Chapter 87: Chapter 87: "Even If You Call Me a Doctor, I’m Not Happy About It!"
"Huh?!"
Vivi, standing nearby, only now noticed that the short reindeer was actually speaking. She couldn’t help but feel shocked again.
"This reindeer can talk?!"
Chopper, for his part, was already used to this reaction.
Whenever strangers heard him speak for the first time, they almost always wore that same stunned expression.
Some even reacted with fear toward his very existence.
Thinking of this, Chopper curiously lifted his head to look at the tall human standing before him.
This person didn’t seem particularly surprised upon hearing him speak.
Gathering his courage, Chopper asked in a small voice, "Um... what’s... what’s your name?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Chopper’s heart began to race with unease.
Seeing Chopper grow even more nervous after asking, Will responded with a warm smile.
"My name’s Will. Aster Will."
"Will..." Chopper mumbled softly, feeling a wave of relief wash over him because the man had willingly shared his name.
Will’s gaze shifted as he continued, "Chopper, I’ve noticed you sticking close to that old doctor lady. I’m guessing you’re a doctor too, right?"
"Huh? Me... I’m... a doc... doctor?!"
Chopper’s eyes widened, his pupils trembling slightly at the words.
"You little brat! Stop calling me an old lady!"
Dr. Kureha, overhearing this, was clearly displeased. She swung her leg with even greater force, aiming a kick at Will.
Thud!
Will didn’t even flinch, casually raising a hand to block the kick without so much as glancing her way.
Dr. Kureha’s eyes narrowed, and she grinned. "Watch your words, kid."
"You should know I’m still in the prime of my youth at a sprightly 130-something!"
Meanwhile, Chopper, hiding under the table, hadn’t caught a word of their exchange.
Suddenly, he began to wiggle with a radiant smile, his lips curling as he said, "You jerk, even if you call me a doctor or whatever, I’m not happy about it at all!"
"No way, you... you’re actually calling me a doctor! Being called that by a human? I’m not happy about it one bit~!"
Dalton, watching this, couldn’t help but remark in surprise, "Doesn’t he look pretty happy to you?"
"Idiot son..." Dr. Kureha, who had steadied herself and crossed her arms, muttered under her breath.
Nami, observing the scene, couldn’t hold back a deadpan quip.
"Who would’ve thought this peculiar reindeer is the type who can’t hide his emotions at all?"
Vivi, hearing this, let out a soft laugh before asking curiously, "Why do you think this reindeer can talk and even walk on two legs?"
"Hee hee~" Karina’s lips curved into a knowing smile, clearly having pondered this before. She whispered, "I’ve actually thought of one possibility."
"And that is... this reindeer must’ve accidentally eaten a Devil Fruit, which is why he can talk and walk upright."
"A Devil Fruit?!" Vivi froze, her mind instinctively flashing to Pell, who had eaten the Bird-Bird Fruit.
Nami, too, seemed to recall something, her thoughts drifting.
Back when they were bored on the ship, she and Karina had lounged in bed, flipping through the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia.
There was one fruit in particular—the Zoan-type Human-Human Fruit, Human Model.
When an animal eats it, they can transform into a human-like form.
It grants near-human intelligence, learning ability, and lifespan, as well as the ability to walk upright on two legs.
Could that be the fruit this reindeer ate?
Just then, Dr. Kureha’s gaze landed on the twenty doctors standing behind the group, and her eyes turned cold.
"The Isshi-20! What are those guys doing here?!"
With that, she took two steps forward, positioning herself protectively in front of Chopper, and demanded, "Are you lot in cahoots with that trash Wapol?"
Chopper’s heart skipped a beat at her words, and he instinctively prepared to transform to protect Dr. Kureha.
"You’ve got it wrong, Dr. Kureha!"
Dalton, sensing the tension, quickly stepped forward and earnestly recounted the events he’d previously shared with the villagers.
"What did you say? Wapol’s been taken out by this guy?!"
Dr. Kureha raised an eyebrow, turning to look at Will with a surprised expression.
"What? Wapol... is dead?!"
Chopper, mid-transformation, froze in place, his mind reeling as the shocking news echoed in his head.
"Dr. Hiriluk..."
"Wapol... is gone..."
Memories of the past flooded back, and his eyes trembled slightly as he fought to hold back tears.
The news of his enemy’s demise, intertwined with those old memories, stirred a complex mix of joy and sorrow in Chopper’s heart.
Dr. Kureha, keenly aware of Chopper’s emotional shift, muttered softly, "What an idiot son..."
Then, lifting her head, she looked at Will with a genuine smile. "Thanks, young man."
"You’ve helped this country rid itself of a persistent disease."
"And you’ve also lifted a burden from my idiot son’s heart."
Noticing she no longer called him a brat, Will grinned back. "No need to thank me."
"I just picked up some trash off the ground and tossed it where it belongs."
"Hee hee hee!" Dr. Kureha let out a hearty laugh at the metaphor.
"That’s an interesting way to put it."
By now, Chopper had calmed his swirling emotions. Stepping out from under the table, he looked up at Will and said earnestly, "Will, thank you so much for getting rid of that jerk Wapol."
He even bowed deeply.
Will’s eyes gleamed, and he smiled. "If you really want to thank me, how about joining my crew, Chopper?"
"Huh?!" Chopper straightened up, his voice trembling with nervousness as he stammered, "W-Well... I... um..."
Deep down, he felt a spark of interest, but the suddenness of the offer left him unable to decide on the spot.
"Alright, you all came here to eat, didn’t you?"
Dr. Kureha, hands on her hips, interrupted with a grin. "Other matters can wait until after dinner."
Will and the others had no objections.
After the long journey to get here, they were indeed feeling hungry.
Dr. Kureha then left, taking the twenty doctors with her to who-knows-where.
Before going, though, she made sure to leave Ch Chopper behind.
Under Dalton’s arrangements, Will and the crew began to enjoy some of Drum Island’s unique cuisine.
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