Chapter 133

"I believe your precise words after examining roger were 'and never come back here again, you bunch of pirate scum' correct?" Crocus asked with a calm smile, earning an amused nod from the woman.

"Well, I'm not a pirate anymore, so there should be no problem in me coming back," Crocus added after seeing the woman nod, nodding himself.

"You're as amusing as ever, brat," Kureha said with like a chuckle. "But I see something never change," she added as she turned to look at me and my crewmates.

"You still brought pirates to my doorstep," she remarked, squinting as she gave us a thorough inspection with her eyes as she looked at us up and down.

"Well, we didn't come empty-handed at least," I said with a smile as I got up, gesturing towards the two boxes of plum sake and pickled plum we brought along.

I also gave Byron a look, and he immediately understood, standing up and bringing one of the boxes towards the woman. "Two boxes of plum sake and pickled plum," I said as Byron opened the box.

"The best I could find in Bighorn, too," I added as I smiled at the woman, earning an amused look from her.

"And who are you, brat?" she asked as she looked at me with an appraising look, seemingly trying to get a better understanding of me by taking in my appearance.

"My name is Johnny, proud captain of the Black Pearl and Silver Hand pirates," I introduced myself as I took a step towards her. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances, doctor," I added, extending a hand towards her.

"I wouldn't say we're acquainted just yet, brat," Kureha said with a snort, merely taking a glance at my hand without shaking it. "But I'll hear you out before I kick you out of here since you're so polite, at least," she added while urgingly gesturing for me to start talking.

"Well, my friend here has been suffering from a terminal illness since his birth, and I was hoping you could cooperate with old man, Crocus, and Law here to do something about it," I replied with a smile as I took back my hand, not taking any offense.

"If you're talking about the corpse laying on my couch, then forget about it," Kureha remarked as she turned to look at Doc, pointing her finger at him.

"I know about his illness, and it's incurable," Kureha said while shaking her head. "He's already lucky to have lived for so long," she concluded as she gave Doc a troubled look, drinking a mouthful of sake from her bottle.

"Even with the help of a doctor who ate the Ope-Ope fruit?" I asked, causing Law to frown, but I just gestured for him it's ok before he sighed and resumed brooding.

"You're not trying to pull my leg, are you, brat?" Kureha asked with a skeptical look, her eyes alternating between Law and me, as she seemed to have understood the meaning of Law's frown and my gesture.

I just shook my head, and Kureha kept looking at me in the eye, occasionally taking a glance at Law while seeming deep in thought, only to burst into a fit of witch-like laughter seconds later.

"To think that the person who ate the Ope-Ope fruit is a pirate of all things," Kureha said with a loud laugh. "Now that's just rich," she said, taking a deep breath to calm herself.

"Having the powers of the Ope-Ope fruit changes things, and I might be able to do something about your friend's illness with the help of this brat and the flower brat," Kureha remarked with a thoughtful look.

"But it would take a lot of work," she added, pausing slightly to think about something. "You said you're a pirate captain, yes?" she asked with a cunning smile.

'I don't like the way she's smiling, but what the hell.'

"I am," I replied with a calm smile.

"Then you should be decently capable since you're in the grand line, and the user of Ope-Ope fruit is in your crew," she added with a thoughtful look.

"Very well, follow me outside," Kureha said without allowing me to get a word as she started walking towards the door, gesturing for me to follow. "You'll have to show me how capable you are before we talk about anything else, brat," she added, and I had no choice but to follow her with a sigh.

"Crocus, can you stay here and keep an eye on Doc?" I said while following Kureha as I turned to look at the old doctor. "the cold might be too much for him," I added with a sigh.

"The cold won't be doing my old bones any favor either," Crocus replied with a chuckle. "So I might as well stay," he added, causing to nod at him in gratitude.

"You too can come along or stay," I concluded as I turned to look at Byron and Law, and they both stood up, following me as I walked behind Kureha.

...

Kureha had us follow behind her for several hours as she led us through the snow into the foot of one of the drum Rockies, with seemingly no efforts as she kept an even pace, smiling wickedly as she usually does throughout the entire journey.

Though she suddenly stopped, eyeing a particular spot on the mountain ahead with several white lumps moving all over it, and I immediately realized how she intended to have me prove myself.

"That's the Lapahns' territory up ahead," Kureha said while pointing towards the spot she was looking at, a calm look on her face.

"Go there and survive; that's all you need to do to prove how capable you are," Kureha concluded as she looked at me with a wicked smile.

"Lapahns?" Byron said with, tilting his head to the side. "What are Lapahns?" he asked in a confused tone as he looked at Kureha.

"Lapahns are big, carnivorous, intelligent snow rabbits native to the mountains of Drum Island," I replied to Byron's question before Kureha could answer, earning a rare surprised look from the witch doctor.

"They hunt in packs, and they're pretty strong, ferocious, and territorial," I added while pointing the moving white lumps ahead of us.

"You already know about Lapahns, eh?" Kureha said with a surprised look. "So, what will you do, then, brat?" she asked in a curious tone as she looked at me.

"Knowing things I shouldn't know is kind of my thing," I said with a chuckle. "And to answer your second question, I'll do it," I added as I started walking towards the Lapahns.

"Wait for me right here," I said as I increased my pace, going into a jog. "It won't take long," I concluded with a smirk as I jumped into the air and began flying.