SNOW STORY

This page is a full-color version of the previous title page. Nami and Vivi are depicted in their detailed desert attire. Nami's veil is green and pink, and her top is purple and green. Her orange hair stands out against the veil. Vivi, with her light blue hair tied back, wears a black top with gold accents and an orange skirt. The ruins in the background are colored in sandy tones, with a pink-blossomed tree visible on the left side. The sky is a warm, pale yellow, suggesting a desert setting.

Chopper, heavily bandaged and looking hopeful, asks, "DOES THE AMIUDAKE SOUP TASTE GOOD? WELL?" In the next panel, Hiriluk is shown sitting on his bed, holding a bowl of the soup. He suddenly yells out, "YUUUCK! IT'S HORRIBLE!" Chopper is completely shocked, his jaw dropping as he exclaims, "WHAAAAAAAAT!" Hiriluk then bursts into laughter, "EH EH EH EH... DON'T WORRY, GOOD MEDICINE IS SUPPOSED TO TASTE BAD. THAT'S JUST PROOF OF THEIR EFFICACY." He gives Chopper a wide, reassuring smile and says, "WHY, I CAN ALREADY FEEL ENERGY SURGING THROUGH MY WHOLE BODY! THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHOPPER!"

Hiriluk is looking closely at a beaker filled with a dark, bubbling liquid. Chopper asks, "DOC, WHAT'S THAT?" Hiriluk replies, "HM? THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN IT DO THAT." Suddenly, Hiriluk's eyes widen in shock as he exclaims, "AH- AHHHH!" He holds the beaker up, his face lighting up with immense joy. "THIS IS IT! THIS IS THE REACTION I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR! I'VE BEEN WAITING OVER 30 YEARS FOR THIS...!" Tears stream down his face as he shouts, "I DID IT, CHOPPER! MY RESEARCH IS COMPLETE!" The scene cuts to an exterior view of the snowy mountain, where a massive explosion of pink dust erupts from the castle at the peak, resembling cherry blossoms. Hiriluk's voice declares, "I CAN BRING THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS TO THIS WINTER ISLAND NOW!"

Hiriluk, now dressed in his black coat and top hat, stands by the door. He tells Chopper, "NOW STAY PUT WHILE I GO OUT FOR A LITTLE BIT." Chopper, still bandaged, protests, "YOU'RE IN FAR MORE CRITICAL CONDITION THAN I AM, WHAT WITH ALL THOSE WOUNDS OF YOURS!" Hiriluk simply replies, "ALRIGHT..." and opens the door to the snowy outside. As he steps out, he says, "THEN I'LL BE OFF!" Chopper watches him go, thinking, "DOC WAS REAL HAPPY... I ACTUALLY CURED SOMEBODY!" Suddenly, the door bursts open again, and Hiriluk leans back in, calling out, "HEY, CHOPPER!" He gives Chopper a massive, heartfelt smile and says, "YOU'RE GOING TO BE A WONDERFUL DOCTOR! I GUARANTEE IT!" Chopper smiles back warmly.

Hiriluk walks through the heavy snow, laughing to himself, "HEE HEE... EH HEH HEH..." He approaches a large treehouse in the snowy forest. Inside, he meets with Kureha, who is sitting on a couch. Hiriluk points at her and says, "DID YOU HEAR, KUREHA? THIS COUNTRY'S IN A REAL CRISIS RIGHT NOW." Kureha, wearing her signature sunglasses, replies calmly, "YEAH, I HEARD. THE MD-20S HAVE APPARENTLY ALL COLLAPSED FROM SOME ILLNESS. RIDICULOUS... JUST BETTER TO LEAVE THINGS BE, IT'LL SOLVE ITSELF SOONER OR LATER."

Kureha questions Hiriluk's visit, asking, "SO? WHAT DID YOU COME HERE FOR TODAY? COULDN'T BE TO SAY A WORD OF THANKS, RIGHT? AND YOU STILL HAVE 2 WEEKS LEFT TO LIVE..." Hiriluk starts to say, "ACTUALLY, I HAVE A REQUE-" but Kureha immediately cuts him off with, "I REFUSE." Hiriluk tosses a small tied bag towards her, protesting, "I HAVEN'T EVEN TOLD YOU WHAT IT IS! WELL NONE OF YOUR REQUESTS EVER PAY OUT FOR ME." Kureha catches the bag with a "POOF" and looks at it skeptically, "THE HELL? IS THIS DIRT OR SOMETHING?" Hiriluk strikes a dramatic pose, throwing his arms wide, and declares, "THAT, MY DEAR KUREHA, IS THE RESULT OF OVER 30 YEARS OF MY MEDICAL RESEARCH! IT'S THE PANACEA THAT WILL CURE EVEN THE SICK HEART OF THIS COUNTRY!"

