Clumsy

A close-up panel shows a hand heavily stained with blood. Below, Hiriluk sits in a chair, staring at his bloody hand with a grim, resigned expression. He asks quietly, "I'M.. GOING TO DIE, AREN'T I...?" In the bottom panel, Kureha is seen from behind, tilting her head back to drink from a bottle. She replies with a dark chuckle, "GULP... HEE HEE HEE HEE... YES... YES, YOU WILL..."

An exterior shot shows Hiriluk's large treehouse surrounded by a snowy forest. Inside, Hiriluk asks, "IN 3~4 DAYS, I TAKE IT?" Kureha, holding her bottle, responds, "OH? I'M SURPRISED A QUACK DOCTOR CAN ACTUALLY FIGURE OUT HOW LONG HE'S GOT." Hiriluk pleads with her, "IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO HELP ME? I'M SURE WITH YOUR SKILL, YOU CAN MANAGE TO EXTEND IT, IF EVEN JUST A TINY BIT LONGER." Kureha smirks, adjusting her sunglasses, and says, "STILL CAN'T LET GO? IT MIGHT BE A LOT EASIER AND LESS PAINFUL IF YOU JUST BIT THE DUST ALREADY. HEE HEE HEE HEE..." Hiriluk looks determined, stating, "I STILL HAVE WORK LEFT TO FINISH. I ONLY NEED A LITTLE MORE TIME... I HAVE TO FINISH THE WORK I'VE SPENT OVER 30 YEARS ON." Kureha stands in the room, looking at him, and suggests, "......... IF YOU WANT TO LIVE SO BADLY, WHY DON'T YOU GO TO THAT COUNTRY OUT IN THE FAR WEST AGAIN?"

Kureha continues, smiling broadly, "MAYBE THERE, YOU CAN SEE YOUR LITTLE 'MIRACLE CHERRY BLOSSOMS' AGAIN... THE ONES THAT SAVED THE GREAT THIEF HILULUK..." Hiriluk replies firmly, "......... THERE'S NO USE FOR THAT, BECAUSE I'LL BRING THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS HERE TO THIS ISLAND INSTEAD...!" Kureha scoffs at the idea, "RIDICULOUS... DID YOU FORGET THIS IS A WINTER-ISLAND WHERE IT'S FREEZING COLD ALL YEAR LONG? AIN'T NO CHERRY BLOSSOMS EVER GONNA BLOOM HERE!" Hiriluk yells passionately, his face intense, "THEY WILL BLOOM! THOSE CHERRY BLOSSOMS NOT ONLY SAVED THE WORTHLESS LIFE OF A CROOK, BUT CLEANSED HIS VERY SOUL... I WAS PERSONAL WITNESS TO ITS MIRACULOUS HEALING POWERS!"

Hiriluk stands up from his chair, declaring loudly, "SUCH MIRACLES ARE INDEED A REALITY IN THIS WORLD OF OURS! AND I WANT TO PROVE IT ON THIS ISLAND WHERE I WAS BORN! I'LL SHOW THAT IT'S POSSIBLE TO SAVE ANYONE IN THIS WORLD! BUT I NEED TIME... JUST A LITTLE MORE TIME...!" Kureha looks at him skeptically, "YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHEN TO CALL IT QUITS, DO YA...? WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IS NEITHER MEDICINE NOR SCIENCE. EVEN IF CHERRY BLOSSOMS DID BLOOM HERE, THE PEOPLE WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED." She then glances out the round window and asks, "BY THE WAY... WHAT IS THAT WEIRD MONSTER THAT SEEMS TO BE FOLLOWING YOU...?" Hiriluk looks out the window in surprise, "WHAT...!? IT'S FOLLOWING ME? LOOKS LIKE IT.. IT'S BEEN LURKING OUTSIDE MY HOUSE EVER SINCE YOU CAME. IT'S BEEN TRYING TO KEEP ITSELF HIDDEN..." Outside, Chopper is seen hiding behind a snow-covered tree, peeking out nervously.

