Dr. Hiriluk

It was the sounds that came in and out of my ears that woke me up. At first, I thought I was already in Arabasta because the extreme cold that had hit me earlier had gone away. It had been replaced by a burning sensation that spread throughout my body, making me feel both uncomfortable and familiar.

My head instinctively followed the childlike voice that said, "Don't move too much... here, I'll change your cloth to a cooler one," but instead of finding a child, I found a deer sitting on a chair.

I was sure I was looking at the correct animal because of the branching antlers on its head and the soft brown fur that covered its body, "but why is your nose blue?... Your body is incredibly petite as well. Are you a young deer?"

My body immediately stiffened up like it had been struck by lightning when I heard a human voice coming out of the mouth of the deer, but seeing the deer's angry face made me laugh amusingly.

"Who are you saying has a blue nose!... I know my nose is blue, but do you have a problem with that!"

I was already aware I was lying in bed, so I quickly got up. However, as soon as my feet hit the floor, I heard a grunt from below me, "Mr. 9? What are you doing down there?"

Mr. 9 did not react in any way, but I scrambled to put my feet back up before crawling away from the strange deer that was creeping closer and closer to me. As he climbed onto the bed, he used both of his feet. His dark eyes looked at me as if to say I should be quiet.

"You humans! Is this how you repay someone who saved your life."

As soon as I heard that, I dimly recalled what happened to me shortly after I had just arrived on this island. "Deer-san, were you the one who saved me?"

Because, as far as I can recall, the creature that took me had a large body, and this little talking deer didn't look very much like it, 'maybe that's his mother?'

"I apologize if I offended you in any way... I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to your mother for coming to both of our rescues-"

My head started to feel heavy, and my voice started to sound stretched out, and eventually, my body lay limp on the bed again. The pain in my head stabbed me repeatedly, but I faintly heard the little deer say:

"Why has this human been talking strangely... Whose mother is she referring to here? I have no idea… I think it's because the fever is still too high."

-

Several days have passed, and during that time, Luffy has been staying at Hiriluk's house. In the meantime, Dalton, who is responsible for them, has returned to the village. He promised that he would not mention anything to King Wapol.

Luffy and his crew would run into Chopper every once in a while, but the cute little deer with the blue nose would always keep himself locked up in his room longer. Nami, Nojiko, and Makino, who had never seen such a magical creature before, looked very interested in it. Unfortunately, the deer didn't like humans.

Luffy has high hopes that after demonstrating his positive demeanor and intentions, Hiriluk will share some of his medical expertise with him. Hiriluk did not initially extend a warm welcome to them. However, as time went on, he found himself unable to refuse because Luffy had threatened to arrest him, and he knew it was a simple matter.

"Why do you want to learn from me? Aren't there medical professionals and people with more experience at your marine base?"

The question came when everyone was chilling in Hiriluk's living room, which doubled as his study, "Having it and being able to study it are two different things. Besides, I don't have time because I'm busy getting stronger. I think they're the same."

Makino is required to train at the Baratie restaurant because Luffy believes it is important for his crew to have a variety of skills and responsibilities because she will be responsible for their food. For Nami and Nojiko…

He grants access to the library to both of them. While Nami can study cartographers and navigators. While Nojiko somehow more interested in craftsmanship.

Despite all of this, Luffy placed a greater emphasis on his crew's physical training because he wanted everyone to be able to look out for themselves and not have to depend on him as much as they otherwise would.

"Hmph, why don't you look for a doctor to join your crew? Aren't you very skilled at that," Hearing Uta's snide comment directed at Luffy, Captain Hina felt disapproval, so she replied by saying:

"Luffy's idea is not bad. I even appreciate his concern because it means he really cares about us." when Luffy saw the small smile she was trying to show him, he immediately knew her little trick, but she didn't let him interrupt her as she continued:

"I know you don't like it, but this doesn't mean you're going to have surgery or something else tough. Just think of it as a survival skill. You never know when you'll need it."

After that, Uta did not say anything else and strangely did not appear annoyed anymore. In fact, she became the person who paid the most attention whenever Hiriluk shared his knowledge with everyone. Before it was time for them to return to Wapol Castle, Luffy didn't forget to ask about Dr. Kureha:

"Old man, are you sure Dr. Kureha is in the castle?"

"Of course, because she is just as greedy as the king, I'm sure she accepted his offer to become head of the 20 doctors. Because she is only the second greatest doctor in the world after myself, it is only natural that you are not permitted to meet her."

The door to Chopper's bedroom opened just as they stood up from their seats, and he cautiously came out from the room, "Oh, what's wrong, Chopper? Are they awake?"

He moved forward while keeping his back against the wall, his eyes fixed on Luffy and the others with a mix of hatred and curiosity. After he had stood behind Hiriluk, he spoke in a low voice, but everyone could still hear what he had to say:

"Yes, Doctor, I need antibiotics and some vitamins."

While Hiriluk was taking something out of his drawer, he noticed that Luffy and his crew had not yet left, and he asked them in an irritated tone, "Why are you still here? The exit is the same as when you came in."

"Well, I didn't expect the patient you treated to be someone I know."