The Pirate Princess Becomes Queen

Seeing that the other party had no reaction, Vivi asked again, "What exactly does Lavrud have?"

"never heard of that."

"What Roger is talking about certainly isn't treasure, is it? I know Ace, so for Ace's sake, please tell me the answer?"

The old man glanced at her: "Who is Ace? I don't know him."

Weiwei imagined herself like many time travelers who had tricked Hua Tuo into believing in his medical skills. She envisioned using the pretext of promoting medicine to lure the old man to Alabasta to spread his medical knowledge. Even if she didn't set up hospitals and save lives, she thought she could at least record his medical techniques and use them as teaching materials for widespread dissemination. Unfortunately, the old man was completely unmoved. Fame? He didn't care. Profit? He didn't need it.

Whether Vivi was referring to Bucky the Clown or Ace, the other person maintained the same attitude: they didn't know him!

In the end, Vivi had no choice but to use her trump card: "Since you're unwilling, then forget it. It seems I'll have to use my medical skills to write a book, hoping to save more patients."

The old man's hands trembled slightly as he read the newspaper. No matter how indifferent he was to fame and fortune, he still had his own thoughts about medicine. After all, he had been in this profession his whole life, and it would be a lie to say that he had no feelings for it. From the bottom of his heart, he really didn't want that person's quack-like medical skills to spread around the world.

Chapter 144 Labu is Sick

"What is your purpose in studying medicine?" the old ship's doctor asked.

Vivi did not hide anything on this issue: "It is to develop my Devil Fruit ability. Without a certain level of medical skills and a full understanding of the human body, many of my abilities can only remain on the surface and lack the foundation for in-depth development."

The old ship's doctor didn't ask her what kind of Devil Fruit it was, but lowered his voice and said, "...You should know that I can't leave here easily. There are some people who don't want me to leave."

Vivi did not agree with his statement.

The World Government does keep a close eye on the crew of One Piece, but it depends on the time and the people. Twenty years have passed. If you stand up now and say you found something on Laugh Tale, what good will it do? Who are you going to tell that to? Who will believe you? Besides, without media support, how many people will hear you if you shout through a megaphone?

Celebrities like Rayleigh and Shanks are the main focus of attention; you're just an unknown doctor, so they might not really care about you.

The World Government has too many things to worry about. Vivi, who has already planted spies in CP9, knows very well that the Five Elders are just playing games. As long as you don't cross their bottom line, you'll be fine.

Rayleigh is currently diligently applying protective coatings in the Sabaody Archipelago, and will be going to teach Luffy in the future. He'll be gone for two years. Doesn't the World Government know this? Have they said anything? On one hand, it's true that Rayleigh is quite capable in combat, but on the other hand, it also shows that Rayleigh hasn't crossed any lines.

The same applies to the old ship's doctor. Keep a low profile and don't be like Robin, openly strolling around the streets of Water Seven. Then everything will be fine.

Vivi added another bargaining chip: "If you write a medical book and Alabasta helps distribute it to every corner of the world, whether it's pirates, marines, or even ordinary civilians, everyone can benefit. That way, even if you are hanged, beheaded, or torn apart by five horses by the World Government, your medical skills won't be wasted, right?"

She's been hanging out with Robin for a few days, and now she's starting to sound increasingly cunning.

The old man glanced at her, as if to say, "I'm alive and well now, and I'm going to go out with you to write a book, and then the world government will hang me? What's the point of all this?"

Weiwei said nonchalantly, "The way you're living now is a complete waste of food. Why not take a gamble? Actually, the risk isn't that high. Once your medical book is published, countless lives can be saved. Healing the sick and saving lives—wasn't that your original intention when you studied medicine?"

The old ship doctor shook his head: "Hehe, the harsh reality may shatter your aristocratic fantasies. It's really not true! When I was a child, my family was too poor. If I hadn't studied medicine, I wouldn't have been able to afford food."

Vivi waved her hand dismissively: "What else do you have to worry about? You're such an old man, you can't be afraid of dying, can you? You're afraid of implicating me? Do you know? We have a hero in Alabasta named Crocodile, we can use his name to publish medical books..."

The old ship's doctor shook his head vigorously. "I'm not worried about you at all! What I'm worried about is this 'young man' named Crocodile..."

He thought about it all day and realized he really had no worries. He was already this old, what was there to be afraid of? Just like Vivi said, what could the World Government do to him? At most, they could hang him? Hang him if they wanted! He was seventy years old, he didn't care about that.

A day later, the old man agreed to go to Alabasta with Vivi. He wanted to spread his medical skills, and Vivi also wanted to take the opportunity to reform some of the deep-seated problems in the domestic political environment. Militarily, they could rely on Zefa, and in terms of domestic affairs, she believed that medicine was a very good entry point.

