"Your Majesty, my plan is this: since there's no escape, why don't we open the castle gates to receive Rody the Assassin? No matter what he wants, as long as we have it, we'll give it to him.
When Rody sees how obedient and sensible we are, however cruel he may be, he won't kill us," Cro-Malimon confidently assured the Fat King Wapol, as if it were the most incredible plan ever conceived.
King Wapol looked at Cro-Malimon perplexed, frowning, and inwardly he resisted parting with his treasures. Besides, would Rody the Assassin leave after obtaining enough profit?
Seeing King Wapol's hesitant expression, Cro-Malimon smiled sinisterly and proposed something that made King Wapol no longer hesitate.
"Hehe… besides, after the assassin leaves satisfied, no matter how much His Majesty loses, we can use the excuse of the kingdom's plunder to raise taxes on the Sakura Kingdom's peasants. Not only will His Majesty not lose any money, but you'll also be able to squeeze a hefty amount of Baileys out of those untouchables," Cro-Malimon said with a malicious grin.
Hearing this, any hesitation King Wapol had previously displayed vanished instantly. His bitter, reluctant expression completely changed, transforming into one brimming with pure greed.
"Hahaha, you are worthy of being my minister. Your plan is quite feasible. Humph! No matter how much that despicable pirate steals, I'll squeeze even more out of those civilians. Moo, haha…!" Wapol laughed heartily, imagining himself sleeping surrounded by Baileys at night.
Cro-Malimon, a shrewd individual, quickly congratulated him, adding that the plan had been the King's idea, not his own. Perhaps this flattery would allow him to profit from the taxes and receive a small share of them: "Your Majesty is wise and right. We should squeeze them dry. This will let the people of the Sakura Kingdom know that, no matter what, you are the King of the Sakura Kingdom!"
...
On the icy road leading to Drum Kingdom Castle, two sturdy white walkie-talkies were speeding Rody and his group toward the castle.
Rody yawned lazily and hugged little Nami, closing his eyes to rest.
"Dr. Kureha, why don't you drive the cart pulled by the white walkie-talkies to guide us? Is it really safe to let these two animals lead the way on their own? Won't they get lost along the way?" Nami asked curiously, snuggling up to Rody to keep warm.
"Hahaha, hey, hey... don't worry." "These two white walkie-talkies belong to Dalton. Don't underestimate them because of their somewhat stupid appearance; they're very intelligent," Dr. Kureha replied, taking a long swig from her liquor bottle.
"Besides, when Dalton was captain of the Kingdom Guard, he used to drive this cart of white walkie-talkies from the Kingdom's castle to the city where the kingdom's inhabitants gather. These animals already know the way to the castle at the top of the mountain very well, so even if no one guides them, just knowing they're going to the Kingdom's castle will get them there on their own."
Gulp
Gulp
"Enjoy the scenery and the ride, child!" Dr. Kureha took several swigs from her liquor bottle, her face flushed with alcohol, and replied disinterestedly.
"Hmm, all right, Dr. Kureha, I trust you!" Nami replied without giving the matter any further thought.
"That's right!"
"Now I remember!" exclaimed Vivi, capturing everyone's attention. Nami blinked curiously and asked, "Vivi-chan, is something wrong? Who do you remember?"
"Well, Nami, when I heard Dr. Kureha mention that Royal Guard's name, I remembered everything about that man named Dalton. I remember meeting him when I was young, when I accompanied my father to the Levely, which is held every four years in Mary Geoise," Vivi replied thoughtfully, but then frowned.
"I remember that Mr. Dalton seemed to be the captain of the Drum Kingdom's Royal Guard, just as Dr. Kureha mentioned. But, Dr. Kureha, you said that was in the past. What does that mean? Does Mr. Dalton no longer belong to the Royal Guard?" Vivi asked doubtfully, turning her gaze to Dr. Kureha, hoping she would clear up her confusion.
Upon hearing this, Dr. Kureha paused for a moment, took another swig from his liquor bottle, sighed, and said slowly, "A few years ago, when Wapol ascended the throne, he enacted an inhumane law to persecute all doctors in the country who weren't part of his inner circle. This caused the once great, world-renowned medical power of the Drum Kingdom to gradually decline, to the point where no one could treat the sick."
"Added to the king's exorbitant tax increases, the Drum Kingdom became even more miserable."
"As time passed, the people suffered more and more, and Dalton, unable to endure it any longer, rebelled against Wapol's brutal rule. But despite his strength, the rebellion failed, and Wapol imprisoned him. It wasn't until a group of pirates, called the Blackbeard Pirates, attacked the Drum Kingdom some time ago that Wapol decided to flee to sea with his trusted subordinates."
"Exactly… Thanks to Wapol and his men's escape, the inhabitants of Drum Island had the opportunity to rescue Dalton from prison. However, after some time, although Wapol had chosen to become a pirate, he returned a month later with the intention of remaining king of the Drum Kingdom, and as you can see, he succeeded."
"Damn it! How can a guy like that become king? A king should be someone who brings peace and hope to the people." Upon hearing Dr. Kureha's account, Vivi felt immense anger.
In Vivi's opinion, the king is the one who brings hope, happiness, and peace to the country and its people, and who carries with him all the good wishes of the people to move forward.
"Ah, well, you're certainly right. You seem to know a lot about the subject. You even mentioned that you participated in the Levely, which is held every four years in Mary Geoise." "It seems your identity, little one, is quite something," said Dr. Kureha, squinting at Vivi, trying to understand something.
