Chapter Forty-One: Filled to the Brim

Chopper quickly caught up with Buffon.

“Doctor Buffon, let me guide you!” he exclaimed, then dashed ahead to lead the way.

Buffon nodded and, extending his stride, raced after him.

Man and reindeer sped onward, and as night fell, they reached the main peak of Drum Island, where Wapol’s castle stood.

Surveying the empty, snowy expanse around the castle and the patrolling soldiers, Chopper said earnestly, “Doctor Buffon, I’ll draw them away. Find a chance to slip inside.”

He had barely finished speaking when Buffon shook his head. “Change into your human form,” he said.

Chopper complied. Buffon then donned the attire he had worn when fighting the Ghost Spider, scooped up the ninety-centimeter-tall Chopper in his arms, and, stepping onto the air with Moonwalk, rose swiftly to the castle’s heights.

Seeing Chopper’s exaggerated expression, Buffon simply said, “Lead the way,” and set him down gently.

Chopper, gathering himself, made a fist in encouragement and, with his little legs, began to lead Buffon into the castle.

Chopper had been born on Drum Island. His blue nose, a congenital feature, made him the object of his parents’ loathing and abandonment, and the other reindeer shunned him as well. Even as a newborn, he often trailed alone at the back of the herd.

Later, after accidentally eating the Human-Human Fruit, he tried to assume a human form, but ended up looking neither fully human nor fully reindeer, and so was rejected by humans too.

His encounter with Doctor Hiriluk marked the first time Chopper ever felt warmth in this world.

A year later, Chopper overheard that Hiriluk had only ten days left to live. Determined, he journeyed far and wide to seek out the miraculous Amiudake mushroom, hoping it could cure his friend.

Unbeknownst to Chopper, Hiriluk, whose days were numbered, secretly pleaded with Doctor Kureha to take Chopper in. At first, Kureha thought he was joking and drove him away.

Afterward, suspecting something was amiss, she hurried to Hiriluk’s home, only to learn he had set off to the kingdom’s castle to try to cure the ailing “Doctor 20.”

Chopper, proud, presented the Amiudake mushroom to Doctor Kureha, boasting that it had cured Hiriluk’s illness, but was sternly chastised. The mushroom Chopper had found at such great risk was, in fact, highly poisonous.

Though Hiriluk knew Chopper had made a mistake, he was so moved by his kindness, and could not bear to disappoint him. He drank the poisonous mushroom soup anyway, which only shortened his remaining days from ten to half a day.

When Hiriluk arrived at the castle, he discovered the illness of “Doctor 20” was a trap set by King Wapol, yet he was glad that no real disaster had befallen the country.

He firmly believed that even after death, he could cure his nation’s deep-seated ills. Shouting, “My life… truly has been wonderful,” he drank a bomb-laced wine and ended his own life.

Upon hearing of Hiriluk’s death, Chopper rushed to the castle, intent on killing Wapol, but was stopped by Dalton, the captain of the guard.

Dalton apologized to Chopper for Wapol’s actions and said he did not want to see anyone else, like Hiriluk, sacrifice themselves for their country.

Only then did Chopper abandon his thoughts of revenge. For this, Dalton was imprisoned by Wapol.

Thus, Chopper was fully supportive of Buffon’s mission to settle accounts with Wapol—not only to avenge Hiriluk, but also to save this ailing nation.

“Doctor Buffon, let’s rescue Captain Dalton from the dungeon first,” Chopper suggested.

Buffon nodded. “After we’ve dealt with Wapol,” he replied.

Chopper agreed and led Buffon toward Wapol’s bedroom.

They evaded countless patrolling guards along the way, finally arriving at the door to Wapol’s chamber, where Jess and Cromalion stood watch.

One was the chief of staff, the other an officer of evil affairs—Wapol’s two loyal hounds.

