SKULL AND CHERRY BLOSSOM

In a snowy forest, Hiriluk stares in shock at Chopper. He yells, "WHAT!? YOU CAN TALK!? THE HELL WERE YOU SILENT FOR 3 WHOLE DAYS THEN!?" Chopper, wrapped in bandages, replies, "I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE ME ANYMORE IF I TALKED..." Hiriluk retorts, "I CAN TALK TOO! IN FACT, I CAN TALK CIRCLES AROUND YOU." Chopper says, "SO WHAT IF YOU CAN TALK? IT AIN'T NOTHING WEIRD OR UNIQUE." Chopper looks down sadly, "I TRIED TALKING TO HUMANS ONCE BEFORE... BUT THEY SHOT ME IN RETURN." He adds, "A REINDEER THAT CAN TALK IS JUST A FREAK..." Hiriluk looks stunned. Suddenly, the bag next to Hiriluk starts smoking. Hiriluk notices and yells, "IT'S GONNA BLOOOOOW!" He dives toward Chopper, shouting, "TAKE COVER, CHOPPER!" A massive explosion erupts in the snow.

Following the explosion, Hiriluk and Chopper sit in the snow, covered in soot. Hiriluk sighs, "WHEW, CLOSE CALL... ANOTHER FAILURE, HUH..." Chopper asks, "YOU ALRIGHT?" Hiriluk bursts into laughter, "EH EH EH... WHAT AM I SAYING, YOU'RE ALREADY COVERED IN BANDAGES! EH EH EH EH EH EH!" Chopper asks, "...WHY DID YOU CALL ME CHOPPER?" Hiriluk grins widely, "EH EH EH! A FITTING NAME FOR A REINDEER WITH STRONG LOOKING HORNS THAT COULD EVEN BRING DOWN A TREE... TONY TONY CHOPPER." He continues, "'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'LL CALL YOU FROM NOW ON...! LIKE IT?" Chopper is moved to tears, crying happily. "CHOPPER..." Hiriluk laughs, "EH EH EH EH EH!"

Wapol rides a large, mechanical, multi-legged vehicle through the snow, laughing loudly, "MAHAHAHAHA! WHAT NEW LAW SHALL I PASS TODAY!?" The scene shifts to a lavish room inside a castle, where Dalton, Chess, and Kuromarimo are seated. Kuromarimo asks, "WHAT'S THE MATTER, DALTON?" Chess notes, "YOU'VE BEEN ACTING STRANGE EVER SINCE THE REVERIE." A translator's note explains that Reverie can alternatively be read as "World Council" in kanji. Dalton, identified as the Captain of Drum Kingdom's Royal Guards, looks troubled. He says, "CHESS... KUROMARIMO... WILL THIS KINGDOM EVER RETURN TO ITS FORMER DAYS...? I FEEL WE'RE DISTANCING OUR PEOPLE MORE WITH EACH DAY."

In the castle room, Kuromarimo, the Chief Magistrate of Drum Kingdom, dismisses Dalton's concerns, "PSH, THAT ANNOYING TALK AGAIN? JUST HAVE A DRINK, WILL YA?" Chess, the Chief Staff Officer, adds, "THAT'S JUST HOW 'KINGDOMS' ARE, MY FRIEND DALTON. KING WAPOL'S METHODS OF RULE JUST HAPPENS TO DIFFER A LITTLE FROM OUR FORMER KING, THAT'S ALL." Chess continues, gesturing with his hands, "NONETHELESS, THE PEOPLE ARE NOTHING WITHOUT A KING. JUST IMAGINE HOW THEY'D FARE ALONE. LIKE RABBITS PUSHED OUT INTO THE CRUEL JUNGLE, THEY'LL BE PICKED OFF ONE BY ONE." Kuromarimo agrees, "OUR MAJESTY MIGHT BE STRICT, BUT THAT'S ONLY TO MAINTAIN PEACE AND ORDER OF THESE LANDS. THAT'S RIGHT! NOW LET'S ALL HAVE A GLASS OR TWO!" He pours a drink, adding, "JUST A DIFFERENT METHOD OF RULE, HUH..." Dalton looks serious and recalls, "...WHEN I ESCORTED OUR MAJESTY TO THE RECENT REVERIE, I HAPPENED TO COME ACROSS A CERTAIN LITTLE GIRL."