There's no need to worry about the World Government. With Van Gundy keeping an eye on CP9, nothing serious will happen. The World Government can't very well send out CP0 just for a seventy-year-old doctor, can they?

The old ship's doctor has been swindled away, so who will be the lighthouse keeper here now? The answer is Brooke!

Brooke's sincerity moved even metal and stone, and Laboon finally surfaced, allowing the two partners separated for fifty years to meet again.

Brooke wanted to reminisce about the past at the place where Rab had stayed for fifty years, a place where his lost youth and friends remained.

He wants to use his music to guide passing travelers.

"Go for it, Brook!" Since Zephyr hasn't arrived yet, Vivi can't carry out her plan to use "Iron Chain Across the River" to stop all the pirates. In the future, the Reverse Mountain area will definitely be a key area for garrisoning, and Brook won't be able to continue his job as the lighthouse keeper for much longer.

Labour thanks Vivi for helping him fulfill his wish and, in return, keeps his promise to take her to the new world.

Laboon, at 400 meters long, may not be as large as Sea Kings in the ocean, but it is still a dominant creature below the Sea Kings. This time, Vivi will not need to go through the trouble of changing ships and crossing mountains when she goes to the New World to save Yamato. Without going to the Calm Belt to provoke those Sea Kings, Laboon can swim all the way to Wano Country.

The old ship's doctor led Vivi, Brooke, and the duck into Laboon's body. After waiting for fifty years, he hadn't been idle either.

The old man used his medical skills to transform one of the stomach sacs in Labu's body into an environment suitable for human habitation, complete with fresh water, floating islands, houses, and trees.

"Wow? Is that the sky?" Brooke asked, pointing to the clouds overhead.

Vivi glanced at it: "That's a drawing... What kind of eyes do you have?"

Brooke paused for a moment: "Ah... I do have some problems with my eyesight, even though I don't have eyes."

The group walked around the renovated space.

"Wow, it's huge!" Vivi couldn't help but exclaim.

What a steal! This is a whale with its own built-in "storage space".

Seeing this scene in person was completely different from what I saw in the animation. I can only say that the old ship doctor's medical skills are indeed powerful. This kind of modification already has a bit of a black technology feel to it.

Having fulfilled her promise, Vivi prepared to head straight for Wano Country.

But the old ship's doctor's next words caused a huge setback in her plans.

"What? Lab is sick?" Vivi looked at the whale that was blowing bubbles. Was the guy feeling unwell?

The old ship's doctor gestured for her to look at the crisscrossing scars on Rab's head: "If you were to bang your head against a mountain for fifty years straight, do you think you'd still be able to stand healthy in front of me? Rab is sick, very sick."

"Then...then can't you cure him? You're a famous doctor who can cure the Pirate King."

“I couldn’t save Roger back then, and I can’t save Laboon now…” The old ship’s doctor changed the subject: “But there is someone who can. Laboon didn’t want to leave before, and I didn’t have any good ideas. Now that it has made a promise with Brook, I think we can go somewhere where there might be a doctor who can treat it.”

Vivi asked, "Where to?"

The old ship's doctor said, "The Kingdom of the Drum."

Chapter 145 The Drum Kingdom

Vivi couldn't see anything wrong with Laboon. From its perception of listening to all things, she felt that Laboon didn't really care whether Brooke traveled around the world. As long as Brooke came to see it and fulfilled the promise made fifty years ago, that was enough. For a whale, a human's world tour was meaningless. At this moment, Laboon was quite cheerful and in a good mood. Did this look like a sick fish?

She asked the old ship doctor about this.

The old ship's doctor scoffed at her talk of cheerfulness: "Cheerfulness? What direct connection does cheerfulness have with illness? Does being cheerful mean you won't get sick? Roger is cheerful every day! Where is he now? Call him here so I can take a look."

After being rebuked, Weiwei realized her medical skills were inferior and she had no choice but to admit defeat.

“Alright, alright, let’s go to Drum Country to find a doctor for Lab. By the way, is the doctor you’re talking about that 100-year-old lady?” Vivi was also very curious about Dr. Kureha. It was truly a miracle that an ordinary person could live to such an old age.

The old lady was very old, probably over 130 but not quite 140. The old ship's doctor next to Weiwei sounded quite imposing at 70, but compared to the old lady, he was just a child...

In any profession, doctors are always more sought after with age, especially renowned doctors. A 140-year-old renowned doctor is definitely better than a 70-year-old renowned doctor.

They've waited for over ten years in Yamato, so they don't mind waiting another day or two.

"Alright, let's go to Drum Country then. Um, please take me with you when you're communicating, since I'm a doctor after all."

