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Chapter 98: Wapol's Return
When the cable car finally ground to a halt on the platform in front of the castle, three figures leaped out one after another. Their expressions—a mix of excitement, joy, and greed—were fixed on the castle they hadn't seen in a long time.
"That guy... is Wapol?"
Vivi frowned, surprise evident in her tone.
"Do you know him, Vivi?" Luffy turned his head, his eyes curious beneath the brim of his straw hat.
The moment the name "Wapol" hung in the air, Chopper's entire body shuddered.
Wapol. That name was all too familiar to him and to everyone in the Drum Kingdom.
The memory of the former King—cruel, tyrannical, and vicious—still haunted every citizen.
Vivi nodded, recalling a distant memory in a low voice. "Yes... When I was little, my father took me to a Levely hosted by the World Government. I saw him there. I still remember how he looked—arrogant and incredibly rude to the representatives of neighboring countries."
"So, he's the King who ran away from this country?" Sanji frowned.
"So he's that bastard King!"
Luffy pressed both hands on the windowsill, leaning forward to glare at the three people who had just landed in the clearing. "So why are they coming back now?"
When they first arrived on the island, they had heard about this King from Dalton.
Even as outsiders, they felt disgusted by a ruler who would abandon his people to save his own skin in a time of crisis.
"Wapol is definitely here to take back the castle!"
Chopper finally recovered from his shock, his anxious voice filling the room.
"I have to go tell Doctorine!"
The first thing Wapol would do upon returning was undoubtedly kick them all out.
And given Kureha's personality, she would almost certainly clash with him.
"No need. I'm already here."
Just as Chopper finished speaking, Kureha pushed the door open and walked right in.
Her timing was perfect, as if she had been standing just outside the door the whole time.
Ganyu looked at her quietly, a faint, knowing smile in her eyes.
The "Witch" doctor had indeed been eavesdropping outside.
Luffy and the others hadn't noticed, but nothing escaped the acute senses of a Qilin.
"Kid, just as you saw," Kureha said after entering. She gave Chopper a brief glance before walking straight up to Luffy, her expression serious. "The scourge of this country has returned."
She looked at Luffy, her tone calm. "Drive them out of this country, and we'll call that the fee for this medical treatment. How about it?"
Hearing this, Luffy looked down at Chopper, whose eyes were filled with expectation and pleading. He reached out and ruffled the hat on Chopper's head.
He didn't understand why Chopper kept hesitating to accept his invitation to join the crew.
But this situation was perfect. It meant there was something blocking Chopper from making a decision.
And this King he already hated was undoubtedly one of those obstacles.
In that case, naturally, he just had to send this guy flying.
"I accept."
.....
"Old hag! Get the hell out of my castle!"
At the castle entrance, Wapol and his two top executives looked up at the second-floor window, bellowing loudly.
Through the open window, they could vaguely make out the silhouettes inside.
There were quite a few people in there—at a glance, at least six or seven.
"Damn old witch! That's my castle! How dare you let so many outsiders live in it!"
Wapol stomped his feet in fury. He felt as though his beloved castle had been defiled by strangers in the few months he was away.
He swore to himself that he would use his Munch-Munch Fruit ability to eat all these ungrateful wretches later to satisfy his hatred.
Thinking of eating, he suddenly felt a pang of hunger. His eyes darted around until they landed on a sleigh parked nearby.
He immediately pounced on it, opening his massive mouth to gnaw on the vehicle.
The sleigh, forged from steel, crunched as easily as a biscuit between his teeth. Crunch, crunch. He chewed noisily and swallowed the metal down.
Creeaaaak—
Just then, the heavy doors of the castle slowly opened.
Luffy walked out in the lead, staring curiously at Wapol chewing on the steel.
Behind him, flanking him on the left and right, were Zoro and Sanji.
The three of them walked with an impressive swagger, radiating the aura of strong fighters.
However, the two who were initially calm widened their eyes slightly upon seeing the bizarre sight of someone eating steel with their mouth.
There's actually someone more absurd than Luffy? He can even eat a sleigh?
"That's Wapol. He's a Munch-Munch user. He can incorporate anything he eats into his own body."
Chopper and Ganyu stood behind the trio. Chopper whispered the intel on Wapol to Ganyu.
Wapol's ability was no secret in this country. In the past, citizens who disobeyed his ridiculous decrees had watched him eat their entire houses with that power.
"Oi! Who are you people!"
"Stay away from His Majesty!"
Wapol's two subordinates noticed the group emerging from the castle. One raised a bow and arrow, while the other quickly pulled two fuzz balls from his afro and slipped them onto his hands, his gaze grave.
The appearance and attire of these people clearly marked them as outsiders, not locals of Drum Island.
"Us? We're pirates, obviously!" Luffy shouted back, pointing at Wapol, who was still buried in the sleigh, munching away.
"Hey! Are you Wapol? I'm here to send you flying!"
Luffy got straight to the point.
"What?"
Hearing this, Wapol, who had been focused on his meal, froze. He slowly turned his head, glaring furiously.
"You brat! You came from nowhere, and now you want to steal my throne?!"
"Hah?"
Luffy looked confused. He shook his head, looking completely baffled.
"No, I don't want to be any King. I just promised the 'Witch' doctor and Chopper that I'd kick you out of this country!"
"What?!"
Hearing Luffy's reason only made Wapol angrier. He crunched down on the remaining steel in his mouth with a loud crack.
"I knew it! That old hag Kureha is trying to usurp my throne!"
With a few loud gulps, he swallowed all the metal scraps. His body suddenly expanded, transforming him into a steel giant several meters tall.
"She really went to great lengths to steal my crown."
He looked down at Luffy and the others, his voice cold.
"You wet-behind-the-ears brats must be the helpers that old witch hired!"
He figured he had it all figured out now.
Dalton and Kureha had stolen his kingdom after he was forced to flee.
And this group of young punks were mercenaries they had recruited from overseas, specifically to deal with him, the rightful King returning from exile.
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