A flashback to the Reverie in the Holy Land Marie-Joie. A king holds up a wanted poster of Monkey D. Dragon. He warns, "DRAGON THE REVOLUTIONARY... THIS MAN'S IDEOLOGY IS A CLEAR AND PRESENT THREAT... WITHIN 5~6 YEARS, I'M CERTAIN HE'LL BECOME A VERY DANGEROUS FIGURE FOR THE WORLD GOVERNMENT." Wapol, the King of Drum, picks his nose dismissively and says, "PFFT, RIDICULOUS... THAT DOESN'T CONCERN MY KINGDOM ONE BIT. A COUNTRY THAT CAN BE BROUGHT DOWN BY MERE REVOLUTIONARIES IS PROBABLY BETTER OFF GONE! IF YOU WANT TO CATCH HIM, THEN HANDLE IT AMONGST YOURSELVES. JUST DON'T MAKE ANY TROUBLE FOR MY KINGDOM, GOT IT?" Nefertari Cobra, the King of Alabasta, stands up furiously, slamming his hands on the table. "ENOUGH, WAPOL! DOES YOUR SELFISHNESS KNOW NO BOUNDS!? JUST WHAT DO YOU TAKE THIS 'REVERIE' TO BE!?" Wapol recoils, "GAHH!" and glares at him, muttering, "NGHHH... NEFERTARI COBRA...!"

Continuing the flashback, Wapol intentionally walks into a young Princess Vivi, smacking her in the face and knocking her to the ground. "OOPS! LOOKS LIKE MY HAND SLIPPED!" he mocks. Vivi cries out, "AGHH!" Wapol grumbles, "HMPH, THAT MEETING LEFT A BAD TASTE IN MY MOUTH..." He then looks down at Vivi and laughs, "HM? SHE MUST BE... MAHAHAHA! WHY, IS THAT THE PRINCESS OF ALABASTA? MY, MY, ISN'T SHE AS PITIFUL AS HER FATHER..." Dalton looks shocked, "Y-YOUR MAJESTY!" Igaram and Cobra rush over. Igaram yells, "PRINCESS VIVI! HOW DARE YOU!" Cobra commands, "IGARAM, STOP!" Vivi stands up, a small stream of blood running down her forehead, but she smiles politely. "I'M FINE. PLEASE EXCUSE ME FOR CARELESSLY BUMPING INTO YOU, SIR."

Dalton and Wapol are stunned by Vivi's polite response. Dalton thinks to himself, "WHAT A GIRL...! WHEN RULERS OF VARIOUS KINGDOMS GATHER HERE AT THE REVERIE, THE SLIGHTEST QUARRELS COULD POTENTIALLY TRIGGER ARMED CONFLICT... DID SHE KNOWINGLY APOLOGIZE BECAUSE OF THAT...? IF SO, SHE MUST BE EXCEPTIONALLY KEEN TO THE WAY OF POLITICS..." Wapol scoffs and turns away, "HMPH! ANNOYING LITTLE BRAT... DALTON, WE'RE HEADING BACK!" Dalton bows slightly, "MY APO-LOG-IES." As they walk away, Vivi finally breaks down in tears, "WAAAA-AHHH." Cobra comforts her, "YOU WERE MOST ADMIRABLE, PRINCESS..." Back in the present, Dalton tells Chess and Kuromarimo, "A 10 YEAR OLD ALABASTAN GIRL ALREADY THINKS OF HER COUNTRY BEFORE HERSELF..." Chess dismisses this, "OH PLEASE, MERELY THINKING OF ONE'S COUNTRY IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM RULING IT! OPEN YOUR EYES, DALTON! SUCH TRIVIAL EMOTIONS ARE NOT WHAT'S NECESSARY IN RUNNING A KINGDOM!" Kuromarimo agrees, "THAT'S RIGHT. THE IMPORTANT THING'S THE SYSTEM ITSELF! NOW HAVE A DRINK ALREADY."

Back in Hiriluk's lab, he is conducting an experiment with bubbling flasks while Chopper watches. Hiriluk says, "BOTH YOU AND I ARE OUTCASTS... WE'VE BOTH ENDURED OUR FAIR SHARE OF HARDSHIP FOR BEING THE NAILS THAT STICK OUT! BUT DON'T RESENT HUMANS FOR THAT, CHOPPER." Hiriluk looks serious, "THIS KINGDOM IS 'SICK' PRESENTLY. THE KING, THE GOVERNMENT, AND EVEN ITS PEOPLE... THEIR HEARTS ARE ALL ILL..." He turns to Chopper with determination, "THEY SAY THERE'S NO CURE FOR A SICK KINGDOM BUT I BEG TO DIFFER...!"