Weiwei didn't know if she could pick up any attributes through this verbal exchange, but she thought it was worth a try. Even if she didn't pick them up, she would still gain a lot from listening.

The old ship's doctor curled his lip and didn't say anything. "You call that a doctor? Please don't insult the word 'doctor'!"

Upon hearing that Raab was sick, Brooke volunteered to go with him.

Finally, Vivi, the old ship's doctor, Brooke, and the duck crawled into the space inside Laboon's body, and the whale carried the four "people" to Drumland.

Drum Kingdom is very close to Alabasta, located in the first half of the Grand Line, making it a neighboring country of Alabasta. King Wapol deliberately bumped into young Vivi during the World Conference, so there is a grudge between them.

"Quack quack," the duck whispered to Vivi, telling her to prioritize the greater good, treat Lab first, and not to seek revenge on King Walpo.

"Mmm, don't worry, I'm not that petty." Weiwei nodded repeatedly. She also had this memory, but it belonged entirely to her predecessor. From her current perspective, it was very blurry. As long as the other party didn't provoke her, she didn't care.

The old ship's doctor was still reading the newspaper, completely unconcerned about the feud between the king and the princess of the neighboring country.

Soon, the whale Lab led them to the shore of Drum Kingdom.

They came out one by one.

The land area of ​​Drum Kingdom is very small. The country is covered by ice and snow all year round, and the arable land is small, so the population is naturally small. Compared with Alabasta, this country is like Fiji compared with Australia. I don't know where King Walpo got the audacity to bully the young Vivi.

Within the Drum Kingdom, there are several mountains shaped like drums. While the former king was attending the World Conference in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, his eldest son, a bored boy who had eaten a fungus fruit, released a poison spore bomb within the country. The king rushed back and banished his eldest son to the "Land of Fire." He also recruited renowned doctors from all over the world to treat the people. Because of this incident, many doctors settled in the Drum Kingdom, and over time, it became a medical powerhouse.

However, after the old king passed away and the current King Valpo ascended the throne, the domestic environment underwent a complete transformation, and there were no doctors in the traditional sense anymore.

"Where does that doctor live?" Weiwei asked, looking at the vast white snowfield.

Blackbeard is still pretending to be an honest man in the Whitebeard Pirates, and King Wapol and his trusted subordinates are naturally living in the castle on Drum Mountain, so Vivi doesn't know where Dr. Kureha lives.

The old ship's doctor took a slow sip of his drink and answered with remarkable composure: "I don't know."

Vivi: "......"

I didn't know you brought me here for medical treatment?

With a whale that big, it was impossible to carry it over mountains and valleys. The old ship's doctor didn't want to move. He was there for medical exchange and was a highly skilled professional. He wouldn't do rough work like finding people. Brook's appearance was too peculiar and he was likely to cause trouble. So Vivi let them stay inside the whale and rode the duck to Drum Kingdom to find people.

Vivi disliked Drum Kingdom at all; it was too cold there. She and Karu the duck quickly changed clothes.

Wearing the same down jacket as Vivi, the ducks quietly sneaked into the town of Great Horn Village, located below the snow-capped mountains, and discovered that the Drum Kingdom's garrison was reading out the king's orders.

"His Majesty the King will not allow any doctors to remain in Drum Kingdom!"

"His Majesty will not tolerate any criticism of His Majesty!"

"His Majesty the King will not allow any of you to fall ill; you are all His Majesty the King's property!"

"..."

There were more than thirty chaotic laws, each more outrageous than the last. The garrison soldiers read them aloud, and then one by one they barbarically stormed into the townspeople's homes, robbing them of all their food, clothing, and the few gold coins they had. According to them, this was the reward for the soldiers' hard work in coming all the way down the mountain to read the king's decree.

Vivi, hiding in the shadows, frowned as she watched.

She didn't think she had much of a sense of justice, but the facts before her were simply too outrageous.

What's the difference between the actions of these Drum Country soldiers and those of the wealthy merchants and ronin of Wano Country in the New World? The tyranny is the same; the only difference is that Wapol is weak while Kaido is strong.

She brought the ducks into the town.

It's naturally more convenient to gather information in places like restaurants and pubs. After circling around for a while, I didn't see a pub, but I found a very small restaurant.

There wasn't a single customer in the shop. The owner, a middle-aged man, was wiping the table and sighing with his back to Weiwei.

"Sorry to bother you."

As Weiwei spoke, the middle-aged man turned around and found that she was a strange woman he had never seen before, so he quickly went to greet her.

The only meat she had was taken; the owner only served her a plate of stewed potatoes and two pieces of buttered bread.

Weiwei ate a couple of bites, paid the bill readily, and then asked why she had come.