"But there are still many villagers living under the mountain," Dr. Kureha's face paled. "If they are not notified in time, they will..." Though she appeared cold and unkind, she was truly a kind person. "Chopper, hurry! Let's go down the mountain and warn them!" The strongest person she could think of on this island was Moonlight, but she didn't think even he could cut an avalanche in two. She remembered the Blackbeard pirates, who had brought destruction to their country. Though they had shown a power that could crush everything, they were nothing compared to the man before her.
"I'm sorry," Moonlight said, bowing his head. "What happened on the mountain just now... the king of your country, Wapol, brought his men to find something. I sent them flying with a single sword slash, but I used a bit too much force and accidentally caused the avalanche. Fortunately, it's alright now. The damage is minimal." After all, the avalanche was indirectly his fault.
"What?! You caused the avalanche?"
"And you say it's not a big problem? Then what do you consider a big problem?!"
"Asshole! Mr. Dalton, I told you we shouldn't have let them in! Pirates are nothing but trouble!" As soon as they heard that Moonlight was responsible, the surrounding villagers began to shout. Though it had been a false alarm, some of their houses had been crushed, and the loss was not small. They were about to demand an explanation, but... when they heard that he had sent Wapol and his men flying, they were all stunned into silence, and then they all began to exclaim.
"Wapol? What did you say? You defeated Wapol and his men by yourself?"
"Really? The man named Moonlight... you really defeated Wapol?"
"You're not lying to us, are you?" Hearing this news, they were extremely excited, but they couldn't believe it. It was too shocking.
"What have you done to Master Wapol?"
"You bastard! We will avenge Lord Wapol!" At the same time, Wapol's army, hearing this, immediately turned on Moonlight, their voices filled with a furious rage.
"You want revenge?" Moonlight said with a faint smile. Subordinates of a man like that... they couldn't be any good. His gaze swept over them, and a wave of majestic, suffocating energy washed over them.
The men all collapsed to the ground, unconscious, not a single one of them left standing.
Hiss! Seeing the men who had been suppressing them, the ruthless Wapol Legion, brought down with a single look, everyone, including Dalton, gasped in shock. At first, they couldn't believe it. Wapol was their king, a powerful man with a Devil Fruit ability. How could an ordinary person be a match for him? But seeing Moonlight now, remembering how he had first walked on the sea, and how he had just sliced an avalanche in two, they immediately believed. In front of a man like this, what was Wapol?
"Moonlight... I'm sorry," Dalton said, his voice filled with a deep gratitude as he knelt on one knee before him. "This news is truly shocking, but I thank you. Our country, and all of us... you have saved us."
"Yes, Mr. Moonlight, please forgive our rudeness. Thank you so much!"
"We can't imagine what would have happened if a stupid and innocent person like Wapol had taken control of the country again. Thank you so much!"
"Mr. Moonlight, as long as you can drive away Wapol's men, an avalanche is nothing! Even a landslide would be fine!"
"Mr. Moonlight! We're free!" Not just Dalton, but all the villagers knelt on the ground, their faces filled with a profound gratitude. Compared to this, what was an avalanche? As long as Wapol was gone, nothing else mattered. They had been oppressed for too long, barely able to breathe under his rule. And even after the Blackbeard pirates had driven him away, they had lived in fear of his return. But now, they didn't have to worry. Moonlight had completely defeated Wapol and liberated them. He was their lifesaver.
"Moonlight!" At that moment, Nami, Chopper, and Dr. Kureha arrived, sliding down from the sky. Nami looked at the kneeling villagers, a look of confusion on her face. What was happening?
"So you took care of it, you guy!" Chopper said, glancing at Moonlight, still amazed by the sight of the divided avalanche on the mountain.
"What a powerful swordsman," Dr. Kureha said, looking Moonlight up and down. She had been amazed by his powerful body before, but now, seeing him in action, she was even more surprised. She had rarely seen such a strong person.
"Nami, come here," Moonlight said, and she walked over to him. He then took her hand and bowed deeply, a look of sincere gratitude on his face. "We are the ones who should be thanking you. Thank you so much for saving us." He was truly sincere. If they hadn't let him on the island, if Dalton hadn't told him where Dr. Kureha was, even if he could have gotten rid of these people, he wouldn't have known her specific location. By that time, Nami might not have survived. So, these people were his lifesavers.
