On the riverbank.
The militiamen originally thought their Captain would be helpless because he wasn't using his Devil Fruit ability.
But now, the transformed Dalton was an invincible warrior in their eyes.
Whether it was strength, speed, or defense, he was no longer the same as he was moments ago.
The current him would surely break free from that man's control!
But the next second—
Bang!
All the surrounding cheers came to an abrupt halt.
The transformed Dalton was still clutched by Kai with one hand, his bovine hooves kneeling on the ground, unable to move!
Dalton struggled madly, gripping Kai's arm with both hands, trying to pry open his palm.
But no matter how much force he used, even activating the several-fold increase in monstrous strength from his Devil Fruit transformation, he still couldn't break free in the slightest.
His fingers dug into Kai's arm, but he couldn't even scratch the skin.
Dalton's pupils constricted, and four words echoed in his mind—
Invincible!
All the militiamen's faces also changed from excitement to shock, and finally to terror.
That man's palm was like an unshakeable mountain; no matter how their Captain struggled, he couldn't move it an inch.
"How is this possible..." someone muttered, completely unable to accept the reality before them.
"Is that the only doctor in your country?" Kai's cold voice suddenly rang out, echoing like thunder, clear in the frigid air.
"She's on that cylindrical Drum Mountain!"
Dalton's body trembled violently.
"How do you know?!" His pupils widened slightly, and a storm raged in his heart.
This man, he even knew that?
Kai didn't answer, but casually flung him aside.
Boom!
Dalton's body crashed heavily onto the snow, kicking up a large amount of snow.
He struggled to his feet in disarray, his face fluctuating, a deep trace of wariness in his eyes.
Kai scanned his surroundings, his gaze like a torch, his voice cold: "We are only here to find a doctor for our sick companion; we won't do anything else."
His gaze was like lightning, penetrating people's hearts, making all the militiamen dare not meet his eyes.
"Furthermore, even if we did want to do something else, you wouldn't be able to stop us. Because you—are too weak."
Kai lightly waved his left hand, and his halberd was held aloft, and in an instant—
Boom!!
A monstrous Aura instantly erupted, the air vibrated, the world changed color, and the entire snowy ground began to shake wildly!
The halberd emitted astonishing red and black lightning, space seemed to vibrate and distort, and an invisible Qi wave spread out, stirring up a sky full of wind and snow!
"Ugh ah ah!" Numerous militiamen nearby were directly sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground.
The militiamen, unstable on their feet, showed deep fear in their eyes; they had never seen such terrifying pressure.
They even felt that this man before them was not human at all, but a War God from ancient times!
Dalton clenched his fists, looking at the man before him, and finally made a decision in his heart.
This man, he and his people could not stop.
More importantly, he had no ill intentions.
Dalton gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, knelt on one knee, and said with his head bowed:
"Respected strong one, please forgive our rudeness. We were truly frightened by pirates, which is why we are so cautious."
Kai retracted his Aura, casually waving his hand: "We need to hurry and find a doctor; we don't have time to chat with you."
Dalton stood up, looked deeply at Kai, and said, "I will take you to Dr. Kureha."
Kai's gaze remained indifferent; he slowly shook his head: "No need, we'll find her ourselves. That will save more time."
Dalton was silent for a moment, then finally nodded.
"May you have good luck."
On the deck of the going merry, it was so quiet you could almost hear everyone's heartbeats.
The storm just now was fleeting, but the aftershocks still rippled in everyone's hearts.
Luffy's gaze followed Kai's movements, watching the easily subdued Dalton and the militiamen.
Everyone witnessed Kai's decisive, ruthless, and swift action, and their eyes were undoubtedly filled with shock.
But at the same time, Kai did not make any excessive moves; he merely suppressed the militiamen with his unparalleled strength, without harming them.
Luffy, on the contrary, breathed a sigh of relief at this approach.
Luffy's character, perhaps, had never changed.
Facing danger, he would never back down, and was even willing to bear everything for those around him.
But he also had his own principles: never harm the innocent, rather be injured himself than let others be injured for him.
This was his respect for life, his trust in friends, and even his adherence to his own beliefs.
Kai looked at Luffy's smiling face, his eyebrows slightly raised, and that cold Aura quietly disappeared.
Luffy looked towards the distant, colossal cylindrical mountain peak standing on the snow-covered land.
That mountain was taller than any other mountain range, seemingly piercing the sky.
Its summit was shrouded in thick clouds, like a pillar reaching the heavens, directly into the sky.
Every inch of the mountain appeared steep, perilous, and unscalable.
"That's Drum Mountain..." Luffy took a deep breath, his voice filled with determination.
He fixed his gaze on that colossal peak, a glint of unwavering resolve flashing in his eyes.
Luffy knew there was no time for hesitation; Nami's condition was worsening, and he absolutely could not wait.
"We have to go quickly!"
Luffy's words were not just for others, but for himself.
His feelings for Nami were not merely the trust between teammates, but also the deep friendship forged through their countless adventures and battles.
And all of this made Luffy incredibly anxious, impatiently wanting to solve this problem immediately.
He looked at everyone on the going merry, his eyes still firm: "I, Kai, and Sanji will go find the doctor. Nami's situation cannot be delayed."
"The others will stay on the going merry and wait for us to return!"
"Understood, Captain. I'll take good care of the ship!" Zoro said firmly, a slight grin on his lips.
"Luffy, you guys go ahead, we'll watch over the going merry." Usopp also said seriously.
"Luffy, Kai, Sanji, you must bring Nami back safely!" Vivi instructed the three.
"Okay, Luffy!" Sanji, hearing Luffy ask him to come along, showed a look of determination in his eyes.
Because Drum Mountain was exceptionally steep, to save time, Kai and Sanji, who were proficient in Moonwalk, accompanied him.
And although Luffy was not yet very skilled with Moonwalk, he had a strong determination to go; he wanted to see Nami get better with his own eyes.
Kai stood by, still calmly watching Luffy make his decision, his gaze serene.
Watching Luffy calmly make the decisions a Captain should, Kai also felt a hint of appreciation in his heart.