Chopper is shown running away through the snow, his small feet leaving tracks behind him. "Ta ta ta ta ta". He runs past pine trees and a small cave in the snowy landscape. Inside the treehouse, Kureha observes this through the window and says, "......... I SEE... SO AFTER A YEAR OF LIVING WITH HIM, YOU SUDDENLY CHASED HIM AWAY..."

Kureha continues speaking to Hiriluk, "IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO! JUST THINK HOW HE WOULD FEEL, IF HE WATCHED THE ONLY FRIEND HE EVER HAD IN HIS ENTIRE LIFE, DIE RIGHT BEFORE HIS EYES...! OR WOULD YOUR RATHER HAVE HIM SINK EVEN DEEPER INTO GRIEF!?" Hiriluk looks intense and conflicted, "WE'RE CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH... BUT... NO... IT'S PRECISELY BECAUSE OF THAT I WANT TO TEACH HIM, THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE FOR EVEN HIM...! I'LL PROVE THAT BY MAKING THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS BLOOM!" Kureha points a finger at him, delivering a harsh truth, "LISTEN CAREFULLY. YOU'LL DIE FOUR DAYS FROM NOW AT 5:30PM. THAT IS YOUR LIMIT. ALTHOUGH THE GERM THAT'S INFECTED YOU HAS NO REMEDY, WITH MY MEDICAL SKILLS, I CAN MANAGE TO TRICK YOUR BODY INTO LETTING YOU LIVE FOR 3 MORE WEEKS...! BUT! THAT'S ONLY IF YOU HAD THE CASH TO AFFORD IT, WHICH I HIGHLY DOUBT."

Hiriluk suddenly pulls out a gun and points it directly at Kureha, yelling desperately, "SHUT UP AND GIVE ME THE DAMN TREATMENT ALREADY!" Kureha is completely unfazed, staring back at him. ".........!! YOU THINK YOU CAN KILL A PERSON WITH A MERE TRANQUILIZER? BUT WHATEVER. I'LL AGREE TO TREAT YOU. LET ME SEE EXACTLY WHAT IT IS, YOU CAN OFFER TO THIS COUNTRY AS A DOCTOR.." She easily takes the gun from him and twirls it on her finger, smiling softly. "BOTH OF YOU REALLY ARE CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH... CLUMSY BEYOND HELP..."

Chopper is running frantically through the snowy forest. He accidentally crashes headfirst into a tree trunk with a loud "Gash!!", causing snow to fall from the branches. He falls backward into the snow. He sits up, rubbing his head, then gets back on his feet with a determined look on his face. He continues running, but loses his footing and tumbles down a steep snowy slope, rolling over and over. "Gaaan!!" "Goro goro..."

Chopper is inside a messy room filled with stacks of books, medical supplies, and barrels. He is frantically flipping through a large open book on the floor. "Flip" "Flip". He stops, his eyes wide with shock as he finds something specific on the page. A flashback shows Hiriluk firing his gun near Chopper, yelling angrily, "GET LOST! I DON'T CARE IF YOU LEAVE FOR THE SEAS OR WHEREVER! JUST MAKE SURE YOU NEVER SHOW YOUR FACE AROUND HERE EVER AGAIN!" The scene shifts back to the present, showing Chopper walking determinedly through a harsh, howling blizzard.

The flashback continues with Hiriluk yelling, tears in his eyes, "I WOULD NEVER, EVER SHOOT YOU!" In the present, Chopper continues his difficult trek through the deep snow and strong winds. He approaches a massive, strange-shaped rock formation that resembles a giant skull or face covered in snow.

Inside his lab, Hiriluk is working intensely on his experiment, surrounded by books and bubbling beakers. He thinks to himself, "......... FORGIVE ME, CHOPPER... BUT AT THE VERY LEAST, I WANT YOU TO WITNESS MY CHERRY BLOSSOMS, MY LAST AND GREATEST WORK...!" Suddenly, a violent explosion erupts from his equipment. "BOOM!!" Hiriluk is caught in the blast and screams in pain, "AGHHHHH!"