Hiriluk continues talking to Chopper, gesturing dramatically. "LISTEN TO ME, CHOPPER. ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A THIEF FROM A CERTAIN KINGDOM IN THE FAR WEST, AND HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A GRAVE HEART DISEASE... LUCKILY FOR HIM, HE HAD ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD TO BE TREATED BY THE FINEST DOCTORS IN THE WORLD." Hiriluk points his finger, "BUT NONE COULD CURE THE MAN'S DISEASE. THEY ALL GAVE UP, CALLING IT INCURABLE. FRUSTRATED THAT HE COULD DO NOTHING BUT AWAIT HIS FINAL MOMENT, THE MAN DECIDED TO CLIMB A CERTAIN MOUNTAIN." Hiriluk smiles widely, "IT WAS THEN HE WITNESSED A MOST PHENOMENAL SIGHT THAT HALTED HIS VERY BREATH FOR A MOMENT. CAN YOU GUESS WHAT HE SAW...?" Hiriluk's face fills the panel as he shouts joyfully, "CHERRY BLOSSOMS! A MOUNTAIN FULL OF THE PRETTIEST CHERRY BLOSSOMS HE EVER SAW!"

Hiriluk continues his story, "AND TO HIS SURPRISE, THE NEXT TIME HE VISITED A DOCTOR, HE WAS TOLD THUS: 'YOUR BODY IS COMPLETELY HEALTHY.' HE WAS HEALED!" Hiriluk clenches his fist, "IT WAS A MIRACLE! OR WAS IT!? COULD THERE BE A MEDICALLY SOUND EXPLANATION? COULD IT BE THAT THE MAN'S SHEER ASTONISHMENT HAD TRIGGERED SOME NATURAL MECHANISM OF HIS BODY? IT HAD TO BE A MIRACLE!" Chopper listens intently. Hiriluk unfurls a black flag with a skull and crossbones featuring cherry blossom petals. "THAT MUST HAVE BEEN WHAT CURED THE SUPPOSEDLY INCURABLE DISEASE! AMAZING, ISN'T IT!? IN OTHER WORDS, THERE ARE NO INCURABLE DISEASES IN THIS WORLD! SO NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE SAYS, I'LL CURE THIS KINGDOM EVEN IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO! THUS, I SHALL TOUT THIS FLAG OF SKULL AND CROSSBONES IN THE FACE OF EVERY DISEASE THAT EXISTS IN THIS WORLD!"

Hiriluk proudly waves his Jolly Roger flag. Chopper asks, "SKULL AND CROSSBONES...?" Hiriluk replies, "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!" Chopper asks, "WHAT'S A PIRATE...?" Hiriluk explains, "THE SEAS ARE FULL OF PROUD MEN CALLED PIRATES! YOU SHOULD VENTURE THE SEAS ONE DAY TOO! THEN YOU'LL REALIZE HOW SMALL YOUR WORRIES ARE!" Chopper looks amazed, "REALLY...?" Hiriluk makes a small circle with his fingers, "CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO DIE. THIS ISLAND IS AS SMALL AS THE CIRCLE I'M MAKING WHEN COMPARED TO THE WORLD." Chopper gasps, "REALLY!?" Hiriluk then pinches his fingers even closer together, "NO WAIT! IT'S MORE LIKE THIIIIS SMALL!" Chopper exclaims, "REA-LLY!?" Hiriluk smiles, "YUP!"

Hiriluk and Chopper walk through the snowy forest. Hiriluk says, "CHOPPER, JUST GO AND REST BACK HOME. I DON'T WANT YOU COME CRYING TO ME WHEN YOUR WOUNDS REOPEN BECAUSE OF YOUR CARELESSNESS." Chopper replies, "THEY WON'T REOPEN." Hiriluk snaps back, "THAT'S FOR YOUR WOUNDS TO DECIDE, NOT YOU! I HEAR ROBERT IS URGENTLY IN NEED OF A DOCTOR SO I'VE GOT TO TAKE OFF." Chopper insists, "THEN I'LL HELP!" Hiriluk sighs, "HEH HEH... FINE, DO WHAT YOU WANT..." They arrive at a town and notice a lack of security. Hiriluk asks, "WHAT'S WITH THE LACK OF GUARDS THESE DAYS?" A townsperson explains, "WELL... YOU SEE, SIR, MOST OF US HAVE BEEN BUSY MUSHROOM-HUNTING UNDER MD-20'S ORDERS..." Hiriluk asks, "MUSHROOM HUNTING?" The townsperson replies, "YES, APPARENTLY THERE'S SOME RARE MUSHROOM IN THIS KINGDOM, THAT CAN BE USED TO PREPARE SOME SORT OF PANACEA..." Hiriluk thinks, "HM... MUSHROOM?" He then grins, "WELL AREN'T I IN LUCK? WITH SO LITTLE GUARDS, THIS JOB SHOULD BE A CINCH. LET'S GO, CHOPPER! OUR PATIENT IS WAITING."