"No, no, no, Mr. Moonlight, you're being too serious. We didn't do anything. We even shot at you. You are our benefactor."
"Yes, Mr. Moonlight, we should be thanking you!" the others all agreed.
"You rescued us from Wapol's oppression," Dalton said, bowing deeply. "That is more important than anything else. There is no need to refuse. We should be thanking you."
"Then let's all be grateful to each other," Moonlight said with a smile. He then turned to Nami. "Nami, we've been here for a long time. I don't know how Luffy and the others are doing. Let's get ready to leave."
"Alright," Nami said with a playful smile. "We have the Eternal Pose to Alabasta, and we've found a reliable ship's doctor." She pointed to the device on her wrist and then to the bewildered Chopper. Apparently, she and Dr. Kureha had reached some kind of agreement.
"Is that so?" Moonlight smiled. He understood everything. He said his goodbyes to everyone.
By the sea, Wapol's ship, the Bliking, was docked. Moonlight nodded in satisfaction. This ship would be more than enough to carry them to Alabasta. Now that they had the Eternal Pose and a ship, it was time to leave. But before they did, he looked at the group of people who had come to see them off: Chopper, Dr. Kureha, and Dalton. The others were busy rebuilding their homes, but these three were enough.
Moonlight looked at Chopper, a solemn expression on his face, and officially extended an invitation. "Chopper, I am Moonlight, the vice-captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. I now invite you to go out to sea with us as a ship's doctor, to explore the mysterious and vast sea, and to find the One Piece left by the legendary Pirate King. Come on, let's go to sea together!"
"Me..." Chopper was stunned. He hadn't expected Moonlight to invite him at this time. His heart was torn. Though it had only been a short time, he had already come to trust Moonlight and Nami. And when Nami had told him about the other members of the crew, it had sounded like a desirable life. To go to sea with a group of people like that... how wonderful it would be. He couldn't help but yearn for it. And not just as a pirate, but to fulfill Dr. Hiluluk's wish. As his son, shouldn't he fulfill his father's dreams? But... he had a reason to stay. He looked at Dr. Kureha, but to his surprise, she was gone. Only a medicine box was left in her place.
"Doctor Kureha!" Chopper exclaimed.
"Don't you understand, Doctor Chopper?" Dalton said with a sigh. "Doctor Kureha also hopes that you will go to sea with them."
"What? But she always refused," Chopper said, stunned. He had once tried to mention it to her, but she had immediately rejected the idea, and had even been about to attack him. If the avalanche hadn't happened, he might have been taken care of by her. But why was this happening now?
"Doctor Chopper, don't you understand?" Dalton said. "Doctor Kureha wanted you to go to sea. You've been with her for so long; don't you understand her temper? The reason she was so reluctant was because you are like a son to her."
"If you were to leave her, how could she bear it? But she can't stop you. As a man, she just wants you to set sail and set foot on your own journey. Go, go to the sea, swim in its vastness, and realize your dream. That is where you should be."
"Doctor Kureha..." Hearing this, Chopper was stunned, and tears streamed down his face. Though he was a reindeer, he was a reindeer with a dream. And though the separation would be painful, the sails of his dream had been raised. Now, no one could stop him. He knelt on the ground and bowed deeply towards the top of the mountain, taking a deep breath and shouting with all his might, "Doctor Kureha, thank you for taking care of me for so many years! I'm going out to sea! I'm going to see the world! I want to fulfill the doctor's wish! I want to... thank you, Doctor Kureha!"
By the end of his shout, he was weeping bitterly, but his expression was firm. He turned abruptly and leaped towards the Bliking. A man should live firmly.
"Moonlight, Nami, let's go!" Chopper said, his face a mask of grim determination.
"Alright, welcome, Chopper," the two of them said, nodding as they pulled up the anchor and set sail.
BOOM!
At that moment, a loud cannon blast was heard from the top of the mountain, and the snow covering the peak suddenly turned pink, like a shower of cherry blossoms falling from the sky. It was beautiful.
"Red snow, like cherry blossoms!"
"Are there really cherry blossoms in this world?"
"This is a miracle! This is a miracle!"
"It's so beautiful! It's so beautiful!" the villagers on the island cried out, their faces filled with a joyous excitement.
"Doctor Kureha!" Seeing this, Chopper shook all over and began to cry again.
"Hehe, you idiot son," Dr. Kureha, who had reappeared beside Dalton, whispered, a rare tear in her own eye as she watched him go.