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Ikki led Luffy, Sanji, Usopp, and Vivi into the cozy cabin, making sure everyone was comfortable.
He only needed one person to fly to Drum Rock.
After donning the ultra-thin, ultra-warm cotton coat he had won in a lottery, Ikki prepared to set off. Spreading his wings, he soared into the skies toward Drum Rock. The biting cold wind of Drum Island didn't faze him—he simply created a wind barrier around himself, nullifying the chill.
As Ikki neared Drum Rock, still a thousand meters away, an unusual sound interrupted the constant howling of the wind. It came from below—a sharp, whistling noise.
Looking down, Ikki saw a bare tree trunk hurtling straight toward him. Reacting quickly, he manipulated the storm within his wind barrier to block the incoming tree trunk.
With the immediate threat neutralized, Ikki turned his gaze in the direction the trunk had come from. There, standing amidst the snow, was a powerful man with rippling muscles, a wrestler's mask covering his face, long purple hair, and a golden championship belt around his waist. Ikki recognized him instantly: Jesus Burgess, the helmsman of the Blackbeard Pirates.
"Why is this guy here?" Ikki muttered to himself.
Although he knew Burgess would eventually become an enemy, Ikki wasn't looking for a fight. Nami was still critically ill, and every second counted in getting her to a doctor. Deciding to avoid any unnecessary conflict, Ikki prepared to leave.
But Burgess wasn't about to let him go. With a toothy grin, he drew his machete, chopped down another tree, and hurled it at Ikki with incredible force.
Ikki, unperturbed, used his wings to effortlessly deflect the incoming projectile. He adjusted his flight path and continued toward Drum Rock, ignoring Burgess's attempts to provoke him.
Frustrated, Burgess tried to pursue, but chasing a flying target in the snow was futile. Realizing he couldn't keep up, he reluctantly gave up the chase.
Meanwhile, the reason Jesus Burgess was in Drum Island was simple: training. As the self-proclaimed "Champion of the World," Burgess was both highly competitive and relentlessly disciplined in his physical regimen.
After arriving at Drum Island with Blackbeard and his crew some time ago, Burgess had chosen to remain behind to train. To him, confronting nature's harsh conditions was a test of willpower, an essential part of awakening Haki. At this point in time, Burgess had not yet mastered Haki—he would only learn it later, after becoming one of Blackbeard's subordinates.
Blackbeard hadn't recruited Burgess for his existing strength. After all, he had been gathering members from all over, many of whom weren't particularly formidable at first. The real draw was Burgess's incredible potential. Blackbeard, lacking fame at the time, couldn't attract established powerhouse allies. Instead, he sought talented individuals he could mold into his ideal crew.
In fact, Blackbeard's method of recruiting crewmates was somewhat similar to Luffy's.
None of Luffy's crew members were particularly strong when they first joined the Straw Hat Pirates. They grew stronger through battles and adventures over time.
For Blackbeard, however, it was easier to help his crew grow in power. After all, he already possessed mastery over Haki and had the resources to find skilled instructors to train his recruits.
Determined to master Haki as quickly as possible, Jesus Burgess began rigorous training in extreme environments, pushing himself to the limit.
After Ikki flew away, Burgess didn't linger. A gut feeling told him that their paths would cross again.
On the Other Side
Ikki flew to the peak of Drum Rock at an incredible speed. At the summit, a massive castle loomed against the snowy backdrop.
Ikki stepped inside, only to find the place seemingly empty.
"Is no one home?" he muttered.
As if in response, a sharp voice sounded from behind him.
"Breaking into someone's home uninvited is bad manners!"
Ikki spun around to find an old woman holding a wine bottle. She was dressed in a strikingly fashionable and somewhat revealing outfit.
"Old... beautiful... uh... I didn't mean to intrude," Ikki stammered, tripping over his words.
The woman, Doctor Kureha, paid no mind to the word "old." Hearing the word "beautiful," however, brought a smile to her face. Her opinion of the young man rose instantly.
"Young man, you've got good taste!" she said with a grin, pushing her sunglasses up onto her forehead. "So, what brings you to me?"
Ikki quickly explained, "Miss Kureha, one of my partners is seriously ill. I'm hoping you can treat her!"
To emphasize his point, Ikki opened the hut. As he did, Luffy and Usopp burst out of the cabin, yelling and causing a commotion.
Seeing their antics, Kureha frowned. "Are you asking me to treat one of their brains?" she deadpanned.
Ikki's face flushed. "That's… not it."
At that moment, Sanji emerged, carrying the unconscious Nami on his back. Ikki pointed at her. "It's her!"
Kureha assessed the situation as Luffy pointed at her and asked Ikki, "Ikki, is this old lady really a doctor?"
Before Ikki could answer, Kureha lashed out, kicking Luffy across the room.
"I am a young and vibrant woman of 130 years! How rude!" she declared.
Witnessing this, Vivi and Sanji began to understand why people called Kureha a "witch."
Kureha instructed Sanji to place Nami on the bed. Once Nami was settled, Kureha pressed her fingers to Nami's forehead. Her expression darkened.
"It's already 43 degrees," she said gravely.
Vivi's face went pale. The idea of Nami's fever spiking even higher was terrifying.
Sanji, on the verge of tears, understood the severity of the situation. While Luffy, Zoro, and even Sanji himself could shrug off extreme physical conditions, Nami wasn't as physically resilient.
Before anyone could plead further, Kureha shouted over her shoulder, "Chopper! Get over here and help!"
Everyone turned to see a small figure peeking into the room. He had a red hat, a blue nose, and a pair of antlers.
With his antlers removed, he might have looked like a tanuki.
Yes, this was Tony Tony Chopper, the Straw Hats' next crewmate.
"Is that a tanuki?" Sanji asked, tilting his head.
"Idiot! I'm a reindeer!" Chopper snapped, clearly offended.
Kureha's voice rang out again. "If you don't want this girl to die, get out. Chopper, stop standing there and help me!"
Taking her words seriously, Ikki and the Straw Hats began to leave the room.
Before stepping out, however, Luffy decided to be polite. He approached Kureha, bowing deeply.
"Old lady... Nami is in your hands, please—"
Before he could finish, Kureha kicked him out of the ward.