Hiriluk and Chopper are seen running frantically away from a house. An angry patient chases them, throwing things and yelling, "BEAT IT, YOU QUACK DOCTOR! THAT HILULUK STOLE MY MONEY!" Hiriluk yells back, "DON'T BE SO DAMN STINGY, YOU FILTHY RICH PIG! DAMN IT, I THOUGHT THE LIZARD-EYEBALL WOULD'VE WORKED FOR SURE...!" Suddenly, armed guards appear ahead. "IT'S THE GUARDS!" Hiriluk grabs Chopper by the antlers. "CHOPPER! TIME FOR THE DECOY-PLAN!" Chopper asks in panic, "WHAT'S THAT?" Hiriluk hurls Chopper directly at the guards. Chopper screams, "AHHHHHHH!" as he flies through the air. Hiriluk runs in the opposite direction, shouting, "TAKE CARE!"

Back at the lab, Chopper is furiously beating up Hiriluk in a cloud of dust and fists. Hiriluk yells, "IT'S YOUR OWN DAMN FAULT FOR FOLLOWING ME EVEN AFTER I TOLD YOU NOT TO! WHAT KIND OF DOCTOR KICKS HIS OWN PATIENT!" Chopper shouts back, "I COULD'VE DIED, YOU KNOW!" Hiriluk retorts, "IF IT WEREN'T FOR ME, YOU WOULD'VE ALREADY BEEN DEAD! DAMN BLUE-NOSED POOR EXCUSE FOR A REINDEER!" Chopper angrily yells, "DON'T CALL ME BLUE-NOSED!" Later, Hiriluk is lying on the floor, heavily bruised and bandaged. He groans, "DOC... THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I'VE GOT INTO AN ARGUMENT LIKE THIS..." He then chuckles, "EH EH EH EH... I SUPPOSE IT WOULD BE. AN ARGUMENT REQUIRES A PARTNER AFTER ALL... WELL, THERE'S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING. INCLUDING..." Hiriluk places a pink top hat with a white cross on Chopper's head. "YOUR FIRST PRESENT, AND YOUR FIRST MAKING-UP AFTER FIGHTING." Chopper starts crying. Hiriluk teases, "CRYING AGAIN?" Chopper, now in his Heavy Point form, yells, "I'M NOT CRYING!" Hiriluk protests, "HEY, YOU CAN'T TURN INTO YOUR GIANT FORM! THAT'S CHEATING!"

A montage shows Hiriluk and Chopper spending time together over the seasons. Chopper, in his Heavy Point form, chops wood while Hiriluk cheers him on. Chopper, in Walk Point, carries Hiriluk on his back as they run through a town, escaping from guards. Back in the lab, they both stare intently at a bubbling flask. In another scene, Chopper sleeps peacefully while Hiriluk writes at his desk. Chopper carries Hiriluk through a snowy blizzard. Chopper, in Brain Point, carefully observes a glowing flask. Finally, Hiriluk and Chopper are shown laughing joyfully together in the snow.

A sign reads "ONE YEAR LATER". Inside the lab, Hiriluk stands by his equipment and says, "AFTER A FULL YEAR OF TREATMENT, I NOW DECLARE YOU'RE IN PERFECT HEALTH! CONGRATULATIONS, CHOPPER." Chopper smiles, "THANKS, DOC." Hiriluk turns his back to Chopper and says coldly, "TAKE CARE THEN..." Chopper is confused, "HUH?" Hiriluk continues without looking at him, "YOU'VE BEEN FULLY TREATED, HAVEN'T YOU!? SO I'VE GOT NO OBLIGATIONS TO KEEP LOOKING AFTER YOU ANYMORE. NOW GO SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE HOWEVER YOU WANT. JUST GET OUT OF MY LAB, I'VE GOT WORK TO DO." Chopper stares in shock.

Outside in the freezing snow, Chopper cries and begs at the door. "DOCTOOOOORRR! I PROMISE I WON'T EVER BE A BOTHER SO PLEASE LET ME IN! I PROMISE I'LL MASSAGE YOUR SHOULDERS EVERYDAY, POUR YOU TEA, AND EVEN DO THE CLEANING! SO PLEASE! PLEASE LET ME BACK IN! I'VE GOT NO FRIENDS AND NO PLACE TO GO! PLEASE, DOCTOR!" Inside, Hiriluk leans against the door, looking pained and sweating. Suddenly, Chopper breaks through the door with a loud "CRASH!" Hiriluk is startled, "!?" Chopper stands in the doorway, pointing to a fake bandage on his head, and says desperately, "LOOK! I'M INJURED!"

Hiriluk pulls out a gun and fires a shot at Chopper. The bullet grazes Chopper's cheek, drawing blood. "!!?" Chopper looks terrified and heartbroken, tears streaming down his face. "W-WHAT'S WRONG, DOCTOR...?" Hiriluk yells 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!" Chopper turns and runs away into the snowy forest, crying loudly. Once Chopper is gone, Hiriluk drops his gun in the snow, covers his face, and breaks down in tears, sobbing, "FORGIVE ME, CHOPPER...!"

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