Kureha examines the small bag in her hand and says, "I SEE... CONGRATULATIONS THEN. THAT'S QUITE THE POINTLESS 30 YEARS YOU'VE LIVED. SO... WHY'RE YOU GIVING THIS TO ME?" Hiriluk, looking serious, explains, "I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH OF THAT DUST NOR ANY TIME LEFT. SO I WANT YOU TO MAKE THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS BLOOM IN MY STEAD." He then points directly at her and shouts, "AND ONE MORE THING! I WANT YOU TO TEACH CHOPPER MEDICINE! HE WANTS TO BECOME A DOCTOR!" Kureha reacts with extreme annoyance, her face contorting in anger as she yells, "WHAT!? WHY THE HELL DO I HAVE TO SUCH A RIDICULOUS TH-"

Kureha violently kicks Hiriluk in the face, sending him flying backward. She yells, "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! DO YOU THINK YOU'RE IN ANY POSITION TO DEMAND THINGS FROM ME!?" Hiriluk crashes to the floor but continues to plead, "HE MAY BE A NAIVE REINDEER, BUT I KNOW HE CAN BECOME A GREAT DOCTOR ONE DAY! HE'S A GOOD-NATURED KID...! HE EVEN RISKED HIS LIFE TO MAKE ME SOME MEDICINE...! SO PLEASE, TEACH HIM HOW TO BECOME A DOCTOR!" Kureha stands over him, furious, and shouts, "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! YOU'VE TESTED MY PATIENCE FOR FAR TOO LONG! DEMANDING ME TO CONTINUE YOUR RIDICULOUS RESEARCH AND LOOK AFTER YOUR WEIRD PET!? YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAN TO THINK I'D TAKE PITY ON YOU JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ON THE VERGE OF DEATH!"

Kureha kicks Hiriluk out of her treehouse, slamming the door behind him with a loud "BAM!" She yells, "NOW GET OUT!" Hiriluk, lying in the snow, replies softly, "YES... I DO KNOW BETTER THAN ANYONE HOW YOU'LL ACT... I'LL BE COUNTING ON YOU THEN..." He walks away through the blizzard, laughing quietly, "EH EH EH EH... I KNOW JUST HOW KIND ONE NEEDS TO BE, TO PURSUE A LIFE OF SAVING OTHERS... DOCTORS ARE ALL GOOD-NATURED PEOPLE IN THE END. TAKE GOOD CARE, OF CHOPPER..." The scene shifts to a crowded town where panicked citizens are gathered around a ropeway station. They are shouting in distress, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE ENTIRE MD-20 HAS COLLAPSED! THEY'RE THE ONLY DOCTORS IN THIS ENTIRE KINGDOM! JUST WHO'S GOING TO LOOK AFTER THE SICK AND INJURED THEN!? AT LEAST GIVE US SOME MEDICINE!" One person tries to calm them, "YELLING AT US WON'T CHANGE ANYTHING! DOCTORS ARE HUMAN TOO, IT'S NOT STRANGE FOR THEM TO FALL SICK."

A wide shot shows the snowy landscape with the Drum Castle towering on the mountain peaks in the distance. The voices of the desperate townspeople fill the air: "PLEASE! MY CHILD HAS A HIGH FEVER!" "MINE FELL OFF A CLIFF! HE NEEDS URGENT TREATMENT!" "THE MD-20 WERE SCHEDULED TO COME TO MY HOUSE TODAY!" "I'VE WAITED OVER A WEEK FOR A DOCTOR!" "GIVE US MEDICINE!" "SEND OUT THE MD-20!" "DO THEY PLAN TO JUST ABANDON ALL THEIR PATIENTS!?" Back inside her treehouse, Kureha sits quietly, looking at the bag of dust Hiriluk left her. She thinks to herself, "AFTER ALL THAT TALK ABOUT SAVING THIS COUNTRY, YOU GIVE UP AND ASK ME INSTEAD...? ARE YOU SAYING YOU CAN'T ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING, EVEN WITH THE TWO WEEKS YOU STILL HAVE LEFT...? THAT'S NOT LIKE YOU AT ALL..."

