"It's not that bad, Nami."
Luffy turned around with a wide grin, his eyes shining brightly.
"Ever since that 'hot bath' we took on Little Garden, it feels like there's a furnace inside my body that never goes out."
"That warm 'qi' keeps circulating inside me. I don't feel cold at all. Actually, the snow feels kind of cool and comfortable when it lands on me."
Zoro rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, a proud smile forming on his lips.
"That's the mystery of the Indestructible Vajra state. When qi flows through the entire body, not only does it greatly increase defense, but it also gives the body inhuman resistance to the environment."
"This bit of wind and snow is nothing more than a way to cool down the blood."
"So that's the power of top-tier body training…"
Usopp wrapped his three layers of cotton clothes tighter around himself, shivering while staring at them with envy.
His eyes looked like they were about to bleed from jealousy.
"When will I reach that level?! I've already broken through to the second stage, but the moment I stop the breathing technique, I feel freezing again…"
"Usopp, don't stop the breathing technique."
Ronan spoke calmly.
"Body cultivation is like rowing against the current. If you stop, you fall behind. At your current level, you're still far from being truly immune to heat and cold."
At that moment, a strange crunch, crunch sound came from a corner of the deck.
It was the sound of metal being crushed between teeth.
Wapol was crouching there miserably, chewing through a pile of scrap metal.
After being thoroughly subdued by Ronan earlier, he had been reduced to the Straw Hats' personal human metal-processing factory.
The moment he heard the words "Drum Island," his dull eyes suddenly lit up with a twisted excitement.
"It's Drum Island! Mahapopopopo! Do you see it?! That's my kingdom! My Drum Kingdom!"
Wapol was so excited he nearly jumped up.
But when he noticed the black staff lying near Ronan's feet, he quickly shrank back and spoke pitifully.
"Please let me go! Once I return to the throne, I'll give you the entire royal treasury! One billion—no, two billion berries!"
Ronan chuckled softly, his gaze cold.
"Save your little tricks, Wapol."
"Until you produce memory alloy, you're not going anywhere."
Wapol shivered and quickly lowered his head, continuing to crunch metal miserably.
Nami had no interest in dealing with the former king.
She hurried over to Ronan, glancing anxiously toward the cabin where Vivi lay unconscious.
Then she turned sharply toward Wapol.
"Hey, Wapol! Since you're the king here, you should know where the doctors are, right?"
"Tell us! Where can we find a doctor who can cure a prehistoric virus?!"
Wapol froze.
As the former king, he knew the situation of the country better than anyone.
To maintain his rule, he had implemented the insane Doctor Hunt policy.
Aside from the twenty doctors under his direct control—the "Isshi-20"—all other doctors had been executed or exiled.
Now, the only "doctor" left on the island was probably that witch he hated the most—
Dr. Kureha.
Wapol's eyes darted around nervously as he thought to himself.
If I tell them there are no doctors left… these monsters will definitely think I'm useless and throw me into the sea.
They absolutely will!
"I… I don't know!"
Wapol shouted nervously, avoiding their eyes.
"I've been away from the kingdom for a long time! Drum Island might already be abandoned by now!"
"Tch. I knew you'd be useless."
Usopp rolled his eyes in disgust.
"Since we're already here, we'll just ask the locals ourselves."
…
The Going Merry slowly sailed deeper into the island along the canal.
The scenery around them grew increasingly magnificent—and dangerous.
Towering ice cliffs lined both sides of the waterway.
Icicles formed from melted and refrozen snow reflected sharp, freezing light under the sun.
Ahead, a massive waterfall poured down from the heights of Drum Island.
White waves crashed down, instantly freezing into tiny crystals in the subzero air, creating a spectacular curtain of icy mist.
"What a view."
Ronan sighed in admiration.
"The village should be behind that waterfall," Nami said while adjusting their course.
"We need to find a safe place to dock. Vivi can't wait any longer."
Standing high above, Zoro's Observation Haki suddenly caught something unusual.
"Someone's there."
His eyes sharpened as his hand moved to the hilt of his sword.
"And quite a few of them."
Ronan added calmly.
His own Observation Haki had already detected the hurried breathing along the shore.
As the Going Merry cut through the mist of the waterfall and entered a calm inlet—
Everyone froze.
Hidden within the snowbanks along both sides of the river were countless pairs of wary and furious eyes.
Hundreds of burly men wearing thick furs rose from behind snowdrifts and rocks.
Each of them held spears, pitchforks, or rifles.
"Don't move, you filthy pirates!"
"Leave our island! We don't welcome raiders here!"
There was no fear in their eyes.
Only determination.
On this frozen winter island, their hostility was colder than the blizzard itself.
Click. Click.
Hundreds of muskets were cocked at once.
The dark barrels all pointed directly at the crew of the Going Merry.
A muscular man with short, rugged hair stepped forward from the crowd.
Even beneath his thick coat, his powerful arms were clearly visible.
His gaze was steady and resolute.
It was one of Drum Island's key figures—
Dalton.
"Pirates."
Dalton's voice rumbled like distant thunder through the canyon.
"You must leave immediately! Turn around and get out of here!"
"Hey, mister, we're not here to rob anyone."
Luffy pointed toward the cabin.
"Our friend is really sick. We came here to find a doctor!"
Dalton let out a cold laugh, ready to reject them outright.
In this country ruined by Wapol, the word doctor had practically become forbidden.
But just as his gaze swept across the deck—
He suddenly froze.
His pupils shrank sharply as he stared at a fat figure in the corner of the ship.
A figure currently chewing metal.
"Wapol… Your Majesty?!"
Dalton's voice became sharp with shock.
The moment he shouted that name, the villagers behind him exploded into chaos.
Fear.
Hatred.
Rage.
Countless emotions erupted like a volcano.
"That tyrant! He's back?!"
"He actually returned with pirates! That traitor to the kingdom!"
"Kill him! Don't let him step foot on this land again!"
The already tense atmosphere completely shattered.
Hundreds of rifles shifted their aim—
From Luffy and the others—
Straight onto Wapol's awkwardly frozen head.
To Read60+ AHEAD advanced Chapters, head over to P@treon
patreon.com/DarkVerse146