Chapter 315: The Approaching Crisis
"Hurry!"
"Move!"
"Get out of the way!"
Urgent shouts echoed through the snowy mountains, mixed with bursts of gunfire.
Marines in white uniforms bearing the familiar seagull emblem scattered across the slope, desperately avoiding attacks from something charging through the blizzard.
Hina stood farther back with a cigarette between her lips.
The wind and snow had already extinguished its glowing tip, but she did not seem to notice.
Her attention was fixed on the enormous creature rampaging among her subordinates.
It resembled a rabbit, only several times larger and far more aggressive.
"What is that?"
"Lapahn."
Dalton stood nearby.
Under Wapol's orders, he was currently assisting the Marines with their search.
Despite everything that had happened, Dalton had ultimately returned to his duties.
Wapol's complete disregard for the people had deeply disappointed him, yet the memory of the former king still weighed heavily on his heart. Somewhere inside him remained the hope that Wapol might eventually change.
Hina glanced toward Dalton.
"Lapahn?"
"They're among the most dangerous animals in these mountains."
Dalton watched the giant rabbit tear through another group of Marines.
"They're extremely territorial and show no mercy to anything that enters their territory."
Hina did not immediately rush forward.
Instead, she removed the dead cigarette from her mouth and asked,
"What else should Hina know?"
Dalton answered seriously.
"They're powerful, fast, and much stronger than ordinary animals."
"They also live in groups."
Hina's eyes narrowed.
"But that isn't the worst part."
Dalton looked toward the higher slopes.
"Never let them reach the mountain peaks."
"Why?"
"They can trigger avalanches by jumping."
Hina's expression immediately changed.
An avalanche was not something ordinary soldiers could simply fight.
Once enough accumulated snow broke loose, the mass would accelerate downhill, swallowing everything in its path.
The exact destructive force depended on the slope, depth of snow, and speed of the collapse.
But none of that changed one simple fact.
Human beings were fragile before such a disaster.
Perhaps a handful of monsters on the sea possessed enough raw power to confront an avalanche head-on.
The people here were not among them.
Hina immediately raised her voice.
"Surround the Lapahn!"
The Marines turned toward her.
"Do not let any of them reach higher ground!"
Dalton looked at her in surprise.
"You intend to fight all of them?"
"Hina does."
"Why not retreat?"
Dalton frowned.
"Normally, if you leave their territory, the Lapahn will stop pursuing you. There's no reason to provoke the entire group."
Hina's answer was immediate.
"Because Axel may be hiding somewhere in these mountains."
She looked toward the storm-covered slopes.
"Sooner or later, Hina will have to search this area."
Her tone left no room for argument.
Anything standing between her and the target would have to be dealt with.
But there was another reason behind her decision.
Under normal circumstances, Hina was firm, but not reckless enough to force unnecessary confrontations.
This situation was different.
Axel had entered the mountains after learning that the Marines were on Drum Island.
That raised a question.
If he knew they were coming, why had he not simply left the island?
Escaping by sea would have been faster and safer.
Instead, he had chosen to enter a dangerous mountain range in the middle of a blizzard.
There were only a few reasonable explanations.
Perhaps his injuries had become serious enough that fleeing was no longer easy.
Or perhaps there was something in these mountains that he considered important enough to risk staying behind for.
The reports mentioning the so-called witch doctor immediately came to mind.
Either possibility meant the same thing.
Time mattered.
Hina could not afford to advance slowly.
"You've got to be kidding!"
One of Drum Island's guards shouted.
"Those are Lapahn!"
"If you anger the whole group, who knows what they'll do?"
He pointed toward the slopes.
"If they trigger an avalanche, it could reach the town below!"
"My family is down there!"
His words immediately stirred the other guards.
Several began voicing the same concern.
Dalton opened his mouth to intervene.
Hina had already moved.
She charged straight into the storm.
"Hina!"
Dalton rushed after her.
The nearest Lapahn towered over the Marine Colonel.
Compared to its huge frame, Hina looked almost small.
The creature was built for this environment.
Thick fur protected it from the cold, while powerful legs let it move easily through deep snow.
At first glance, there seemed to be no reason for a lone woman to confront it directly.
Then Hina reached it.
Her hand made contact.
Black iron bars formed around the Lapahn's legs.
Clang!
The giant rabbit stumbled.
Its powerful jumping limbs were locked together.
Without its mobility, most of its advantage vanished.
The Lapahn still possessed enormous strength, but it could no longer leap freely across the snow.
The Marines immediately recovered.
Dalton slowed for a moment, surprised.
So she was a Devil Fruit user.
Several soldiers from Drum Island had similarly stunned expressions.
It was difficult to reconcile Hina's elegant appearance with the brutal efficiency of her ability.
A few guards who had previously considered trying to flirt with the beautiful Marine officer silently abandoned the idea.
Dalton was the first to recover.
"Don't just stand there!"
He raised his weapon.
"Help them!"
"Yes, sir!"
The Drum Island guards joined the Marines.
With Hina disabling the Lapahns' movement and Dalton coordinating the soldiers, the battle quickly turned.
One by one, the enormous rabbits were restrained or driven down.
Before long, the immediate threat had been dealt with.
The combined group resumed its advance into the mountains.
And with every step, they drew closer to Axel.
...
Inside the small wooden cabin, Axel slowly rolled his shoulders.
Then he stretched both arms.
His movements were smooth.
Natural.
Most importantly, he could feel them.
A genuine smile appeared on his face.
Kureha had successfully repaired the remaining problems left behind by the Isshi-20's earlier treatment.
Kureha approached and gave him a sharp look.
"Strange brat."
She examined the way he moved his arms.
"You've barely finished treatment and you're already moving around normally."
Axel glanced at her.
"In that regard, you're pretty strange yourself."
Kureha raised an eyebrow.
Then she grinned.
"Oh?"
"Are you talking about my age?"
Axel immediately recognized where this was going.
"Want to know the secret of my youth?"
"No."
His refusal was immediate.
Kureha laughed.
"Well, I suppose you don't need to worry about that."
She looked him over.
"With the state of your body, lifespan isn't exactly the first problem you should be thinking about."
Axel chuckled and deliberately ignored the implication.
He flexed his fingers.
"My limbs are stable now."
He rotated one shoulder again.
"And you even fixed the flaws left behind by the previous treatment."
Axel looked toward her.
"You really are impressive."
"Don't bother flattering me."
Kureha's expression remained unimpressed.
"A large part of what I did was only possible because of the treatment data from those twenty doctors."
She adjusted her glasses.
"But don't get excited."
Axel's smile faded slightly.
"Repairing your limbs was the easy part."
Kureha pointed toward his head.
"Your brain is another matter."
Then toward his torso.
"So are your organs and the rest of your body."
Her voice became more serious.
"Your ability can keep your damaged body functioning."
"It can protect you from outside threats."
"But it does not heal you."
Axel remained silent.
Kureha continued.
"If I make a mistake during treatment and cause damage your body cannot compensate for, your ability won't magically repair it."
Her sharp eyes met his crimson ones.
"And if that damage is fatal, then no matter how strange your power is..."
"You'll still die."
....
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