Kureha suddenly realizes something, her eyes widening behind her sunglasses. "-NOR ANY TIME LEFT...! DON'T TELL ME... THAT IDIOT COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE THINKING OF...!" She recalls Hiriluk's earlier words: "DID YOU HEAR, KUREHA? THIS COUNTRY'S IN A REAL CRISIS RIGHT NOW." Realizing his plan, she jumps up, grabbing her coat. Meanwhile, Hiriluk is seen sprinting through the snow towards the town, carrying his medical bag with a skull and crossbones on it. Kureha shouts, "AS IF I'D LET YOU!" Hiriluk arrives in the town, causing a commotion. The guards spot him and yell, "IT'S DR. HILULUK! ARREST HIM!" "MOVE IT, YOU LOT!" "DR. HILULUK!?" Hiriluk pulls out two lit bombs, holding them up threateningly. The guards panic, "HE'S CARRYING BOMBS! RUN FOR IT!"

Hiriluk points a gun at the ropeway operator, demanding, "TAKE THIS! GET THIS ROPEWAY UP TO THE CASTLE!" The operator panics, "WHA!? I SAID TAKE ME UP TO THE CASTLE!" The guards outside shout, "THAT QUACK IS OUT OF CONTROL!" Back at Kureha's treehouse, Chopper bursts through the door, panting heavily. "WHERE'S HILULUK!?" Kureha looks at him in surprise. "AH- OH NO!" Chopper flinches, but Kureha says, "NO NEED TO HIDE, I AIN'T GONNA EAT YOU. AND I ALREADY KNOW WHO YOU ARE. JUST TELL ME WHERE HILULUK IS RIGHT NOW!" Chopper, trembling, replies, "T-THE DOC SAID HE'D BE OUT FOR A BIT... HE'S ALL RECOVERED FROM HIS ILLNESS SO MAYBE HE'S IN THE TOWN..."

Kureha is shocked by Chopper's words. "RECOVERED? THAT AIN'T NO ILLNESS YOU CAN 'RECOVER' FROM. IT'S INCURABLE WITH THE MEDICINE AVAILABLE TODAY. DIDN'T YOU HEAR IT YOURSELF TOO WHILE EAVESDROPPING AT MY PLACE?" Chopper protests, "B-BUT! DOC SAID HE GOT ALL BETTER AFTER DRINKING THE SOUP MADE FROM THIS! IT'S THE INGREDIENT FOR A PANACEA SO HE'S ALL BETTER NOW! HE CAN LIVE AND TEACH ME HOW TO BECOME A DOCTOR!" Kureha looks closely at the mushroom Chopper is holding and her expression turns to pure horror. "IS THAT... THE AMIUDAKE MUSHROOM!?" She whispers, "HILULUK..." The scene cuts to the ropeway car ascending the mountain towards the castle. Inside, Hiriluk is anxiously looking out, shouting, "CAN'T THIS THING GO UP ANY FASTER!? I'M FIGHTING FOR EVERY LAST MINUTE AND SECOND HERE! SO MOVE IT! HURRY IT UP! I DON'T HAVE ANY TIME LEFT!"

Kureha violently attacks Chopper, grabbing him and throwing him across the room. She beats him relentlessly, shouting, "YOU STUPID REINDEER!" Chopper is battered and confused, crying out, "WHA...!?" Kureha stands over him, tears streaming down her face, her expression a mix of rage and profound sorrow. She screams at him, "THAT MUSHROOM YOU FED HIM... WAS A POISON MUSHROOM!"

