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Chapter 91: The King Returns
"What?! He went out?!"
Sanji's face, which had just begun to relax, instantly tightened with anxiety again. He sounded frustrated.
"Why does it have to be now, of all times? Princess Vivi is still waiting for treatment!"
"So, what do we do now? Should we go down the mountain and look for that doctor?" Luffy asked, his eyes wide as he looked at the young woman wiping down his straw hat.
"No. Vivi needs quiet rest right now. It's not safe for her to be moved around outside or exposed to the cold wind for too long."
Ganyu shook her head, rejecting the idea.
"Staying in the castle and waiting for the doctor to return is the best option for her right now."
"Then... can Vivi's body hold out that long?" Sanji pressed, looking worriedly toward the stairs.
"There's no immediate danger. Her condition is stable," Ganyu nodded, her tone gentle. "I've been keeping an eye on her."
Hearing Ganyu's assurance, Sanji's tense nerves finally loosened, and he let out a long sigh of relief.
Only then did he have the bandwidth to properly examine this legendary "Witch's Castle." His gaze swept across the spacious hall piled high with clutter before locking onto a specific area.
"That looks like the kitchen over there."
As he spoke, Sanji headed in that direction. "I'll see if I can find some ingredients to make a hot soup for Princess Vivi. Sick people always feel a bit better with something warm in their stomachs."
He reached the doorway, then stopped and turned back, his expression shifting slightly. "Miss Ganyu, would you like something to drink to ward off the cold?"
It suddenly hit him—he hadn't even realized until now that Miss Ganyu had been drying his hair with her own hands!
"Yes, please. Thank you, Sanji." Ganyu pursed her lips into a smile, accepting his kindness.
Sanji, who had just recovered, was nearly knocked out by that smile. He stumbled his way into the kitchen.
"I want a bowl too, Sanji!" Luffy shouted from his chair.
"I heard you! I won't forget yours!"
Satisfied with Sanji's response, Luffy nodded. He beckoned Ganyu closer to recount the adventures he and Sanji had faced on their way up.
"Hey, hey, Ganyu, did you know? We met these rabbits as big as bears! They chased us all the way..."
"And then there was an avalanche! We almost got buried in snow. It's a good thing we ran fast..."
.....
Far away at the coast, aboard the Going Merry.
Zoro looked down at the sea, which was covered in drifting ice, and a sudden idea took root in his mind.
"With weather this cold, normal training might not cut it. Maybe I should go for a winter swim?"
The moment the thought arose, he was eager to act on it. He placed his three swords on the deck and stripped off his shirt, revealing a physique of lean muscle in the sub-zero temperatures.
The howling wind battered his skin, making him shiver involuntarily. However, that didn't stop his desire to train. Just as he found a good spot and was about to jump, a small hand suddenly stretched out in front of him.
"What do you want?" Zoro turned his head, looking at the little girl in confusion.
It was the Baroque Works agent they had brought aboard at Little Garden—Miss Goldenweek.
Strictly speaking, she was their prisoner, but because of her young age and simple nature, most of the Straw Hats treated her like a normal little girl.
"Over there," Marianne said flatly, pointing her finger.
Hmm?
Zoro followed her finger blankly, and his expression froze.
That is...
A ship made entirely of steel, ten times larger than the Merry, was steering toward Drum Island.
"I'm done being a pirate! I'm going back to being King!"
"Forward! Retake my country!"
A short, rotund man wearing a crown and a bizarre outfit stood at the bow, waving his arms.
Under his command, several small boats were lowered from the steel ship, and squads of well-equipped soldiers began rapidly landing on the shore.
From above, it looked like a massive ink stain spreading across a sheet of white paper.
Zoro narrowed his eyes, sensing that this group's intentions were anything but innocent.
"King? Country?"
"What does that mean? Is this guy the king of this place?"
"But then why is he flying a pirate flag?"
Zoro was confused, but he had a hunch that this group would likely affect his companions on the island.
After a moment of thought, Zoro put his clothes back on and grabbed his swords from the corner. As he prepared to disembark, he noticed Marianne looking at him expectantly.
He thought for a second and came up with a plan. He reached out and placed his hand on the little girl's head.
"I'm going to see what these guys are up to. You're in charge of the ship for now. Got it?"
Without waiting for an answer, he leaped off the ship, landing on the island with a heavy thud.
Almost simultaneously, a lighter thud sounded beside him.
"Oh?" Zoro raised an eyebrow in surprise at the figure that had jumped down after him. "You want to come with me?"
It was Vivi's riding duck, Karoo.
The duck seemed to understand Zoro perfectly and nodded repeatedly.
"Not bad. You've got guts, duck!"
Zoro appreciated the brave creature. He patted Karoo's sturdy wing. "Alright! Stick close to me!"
Zoro picked a direction and charged straight ahead.
Karoo instinctively took a few steps to follow. But after just two steps, the duck stopped cold. It tilted its head, wearing a very human-like expression of confusion as it watched Zoro's rapidly receding figure.
Why is he running in the opposite direction?
.....
At the village of Big Horn, Dalton led a group of militia in a standoff against the well-armed soldiers.
"Wapol, why have you returned?"
Dalton's expression was cold and hard as he stared at the king who had abandoned his country.
Wapol, the former King of the Drum Kingdom and user of the Munch-Munch Fruit, could eat anything and incorporate it into his body.
Months ago, the Blackbeard Pirates had attacked Drum Island. Wapol had fled to the sea to become a pirate, leaving his people behind.
Dalton, the Captain of the Royal Guard, had shouldered the responsibility, temporarily taking charge of the kingdom and helping the citizens recover some semblance of their former lives.
He hadn't expected Wapol to return today, months later.
"Wahahaha! Dalton, this is my country! Where else would I go?"
Wapol laughed mockingly, as if he'd heard a joke.
"No. This is not your country anymore."
Dalton's gaze was steely. He pulled out a spade-like weapon from behind his back and pointed it at Wapol's group.
"From the moment you fled, this country ceased to belong to you."
"You bastard! Don't forget you're just my subordinate!"
Wapol flew into a rage. Seeing the citizens rallying behind Dalton, he felt a surge of betrayal.
Dalton was the Guard Captain appointed by his father, yet he had defied Wapol's orders repeatedly after Wapol took the throne—so much so that Wapol had once thrown him in jail.
He never imagined that after being scared off by those terrifying pirates, this guy would win over the hearts of the people.
Does he want to be King?
"You! Have you already moved into my castle?" Wapol demanded furiously.
If Dalton had taken residence in the castle, it proved his traitorous ambition. That would give Wapol a legitimate reason to execute him right here and now.
However, Dalton remained unmoved by Wapol's accusation. He spoke calmly:
"No one cares about your castle. The only person living there now is the only doctor left on this island."
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