20demayo Chapter 63 A New Plan!
Chapter 63 A New Plan!
Chapter 63 A New Plan!
The conference room on the White Pearl was almost full of people.
The air smelled of medicine, smoke, and lingering blood.
Zoro, Sanosuke, Zeff, and Al were all seriously injured and absent, but Kuro had bandages on his face, Gin had a splint on his left arm, and Buggy looked listless.
Nami and Funing sat to Norton's right.
It is worth mentioning that Dalton was allowed to attend, sitting at the very end of the long table.
A nautical chart lay open on the table, and several empty wine glasses were casually placed on it.
Norton sat in the head seat and tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and everyone quieted down.
"Kizaru came, injured our men, and then ran away," Norton said, his voice low but each word clear. "This can't be left like this."
Bucky muttered to himself, "What else can we do but let it go—that's an admiral—"
"So you mean we're just going to back down?" Norton looked at Bucky.
Bucky shrank back, not daring to reply.
"The Navy sent one admiral this time, and maybe two next time," Norton continued, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. "They see us as a threat and want to crush us before we enter the New World. What we need to do is make them afraid to make a move."
Kro pushed up his broken glasses: "The captain means we need to demonstrate our deterrence."
"Yes." Norton's finger traced across the nautical chart. "Passively taking hits is useless. We must fight! Strike hard enough to avoid a hundred blows!"
"How should we attack?" Sanji lit a cigarette, his brow furrowed. "A direct assault on the Marine branch? Or an attack on the warships?"
Norton shook his head. "If we're going to fight, let's fight the World Government."
He paused, then pressed his finger heavily on a mark on the nautical chart indicating the waters near Alabasta.
"The Seven Warlords of the Sea are legal pirates recognized by the World Government; they're their facade," Norton said. "If we recruit the Seven Warlords and make them our own—what do you think the World Government's expression would be?"
The room was silent for a few seconds.
"Recruit—the Seven Warlords of the Sea?" Buggy's voice shrill. "How could those monsters possibly listen to us?!"
"How would you know if you didn't try?" Norton looked at Bucky. "Or are you scared?"
"I—I'm not scared!" Buggy said, forcing a smile. "But those are the Seven Warlords of the Sea! Crocodile, Jinbe, and Kuma—which one of them is easy to mess with?!"
"It's precisely because they're not easy to deal with that they're valuable to recruit," Kuro interjected, already considering the feasibility of the plan. "If it succeeds, it will indeed be a huge blow to the World Government's prestige. The Navy will lose face."
"But the risk is too great," Nami said, looking at Norton. "We just went through a fierce battle, and most of our officers are seriously injured. To provoke the Seven Warlords now is tantamount to simultaneously waging war against both the World Government and the Seven Warlords."
"So not now," Norton said. "We need time to rest and we need to improve our strength."
He looked at Roy, who was sitting at the end of the table. The former news agency employee immediately sat up straight.
"Roy, contact Morgans," Norton said. "Tell him I'm willing to pay a high price to hire an instructor from the New World who is proficient in Haki, someone with extensive combat experience. Price is not an issue; the most important thing is rich experience!"
Roy quickly jotted down: "Understood, Captain. I'll contact them right away."
Norton then looked at Crowe: "You work with Roy to integrate our existing intelligence network. During the voyage, keep an eye out for powerful pirate crews along the way and assess whether they are worth recruiting."
"We don't have enough ships anymore; we need to seize more!"
"Understood." Chloe pushed up her glasses.
"As for the wounded—" Norton looked at Sanji, "Do we have enough medical supplies?"
"We still have some medicine from the stolen Suzuka Island, plus the stock from the twenty doctors from Drum Kingdom, that should last us a while," Sanji said, exhaling a puff of smoke. "But Sanosuke and Al are more seriously injured and need to rest. Zoro, that idiot, broke a bone and can't have surgery for at least a month."
"Then let's go somewhere where we can rest and recuperate."
Norton's finger moved across the nautical chart, stopping at an island marker below the Drum Kingdom: "Little Garden," the ancient island. Dalton had said it was a remote, pristine place, perfect for a temporary retreat.
All eyes turned to Dalton.
Dalton sat at the end of the table and listened in silence.
Seeing everyone looking over, he spoke in a deep voice: "The Little Garden is a special island between Spring Island and Summer Island. It is said that the flow of time there is different from the outside world, and the vegetation and creatures are very ancient. There are no permanent residents on the island, and only a few explorers occasionally land there. Indeed—it is suitable for seclusion."
"Let's go there."
Norton gave the order: "During the voyage, avoid contact with the Navy as much as possible. Travel at full speed and shake off any potential pursuers. Once we reach Little Garden, use the island's resources to rest, wait for the wounded to recover, wait for the Haki instructor to arrive, and wait for information from the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
He looked around at everyone: "Is there a problem?"
