Chapter 35: Drum Island 2
At the coast of Drum Island, the Going Merry slowly docked. The temperature was now approaching freezing.
"Woahahaha! Snow country adventure!"
Luffy leaped off the ship, his feet plunging directly into the snow. He threw his hands up, shouting excitedly.
"Luffy, are you really okay wearing so little?" Vivi hugged herself, shrinking from the cold as she asked with concern.
Everyone else was bundled in thick down jackets, yet Luffy wore only his signature short sleeves, shorts, and a pair of 'supreme' sandals.
No, wait, there was another oddball...
"Ssss~ It's a bit cold,"
"Then put some clothes on! Idiot Moss Head!" Sanji couldn't help but curse loudly, looking at the shirtless Zoro.
"Time for some winter swimming training!" Zoro smirked, and with a 'splash!', he dove headfirst into the icy sea.
That looks painful just watching~
Reiner couldn't help but click his tongue. He was definitely serious about his own training, but compared to Zoro, he truly felt inadequate. That guy really trained like he was trying to kill himself.
He summoned the Katana Devil and Chainsaw Devil, along with about ten Fish-Man undead. By now, the Katana/Chainsaw duo had been relegated to ship-guarding duty.
After swimming for a while, even Zoro couldn't help but climb ashore, shivering uncontrollably.
"I really thought you weren't human," Reiner remarked as he directed an undead to toss Zoro's clothes down from the ship.
There was no clear path from the coast, or if there was, it was now invisible. The snow reached past their calves. The group simply picked a direction and started walking.
They hadn't gone far when shouts erupted from the direction of the Going Merry behind them.
"Pirates! Get out of here, quick!"
"Hey! We're talking to you! Didn't you hear!?"
"If you don't leave now, we won't be polite!"
A crowd of villagers had surrounded the Merry, all raising guns aimed at the 'people' on board. But no matter how much they shouted, there was no response from the figures on the ship.
BANG—!
Assuming negotiations had failed, one villager couldn't resist firing a shot towards the deck.
Whirr— Whirr—!
However, at that very instant, the Katana and Chainsaw Devils exploded into action, lunging forward like lightning, appearing before the villagers in the blink of an eye.
"So fast!"
Dalton was alarmed. He abruptly sidestepped, placing himself in front of the villagers, quickly drawing the large oval sword from his back to parry the descending chainsaws.
CLANG—!
"Such terrifying strength!"
Feeling the immense force transmitted through his sword, Dalton was secretly shocked. The next moment, he was blasted back over ten meters, his feet carving two deep trenches in the snow.
Dalton's expression hardened. Without further hesitation, he transformed. Black fur rapidly grew, covering his body surface in an instant, and two ox horns sprouted from his temples.
Zoan Type: Ox-Ox Fruit, Model: Bison!
Facing the advancing Chainsaw Devil, Dalton charged forward head-on. The clash of chainsaw and sword erupted in a shower of sparks.
"Even in his transformed state, Captain Dalton can barely match him?!"
"Just what is this monster!?"
As the two were locked in a stalemate, the Katana Devil appeared beside Dalton in a flash, its long sword glinting coldly, ready to strike.
"Reiner, wai—"
The Katana Devil's blade stopped just inches from Dalton's chest. Staring at the cold steel before him, he couldn't help but swallow nervously.
Before Luffy could even finish speaking, Reiner had already commanded the undead to halt.
The other undead also froze their actions, standing motionless.
"Phew~~ That was close. What's wrong with you?" Luffy looked at Reiner, somewhat puzzled. Since when does Reiner attack civilians?
"Ah, sorry. My body feels a bit strange," Reiner closed his eyes tiredly, took off his glasses, and rubbed his temples.
Judging by their clothing, it was easy to tell they were all civilians. If he hadn't stopped in time, he might have nearly massacred them.
"My killing intent is a bit strong... my bad," Reiner thought, crouching down and scooping up a handful of snow to rub on his face.
Ever since acquiring the Blue Ogre and Red Ogre templates in Little Garden, he felt the power within him becoming restless, making his mood somewhat irritable as well.
Nami placed a hand on his head, gently rubbing his golden hair, and comforted him with a smile, "It's good that nothing serious happened."
Looks like I need to train my temperament too, Reiner thought secretly.
He stood up, put his glasses back on, his expression returning to its usual gentle demeanor.
"Are you guys okay?" The crew walked over, and Reiner helped one of the villagers up.
"Th-thank you," the villager replied, still looking bewildered.
Only then did Dalton react. "We're fine. Who are you people?"
"Shishishi! We're pirates!" Luffy grinned, pointing towards the Going Merry. "That's our ship."
"Nani!"
The villagers, who had just relaxed, tensed up again, immediately raising their guns towards the crew.
"Put your guns down," Dalton's steady voice rang out. The villagers looked at each other blankly for a moment, then lowered their weapons.
Dalton knew that if the pirates had intended harm, he would have had his heart pierced just moments ago. Thinking this, he couldn't help but glance again at the motionless Katana Devil.
"My name is Reiner. I'm a logistics member of the Straw Hat Pirates."
Reiner stepped forward with a smile. "We were hoping to enter the village to replenish some supplies. We will pay, of course, and won't cause any trouble."
"I understand. My name is Dalton."
Dalton looked at the gently smiling man before him, then turned and gestured for the villagers to return. "Follow me."
"Shishishi! Let's go!" Luffy adjusted his straw hat and eagerly ran forward.
Reiner and the crew followed Dalton towards the village, chatting intermittently along the way.
"Veter liquor?" Hearing about a place that likely had strong spirits, Zoro naturally wouldn't miss out.
"Ah, that's a type of schnapps unique to winter islands. Drum Island is no exception."
From Dalton's explanation, the main ingredient for this spirit was potato. It was distilled repeatedly to achieve a proof of over 95 degrees (likely ~47.5% ABV or higher), then diluted and flavored with various grass roots and tree bark, as most plants didn't grow well in the winter island environment.
"Sounds interesting."
Reiner smiled slightly, writing down 'Veter Liquor' in his small notebook.
Above it were entries like 'Scarlet Salmon' and 'Sable Textiles' – other products unique to cold regions.
Along the way, Dalton also shared some information about Drum Island, including the fact that Blackbeard had attacked the country just a few months ago.
However, King Wapol, instead of fighting back with his gathered army, had abandoned the country and fled.
"Speaking of which, we ran into that Wapol," Zoro suddenly interjected.
"Where?! When did this happen?!"
Dalton looked at Zoro in surprise, his face turning grim as he gritted his teeth. "So he really doesn't plan to leave this country alone?"
"Uh, he's already feeding the fishes in the sea."
"Hm???"
"We encountered him at sea. He tried to rob us at the time... I think?" Sanji rubbed his chin, uncertain.
"I-Is that so."
Dalton paused, stunned, his feelings complicated.
Still, it was beneficial overall, so he didn't dwell on it.
"Speaking of which, doesn't your country have any doctors now? What happens if someone gets sick?" Nami asked.
"No... there is still one doctor in this country. People call her... the Witch."
"Witch? Sounds pretty cool!"
"You have strange tastes," Dalton looked oddly at Luffy.
"Actually, let's pay that doctor a visit," Reiner suggested. "Zoro, your wound needs proper treatment."
Zoro had received a massive slash across his chest from his duel with Mihawk. None of them knew medicine, so they could only bandage it simply.
Now that there was a highly skilled doctor nearby, it was definitely better to have her take a look.
"Hah? This little scratch is noth—"
Duang!
"Ouch, damn it!"
"Stop acting tough, idiot!" Ship Tyrant Nami delivered a punch to Zoro.
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