Chapter 426: A Little Late
Since Wapol was already dead, the current king of the Drum Island Kingdom had been elected by the people themselves. It was none other than Dalton.
Dalton was a Devil Fruit user of the Ox-Ox Fruit, Bison form. He had originally been Wapol's captain of the guard, but later betrayed Wapol and sided with the people of Drum Island. After being elected king, he didn't move into Wapol's mountaintop palace but stayed at the foot of the mountain, living together with the citizens of Drum Island.
When the Blackbeard Pirates attacked the citizens, Dalton immediately organized the militia of Drum Island to try and stop these pirate villains.
Unfortunately, however, his strength was far too inferior compared to any member of the Blackbeard Pirates, so he ended up getting beaten badly by Blackbeard as well.
Now, the entire Drum Island Kingdom had no one capable of stopping the Blackbeard Pirates' rampage.
After destroying most of the villages on Drum Island, Teach set his sights on the mountaintop.
When he heard that the royal palace was located there, he wanted to go up and take a look. However, since he wasn't a local, he didn't know that there was actually a cable car leading to the summit.
So, when he realized he would have to trek through a fierce blizzard on foot to reach the top, Teach immediately chickened out. Drum Island had a typical winter island climate, freezing cold, and Teach had no desire to suffer through that.
Moreover, having destroyed so many villages, Teach felt he had collected enough interest. So, laughing heartily, he led the Blackbeard Pirates in looting a large amount of food and drinking water before leaving Drum Island.
Seeing their ship depart, the severely injured Dalton breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the Blackbeard Pirates hadn't gone up the mountain, because the mountaintop palace was now home to Dr. Kureha and Chopper. That they had escaped the Blackbeard Pirates' clutches was the luckiest thing possible.
Now, with many people injured throughout the country, medical help was urgently needed. Doctor 0 was the most famous doctor in the Drum Island Kingdom, but he too had been seriously wounded in the Blackbeard Pirates' attack.
The only one who could save Doctor 0 was Dr. Kureha...
When night fell, Kureha rode down the cable car rope on a sled pulled by Chopper and learned what had happened on the island.
The mountaintop was too far away, and the blizzard was too strong. You couldn't see clearly beyond a few dozen meters, let alone the straight-line distance of several kilometers from the summit to the base. So it was only after coming down the mountain that Chopper and Dr. Kureha found out such a vicious pirate crew had visited the island.
"Why?" Chopper asked Kureha in confusion. "Aren't pirates the most romantic and free people on the sea? Why did these pirates harm the villagers?"
Kureha sighed and looked at Chopper, feeling that the kid had been too deeply influenced.
Initially, it was Dr. Hiriluk's influence that made Chopper firmly believe all pirates were good people. Then, when Ian appeared on this island and took down Wapol, it only reinforced that belief.
Now, suddenly encountering a vicious crew like the Blackbeard Pirates, it was no wonder Chopper couldn't understand.
Kureha didn't say much, though. She simply brought Chopper along to begin treating Doctor 0's injuries.
While assisting Dr. Kureha, Chopper muttered to himself, "If only Big Brother Ian were here. He could definitely teach those vicious pirates a lesson..."
About ten days after this incident, just when the people of Drum Island thought things had settled down, another pirate ship appeared in the waters surrounding the Drum Island Kingdom.
Having gone through the Blackbeard Pirates incident, the people of Drum Island were now like birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring. When they spotted a ship flying a black pirate flag, they immediately went on high alert, thinking the Blackbeard Pirates had returned.
They quickly notified Dalton, who organized a large militia to gather at the harbor, intending to intercept the pirate ship.
But as the ship drew closer, the people were astonished to discover that the pirate flag it flew was that of the Dragon Hunter Pirates!
Yes, Ian and Ace had finally arrived.
When they realized it was Ian, the people of Drum Island erupted in excitement. They immediately dropped their weapons and gave Ian, Ace, and their crew the warmest welcome.
Ian and his group were initially flattered, but after going ashore and seeing that most of the village houses were in ruins and still being rebuilt, they realized something was wrong and began asking questions.
Upon asking, Ian discovered that he and Ace had arrived too late.
He vaguely remembered that in the original timeline, the Blackbeard Pirates had indeed passed through the Drum Island Kingdom. But with so many variables now, Ian wasn't sure if Teach would still take this route. Even though Ace had received word from the Whitebeard Pirates and they had rushed toward Drum Island together, Ian didn't know the exact date the Blackbeard Pirates would land, so they inevitably arrived a step behind.
What frustrated Ian even more was that, even without Wapol, Teach had still destroyed quite a few villages in this country—all because they were flying the Dragon Hunter Pirates' flag.
It was at this moment that Ian truly realized just how deep Teach's grudge against him ran...
"I'm sorry for the suffering you've endured," Ian apologized to Dalton. "This Blackbeard Pirates crew is the target of our pursuit. I'm sorry you got caught in the crossfire..."
Dalton shook his head and said, "This isn't your fault. In fact, if we hadn't rashly used your flag, none of this would have happened."
Ian didn't dwell on the issue and asked Dalton, "How long ago did the Blackbeard Pirates leave?"
"About ten days," Dalton replied. "If you're planning to chase them, you should still be in time."
Ian exchanged a glance with Ace and nodded, taking note.
Since the villagers had thrown a grand banquet to celebrate their arrival, Ian and his group couldn't just leave immediately. They stayed to eat and drink.
Just then, Kureha and Chopper, having received the news, came down from the mountaintop.
As soon as Chopper saw Ian, he leaped into Ian's arms.
"Haha, Chopper!" Ian laughed, lifting him up high. "You look like you're doing well!"
"Big Brother Ian, I missed you so much!" Chopper said, his eyes welling up with tears.
Ian ruffled his head and said, "But unfortunately, I can't stay here long. I have to leave soon."
"You're going out to sea again?" Chopper asked Ian.
"Yeah, I'm chasing a very dangerous enemy," Ian said. "It's the Blackbeard Pirates, so I can't linger."
Hearing this, Chopper couldn't help but lower his head, looking dejected.
Ian chuckled and comforted him, "Don't be like that. Maybe soon, you'll find your own companions and set sail together. If you ever want to find me, you're welcome to visit my pirate crew."
"My... companions?" Chopper looked up, his eyes filled with excitement and anticipation.
Ian nodded, thinking of the Straw Hat Pirates. Maybe soon, Luffy and his crew would reach this island too. With Luffy's personality, seeing such an interesting reindeer like Chopper, he'd definitely want him as a crewmate.
And Chopper was a good doctor. With him in the Straw Hat Pirates, even if Zoro got injured in the future, there would be someone to save him...
After chatting with Chopper for a bit, Ian handed him over to Robin and Reiju.
Robin had already spotted the fluffy Chopper. Though she didn't show it on her face, she loved cute things. As soon as Ian passed Chopper to her, she broke into a delighted smile, hugging him and playing with him alongside Reiju.
Surrounded by two big sisters, Chopper was adorably flustered. He was a bit shy, but since they were Big Brother Ian's companions, he didn't dare run away. He just stiffly chatted with them...
After the feast was over, Ian and his group prepared to take their leave.
Before departing, Ace thought of something and said to Dalton and the others, "Could I ask you a favor? If, in the near future, a pirate wearing a straw hat named Luffy arrives on this island, could you tell him that we'll be waiting for him in Alabasta for a while?"
Dalton didn't refuse and nodded in agreement.
After leaving that message, Ace and Ian departed from Drum Island, continuing their pursuit of the Blackbeard Pirates...