The final moments of Dr. Hiriluk's life played across the Sky Screen, his voice echoing through time as if he were speaking directly to those who remembered him. In the highest tower of Drum Castle, Chopper watched his adoptive father's sacrifice unfold once again, and the tears came without mercy.
The small reindeer pulled his pink hat down over his eyes, trying desperately to hide his grief, but his sobs grew louder with each passing second. The pain was as fresh now as it had been on that terrible day years ago.
Dr. Kureha felt her own eyes begin to water, her weathered face softening despite her usual stoic demeanor. "That old fool," she muttered, her voice thick with emotion. "Even now, he manages to say something cool."
The immortal witch had known Hiriluk for decades, had watched him fail patient after patient with his misguided enthusiasm. But she had also promised to fulfill his final two requests: to train Chopper as a proper doctor, and to make cherry blossoms bloom across Drum Island. The first was nearly complete—Chopper had grown into a skilled physician under her tutelage. The second waited only for the right moment, a grand farewell that would honor the quack doctor's memory.
The Sky Screen continued its narrative, showing the aftermath of Hiriluk's heroic death.
[Young Chopper, barely more than a child, witnessed his father figure's magnificent sacrifice and felt something snap inside his mind. Rage consumed him completely—his eyes turned blood red as he lost all rational thought and transformed into his towering hybrid form. The two-meter-tall monster charged toward Wapol's position, intent on avenging the only human who had ever shown him kindness.]
[But Captain Dalton, using his Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model: Bison (Ox-Ox Fruit, Bison Model), transformed into a massive black bull and intercepted the grief-stricken reindeer. In Chopper's weakened state, injured from his journey to gather the poisonous mushrooms, he was no match for the captain of the guard.]
[The bull pinned the smaller creature to the snow, holding him down until his berserker fury began to fade.]
["No one else dies for this country today," Dalton said, tears streaming down his bovine face. "You need to leave. This is what Hiriluk would want."]
[The captain of the Drum Kingdom's royal guard could no longer stomach King Wapol's cruelty—the persecution of innocent citizens, the exile and murder of doctors, the systematic destruction of everything good about their homeland. Hiriluk's peaceful death in the face of such evil had awakened something in Dalton's heart, a heroic resolve that would not be silenced.[
["You're not strong enough to face them yet," Dalton continued, his voice gentle despite his fearsome appearance. "If you rush in now, you'll only die. Please, go."
The bull's tears fell on Chopper's face, the warm droplets awakening the young reindeer's reason. Understanding flooded through his grief-clouded mind—Dalton was right. Revenge would accomplish nothing except adding another death to Wapol's tally.]
[The blue-nosed creature gathered what remained of Hiriluk's belongings and departed via the castle's cable system, while Dalton watched protectively to ensure no one pursued the grieving reindeer. The captain had his own plans for dealing with Wapol, but they would require time and careful preparation.]
[Chopper transformed back into his smallest hybrid form, standing less than a meter tall in the wind and snow. In his hooves, he clutched Hiriluk's tattered jolly roger—the skull and crossbones that represented the old doctor's dream of adventure and freedom. When he reached Dr. Kureha's dwelling, tears had frozen on his blue fur, but his resolve burned brighter than ever.]
["Please teach me!" he cried, falling to his knees before the ancient woman. "Please teach me how to be a doctor! I want to become a panacea—a doctor who can cure any disease! A doctor who can heal even the sickness in a country's heart! Because there is no such thing as an incurable disease in this world!"]
The Sky Screen's video segment concluded, and the narrator's voice resumed with solemn commentary.
[In this moment, Tony Tony Chopper made the vow that would define his entire existence. The path of medicine is arduous and unforgiving, requiring a lifetime of dedication and sacrifice. But his determination was absolute]
[Though Chopper consumed the "worst" Devil Fruit in existence—the standard Hito Hito no Mi (Human-Human Fruit)—it granted him only the capacity for human thought. Every scrap of wisdom he would gain came through tireless study and hard-won experience. His enlightenment on this day was entirely his own achievement]
[Consider the contrast with Fleet Admiral Sengoku, who consumed the mythical Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu (Human-Human Fruit, Great Buddha Model). Though he inherited the Buddha's divine wisdom, he spent his career trapped between the World Government's corruption and the Marines' justice. Ultimately, he failed to achieve what he believed to be true righteousness and retired in frustration. The irony is profound—he could transform into an enlightened Buddha, yet never achieved enlightenment himself]
[A simple reindeer who ate a "useless" fruit found true enlightenment through suffering and love. This marked the beginning of the most extraordinary chapter of his life]
[Captain Dalton was imprisoned by King Wapol for allowing Chopper's escape, but Hiriluk's sacrifice had planted seeds of rebellion in the hero's heart. In the future, he would overthrow the tyrant king and lead the Drum Kingdom to prosperity. Under his rule, the nation would be renamed the Sakura Kingdom, with Dalton elected as its rightful monarch by popular acclaim]
[The exiled doctors would return to their homeland, helping Dalton transform the Sakura Kingdom into a medical superpower. Through timely payment of Heavenly Gold tribute, the World Government officially recognized the new nation as a member state, granting it all the protections and privileges that status entailed]
[Former King Wapol, meanwhile, found himself abandoned by his people and suspected by the World Government of financial unreliability. The cruel monarch disappeared entirely from the stage of history at this point]
[Extensive research through historical records and chronicles reveals no further mention of Wapol after his defeat by the Straw Hat Pirates. Most historians believe he died in obscurity, alone and forgotten—a fitting end for a king who brought only suffering to his subjects]
[Tony Tony Chopper would serve as ship's doctor for the Straw Hat Pirates during their circumnavigation of the world. Upon returning to Drum Island to practice medicine, he received multiple offers from King Dalton to inherit the throne and rule the Sakura Kingdom as its next monarch]
[Chopper repeatedly declined these offers, explaining that royal duties would prevent him from treating patients directly. Moreover, he recognized that Dalton was an exceptional leader beloved by his people—the kingdom needed no other ruler]
[Understanding that the great doctor had no interest in political power, Dalton made a different request: that future monarchs adopt the surname "Tony Tony" in honor of Chopper's contributions to their nation and the world at large]
[The chronicles record that King Dalton died at age fifty-five from exhaustion brought on by his tireless dedication to his people. After consulting with Chopper, the citizens nominated Dalton's daughter as his successor. Thus, Tony Tony Fanny became the first ruler to bear the honorary name, ensuring that Chopper's legacy would endure for generations]
[In the years following Hiriluk's death, Chopper devoted himself completely to medical study under Dr. Kureha's tutelage, waiting for the arrival of his destined companions—Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates who had just entered the Grand Line]
[The Straw Hat Pirates had recently departed Little Garden after thwarting Baroque Works' conspiracy and rescuing the Giant Warrior Pirates' captains, Dorry and Brogy. However, during their stay on the prehistoric island, crew members Nami were bitten by a venomous insect called Kestia]
[Kestia, a poisonous species that had been extinct for over a century, carried a deadly pathogen in its bite. Victims developed "Kestia fever" with a five-day incubation period, during which they suffered high fever, myocarditis, arteritis, and encephalitis]
[If Captain Luffy hadn't carried his crew and climbed up the Drum Mountain barehanded in the snow and wind to find Chopper and the witch Kureha to treat him, if he had lost Miss Navigator, Monkey D. Luffy's dream of becoming the Pirate King would have ended on Drum Island.]