"Yes," Buggy raised his hand, his voice trembling, "Um—if we really were going to provoke the Seven Warlords—who would fight them?"
While Norton is incredibly strong, ridiculously so, he's still just one person. To deal with the Seven Warlords of the Sea, who are said to be able to rival the Four Emperors, requires a massive force!
Norton can't intervene every time; he's a king, not a general.
"That's why we need instructors," Norton said. "Haki is the passport to the second half of the Grand Line. Without Haki, you'll find it hard to move an inch in the New World. You all need to learn it."
The room fell silent again. The aura of a top scholar—this was a distant concept for most pirates from the East Blue.
"Furthermore," Norton looked at Dalton, "Captain Dalton, what is your choice?"
Everyone looked towards the end of the long table.
Dalton sat there, his back straight. He glanced at Norton, then at the location of Drum Kingdom on the nautical chart on the table, and remained silent for a long while.
"Walpo has been taken away by you," Dalton finally spoke. "The Drum Kingdom—has temporarily lost its king. I need to stay behind, stabilize the situation, recall the doctor, and restore order."
Norton nodded, not pressuring him.
“But,” Dalton changed the subject, looking at Norton, “I’ve been thinking about what you said to me in Kestertown for a long time.”
He paused, his voice growing deeper: "There's not much I can do here. While Walpo's tyranny has ended, the country's deep-seated problems remain. The nobility, the classes, the monopoly of resources—these won't change just because a king has disappeared."
Dalton stood up, and the burly man addressed Norton solemnly, "I want to go with you to see what the 'country without aristocratic oppression' you speak of is like."
"I'd like to see how you plan to achieve that ideal. If possible—one day in the future, perhaps I can bring what I've learned back to the Drum Kingdom."
He took a deep breath: "So, Captain Norton, if you don't mind, I, Dalton, am willing to join the Norton Pirates and serve you."
The room was quiet. Everyone looked at Dalton, then at Norton.
Norton rose from his seat, walked over to Dalton, and extended his hand.
"Welcome aboard, Dalton."
Their hands were clasped together. Dalton's hands were rough and strong, while Norton's hands were steady and dry.
"Meeting adjourned." Norton released his grip, looked at everyone, and said, "Go and prepare to set sail before nightfall."
The officers gradually left the captain's cabin. Buggy was still muttering about "Shichibukai" and "Haki instructor" when Mochi and Cabaji dragged him away. Kuro and Roy discussed intelligence matters in hushed tones as they walked. Sanji went to the galley to check supplies. Nami and Frying went to the deck to arrange departure.
Dalton stayed until the very end.
"Is there anything else?" Norton asked.
“I’d like to know,” Dalton said, “what do you intend to do with the Drum Kingdom? Leaving the flag—what exactly does that mean?”
"This means that from now on, this island is under my protection."
Norton walked to the porthole, looking at the snow-covered sky outside. "I'll have Roy release a message through the news agency, declaring that Drum Kingdom is within my protection zone. Other pirates who want to plunder will have to think twice. The Navy will also have to consider the consequences if they want to station a large force here."
"The governance within that kingdom—"
"That's your own business." Norton turned around. "I don't interfere in internal affairs. Leaving the flag is just to provide a layer of protection; it doesn't mean I'm going to rule this place. You can choose your own new leaders or establish whatever system you want; I won't interfere."
Dalton nodded, a response that relieved him slightly.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in."
A pirate pushed open the door, looking a little nervous: "Captain, an old woman has arrived at the dock, riding a reindeer. She says she wants to see you. She claims to be the doctor of this island."
Norton and Dalton exchanged a glance.
"Bring her up," Norton said.
A few minutes later, Dr. Kureha entered the captain's cabin. She was carrying a bottle of liquor in one hand, with a timid Chopper following behind her.
As soon as Chopper saw Norton and Dalton, he immediately hid behind Kureha's legs, only showing half of his face and blue nose.
"You're that silver-haired guy?" Kureha tilted her head back and took a swig of her drink, getting straight to the point. "What a domineering man! But... I heard you're going to take all twenty quack doctors with you?"
"Yes," Norton said.
"reason?"
"My fleet needs doctors."
"This island needs it too," Kureha said calmly. "If everyone is taken away, who will the people on the island turn to when they get sick?"
Norton repeated what he had told Dalton earlier: leave the flag, declare asylum, and recall the exiled doctors.
After listening, Kureha squinted at Norton for a while. She took another sip of her drink before saying, "You do have some ideas."
