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Chapter 90: Wapol Strikes
Inside Dalton's stone house.
The fire crackled, dispelling the chill seeping in through the cracks in the doors and windows.
"This is trouble!"
Usopp's voice carried obvious irritability.
"That witch doctor is clearly in the neighboring village, but Ganyu and Luffy ran off to that empty castle! Isn't this a complete miss?"
"The key problem is that communication is difficult. We can't notify them."
Nami crossed her arms, her fingertips tapping unconsciously against her elbow, her brows furrowed tight.
"However... Ganyu flies very fast. If she finds no one in the castle, she might realize the problem immediately and fly back."
"So, it's best if one of us stays here to wait for her, and the other goes to the neighboring village to find that witch doctor."
After communicating, the two suddenly looked at each other.
Then, they extended their hands simultaneously and shouted.
"Rock, Paper, Scissors!"
Usopp threw Rock.
Nami threw Paper.
"Then it's decided. You go to the neighboring village to find the doctor, and I'll stay here and wait for Ganyu."
Nami grinned, clapped her hands easily, and took a sip from the hot tea on the table.
"Sigh. Guess that's how it is." Usopp sighed.
Running to another village in this ice and snow, facing the cold wind, was a chore no matter how you looked at it. It was far less comfortable than staying in a warm room waiting.
But there was no helping it. Who asked him to lose?
"The wind and snow outside seem to be getting heavier. Do you want to borrow my thick scarf?" Nami asked with concern, looking at the increasingly dense snowflakes outside the window.
"No need."
Usopp shook his head. His body wasn't actually that weak; at most, he was just a bit cold.
He opened the door, stepped out, and quickly vanished into the vast whiteness.
"I'll go ask Uncle Dalton to lend me a sleigh."
On this ice-covered island, the main mode of transportation relied on animals pulling sleighs.
They had seen quite a few on the way into the village with Dalton earlier.
The door closed, and the room returned to warmth and silence.
Left alone in the room, Nami held a teacup filled with hot water in both hands, listening to the sound of the fire burning. In this world of ice and snow, there was a unique kind of coziness.
However, this brief tranquility did not last long.
Suddenly!
Boom!!!
A violent explosion, one that seemed capable of tearing eardrums, detonated from the outside without warning!
In an instant, the earth and the entire stone house shook violently.
Startled by the sudden vibration, Nami's hand trembled, and the scalding tea in her cup splashed out, pouring right onto the back of her hand.
"Ah..."
Nami cried out in pain, the back of her hand turning red.
But right now, she couldn't care less about the pain of the burn. Alarm bells rang loudly in her heart.
A cannonball?!
That was definitely the sound of a cannonball exploding just now!
Someone is attacking this village?
Enduring the stinging pain on her hand, she went to the window and carefully lifted a corner of the curtain to peek outside.
The originally peaceful village was instantly thrown into turmoil, like a poked hornet's nest.
Wooden doors were pushed open violently, and villagers rushed out one after another.
Regardless of gender or age, they all held various weapons like hunting rifles, pitchforks, and machetes in their hands.
...
"It's Wapol! It's Wapol's ship!"
"Damn it! They clearly abandoned this country, so why come back now?"
"Don't waste words! Go support Captain Dalton! He's fighting Wapol and his men!"
Accompanied by anxious conversations, a massive crowd of people rushed in one direction.
Inside the house, Nami frowned deeply upon seeing this scene.
"Wapol... is that the former King Dalton mentioned who abandoned the country and ran away?"
"Choosing to come back with his men at this time... he must be here to retake control of this country!"
The situation had instantly become complicated and dangerous.
After pondering for a moment, Nami stood up abruptly, grabbed the thick coat hanging on the wall to wrap around herself, and pushed open the door.
She decided to go check on the situation at the scene.
...
Meanwhile, Ganyu, holding Vivi, had arrived at the peak of the Drum Rockies after some flight time.
What entered her vision was a castle built entirely of black giant stones, crouched like a silent beast.
Perhaps because of the wind and snow, the sky was exceptionally dim. Even though it was afternoon, it looked like evening. Yet, no lights were lit inside the castle.
That meant it was highly likely no one was inside.
Ganyu frowned slightly. Still holding Vivi, she walked steadily into the castle.
The interior of the castle looked even more... full of "life," or rather, cluttered, than the outside.
In the spacious area, piles of books and scrolls were everywhere, along with various labeled jars and bottles, herbal specimens soaking in unknown liquids, and some strangely shaped metal objects that looked like medical or experimental instruments.
The air was filled with a complex smell, likely a mixture of various herbs and reagents.
Ganyu walked around inside for two laps, confirming there was no one in the castle, but she wasn't too disappointed.
Holding Vivi, she walked up the spiral stone staircase to the second floor and found a relatively tidy bedroom with a small fireplace.
She settled Vivi on the bed covered with linen sheets and covered her with a thick blanket.
Then she walked to the fireplace, added new firewood, and lit it with the flint she found.
The flames rose, not only dispelling the darkness in the room but also bringing warmth.
"Vivi's illness isn't as severe as the others think."
Therefore, she just needed to bring Vivi to this castle and wait for the "Witch" doctor, who might be out treating patients, to return.
Thinking this, Ganyu walked downstairs with peace of mind.
She came to a bookshelf, casually pulled out a leather-bound book titled Atlas of Rare Poisonous Insects in the Grand Line, and began to read quietly.
If she remembered correctly, in the original story, Nami was bitten by some kind of poisonous insect on Little Garden, which led to the infection.
Presumably, Vivi had most likely accidentally contracted the same virus.
Since she had nothing to do right now, there was no harm in researching it herself first.
Time passed slowly like this.
About an hour later.
Two sets of footsteps sounded at the castle entrance.
Ganyu closed the book in her hand and turned her head with some surprise, looking toward the main door.
With a clang, the heavy door was pushed open from the outside with some effort.
Two figures, covered in snowflakes, their hair wet with sweat and melted snow, looking wretched, stumbled in while supporting each other.
It was Luffy and Sanji.
Seeing Ganyu, their eyes lit up instantly. Panting heavily, they asked:
"Ganyu, how is Vivi?"
"Did you find the doctor?"
Ganyu put down the book and walked slowly up to them. Seeing their bedraggled appearance, they must have encountered quite a few things along the way.
"The doctor seems to be out. I settled Vivi in a lounge."
As she spoke, she reached out to brush the snow and stains off their hair and shoulders.
These two looked like they had been rolling around in the snow.
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