, Kureha would absolutely not allow Chopper to make it!
Beside him, Chopper, rubbing his head which had been hit, quickly nodded his little head.
"I understand, please stop hitting me."
I've already defeated my father! I'm not a child anymore! Doctor, please be gentle!
"Ha?"
Hearing Chopper's words, Kureha immediately intensified her movements.
She kept hitting Chopper while giving Chopper reminders.
"Don't try to argue with me, you brat! The father you defeated was just a reindeer!"
But humans are far more dangerous than reindeer!
Don't you want to become a super doctor who can cure all diseases, a legendary panacea?
"If it dies, then it certainly won't become a panacea!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Kureha walked ahead on her own, leaving the dejected Chopper behind.
Seeing this, Chopper quickly took small, quick steps to catch up with Kureha.
As he walked, Chopper couldn't help but mutter to himself.
"It's all treatment, so why do you say the animals will thank me, but the humans won't?"
I've wanted to ask this for a long time, Doctor!
Why do you charge such exorbitant fees every time you treat someone?
We are doctors; shouldn't saving lives be our sacred duty?
And wouldn't the people we treat all thank us?
"If I were like you, charging exorbitant fees for every medical consultation, I wouldn't be appreciated by people, would I?"
"Ha ha!"
Upon hearing Chopper's words, Kureha burst into laughter. Then she turned around and presented her wrinkled face to Chopper.
While staring intently into Chopper's eyes, Kureha spoke earnestly.
"I've lived for over 120 years, Chopper. Do you think what I've learned and seen in those 120 years is any less profound than what you, a reindeer who's only been human for a little over a decade, have learned?"
I used to be just like you, thinking that all I needed to do was treat patients and save lives, and that I would receive the gratitude and respect that patients should rightfully deserve!
But as it turns out, the world isn't like that. Patients only think that it's our duty as doctors to cure them, and that if we can't, it's something we owe them!
As for my consultation fee, haha, although my consultation fee is high, it is tailored to each patient, and they will definitely be able to afford it!
If they're not even willing to pay this much, it's not that I don't want to save him, it's that they don't want to save themselves, isn't it?
Besides, do you really think free healthcare will make people appreciate me more?
Haha, back when I used to collect herbs for free to treat people's illnesses, they all said my medical skills were terrible, and they would rather spend more money to be treated by other people!
You think I acquired my medical skills from somewhere? Because when I was young, back when I was still providing free medical care to people.
Aside from patients with minor ailments like headaches and fevers, the people who come to me are those who have been told they are not far from death and are trying their luck here!
I am a doctor, but I am also just a doctor. Because of those countless patients who took their chances, many of my patients died, but I also gradually cured more and more patients!
But I still have no reputation. Sometimes I can only watch people die, and they are more willing to believe in the good doctors in their eyes who charge higher prices than me!
I am clearly more skilled than those so-called good doctors, so why am I always people's second, or even third or fourth choice?
Do you think I don't want to treat more patients?
From that day on, I completely changed my medical principles; I never offered free treatment again!
On the contrary, I will charge exorbitant fees; I want to become the most expensive doctor in the world!
From that day on, my reputation spread far and wide. People no longer came to me for simple headaches and fevers; those illnesses didn't require my intervention, as any doctor could cure them.
Of course, except for your father, my old friend, the deceased Hiluluk.
He's a good person, but he's really a quack doctor...
Back to me, whenever people encounter a real terminal illness, they all think of me because I'm someone who charges such a high price that they have to choose between money and life!
They only have two choices in front of me: money or their lives!
You need to understand, Chopper, people will never respect our medical skills; they will only respect our own efforts!
They've given enough, so they trust me enough!
"You're wrong, Dr. Kureha!!!"
Beside him, listening to Dr. Kureha's radical words, Chopper shook his head frantically.
He simply couldn't believe that such words were coming from the person he respected most!
Little Chopper blinked his tear-filled eyes and continued calling out to Kureha in disbelief.
"People... people don't need to make sacrifices to understand respect!"
Only when I treat them with sincerity will they treat me with the same sincerity!
Just like me and my animal friends, they..."
"So they are animals, they are not people!!!"
Kureha interrupted Chopper abruptly, then squatted down in front of Chopper.
Looking into Chopper's innocent and utterly naive eyes, Kureha sighed softly.
"Oh, you brat! I finally told you some honest things I should tell my real son, and the result..."
As it turns out, you brat son couldn't understand a thing!
Then let me try a different way of talking to you, you brat!
I ask you, what are we?
Kureha yelled at Chopper, and her words made Chopper shrink back and pout.
"Doctor... doctor..." Chopper answered softly.
On the other side, as soon as Chopper finished speaking, Kureha immediately continued to yell at him.
"Very good, we are doctors, so what is our job?!"
"Treating illness..."
Chopper continued to pout; his lips were practically able to hold more stuff than his antlers...