However, simply leaving a flag isn't enough. Wapol may be a scoundrel, but at least he maintained a semblance of order. If you remove him now, the island will descend into chaos for a while.
"So someone needs to stabilize the situation." Norton looked at Dalton.
Dalton nodded: "I will do my best."
Kureha sized up Dalton, then looked at Norton, and suddenly laughed: "Kid, what's the point of all this fuss?"
"This frozen, snowy place, Drum Kingdom, isn't worth your trouble."
Norton paused for a few seconds, then said, "I'm not interested in the island. But I'm interested in the 'nation'."
Kureha raised an eyebrow: "Oh?"
"I want to build a country." Norton's voice was calm, but the content of his words made Kureha put down her bottle.
"A country where healthcare and education are free. There are no nobles, no parasites like the Celestial Dragons. Everyone can live through their own efforts, instead of being crushed by so-called 'class'."
Chopper peeked out more from behind Kureha's legs, his small eyes full of confusion.
"Of course, this country will have a king," Norton continued. "Only one king. That is me! I don't need nobles to govern, because nobles only corrupt."
"What I want is a place where I have the final say, but where everyone can live with dignity!"
Norton paused, then looked at Kureha: "And my ultimate goal is to become the sole ruler of this world!"
The captain's cabin was quiet. The only sounds were the wind and snow outside the portholes.
Kureha stared at Norton for a long time, so long that Chopper couldn't help but tug at her sleeve. Finally, she let out a long sigh.
"A very arrogant ideal," Kureha grinned, "but also terrifying."
"So," Norton asked, "want to join? I need a good doctor."
Kureha shook her head decisively: "I'm not going."
"reason?"
"If I leave, there really won't be a single doctor left on this island." Kureha patted Chopper's head. "It will take time to bring back those doctors who were driven away. During this time, someone has to stay and watch over them."
Norton remained silent, which was taken as acceptance.
Kureha looked down at Chopper, her gaze softening. She bent down and stroked Chopper's fluffy head.
"However, this little guy can come with you."
Chopper looked up abruptly: "? Dr. Kureha? I, I—"
"You've learned almost everything you can on this island."
Kureha said to Chopper in an unusually gentle tone, "The rest, you have to go out and see, go out and learn. Follow this 'silver-haired' gentleman, and you'll see what the world is really like. The good, the bad, the cruel, and—the possible future."
She looked at Norton: "Chopper ate the Human-Human Fruit, so he can talk and think, but he's a bit timid. I've taught him the basics of medicine. Taking him along, he can be a backup healer."
Chopper looked at Kureha, then at Norton, his little hooves nervously rubbing together.
Norton crouched down, looking Chopper in the eye: "Would you like to come with me? We'll see a lot of battles and encounter a lot of dangers. But we might also see scenery you've never imagined."
Chopper turned to look at Kureha. Kureha nodded at him.
"I—I want to go see—" Chopper's voice was soft, but clear.
"Then it's settled." Norton stood up and said to Kureha, "I'll take good care of it."
"That's for the best," Kureha smiled. "If Chopper suffers any injustice, even if you're the King of the World," I'll chase you to the ends of the earth and teach you a lesson!"
Kureha raised her bottle, made a toast gesture, and disappeared into the snowstorm.
Chopper stood at the door of the captain's cabin, looking in the direction Kureha had left, his small figure looking somewhat lonely.
Dalton walked over and patted its head: "Get on board, time to set sail."
The snow stopped in the evening.
At the summit of the highest snow-capped mountain in the Drum Kingdom, a huge banner was raised, with the King's Chess and Scepter crossed in a cross shape, and the silver skull emblem standing out brightly in the twilight.
At the port, the fleet was ready. The White Pearl was the first to cast off its moorings and raise its sails.
The seriously wounded were properly cared for, and twenty doctors were dispersed to various ships. Chopper was assigned to the White Pearl, which had the best medical facilities.
Wahlbo was locked in the lower deck, still muttering "my treasure."
Dalton did not stay at the dock. He carried a simple bag and stepped onto the gangplank of the White Pearl.
Norton watched him board the ship from the stern, saying nothing, only nodding.
Ships departed the port one after another, their stern lights lighting up in the darkening sky like a string of stars as they sailed into the distant sea.
Dalton stood on the ship's railing, watching the Drum Kingdom slowly shrink in his field of vision. The black flag on the mountaintop finally became a blurry black dot.
The snowstorm started again.
Winter in the Drum Kingdom was thus left behind.
Ahead, the primeval forest of the small garden awaits.
Further away, the shadows of the Seven Warlords of the Sea had already come into Norton's view.
Chopper huddled in a corner of the cabin, clutching the medical kit Kureha had left him, feeling both afraid and secretly looking forward to the journey that was about to begin.