“So the coward is this afraid of dying!” Buffon muttered. He slipped forward in a flash, knocking both “gatekeepers” out with a chop of his hand, then dragged each by an arm into Wapol’s bedroom.

Chopper’s eyes sparkled with admiration. Only when Buffon beckoned did he snap out of his daze and follow inside.

Wapol was fast asleep, snoring so loudly the snot bubbles from his nose dwarfed even Chopper.

“What a carefree soul,” Buffon remarked sarcastically. Then he whispered to Chopper, “Want to handle this?”

Chopper blinked his large eyes, considered for a moment, and said, “You’d better do it.”

Buffon nodded, and was about to repeat his earlier technique when Wapol suddenly “woke up,” opening his enormous mouth to bite Buffon’s hand.

Buffon did not flinch. Armament Haki covered his entire arm, and when Wapol bit down, two teeth broke off immediately.

Leaping from the bed, Wapol retreated several meters and prepared to call for guards, only to see his two loyal “gatekeepers” already collapsed at Buffon’s feet.

Panic-stricken, he asked, “Are you a pirate?”

Behind his mask, Buffon nodded.

Wapol sneered, then turned his fury on Chopper. “Chopper, back then, I spared you out of respect for Dalton! Now you’ve brought a pirate here—have you forgotten Hiriluk’s fate?”

As he spoke, Wapol edged toward the window.

“You’re the true criminal of this country! Doctor Hiriluk died under your tyranny. Today, I’ll avenge Doctor Hiriluk and bring peace to this land!” Chopper’s emotions surged with Wapol’s words, and he transformed into a reindeer, antlers aimed squarely at the king as he tried to break for the window.

“What a coward. I wonder where he got the nerve to bite me earlier,” Buffon thought wryly, losing interest in any serious fight. He clenched his fist, ready to act.

Wapol opened his mouth again, unleashing his Tongue Cannon—a shell hurtled toward Buffon.

Without dodging, Buffon instinctively raised his gloved right hand and caught the shell firmly.

“Goalkeeper’s Secret Art: One-Handed Catch!” Buffon intoned.

Wapol, seeing this, bolted for the window. But Buffon was faster. With a flash of Six Powers—Shave—he darted forward and knocked Wapol out with a single punch.

Chopper, having witnessed the entire scene, stared up at Buffon in awe, stars sparkling in his eyes.

Buffon then produced his flying needles, sewing the two gatekeepers and Wapol together.

“The Munch-Munch Fruit is mine!” Buffon thought approvingly, then dragged the three, stitched together, out of the room.

Seeing Chopper still rooted to the spot, Buffon reminded him, “Come on, let’s go free that Dalton you mentioned!”

Chopper snapped back to reality and hurried after him.

On their way, the soldiers who saw Buffon dragging Wapol and his two ministers dared not attack, trailing from a distance instead.

Reaching the dungeon, Buffon smashed the iron bars with brute force.

There, shackled with sea prism stone handcuffs and battered from torture, lay Dalton. Buffon let out a soft sigh.

He addressed the soldiers outside, “The key.”

Though his tone was calm, it carried an undeniable authority.

Moments later, a set of keys was tossed at Buffon’s feet.

Chopper hurried forward, picked up the keys, and unlocked Dalton’s restraints.

Buffon bent down and, out of Chopper’s sight, gave Dalton a shot of adrenaline.

Instantly, Dalton, who had been on the verge of unconsciousness, revived.

His first words upon seeing Chopper were, “Chopper, why are you so foolish? Run! Don’t worry about me!”

Chopper shook his head solemnly. “Captain Dalton, Wapol has already been—”

Before he could say Buffon’s name, Buffon covered Chopper’s mouth with a large hand.

Buffon then quickly stitched up all of Dalton’s wounds.

Just then, the “Character Index” in Buffon’s mind delivered a prompt:

[Devil Fruit duplication limit reached. Please choose to replace or abandon.]

“Hm? It’s full already?” Buffon murmured, falling deep into thought.