Chapter 125: Kureha

Kureha’s appearance instantly calmed the anxious Chopper.

After taking a swig of her drink, Kureha turned her gaze toward Luo Lan and asked, "Well then, Marine, where is the person you need me to treat? And by the way, my services don't come cheap."

"Compared to a life, any treasure is merely a trifle," Luo Lan replied with a faint smile. "They are all waiting at the foot of the mountain. I would appreciate it if you could help me bring them up."

"The foot of the mountain?"

Kureha walked to the edge of the cliff and spotted the group below at a glance. Aside from Zoro, there were the 'Doctor 20' members carrying Johnny.

"That's the Doctor 20? Boy, who exactly are you?" Upon seeing the Doctor 20, Kureha's expression soured, and she frowned.

"Marine Captain, Luo Lan. I have already killed Wapol, so you don't need to worry about me being one of his men," Luo Lan explained, shaking his head.

"Wapol is dead?" Kureha was taken aback. She hadn't expected this Marine before her to be bold enough to kill the king of a World Government-affiliated nation without hesitation.

"Yes. His body and those of his two cronies are currently hanging from the flagpole at the pier," Luo Lan said, pointing toward the distant docks.

"Hanging from the flagpole at the pier? Are you that 'Devil Captain' Luo Lan?" Kureha suddenly realized something and stared at him with piqued interest.

"If there isn't a second Devil Captain, then I suppose that would be me." Luo Lan felt a chill run down his spine under her gaze. He didn't know why, but even though she was an old woman, he felt a strange sense of unease.

"Chopper, hitch up the sled and go bring those people up," Kureha commanded, turning to Chopper.

Once Chopper brought out the sled, Kureha had Luo Lan lead the way, and they descended to the base of the cliff.

"Witch Kureha? Why are you living here?" Upon seeing Kureha, the Doctor 20's expressions changed drastically, and they stared at her in terror.

"Where I live is none of your business, little ones. That aside, where is the patient? I can't believe there’s a patient you lot couldn't save," Kureha said, taking a sip of her drink, clearly puzzled.

Wapol, for the sake of his own health, had gathered the twenty finest doctors in the Drum Kingdom to form the elite medical team known as the Doctor 20. Generally, as long as these twenty intervened, unless it was an incurable disease, there were rarely any issues. Why would Luo Lan need to bring a patient to her?

"The patient is here. It was primarily our mistake," the Doctor 20 replied, their faces turning grim at the mention of the topic.

After their treatment, the patient's condition had not improved but had instead rapidly deteriorated—a severe medical malpractice. However, they knew that if there was any doctor on this island more skilled than them, it was this witch who had lived for who knows how long: Kureha. They didn't know the full extent of her expertise, but they knew one thing: there was no disease on this island that Kureha could not treat.

"Enough, say no more. Constantly treating Wapol has clearly made your skills regress. Hurry up and move the patient onto the sled so we can take them to the castle for treatment!" Watching the Doctor 20's demeanor, Kureha couldn't be bothered with the details. She ordered them to load the patient onto the sled and, with Luo Lan and Zoro in tow, headed back up the cableway toward the mountain.

As for the Doctor 20, Kureha left them behind to do as they pleased; she had no intention of teaching them anything. There were many patients on this island, and if these men still had a shred of conscience left, they could return to the common folk and treat them. The thought that the citizens of the Drum Kingdom, a great medical nation, were dying because they couldn't receive care, made Kureha find it somewhat ironic.

Back at the castle, under Kureha's orders, Zoro and Luo Lan carried Johnny into the medical room before being promptly kicked out. Luo Lan and Zoro shared a smile at Kureha's reaction, not taking it to heart. To them, Johnny’s recovery was the only thing that mattered.

The Marines' late arrival had already caused tragedy for the residents of Salon Island, which was a grave dereliction of duty. If they were to let a survivor of Salon Island die before their eyes due to lack of treatment, they might as well retire on the spot. Zoro might have felt better about it, but Luo Lan was particularly sensitive to such things. He didn't care about the deaths of villains, but if an ordinary person died in front of him because he failed to reach out in time, he would consider it his own failure.

Meanwhile, at the pier, watching the three bodies that had finally stopped struggling, Dalton felt a pang in his heart. Perhaps Wapol was not a qualified king, but his father certainly was.

If Wapol's body were to remain hanging at the pier, Dalton felt it would be an insult to the late king. After much deliberation, he approached Pengeris and offered a military salute. "Major Pengeris, I have a request. Would you be willing to grant it?"

"What request?" Pengeris asked, puzzled.

"Wapol is dead. Could you hand his body over to me to handle?" Dalton said slowly. "No matter what, he was the King of the Drum Kingdom. Now that he is dead, he deserves the dignity befitting a monarch."

"Hmm..." Pengeris was momentarily at a loss for words. By his own nature, even if it were heinous pirates, once they were dead, there was no need to further desecrate their remains. However, since following Luo Lan, he had come to understand one thing: if they allowed pirates to be buried in peace, it would be the greatest insult to their victims. Why should those bullied by pirates be denied peace while these villains were buried after death? It wasn't that they couldn't do it, but as Marines, they shouldn't.

Pengeris was conflicted. But looking at Dalton, he saw a reflection of his past self. He sighed and made an executive decision. "Captain Luo Lan’s original order was to use these guys to intimidate other pirates."

"But since you've asked, I will return their bodies to you. After all, he was a king, and no matter how much of a scoundrel he was, that title cannot be changed."

"But I must warn you, I am returning Wapol's body to you out of respect for the title of King, not for the man himself."

With that, Pengeris ordered his men to cut down the bodies of Wapol and his subordinates. However, he didn't hand them over immediately; he made sure to stab the corpses a few more times to be absolutely certain they were stone-cold dead before handing over the bloodied remains to Dalton. Dalton didn't say much in response—all he wanted were the bodies. As for their state, once buried in the ground, no one would dig them up to look, so it didn't matter what they looked like.