Hearing this, Vivi, who moments before had been furious, suddenly fell silent under Dr. Kureha's scrutinizing gaze. She sighed and said dejectedly, "To be honest, Dr. Kureha, I am the princess of the Kingdom of Arabasta, but our country is embroiled in a civil war."
"I see. From what you said earlier, I gather that since your father was able to raise a princess with such faith and such a strong mindset, I suppose he's not a bad king, is he? Are there any external factors involved?" asked Dr. Kureha, surprised by Vivi's identity.
"Of course, my father is undoubtedly a good king who loves his people like his own children. The civil war in Arabasta is, indeed, as you say; it's due to an external factor." The rebellion is being orchestrated by someone in the shadows. After a long investigation, we discovered that the mastermind behind the civil war in Alabasta is Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. He plans to usurp the throne and replace the Royal Family—Vivi said solemnly, her face downcast.
"The Shichibukai, huh!" Dr. Kureha muttered, taking a long swig from her liquor bottle and sighing.
"These people aren't easy to deal with, young lady."
Vivi nodded slightly, agreeing with Dr. Kureha, but then she looked at Rody, who was resting, embracing Nami, and a glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes.
Dr. Kureha, a person who had lived for over a hundred years, noticed this gesture immediately, and her curiosity was piqued.
"Since you're the princess of Alabasta, why are you with a wanted criminal like this boy Rody?" "Dr. Kureha asked with genuine curiosity.
"Well…" Vivi looked at Nami hesitantly, as if she didn't know what to say.
"Hehehe… if it's inconvenient to say, you don't have to answer," Dr. Kureha said with a wave of her hand, indifferently, as if none of this mattered to her.
"Hehehe. Actually, I can tell you, Dr. Kureha. Vivi asked MY Rody, the strongest man in this sea, for help dealing with Crocodile, the mastermind behind the civil unrest in Arabasta!" Nami explained proudly, emphasizing the pronoun "my."
Upon hearing Nami boast about Rody, Dr. Kureha felt a strong urge to roll her eyes. She was even more skeptical about Rody being the strongest in the sea; after all, that man Edward Newgate, "Whitebeard," was still alive.
But in the end, she said nothing to contradict Nami. After all, even if Rody wasn't the strongest in the sea, he was certainly the strongest on Drum Island. So, knowing that, she didn't dare contradict the orange-haired girl.
"So that's how it is… well, Alabasta is lucky to have a royal family that cares for them. With a king and princess like them, even if there's temporary chaos, happiness will eventually return," Dr. Kureha exclaimed, a smile spreading across her aged face.
"Alright, enough talk. The kingdom's castle is ahead," Rody said as he gently pulled away from Nami's embrace and stood up. He gently jumped off the wagon.
He stood directly on the roof of the carriage, upright, gazing at the distant Drum Castle, which gradually grew larger in the distance.
Naturally, even while resting, he overheard the entire conversation between Vivi and Dr. Kuleha.
But, in his opinion, it was all complete bullshit. The king Vivi referred to was nothing more than a puppet bound by the emotional chains of the people and the masses.
A true king should be above everyone. Regardless of his kindness or cruelty, he should be based on his absolute power and his right to exercise his absolute will, making everything in the world work according to his wishes. However, Rody wasn't interested in discussing this with Vivi; he was too lazy for all that nonsense.
The wagon of white walkie-talkies slowly stopped in front of the castle gate. Rody jumped off the roof and examined the entrance with interest. Two rows of guards, perfectly aligned, flanked the gate with solemn, tense faces.
The burly King Wapol stood at the front, flanked by his two trusted subordinates. To his right was the minister of the Cro-Malimon Kingdom, sporting a ridiculous afro and wearing even more ridiculous clothes; to his left stood the captain of the royal guard, Musshuru. He had thick lips, a chin-length haircut of an extremely ugly shade of pink, and, generally speaking, long arms and limbs.
The three of them stood by the castle gate, fawning looks on their faces and nervous smiles as they watched Rody.
Nami and the others also got out of the carriage and were stunned to witness such a scene.
Then they gathered around Rody and looked at Wapol and his band with disdain.
When Cro-Malimon saw Rody and his men looking at them with puzzled and disdainful expressions, he immediately became alert and gestured to the guards watching the castle gate. The guards, their chests swelling at the prime minister's gesture, shouted in unison:
"Welcome, Great Assassin Rody, to your loyal Kingdom of Drum!"
...
Silence, absolute silence. Even Dr. Kureha, with years of experience and countless strange occurrences, was speechless. Although Wapol was a cowardly and fearful tyrant, he had never flattered anyone, not even during Blackbeard's pirates' attack on Drum Island had he behaved this way.
No matter what happened, nor the losses he suffered, Wapol had never done anything like this. Even Dr. Kureha was certain that Wapol despised Whitebeard with all his heart, despite the attack on Drum Island and his having fled like a stray dog.
"Hmm, Dr. Kureha, is this fat, ugly, and ridiculous-looking guy actually the king of this country?" Nami asked, her face filled with bewilderment.
Dr. Kureha nodded mechanically, indicating that, indeed, he was.
...
Nami didn't know what to say and could only manage a curt "I see."
When they recounted all of King Wapol's misdeeds, Nami had imagined a ferocious-looking man, about three meters tall, muscular, and with an extremely cruel and disdainful attitude toward life.
But upon seeing Wapol's appearance, which bordered on the comical, Nami didn't know how to react. "This guy doesn't look like a tyrant, does he?" she thought.
...
"Well, now that I look at him closely, with that ugly appearance, he's definitely not a good person," Nami concluded after analyzing Wapol's appearance a little more.