Although Vic is going to search for the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, he won't waste too much time. If he doesn't find it within a few months, he will return directly to Marine Headquarters to report.
"Okay! I understand!" Wendy replied, taking the Vivre Card with a heavy heart.
" Dr. Kureha, Dr. Tsukimi! Wendy will be staying here for a while, so please look after her!"
Vic turned to the two elderly men who had achieved remarkable success in their respective fields and said that Wendy didn't actually need anyone to take care of her, as she was strong enough. However, Vic still hoped that Wendy could stay here and wait for Zephyr's arrival.
"Don't worry, Vic! Leave Wendy to us, we'll raise her to be healthy and chubby!" Dr. Tsukimi immediately patted her chest and agreed upon hearing Vic's words.
"This is my home! Who asked you, you old geezer, to agree to this? Vic, go in peace! I'll make sure this girl leaves Drum Island healthy and well."
Kureha retorted to Dr. Tsukimi. Dr. Tsukimi, whose daily routine consisted of drinking and bickering with him. Vic was often not around, and Wendy was a patient, so Dr. Tsukimi was the only one she could talk to and argue with, adding a touch of life to the treehouse.
"Ahem, it's your home, you call the shots!" Dr. Tsukimi was a little embarrassed. He had indeed overstepped his bounds. He himself needed to stay here and even had to ask this old witch for advice on the mysteries of the human body. He was practically living under her roof. But he would earnestly fulfill Vic's request.
After waving goodbye to the three, Vic left the Book Tree House. He wasn't planning to give away the medical books in the secret chamber of Drum Rockies yet; they might come in very useful later, he had a feeling!
Kureha didn't care whether Vic left or not; she wasn't particularly welcoming to men anyway. She just sat there drinking, ignoring Vic.
Wendy and Dr. Tsukimi saw him off outside. Watching Vic's departing figure, Wendy couldn't hold back her tears again. Dr. Tsukimi also deeply moved, thinking, "He's truly a man of his word, inspiring boundless trust in those around him."
After leaving Kureha's treehouse, Vic didn't leave Drum Island immediately; he still needed to say goodbye to Chopper.
Chopper hadn't seen him for three days. If he left without saying goodbye, Chopper would probably cry his eyes out. That kind of blow would be too much, and it would be really cruel to Chopper was only a few months old.
Vic walked to the tree with the hole in it and saw fresh black droppings under the tree, which Chopper had used to relieve himself in the tree.
After taking a second look, Vic's lips curled into a smile, and then he used Geppo to ascend to the tree hole.
Inside the tree hollow, Chopper was reading a book, reading aloud as he went, quite intently, until Vic landed beside him, startling Chopper awake.
" Vic! You're finally back! I missed you so much! Waaah!" Seeing Vic behind him, Chopper immediately threw himself onto Vic's lap, tears streaming down his face. His earlier focused reading mood had completely vanished.
"Haha! Blue Nose! I told you I'd be back in a few days. How's your reading going? I'm going to check on you!"
Vic smiled and patted Chopper's fluffy head. Chopper was so small and cute. All babies are like that. Maybe Chopper survived because of his appearance!
"Okay! Vic, you come first! I've been studying hard." Chopper's attention was immediately drawn to Vic's words. He wanted to show off in front of Vic, so he stopped crying and waited earnestly for Vic to ask him a question.
"Fine, seeing how confident you are, I know you've been studying hard. You don't need to take the exam. Let's go! Let's find a new place to settle down!"
Vic isn't really testing Chopper. He said he would test him before to distract Chopper, and he's doing the same thing now. Chopper is completely being fooled. However, Chopper's attitude is really serious, so there's no need to worry about him slacking off.
Chopper looked at Vic with a blank expression after hearing Vic words. He had been studying hard these past few days, doing nothing but studying except for eating and sleeping, all in order to perform well in Vic's presence and earn Vic's praise.
But all his hard work was for nothing! It was all brushed aside with just a single sentence, leaving Chopper frozen in place, completely dumbfounded.
Ignoring Chopper's adorable little expression, Vic picked Chopper up, gathered the things from the tree hole, and jumped out. After landing, Vic put Chopper down; he needed Chopper to become independent sooner, and he would have to complete the rest of the journey on his own.
Chopper being put down by Vic, Chopper felt the coldness under his feet and came to his senses. He looked at Vic and saw that Vic's eyes were fixed on a certain place with a smile.
Following Vic's gaze, Chopper was immediately embarrassed and annoyed, his face turning bright red, because what Vic was looking at was the black granules under the tree, which was his poop.
He quickly ran to the tree, got down on all fours, and dug into the snow with his calves to cover the things. Vic didn't mean to make fun of Chopper; he just wanted to teach him a lesson. Leaving excrement in the freezing cold could easily reveal his location.
After Chopper covered himself up and stood next to Vic with his head down, Vic patted Chopper's head and walked forward.
Chopper's shyness lessened considerably, and he followed closely behind Vic, asking questions from time to time. Vic, in turn, used his Observation Haki to sense where it would be most suitable to build a dwelling for Chopper.
Vic led Chopper to a high cliff near the sea. Ships couldn't land there, and being on the edge of the island, the safety level was quite high.
Vic chose a large tree with a diameter of nearly ten meters. There were quite a few of these trees on the island. Vic planned to build a treehouse for Chopper, just like Kureha did, which would provide natural protection. Vic really went to great lengths for Chopper.
" Blue Nose! This tree will do. I'll turn it into a house."
Vic said something to Chopper and then drew his sword to fight. Chopper had never seen a house before, so naturally he did whatever Vic said.
Vic left about half a meter of wooden wall on the tree, creating a two-story structure. People lived on the second floor, and a window was opened above a huge branch that extended outwards. This window could not be seen from under the tree.
Vic used the stones he dug out from the secret passage at Drum Rockies to make a lot of furniture for Chopper, even bringing out the tables and chairs he brought from that space. After arranging them nicely, it had a very homey feel to it.
Daily necessities are also taken from within the Dimensional Space; as long as Chopper can manage his food, he can live quite well.
"Alright! Blue Nose, you're going to live here from now on!"
Vic used the wood left over from the initial cut to make a hidden door and said with satisfaction. Vic had built log cabins before, but this was the first time he had built a house using a large tree as the raw material.
"I?"
Chopper pointed at his face with his little hooves, looking completely bewildered, and asked, "I've been thinking all along that I'm going to live with Vic."
I was so excited on the way here, already imagining all the wonderful things that would happen to me. And now you're telling me I'll be living alone?
The thought of that lonely scene made Chopper unable to hold back his tears, which flowed freely as if they were free.
"Of course! I have important things to do and can't stay here! You'll have to walk this path alone from now on until you meet someone you respect!"
Vic really doesn't want to change Chopper's past; without the Human-Human Fruit, Chopper is just an ordinary Blue Nose reindeer!
Without Hiriluk, Chopper wouldn't have aspired to become a panacea!
Without Kureha Chopper, you can't learn medicine and create the Rumble Ball!
All of this led to the Chopper we know today. Vic was afraid that the Chopper he took away would turn into Chopperbeard.
"No, I don't want you to leave! Vic, you're the one I've accepted, I don't want you to leave me! I don't want to be alone! Whatever happens, take me with you!"
Chopper cried as he looked at Vic hopefully. If it were Rebecca or Wendy, they probably wouldn't have been able to resist Chopper's pleas. Little Chopper was just too adorable.
"No, it's too dangerous for you to come with me. You're too young right now and need a safe environment to grow and learn. I believe you can take care of yourself!"
Chopper must stay on Drum Island. Vic believes Chopper will be fine; the situation is even better than in the original story.