Chapter 43: Drum Island – Chopper Joins & The Hidden Zoan Fruit
At that moment, Nami and Kureha walked out of the castle and noticed a large patch of snow outside had been completely swept away, as if something had forcibly scraped off a layer. Not far away, Dalton lay on the ground, with Sol and Chopper standing beside him.
"What happened?" Nami put her hands on her hips, looking suspiciously at Sol.
"Nothing—just a little incident." Sol shrugged, signaling Nami not to worry.
Chopper had already shifted into his human form and was carrying the gravely injured Dalton. He hurriedly said to Kureha: "Dr. Kureha, Wapol came back! But Sol already drove him away. I'm taking Dalton for emergency treatment first!" With that, he quickly ran toward the treatment room.
Sol originally wanted to follow and help with healing, but suddenly remembered the breakfast in the kitchen wasn't finished. He hurriedly waved to Nami: "Ah, crap—the fried eggs are gonna burn!" Before the words finished, he was already gone in a flash.
Nami blinked in confusion: "Wapol… who's that?"
Kureha took a sip of wine and leisurely began recounting Wapol's "glorious achievements" to her.
At first Nami listened with righteous indignation, clenching her fists so hard they cracked: "A scumbag like that can be king? This country is way too unlucky!"
But when Kureha mentioned "there's still an armory and treasure vault inside the castle," Nami's expression changed instantly—
"Treasure vault?!" Her eyes turned into Berry symbols in a flash, corners of her mouth curling into a sly arc. "Oh my Such an important place—I really have to 'visit' it properly"
Kureha gave Nami a sideways glance, lips curving in amusement: "What? Tempted? If you really have the skill to pry open that big door, everything inside is yours to do with as you please."
Nami clasped her hands together, eyes curving into sly crescents: "Hehe—if I open the door for you, can we call the medical fees settled?"
"Guhahahaha!" Kureha suddenly reached out and pinched Nami's nose. "Little girl, bargaining with me?" She let go, tilted her head back, and downed another gulp of wine. "But… deal!"
"Yes!" Nami made a victory sign, hopping excitedly after Kureha back into the castle—her steps light as though she were walking on clouds.
At breakfast time, after Chopper's careful treatment, Dalton finally woke up. He struggled to sit up, voice hoarse but filled with gratitude: "Thank you all so much… I saw that traitor Wapol trying to return and wanted to stop him, but…" He gave a bitter smile, touching the bandages wrapped around his chest.
"It was mostly Sol's doing!" Chopper shyly rubbed his hooves. "I just did some basic treatment…"
"Doctor Chopper was just as essential," Dalton said sincerely.
"D-Doctor!" Chopper's face instantly flushed bright red. His body twisted like a pretzel. "Damn it! Even if you call me doctor I'm not gonna be happy about it~!"
After breakfast ended, Nami eagerly dragged Sol off for "castle exploration." When she stood in front of the treasure vault door, Sol finally witnessed the true skill of the "Cat Burglar"—Nami's slender fingers moved like lightning. A thin wire in her hand came alive, picking the heavy lock in three swift motions.
The first armory left them greatly disappointed—only ordinary cannons, standard weapons, and flintlock guns, not a single decent named blade in sight. "This junk dares call itself an armory?" Nami kicked a nearby cannon in disdain.
But when the treasure vault door swung open, Nami's eyes instantly turned into Berry symbols. Despite Wapol's years of squandering, the vault was still piled high with the Drum Kingdom's accumulated wealth. "Golden crowns! Gem necklaces! We're rich—we're rich! Sol!" She rolled gleefully through the treasure pile, hanging every wearable piece of jewelry on herself.
Sol helplessly watched Nami turn into a "golden Christmas tree": "Nami, didn't we bring boxes? Aren't you worried about the weight with so much on you?" He said this while gathering scattered gold pieces into an empty box.
"Idiot Sol!" Nami laboriously lifted arms covered in gold bangles. "This is the first time I've seen this much treasure!" Her whole body sparkled; even her teeth reflected golden light when she spoke.
After satisfying her greed, Nami reluctantly packed all the "spoils" into boxes. Considering transport difficulty, the two decided to take only two boxes of treasure and leave the rest for Dr. Kureha. She clutched her chest as though making the hardest decision in the world.
While organizing, Nami suddenly exclaimed: "Sol! Come look at this!"
She was squatting in a hidden corner, holding a delicate treasure box. If not for her years of "professional experience" and trying various methods to confirm, she never would have found this cleverly concealed compartment.
"This… is a Devil Fruit?" Nami held her breath and carefully opened the box. Lying on the velvet lining inside was a strangely shaped fruit—pineapple-like in form, with golden skin covered in irregular yellow feather-like patterns, giving off an eerie glow in the dim vault.
Sol leaned in for a closer look, surprise flashing in his eyes: "Looking at the patterns on the surface… this is very likely an Animal-type – Mythical Zoan. These fruits not only greatly enhance the eater's physical abilities but can also transform them into mythical people or creatures from legends—and even grant control over natural elements."
He rubbed his chin. "But the exact ability is hard to say. Nami, do you want to eat it?"
"This is worth 100 million Berries…" Nami's hands trembled slightly as she held the fruit, eyes wavering between desire and hesitation. The price of becoming a hammer (unable to swim) made her hesitate.
Sol chuckled lightly: "You've got it wrong. Ordinary Animal-types are worth 100 million. But a Mythical Zoan like this…" He deliberately dragged out his words. "If you auction it off, it'd start at—"
"How much?" Nami asked urgently.
"At least 1 billion Berries."
"1… 1 billion?!" Nami's pupils instantly turned into Berry symbols. In a flash she snapped the box shut and clutched it tightly to her chest. "From now on this is my life! No one touches it!" She warily looked around—even glaring when Sol took a single step closer.
Sol couldn't help laughing at her miserly appearance: "So… what do you plan to do with this 'walking vault'? Sell it or…"
"Let me think about it!" Nami cut him off, tucking the box lovingly inside her coat and patting it for reassurance. "Anyway… taking it with us can't be wrong!"
Sol looked at the box hidden under Nami's coat. He hadn't expected to find a Devil Fruit still hidden here—likely stashed away by some previous Drum king who never told the next one, or it would have been eaten long ago.
The three returned to the room to start packing. Nami playfully winked at Kureha: "Dr. Kureha, I 'helped' open the doors to the armory and treasure vault~ So the medical fees are settled, right?"
Kureha burst into hearty laughter, then suddenly tossed a plump little backpack to Sol: "Take my silly son with you too—consider it doing me a favor."
Nami and Sol exchanged a smile and said in perfect unison: "Of course—no problem!"
--------------------------
You can support me here patreon.com/inkshield
Your support boosts my motivation and confidence, helping me focus and release chapters more consistently.
Every bit of support inspires me to keep creating better content.