Chapter 61: Finding the Reindeer Herd
"Young man… aren't you cold?"
The middle-aged man stared in disbelief.
In weather that was several degrees below freezing, this stranger was wearing nothing but a thin shirt.
"I'm fine, sir. I just wanted to ask you something," Jiang Qize said with a pleasant smile.
With his clear, handsome features and long silver hair, there was a refined, almost noble air about him—something that immediately drew people's attention.
"Go ahead, go ahead," the man replied kindly, not suspecting he was speaking to a pirate.
"Do you know where I can find a reindeer herd?"
"Reindeer herd, huh? You'll have to go up into the mountains for that. But right now, the mountains are sealed off by snow. You probably won't be able to get in for at least a month—until it warms up a little."
The man spoke patiently.
On Drum Island, the weather changed often, but it was cold most of the time. Only occasionally would the temperature rise for a short period.
Having lived here for many years, the locals knew these things well.
"It's fine. Could you just tell me which direction the herds are in?" Jiang Qize asked with a smile.
Extreme cold wasn't a problem for him—not with his current body.
"They're that way," the man said helplessly, pointing toward the north.
The creatures of Drum Island were incredibly resilient to cold, thriving even in such harsh weather.
"Thanks, sir."
Jiang Qize smiled, thanked him, and headed north, leaving a trail of footprints in the snow.
—
An hour later.
He had no idea how far he'd gone. The buildings were long gone from sight. All around him stood trees dusted in white, the ground blanketed in snow so thick not even a blade of grass showed. The forest was eerily silent—only his own breathing broke the stillness.
"Where are these reindeer…" Jiang Qize muttered, feeling a bit of a headache coming on. Drum Island was huge; was he really going to have to wander across the whole place to find them?
Rustle…
A faint sound came from his right.
Though soft, he caught it immediately.
He moved silently in that direction, his steps light and sure.
After about twenty meters, he stopped behind a tree and peered ahead.
There, on the snow-covered ground, stood a brown reindeer just over a meter tall. It was using its antlers and hooves to dig through the snow.
Soon, it pushed the snow aside, revealing damp soil beneath.
From the ground, it unearthed a carrot-like root and began to eat.
"Finally found one," Jiang Qize said with a small smile.
He didn't step out immediately. Instead, he watched quietly.
Once the reindeer had finished its meal, it turned and wandered deeper into the forest.
He followed.
Ten minutes later—
He arrived at the foot of a snow-covered mountain.
The slopes were bare and white, but many reindeer were moving about.
At the base of the mountain yawned a huge cave—the reindeer were walking in and out of it.
"So this is their territory… the Human-Human Fruit should be nearby," Jiang Qize murmured from his hiding place.
He hadn't come here for sightseeing; he was after the Hito Hito no Mi—the Human-Human Fruit.
He began to search through the area, his sharp gaze scanning every patch of snow and shadow.
A few reindeer noticed him, but none dared approach.
—
Drum Island Dock.
A massive, luxurious ship slowly pulled into port.
From it stepped a man nearly three meters tall, with short golden hair, red-tinted sunglasses, and a pink feathered coat draped over cropped pants. Sharp-toed shoes clicked against the wood as he descended.
"Fufufufu…"
Donquixote Doflamingo swept his gaze across the surroundings, a wild grin spreading across his face.
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