Chapter 74 : The Fate Of A Good Man, The Lost Zoro

Drum Rock

Chopper and Luffy stood facing each other, with Usopp watching nervously from the sidelines.

Chopper was determined to use his strength to drive this rice cake-like boy away. His past had taught him not to trust humans—except for Kureha and Hiruluk.

The idea of having a "partner" was something Chopper deeply longed for, but it was also a concept he was afraid to embrace.

As a young reindeer, he had been ostracized by his herd for his blue nose. Later, after eating the Human-Human Fruit and gaining the ability to transform, his herd rejected him entirely, labeling him a monster and forcing him out.

Though he yearned for companionship, the scars of his past left him hesitant to trust anyone.

Meanwhile, Luffy had only one thought in his mind: if he defeated the reindeer boy in front of him, he could convince him to join the crew.

"Reindeer, are you ready?" Luffy asked with his signature grin.

Chopper didn't answer. Instead, he transformed into his Heavy Point form, standing tall and powerful.

Seeing this, Luffy charged forward with excitement.

"Rubber-Rubber Pistol!" he shouted, his rubber fist stretching out and aiming for Chopper's face.

Chopper countered with his own punch, their fists colliding with a thunderous impact.

There was no strategy, no tricks—just a straightforward clash of strength and determination between the two.

While Luffy and Chopper fought, a significant event was unfolding elsewhere on Drum Island.

The ship belonging to Wapol, the former king of the Drum Kingdom, returned to the island. However, Wapol himself was dead.

Leading the ship's return were his two loyal subordinates, Chess and Kuromarimo. They had been devastated by the discovery of Wapol's body and now sought to restore his legacy.

Their goals were twofold: first, to return Wapol's body to his homeland; second, to seize control of the Drum Kingdom and crown themselves as its new rulers.

As for Dalton, they saw him as a trivial obstacle. Dalton's greatest weakness was his unwavering devotion to the people of the Drum Kingdom. Chess and Kuromarimo planned to exploit that, knowing they could manipulate him by threatening the citizens.

At that moment, Chess and Kuromarimo stood before Dalton, who had transformed into his Bull Warrior form using the powers of the Ox-Ox Fruit, Model: Bison.

"Dalton," Chess said with a smug expression, "we only want to return His Majesty Wapol's body to his homeland. Are you really going to stand in our way?"

Hearing Wapol's name, Dalton felt a mix of emotions. Despite the tyrant's cruel reign, Dalton couldn't help but feel conflicted about the death of someone he had once served.

Dalton's mind drifted back to the past as he faced Chess and Kuromarimo.

The previous king of the Drum Kingdom—Wapol's father—had been a kind and just ruler. Dalton had served him loyally and respected him deeply. Even after Wapol inherited the throne and began his reign of ignorance and cruelty, Dalton did his best to cover for his mistakes and guide him toward better choices.

However, when Wapol abandoned the citizens of the Drum Kingdom to save himself from danger, Dalton's faith was shattered. He could no longer excuse Wapol's selfishness.

Now, knowing that Wapol was dead, Dalton felt conflicted—relieved that the tyrant was gone, but uncertain about how to reconcile his loyalty to the old king with the disgrace of his successor.

"Hand over Wapol's body to me," Dalton said firmly, standing before Chess and Kuromarimo. "I'll see to it that he is buried in the royal mausoleum."

His gaze shifted to the King's Army soldiers standing behind the two.

"And to the rest of you—Wapol is gone. It's time to return to the Drum Kingdom. Your families and friends are here, and I am willing to overlook your role in abandoning the kingdom if you come back now."

Chess sneered at Dalton's words. "Dalton, you've misunderstood something."

"We are returning to the Drum Kingdom," Kuromarimo added smugly. "But your forgiveness? That means nothing to us."

Chess pulled out a document bearing the royal seal of the Drum Kingdom. He smirked as he held it up. "In the name of the current rulers of the Drum Kingdom, Kuromarimo and I hereby expel you, Dalton, from the kingdom!"

Dalton's brow furrowed as he read the document, understanding the truth behind their actions. Bringing Wapol's body back was merely a pretext—they intended to seize control of the Drum Kingdom for themselves.

"So that's it," Dalton said, his voice low but filled with resolve. "You two won't get away with this."

In an instant, Dalton transformed into his Bull Warrior form using the power of his Ox-Ox Fruit, Model: Bison. His large frame loomed as he prepared to strike.

Before Dalton could act, the sound of hurried footsteps caught his attention. He turned to see a group of Drum Island residents approaching, armed with makeshift weapons. They had come to stop the King's Army after hearing that Wapol's men had returned.

To them, Wapol was a tyrant, and they would rather die than see his rule restored.

Chess smirked, drawing his bow. "Dalton, do you know why you've never been able to defeat us?"

Without waiting for an answer, Chess nocked several arrows and aimed them at the approaching civilians.

"It's because you're a good person," he said coldly.

The arrows flew toward the crowd. Dalton moved without hesitation, stepping in front of the civilians and intercepting the first wave of arrows with his bare hands. However, a second volley struck him—two arrows piercing his side.

Dalton staggered, but Chess didn't relent. A third volley of arrows struck him in multiple places, forcing him to his knees.

"Dalton," Chess sneered, "this is what happens to good people."

Kuromarimo laughed, imagining himself seated on the throne of the Drum Kingdom. But before the King's Army could act further, the civilians rushed forward, forming a protective barrier around Dalton with their own bodies.

"Hmph," Chess scoffed, unimpressed. "King's Army, deal with these unruly peasants!"

The soldiers hesitated but ultimately obeyed, drawing their weapons to subdue the civilians.

Just as tensions were about to boil over, a figure emerged in the distance, walking toward the group.

The man was bare-chested and barefoot, wearing only thin trousers in the freezing cold. In one hand, he led a trembling Psyduck, while his other hand rested casually on the hilt of a sword.

It was none other than Zoro, who had been left on the Merry to guard the ship. Somehow, he had made his way to Drum Island.

The Psyduck, shivering and clearly unhappy with the cold, had tried to lead Zoro back to the ship. Zoro, in his usual confident tone, had said, "Don't worry, Psyduck! I'll carry you back to the Merry in no time to warm up."

Instead, both of them had ended up hopelessly lost in the snow.

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