"Hmm, where are we now?" Nero, dressed in silk pajamas, sat in front of the dressing table, letting Hathaway style her hair.
"Right now, we've already passed Small Garden and are almost at Alabasta."
Hathaway put down the comb and skillfully began to braid Nero's hair.
"Alabasta, the desert kingdom? If I remember correctly, little Robin seems to be active in this area, right?"
"Ah, little Robin is currently working under Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
"Shichibukai again, I've been hearing their names a lot lately, are they very strong? Even little Robin has to make a living under him."
"Ah, I heard he is one of the few strong individuals who survived after challenging Whitebeard in the New World."
"What do you mean, he's just Newgate's defeated foe, little Robin really isn't picky."
Nero sneered, how could the words 'defeated foe' and'strong' be put together?
"But it's been ten years, hasn't it? Little Robin still hasn't come to the New World; if she hasn't mastered Haki, it must be because she hasn't overcome the shadow of Ohara yet."
Nero pondered for a moment: "Since we're already here, hmm, it would be a bit rude not to go and see."
"Ah, also, the next stop is closer to Drum Kingdom, where Doctor Hiriluks Wife is in seclusion."
"Then let's go see Dorry first? I haven't seen her in even longer, and I don't know how she's doing now; I miss her quite a bit."
"Ah, then we'll go to Drum Kingdom first. We have regular contact with Doctor Hiriluks Wife, so her physical condition should still be good."
"Is that so? That's good." Nero showed a heartfelt smile.
Doctor Hiriluks Wife, the old woman who had served as the Nicuss court physician since Nero was young, was like family to Nero. When she heard that the place was going to be a secluded, ghostly place, she had thrown a tantrum for a long time.
"Hmm, what kind of place is Drum Kingdom?"
"I heard it's similar to Winter Island, covered in ice and snow all year round. Dorry lives there in a beautiful treehouse."
"Sounds pretty good."
... Rubbing her head, Kureha woke up from a hangover. She was supposed to find a place to live in seclusion, but the newly appointed King Wapol was an idiot.
Catching doctors or something, she didn't care. The fewer colleagues, the more she earned.
Apart from "Doctor 20" by Wapol, she was currently the only doctor left in what used to be a great medical nation.
Oh, no, there was also a quack pirate doctor named Dr. Hiriluk.
Although he was a quack doctor, and every treatment had strange side effects, he was still a good guy for persisting in treating and saving people after Wapol issued the order to hunt down physicians.
They had been old friends for thirty years, and he seemed to have recently adopted a strange blue-nosed reindeer. If that kid Nero saw it, she would probably love it, right?
Anyway, that guy only had less than ten days to live, and for that reindeer, Nicuss should be a good place to go.
Pururu, pururu—
"Tsk, he's really someone who can't be talked about without showing up."
It was Nicuss's dedicated den den mushi, but it shouldn't be time for their regular contact yet, should it?
Kureha picked up the den den mushi with some doubt: "moshi moshi, is that Hathaway?"
"Pupu, you guessed wrong! It's me!"
A lively girl's voice rang out, and Kureha's eyes widened slightly: "Nero?"
"That's right! It's me!"
"Why are you suddenly contacting me?"
"I'm coming to play with you, we've already passed Small Garden! We'll be there soon!"
"Nani? So sudden?"
"Hmm, that's how it is! Prepare some delicious food for me, and I also… Hathaway, how much longer until we arrive?"
"About another day's journey, we should make it for tomorrow's lunch." Hathaway's somewhat muffled voice came from the other end of the den den mushi.
"moshi moshi, Dorry! Hathaway and I will arrive around noon tomorrow, and for lunch, I want local specialties."
"Wait, what about me?" Kuina quickly emphasized her presence.
"Hmm, then there's also a little brat."
"How perfunctory, I'm clearly Nero-sensei's disciple."
"And handyman!" Nero emphasized the words "and handyman."
"So mean…"
"Hmm, I can't hear anything, anyway, that's how it is, see you tomorrow, Dorry!"
"Wait, Nero!" Kureha quickly called out, but Nero on the other side had already hung up the den den mushi.
Grabbing the wine bottle from the table and taking two gulps, Kureha wiped the wine from the corners of her mouth: "Hoo—the noisy one is coming."
"I need to start preparing early. Entertaining that picky brat will cost a lot of money, it's really troublesome…"
Although she spoke with disdain, a smile of anticipation appeared at the corner of Kureha's mouth.
"Bang bang bang! Kureha, open the door!"
"Yare yare, what's going on today, troublesome people one after another." Kureha opened the door, and standing in the snow was Hiriluk, whom she called a quack doctor.
"Yo!" Hiriluk raised his hand in greeting.
Kureha's eyelids drooped... "'Doctor 20', I don't care about any of that, so why are you here to see me today?" Kureha took the bag Hiriluk handed her.
"I came today because I have something to ask of you." Hiriluk's voice was heavy.
"I refuse."
"I haven't even said anything yet!"
Kureha opened the bag and poured out a pile of pink dust: "What is this?"
"This is the result of my thirty years of work, a panacea that can cure the heart disease of this country!" Hiriluk clenched his fists, very proud.
"Wasting thirty years for nothing, you really worked hard." Putting the dust back into the bag, Kureha held it and asked: "So? Why are you giving it to me?"
"That dust is too little, and I don't have time left, so I want to ask you to continue the research, and make the cherry blossoms bloom in my stead."
"Huh? Idiot, why would I help you…"
Her words were cut short by Hiriluk, who ran over: "There's one more thing, I hope you can teach Chopper medicine!"
"Don't joke around! Everyone always talks to themselves like this."
"Please, Chopper, even though he's just a reindeer, he will definitely become a great doctor."
Hiriluk suddenly knelt on the ground: "He's a kind fellow, risking his life to find medicine for me. Please, make him a doctor!"
"Nonsense! You're too thick-skinned, asking me to continue this foolish research and take care of a pet. Even if you're dying, you should know I'm not the type to be overflowing with sympathy, right?"
Kureha grabbed his collar and kicked him out the door: "Get out!"
Hiriluk sat up awkwardly from the snow, without a single complaint despite being treated this way.
Looking at the tightly closed treehouse door, Hiriluk smiled gently: "Ah, of course I know, after all, we've known each other for so long. I'll leave the rest to you."
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