Chapter 124: The Castle on the Peak

"So, your identity has been confirmed. Wapol of the White Tin, you are not the King of the Drum Kingdom at all, merely a pirate."

Luo Lan waved his hand, and marines who had been standing by descended from the warship to erect three flagpoles on the pier.

"I don't know how other marines deal with your kind, but the pirates I encounter have only one fate: to be hanged from the pier," Luo Lan said coldly.

In the original story, after being driven out of the Drum Kingdom by Luffy, Wapol actually managed to make a comeback using his abilities, establishing a new Dark Drum Kingdom. Such an outcome was absolutely impossible under Luo Lan's watch. Pirates had only two fates: if they were people he found agreeable, he might recruit them to atone for their crimes; if he found them distasteful, he would have them hanged immediately, giving them no chance to survive.

Realizing that resistance was futile—and in truth, he had no way to resist—Wapol gave up. As a Devil Fruit user restrained by Seastone handcuffs, he was completely sapped of his strength, left at the mercy of the marines.

As the marines placed ropes around the necks of the three, Chess and Kuromarimo suddenly began to struggle, shouting, "We are innocent! Everything was forced upon us by Wapol!"

"We are just his subordinates; we couldn't disobey his orders. Everything was his doing!"

The two struggled incessantly, trying to shift all responsibility away from themselves. Watching his former subordinates, who had once obeyed his every word, now desperately trying to distance themselves from him, Wapol sneered. He knew that in front of this devil, none of them would survive. No matter how they tried to deflect the blame, it was all in vain. To cement his status as a pirate, the devil Luo Lan would ensure that all witnesses perished.

Compared to the pathetic display of the other two, Wapol became resigned. He allowed the marines to hoist him high, showing no reaction other than the instinctive struggle caused by physical discomfort. He did not struggle significantly until his final breath. This composure actually caused Dalton some unease. Removing his hat, Dalton watched as his former king passed away. He felt sorrow, but no pity for Wapol. This country no longer needed Wapol to rule it.

"Captain Luo Lan, something has gone wrong!"

As Luo Lan watched the three men lose their lives, the ship's doctor suddenly rushed down from the warship, panic-stricken.

"What is it?" Luo Lan asked, puzzled.

"Johnny—Johnny isn't doing well. The medical skills of the 'Doctor 20' are indeed superb, but they seem to have overlooked Johnny's true condition. The treatment three days ago did help him recover quite a bit, but his injuries have deteriorated rapidly today. He is near death," the ship's doctor said, his face flushed with nervous anxiety.

"What did you say?" Luo Lan was instantly incensed. Everything was nearly finished; why were problems arising now? The Doctor 20 were the twenty best in a nation of medicine; how could they make such a rookie mistake?

He had originally intended to settle the Doctor 20 and the residents of Salon Island, including Johnny, in the Drum Kingdom before returning to Marine Headquarters. But it seemed he had no choice but to head up the island and find that Kureha. He didn't care about the cost; compared to a human life, everything else was cheap.

"That's enough. Tell the Doctor 20 to pack up and bring Johnny with me. Zoro, you come along too. Pengelese, you stay here and guard the ship," Luo Lan commanded quickly.

Because Johnny's condition was critical, Luo Lan couldn't be bothered to explain further. He led his group toward the center of the island. He knew exactly where Kureha lived—in the castle on the peak in the middle of the island. This castle had once belonged to Wapol, but since he had abandoned his people, it had become the residence of Kureha and Chopper.

As they moved deeper into the island, the Doctor 20 realized they were heading toward Wapol's castle, though they occasionally veered off course.

"Captain Luo Lan, if you intend to go to Wapol's castle, you should head this way," one of the doctors said, emboldened.

"Then you lead the way," Luo Lan replied nonchalantly. He didn't remember the path to the castle, only that it was on one of the Drum Mountains. Since someone was leading, he naturally had nothing more to say. Guided by the Doctor 20, their speed increased significantly. Less than ten minutes later, Luo Lan saw the castle atop the rugged peak in the distance.

However, surrounded by sheer cliffs, Luo Lan was at a loss as to how to get up there. He himself didn't mind; a single Moon Walk step would get him to the top. But what about Johnny? He was a critically wounded patient—he couldn't possibly make the climb.

Suddenly, Luo Lan remembered the steel cable from the original story, which Kureha used to pull Chopper's sleigh up and down after he transformed. He could go up first to contact Kureha and let the Doctor 20 wait here. It was fortunate he had brought Zoro, who could stay behind to protect the doctors.

After giving instructions to Zoro, Luo Lan used Moon Walk and ascended directly to the castle. Looking at the structure, which was almost entirely covered in snow, he noted the winds were even fiercer here than at the base. He reached out to push open the castle gates, and a monster with red eyes lunged at him.

Had he not known the plot, Luo Lan might have cut the non-human creature down for daring to attack him. But that was impossible now. The one attacking him was Chopper, the adorable mascot of One Piece; how could he bring himself to strike? After easily blocking Chopper's attack, Luo Lan pinned him down and explained, "I'm not a bad guy. I just have a patient who needs the witch Kureha's treatment."

"A patient?"

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Chopper calmed down, reverted to his small, cute form, and looked at Luo Lan with curiosity.

"First, let me introduce myself. I am Marine Captain Luo Lan. Is Kureha home?" Luo Lan extended a hand in a friendly gesture.

"Ma, Marine?"

Upon hearing this title, Chopper didn't feel as reassured as Luo Lan had expected; instead, he looked at him with wariness. His adoptive father, Doctor Hiriluk, had taught him that pirates were the bravest beings in the world and hoped he would live as bravely and freely as one. However, after living with Kureha, he had learned of the existence of the Marines, whose purpose was to capture pirates. With a living Marine standing before him, how could Chopper not be afraid?

"That's enough, Chopper. The Marines aren't bad guys, and he isn't here to catch you," a woman appeared, possessing a fiery figure despite looking old enough to be his grandmother's grandmother. She held a bottle of liquor in one hand and offered words of comfort.