Chopper is still walking through the blizzard. He suddenly stops, noticing something ahead. "!!?" Back in the lab, Hiriluk looks at a beaker, frustrated and covered in soot. "DAMN, IT'S THE SAME AS USUAL!" In the snowy wilderness, Chopper finds himself facing a large herd of giant reindeer, standing silently in the snow.

Hiriluk grits his teeth in frustration, "DAMMIT! I DON'T HAVE MUCH MORE TIME LEFT!" Chopper tries to walk past the herd of reindeer. Suddenly, the large leader of the herd charges at Chopper and violently headbutts him, sending him flying through the air. "Gaaan!!"

Chopper is thrown through the air by the impact of the headbutt. He remembers Hiriluk standing proudly in front of his pirate flag, declaring, "WITH THIS FLAG, I SHALL FIGHT ON LIKE A TRUE PIRATE! FOR A MAN WITH A PIRATE'S FLAG BEHIND HIS BACK, IMPOSSIBILITY IS AN IMPOSSIBILITY! THAT'S WHAT I TAUGHT CHOPPER!" Inspired by the memory, Chopper gets back up and charges fiercely at the reindeer leader, clashing with it head-on.

A flashback shows Chopper looking at a book with a picture of a mushroom. "THAT MUST BE IT! THE AMIUDAKE MUSHROOM..." Another flashback shows a conversation among townspeople: "MUSHROOM? YES, APPARENTLY THERE'S SOME RARE MUSHROOM IN THIS KINGDOM THAT CAN BE USED TO PREPARE SOME SORT OF PANACEA..." In the present, Chopper is engaged in a brutal fight with the reindeer leader, getting struck hard and sent flying again. He thinks, "BUT HOW DO I GET THERE...?" The final panel shows Chopper standing his ground, heavily battered, bleeding, and panting, glaring defiantly at the entire herd of reindeer.

A caption reads "ONE WEEK AFTER". An exterior shot of Hiriluk's treehouse is shown in the snow. Inside, someone knocks on the door. "KNOCK KNOCK!" Hiriluk is sitting on the floor, coughing violently. "COUGH! COUGH COUGH..." Suddenly, the door is smashed open, sending debris flying. Hiriluk looks up in shock and horror, yelling, "C-CHOPPER! W-WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!?"

Chopper stands in the doorway. He is severely injured, covered in bruises and blood, and his left antler is broken off. He is holding up a mushroom. "MUSHROOM." Hiriluk stares in stunned silence. Chopper says, "THAT'S... THE AMIUDAKE MUSHROOM.. PLEASE LIVE, DOCTOR.. I WANT TO BECOME A DOCTOR TOO...! SO PLEASE LIVE AND TEACH ME HOW TO BECOME ONE! THAT IS, IF IT'S POSSIBLE FOR A REINDEER TO LEARN..." Hiriluk, with tears streaming down his face, asks, "DID YOU... PICK IT FOR MY SAKE...?"

In a castle, Dalton speaks out, "I OPPOSE! WHY MUST WE GO TO SUCH UNETHICAL LENGTHS FOR THESE 'DOCTOR-HUNTS'...!?" Wapol, sitting on his throne, angrily replies, "SILENCE FOOL! I NEVER ASKED FOR YOUR OPINION, DALTON! BESIDES, HILULUK IS NOTHING BUT A CRIMINAL! MY HIPPO WOULD KNOW MORE ABOUT THE HIPPO-CRATIC OATH THAN THAT QUACK!" Another voice adds, "AS SUCH, IT'S ONLY NATURAL THAT HE SHOULD BE EXECUTED AT ONCE!" Wapol commands, "NOW IF YOU UNDERSTAND, THEN YOU'LL CARRY OUT THE PLAN AT ONCE! THAT'S AN ORDER!" Back at the treehouse, Hiriluk tightly hugs the injured Chopper, crying openly. "OF COURSE YOU CAN, CHOPPER. HOW COULD SOMEONE SO KIND BE UNABLE TO BECOME A DOCTOR...!?"

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