Seeing Chopper's aggrieved look, Kureha took a deep breath.
Ugh, this kid is so adorable! His pitiful look is just so heartbreaking, it's almost unbearable!!!
Striving to maintain her cold expression, Doriel pinched Chopper's furry face with her hand.
"So we are doctors, and our job is to heal!"
So, whether it's a disease that costs money, a disease that doesn't cost money, or even a disease that can bankrupt patients!
Regardless of the choices patients face, our job is simply to cure their illnesses!
Tell me, does life have value?
Isn't life priceless?
Since it is priceless, life can be truly free, but it can also be exchanged for priceless treasures!
Our duty is simply to heal the sick. Whether we charge money or not is irrelevant to our duty!
What we need to do is cure other people's illnesses!
Even I, if I encounter an illness that I can't cure, I never charge money, do I?
As soon as she finished speaking, Kureha grabbed Chopper's hoof and angrily dragged Chopper toward her little house by the lake.
As they walked, Kureha said one last thing to Chopper.
"It's such a waste of breath to talk to a brat like you!"
In short, you are still an intern doctor who hasn't completed your training, so you must obey my orders as your mentor!
I said, you can treat animals, but you can't treat people. Even if you treat people, you must get my permission, do you hear me?!
"I... I heard it..."
Chopper was completely speechless after being scolded by Kureha. Although he still didn't understand what Kureha meant, he finally nodded slightly.
Seeing this, Doriel breathed a soft sigh of relief.
"It's good that you heard it, sigh."
Alright, when you get back, go to the warehouse and get some medicine, then treat the rest of your animal friends that you haven't finished treating.
We are all doctors, just as you shouldn't object to my attitude of charging for treatment.
I shouldn't offer any special opinions about your attitude of providing free treatment.
But our arguments cannot be based on our basic moral character!
A doctor determined to cure illness cannot give up on any patient, even if they are just animals, haha!
From that moment on, Dr. Kureha's loud laughter echoed around the northernmost lakeside of Winter Island, lingering for a long time.
And Chopper...
Doriel could only wish that he would never understand her words in his entire life.
Because all those heartfelt words she spoke were learned from all sorts of suffering...
How could she bear to see Chopper suffer the same hardships she had in her youth?
On the other hand, in Mary Geoise, at the top of Pangea Castle, Chamber of Authority.
Looking at the newspaper in their hands, the Five Elders frowned deeply.
"He's really fast!"
As he spoke, the Elder of Diplomacy relaxed his brow and revealed an appreciative smile.
"I've always thought highly of him, haha, his personality is definitely suited for diplomacy!"
Now it's been less than six months since he left Mary Geoise, and look at what's happened.
Of the islands he visited, aside from the Marine Headquarters and Enies Lobby, there were two others.
He planted his flag on all the other islands, turning them into islands whose situation he could easily control!
There are even two whole World Government Member States here, haha!
Once this kid sits in our position, not to mention the other islands, just considering Fish-Man Island and Alabasta, these two islands can practically be brought back into the hands of the World Government for direct control!
Most importantly, he did not use the Buster Call or any other underhanded methods that would alert other Affiliated Nation!
This is amazing! This is a diplomatic victory!!!
As they spoke, the Elder of Diplomacy's laughter grew even more hearty.
It's strange, really, but the Elder of Diplomacy felt an instant connection with Gawain the first time he saw him.
He always felt that Gawain had a similar temperament to him!
He particularly favored Gawain!
However, after the Elder of Diplomacy finished speaking...
The Elder of Military sitting on the same sofa as him couldn't help but shake his head.
"Well, there's nothing wrong with Little Gawain's strategy, but... I'm just worried that he's chosen the wrong target!"
At this point, the Elder of Military turned to look at the window Chamber of Authority, his gaze passing over the pavilions and finally landing on a very mysterious room in the distance that was hidden from view.
At the same time, the other Five Elders also learned the location that the Elder of Military was looking at, a place called the Flower Room!
Seeing this, the Elder of Culture sighed softly.
"Yes, if it were another country that planted its flag."
Whether it's me or you, we are only happy for him, and even more so for our Celestial Dragon race.
Every piece of land we possess that is completely under our control and free from further rebellion represents a step closer to our enduring goal!
But... sigh...
Why did he choose Alabasta as his second choice?
The Nefertari Family is Imu's family; they are the most unique family in the entire world, and especially among the twenty Celestial Dragon...
They definitely hold a special place in Lord Imu's heart; otherwise, why would they abandon their Celestial Dragon identities and return to Alabasta to maintain their rule?
I just hope that Imu won't develop a special opinion of Gawain because of this.
After all, among our current generation of younger generations, Gawain and Shanks are already the two most outstanding children!
I'm sorry to ask for leave today, everyone. I had some urgent business to attend to during the day.
An unexpected situation took up my entire afternoon, and I've only managed to write a little over five thousand words so far...
Only one chapter today...
Love you all.