Chopper is stunned, his eyes wide with disbelief. "THAT CAN'T BE... I EVEN LOOKED IT UP IN A BOOK. IT'S A MUSHROOM THAT CAN HEAL EVERYTHING!" Kureha bluntly tells him, "EATING ONE WILL KILL YOU WITHIN AN HOUR." Chopper remembers a moment with Hiriluk, who was holding up his pirate flag. In the flashback, Hiriluk proudly declared, "THAT'S RIGHT! THIS SKULL HERE LAUGHS AT THE IMPOSSIBLE! IT'S A SYMBOL OF UNWAVERING CONVICTION! WITH THIS FLAG, I SHALL FIGHT ON LIKE A TRUE PIRATE!" Desperate to prove he was right, Chopper holds up the medical book, pointing to the illustration of the Amiudake mushroom. "SEE LOOK! THE PICTURE FOR THIS MUSHROOM HAS A SKULL NEXT TO IT!"

Chopper, tears welling in his eyes, insists, "DOC EVEN SAID HE'S ALL BETTER NOW! SO THERE'S NO WAY HE COULD DIE, YOU LIAR!" Kureha, looking down at him with a mix of pity and sternness, explains, "HE'S A GOOD-NATURED KID. THAT WAS JUST HIM APPRECIATING YOUR EFFORTS... BUT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND... SKULL AND CROSSBONES ARE A SYMBOL FOR POISON!" Chopper screams, "YOU'RE LYING!" Kureha replies calmly, "I'M NOT LYING... LISTEN TO ME, THERE'S NO MAGICAL PANACEA THAT CAN CURE EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD. THAT'S PRECISELY WHY WE NEED DOCTORS!" Tears stream down Kureha's face as she delivers a harsh truth: "KINDNESS ALONE CAN'T SAVE PEOPLE! YOU NEED KNOWLEDGE AND MEDICAL SKILL TO GO ALONG WITH IT! WITHOUT IT, YOU CAN'T SAVE A SINGLE PERSON!"

Chopper is struck by a devastating realization. He remembers the grueling journey he took to find the mushroom, getting severely beaten and injured in the process. He recalls Hiriluk's touched reaction: "DID YOU... PICK IT FOR MY SAKE...?" The weight of what he has done crashes down on him, and Chopper lets out an agonizing, heart-wrenching scream, "WAAAAAAAHHHH!" Kureha turns her head away, unable to watch his pain, and mutters, "YOU FOOLISH LITTLE REINDEER..." Chopper turns and runs out of the treehouse, sprinting desperately through the snowy landscape, his screams echoing in the blizzard.

At the Drum Castle, Wapol and his soldiers are gathered. One soldier reports, "A TRAP!? YES, JUST AS HIS MAJESTY PLANNED, HILULUK HAS TAKEN THE ROPEWAY UP TO THE CASTLE." Wapol smirks, "WHAT A BRAINLESS IDIOT HE IS... NOW THEN, WE'LL START TAKING THE USUAL MD-20 REQUESTS." A soldier hesitantly asks, "WAIT, ISN'T THAT JUST A LITTLE TOO CRUEL...?" Wapol laughs sadistically, "THAT'S RIGHT! HE AT LEAST HEADED UP TO THE CASTLE WITH THE PURE INTENTION OF HELPING THE MD-20!" Back at the treehouse, Kureha explains Hiriluk's mindset: "HE WON'T EVER RETURN TO THIS HOUSE... HE'S ALREADY DECIDED ON THE CASTLE AS HIS GRAVE. EVEN IN MY LAST MOMENTS, I HAVE TO DO ALL I CAN DO TO SAVE THE SICK AND SUFFERING! THAT IS MY DUTY AS A DOCTOR!" At the castle, Wapol continues to mock him, "YOUR MAJESTY! HILULUK IS COMING UP TO THE CASTLE AS I SPEAK! MAHAHAHA! HE ACTUALLY FELL FOR IT! WHAT A DUMB HIPPO HE IS!"

Hiriluk arrives at the snowy courtyard of the Drum Castle. The soldiers spot him and yell, "HE'S HERE! IT'S DR. HILULUK!" Dalton, standing among the soldiers, looks on in shock and disbelief, sweating nervously. He thinks, "HE ACTUALLY CAME...? IS HE INSANE!? WHY!? WHAT ON EARTH WOULD CAUSE HIM TO DO SUCH A THING...!?" The soldiers aim their rifles at Hiriluk and shout, "STOP RIGHT THERE! WHAT'RE YOU PLANNING TO DO!?" Hiriluk stands tall, facing the armed men without fear, and bellows, "GUIDE ME TO WHERE THE SICK ARE! I'VE COME TO CURE THE MD-20!"

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