Chapter 165: An Older Lady Is Still a Lady!
Ralph was awakened by a slap to his face.
"Ralph! You're awake!"
Lufia's face was very close, her eyes sparkling,
"I'm telling you, if we don't climb the mountain, we won't be able to find a doctor, so I'm taking you with me to climb the mountain!"
Climb a mountain?
Ralph struggled to move his eyes, looking around.
An unfamiliar room, the firewood in the fireplace crackling, warmth driving away the chill.
He was lying on a thick fur bed, covered with several layers of blankets.
"Have we... already arrived at Drum Kingdom?"
Ralph's voice was as weak as a mosquito's hum.
Besides a few members of the Straw Hat Pirates in the room, there was also a burly man wearing a thick green coat.
Hearing this, he paused for a moment, then showed a complicated expression:
"Has this patient been to our country before? That was the old name of our country. Due to some reasons... our country now has no name."
Drum Kingdom.
Indeed, it has no name now.
Ever since King Wapol fled with all the doctors, the country has fallen into a state of anarchy and chaos.
Ralph shook his groggy head, feeling that this period of unconsciousness had been quite long.
It seemed his companions had already reached the nearest winter island, which was the former Drum Kingdom.
According to the original plot, what should happen next is Lufia carrying him on her back, climbing that ice-covered Drum Rockies, avoiding attacks from mountain beasts along the way to prevent him from getting hurt, and finally scaling the nearly vertical cliff with her bare hands to reach the castle at the summit...
To find a doctor for a sick companion, enduring such hardship, suffering such pain, accomplishing this nearly impossible feat.
Just thinking about it moved Ralph deeply.
It would have been better if he hadn't woken up.
If he hadn't woken, he could have pretended not to know, enjoyed Lufia's efforts, and later just said "thank you," But who made him wake up?
"No."
Ralph spoke, his voice weak but firm,
"Go to the neighboring town and ask around. I have a feeling... the doctor we're looking for isn't on the mountain."
A feeling?
The room fell silent for a few seconds.
"Ralph," Usopp leaned over, reaching out to touch his forehead, "Are you burning up too much, talking nonsense? If the doctor isn't on the mountain, where could they be?"
Even Nami, who usually trusted Ralph, hesitated:
"This... the information we gathered earlier all said the Witch Doctor lives in the castle on the mountain peak."
But Lufia giggled, "I believe you! What Ralph says is never wrong!"
She stood up, full of energy, "I'll go to the neighboring town right now and bring that Witch Doctor over! Don't worry, I can definitely do it!"
Confident light shone in Lufia's eyes, "When we first arrived here, Vivi already taught me how to ask others for help! I'll speak properly!"
At this moment, Sanji's expression darkened.
He walked to the bedside, his cigarette butt almost poking Ralph in the face:
"The people here aren't very welcoming to Pirates. To get the villagers to let us in and find a place to settle you, Miss Vivi and Miss Lufia..."
He gritted his teeth, "Even knelt down to them."
Sanji's voice lowered, "To receive such devotion from beautiful ladies, Ralph... you make me so envious, I wish I were the one who was sick."
Her words were a mix of anger and an indescribable envy.
"Hurry up and get better, you hear me? Don't you dare get sick again! Otherwise... I'll kill you!"
Though it sounded like a threat, Ralph could hear the concern in her tone.
Playing along with Sanji's fierce demeanor, he weakly nodded. "Yes, yes... I won't dare to again."
Lufia was already bustling about, ready to dash out the door.
The burly man in green, Drum Island's guard captain Dalton, watched the scene with a furrowed brow.
He couldn't understand why this group trusted a patient's "intuition" so much.
But out of goodwill, he spoke up:
"The neighboring town is quite a distance from here. The snow makes travel difficult. I can arrange a sled and a guide for you..."
"That's too slow."
Sanji cut him off, bending down to help Ralph up from the bed.
"Running will be faster."
As he spoke, he hoisted Ralph onto his back, wrapping him tightly in a prepared thick blanket, then muttered quietly into Ralph's ear:
"You weren't thinking of having Miss Lufia carry you, were you? Not a chance!"
Ralph forced a bitter smile, his eyes narrowing slightly.
You actually noticed!
The next second—
"Let's go!"
Sanji and Lufia burst out of the house simultaneously.
The muffled sound of footsteps in the snow echoed clearly through the quiet village. Two figures sped across the snowy ground at an astonishing pace, kicking up a cloud of snowflakes.
Lying on Sanji's back, Ralph felt as if he were riding a small boat sailing through a storm.
Bumpy, violently bumpy.
The cold wind cut into his face like knives, and even wrapped in the blanket, he couldn't fully block it out.
"Hang in there, Ralph!"
Lufia ran alongside, her voice fragmented by the wind.
"We're almost there!"
Ralph wanted to say something, but as soon as he opened his mouth, a gust of cold wind rushed in.
He could only close his eyes and pass out again from the intense jolting.
It had to be admitted that even though neither Lufia nor Sanji were skilled at running in snowy terrain, their speed far surpassed any sled or carriage.
Soon, the outline of a town appeared in the snowy white landscape.
Cocoa Weed.
Even the icy, snowy weather couldn't dampen the lively atmosphere here.
Chimneys smoked with cooking fires, children played in the snow, and people bustled in and out of shop doors.
Lufia stopped a passerby at random:
"Excuse me! Where is the Witch Doctor?"
The person jumped in surprise and pointed toward the east end of the town:
"O-over there... I heard she went toward the bar."
The three of them headed straight there.
Then, in the center of town, they spotted a figure that stood out starkly among the residents.
Dr. Kureha.
A self-proclaimed 139-year-old Witch Doctor.
How cold are Drum Island's winters?
Minus twenty degrees Celsius is the norm.
The residents here bundle up in thick cotton coats, scarves, and gloves, leaving only their eyes exposed if they could.
But this old lady—
Though her face was covered in wrinkles, her eyes were sharp and bright.
She wore a thin purple jacket, not even zipped up, revealing a white tank top underneath.
The tank top was so short it couldn't cover her stomach, and her exposed navel was pierced with a shiny metal ring.
A pair of sunglasses was tucked into her hair, exuding an air of rebellion, fashion, and stark contrast to her surroundings.
And beside her stood a small reindeer with a blue nose.
It wore a pink top hat, had brown fur, and stared timidly at its surroundings with big, wide eyes.
"Wow! Ralph was right after all!"
Lufia excitedly rushed over, "We really found the witch!"
She charged up to Dr. Kureha, "Granny! Please save my companion! He's very sick—"
Before she could finish.
Wham!
A precise straight punch landed on Lufia's face.
"Watch your mouth, brat."
Dr. Kureha retracted her fist, "I'm a beautiful young lady of only 139 years old."
Sanji: "..."
He silently reached out and covered Ralph's eyes on his back.
Miss Lufia got hit.
Hit by a lady.
An older lady is still a lady.
And this lady is the doctor they need to beg to heal their patient.
I'm sorry, Miss Lufia.
Forgive me for not being able to avenge you.
Chivalry forbids me from striking a lady, especially one who may hold our companion's life in her hands.
At the same time, at Drum Island's harbor.
The former king of the Drum Kingdom, Wapol's large submarine assault ship, the Bliking, was slowly approaching.