Chapter 126: The Treasures Here Are Meant for Me (Patreon)

[Florian Triangle. The mist hung thick and deep.

Beside a dilapidated old ship, the massive Laboon whimpered softly. Crocus sat atop Laboon's head, patting it comfortingly and letting out a sigh.

He recognized it. This was the ship of the Rumbar Pirates from all those years ago. There wasn't a single living soul aboard. Laboon really had been fooled, just as he expected.]

…

Drum Island. On the high ground where the royal palace stood, the majestic castle perched atop the snowy peak, its spires piercing the gray sky. Its scale and grandeur far surpassed any other building on the island.

"Wow! What a huge castle!" Out in the snow, Nami's eyes had already turned into Berries signs, gleaming brightly. She seemed to see piles of treasure as high as mountains hidden behind the thick stone walls.

"There must be so much treasure inside! Let's go check it out!"

Baccarat's eyes were equally bright. "The Drum Kingdom used to be quite prosperous. The treasure here must surely contain plenty of exquisite jewelry and artwork!"

Robin said nothing, but her eyes were filled with curiosity too. She wondered if there might be any ancient texts and rare books inside.

"This..." Dalton looked at the excited Nami and Baccarat, instinctively opening his mouth to warn them.

After all, this was still technically the king's property, the royal palace of the Drum Kingdom.

But the words died in his throat. The king himself had abandoned it all, secretly abandoning his country and people. As the captain of the Royal Guard who had been abandoned and even used as a shield to take the blame, what justification did he still have to continue guarding the palace for that tyrant?

Protecting the people was his duty. But protecting this empty castle? He couldn't find a reason to convince himself.

Moren saw Dalton's conflicted expression and patted his shoulder with a smile. "Don't worry about it too much, Captain Dalton."

"Since your king ran away the moment he heard my name, tucked his tail and fled, according to the rules of the sea, this place is now unclaimed land..."

"And I can feel that everything here seems destined to meet my adventure crew..."

Dalton: "..."

The corner of his mouth twitched. He was speechless at Moren's logic.

But what could he say? Argue with a man with a bounty near 300,000,000 Berries, connected to the Revolutionary Army, who had just treated the entire town to a meal, about who was "destined" to own what? He wasn't an idiot.

Moren ignored the silent Dalton and turned to Dr. Kureha and Chopper.

"Dr. Kureha," Moren pointed at the castle, "this castle is just sitting empty. Why don't you move in here? It's spacious and quiet, perfect for doing research."

Dr. Kureha raised an eyebrow, giving Moren an approving look. She accepted his suggestion without hesitation.

"You've got a good eye, kid. An idiot used to live here, but the castle itself is quite nice. Fine, this will be my new home!"

She clearly had no objection to improving her living situation, especially since a luxurious castle obtained for free would be foolish to refuse.

Beside her, Chopper didn't share her enthusiasm. Though curious, he still looked troubled.

Earlier, by the bonfire, after Moren had finished his stories, he stopped beating around the bush and directly invited Chopper to join his adventure.

Chopper had been tempted, but he still looked toward Dr. Kureha. Dr. Kureha had only said that she would respect his decision. And so, even now, he was still wrestling with himself.

He truly longed to see the wider world, to help more people with his medical skills, and to prove his worth as a doctor and as a partner. The outside world, mysterious illnesses, and exciting adventures all pulled at him like a magnet.

But he couldn't help glancing at Dr. Kureha.

The thought of leaving Dr. Kureha, the mother figure he cherished, filled him with a deep ache of reluctance and unease.

Like a child desperate to leave home and explore, yet unable to bear leaving his mother, his feelings were written all over his furry little face, which was scrunched up like a bun.

Moren could see Chopper's turmoil, but he said nothing more. He left the decision entirely to Chopper.

Dr. Kureha felt the same. She knew this was a choice Chopper had to make on his own.

"Alright, enough standing around in the snow, we're freezing!" Dr. Kureha broke the silence, pulling her fur coat tighter and striding toward the castle gates.

Chopper snapped out of his thoughts and followed her inside.

Dr. Kureha even began ordering Dalton around without hesitation. "Hey, you big guy! You used to be the captain of the royal guards here, right? Come on, give me a tour of my new home!"

"Where are the storehouses, the kitchen, the biggest bedroom? And where are the rooms suitable for surgery and a ward? Take me to see them!"

Poor Dalton. He had barely finished processing whether he should protect the palace when he instantly switched into the role of a "castle real estate agent."

He looked at the enthusiastic Dr. Kureha, then at Nami and the others, who were already following behind Moren with excited curiosity. Finally, he let out a resigned sigh.

"...Yes, please follow me, Dr. Kureha, and Mr. Moren..." Dalton turned stiffly toward the gates he had once guarded with such reverence, which he could now push open without hesitation.

The shift in roles had happened too quickly. He still wasn't used to it.

The moment they entered the castle, Nami and Baccarat, like hounds catching the scent of treasure, let out excited cheers and dashed off.

Nami seemed to have an unusually accurate instinct for treasure hunting. And Baccarat needed no introduction. As a Luck-Luck Fruit user, she could stumble into a treasure vault even with her eyes closed.

"Treasure! Jewels! Here I come!"

"Hahaha! I'm taking it all! It's all mine!"

"Hurry up!" Baccarat grabbed Moren's hand and pulled him along. "Don't forget, not a single thing gets left behind! Collect everything!"

"I know, I know. Don't worry. If I had any interest in it, I would have collected this entire castle too..." Moren said as he walked.

Robin smiled at his words and followed while looking around.

Their footsteps and Nami's excited shouts echoed through the empty castle corridors.

"Sigh..." Dalton let out another sigh, only to be grabbed by the arm and dragged along by Dr. Kureha.

"Stop sighing! Hurry up and show me the rooms. Chopper, see which room would work best as a clinic and a lab!"