The world was blanketed in white, with snowflakes swirling endlessly in the cold wind. The entire island, adorned with snow, looked as if it were covered with a pristine white carpet.
The mountain range formed by the snow-capped peaks accentuated the grandeur of the eight towering mountains. This was Drum Kingdom, one of the member nations of the World Government.
Located in the first half of the Grand Line, it was a quintessential winter island.
Despite the falling snow, this was considered relatively good weather for the country, at least the wind today was gentle.
At the dock, the current king, Arnold, with his purple hair, wearing a white fur hat and thick winter clothing, glanced at the armed soldiers on guard around him and continued to instruct the officials behind him.
"Is everything ready? The World Government's visiting ship will arrive in half an hour. No mistakes are allowed!"
The official hurriedly nodded and bowed in response.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty, there will be no incidents from here to the main peak. The Carnivorous Rabbit Lapins have been lured five kilometers away with raw meat and won't return for several hours. The cable car is also ready and has been checked multiple times. There are no issues."
"Hmm, what about those two boys? Why haven't they arrived yet?" King Arnold asked with some displeasure.
"Well... Prince Mushuru and Prince Wapol think it's too cold outside. After all, the two princes are only five or six years old this year, still quite young," the official replied awkwardly.
"Cold?"
King Arnold scoffed, "They've played snowball fights outside the castle in much colder weather. Who are they trying to fool? They're just bored of waiting here. Forget it, let them be!"
He had originally wanted to bring his two sons along to greet the visiting Minister Malvani and make a good impression.
This was the Minister of the World Government's Administrative Department! "Your Majesty, why has this minister suddenly decided to visit our country?" The official looked out at the vast sea, where the snowflakes dancing over the water created a poetic scene.
"I don't know either. The notice didn't specify, but I suspect it has something to do with this year's Levely. Other than that, I can't think of anything else that would warrant a personal visit from such a high-ranking minister."
As King Arnold spoke, he patiently stood in place, waiting.
Sure enough, the World Government's visiting ship arrived right on time. Thirty minutes later, escorted by two Navy warships on either side, it slowly sailed into Drum Kingdom's port.
Soon, a middle-aged man in a tailored suit, wearing a thick black leather coat and standing over two meters tall with white hair, stepped off the ship alongside a Navy officer who appeared to be around three meters tall.
At the same time, a group of robust and spirited Navy soldiers from the headquarters quickly dispersed, taking over the security of the entire port in an instant.
"Hahaha, welcome, welcome! It's truly an honor to host Minister Malvani in our country. I must ensure you are well taken care of during your visit!"
King Arnold laughed heartily as he warmly approached. Minister Malvani, while shaking hands, smiled and said, "I'm here on the orders of the higher-ups. The matter is somewhat complex and of great importance, so I decided to come personally."
"Oh? Could you give us a hint about what this matter might be?"
King Arnold's heart trembled slightly. Getting involved with the World Government, especially in something complex and important, didn't sound like good news at all.
"Hehe, it's good news. This time, your Drum Kingdom has hit the jackpot, mainly because your reputation as a medical powerhouse is well-known overseas."
After saying this, Minister Malvani introduced the tall Marine officer beside him.
"This is the newly promoted Marine Admiral candidate, Vice Admiral Kuzan, also known as Aokiji. He's here with a very important mission, not just to escort me. I certainly don't deserve such high-level protection."
"Greetings, King Arnold. Pleased to meet you," Kuzan said with a serious expression, bowing slightly.
"Admiral candidate? The one with the top-tier Logia-type Ice-Ice Fruit ability?" King Arnold was stunned, and his unease and worry grew even more.
Having been a king of a World Government-affiliated nation for so many years and attending numerous Levely meetings, he had some insight. With Vice Admiral Aokiji's strength, even his entire royal guard wouldn't stand a chance against him, would they? "Ara ara~ That's me. By the way, this country is quite nice, especially the climate and the breeze—it's just the right level of comfort. I've already taken a liking to it."
Enjoying the cold wind and falling snow, Kuzan gazed at the continuous snow-capped mountain ranges and the eight drum-like peaks towering over the highlands. It was said that each of these peaks was five thousand meters high.
However, when he thought about the orders he had received this time, looking at these peaks made him feel both weary and helpless.
"Hehehe, I'm sure you'll love the climate of our Drum Kingdom. If you don't mind, you're welcome to stay a few more days!"
King Arnold remained enthusiastic, thinking to himself that with Kuzan here, he wouldn't have to worry about pirates during this period.
Recently, for some reason, the number of pirates attempting to raid the island had increased, leading to a sharp rise in casualties among the royal guard.
"Then I'll take you up on that offer. I really do need to stay here for a while," Kuzan nodded.
Hearing this, King Arnold was filled with questions again, but he didn't press further. He quickly led the two of them to the Snow Hippo Carriage that had been prepared in advance.
About an hour later, the entire procession passed through the town under the watchful eyes of many citizens and arrived at the summit of a snow-capped mountain, where a luxurious large cable car was already waiting.
"Since the royal castle is located at the top of the main peak, we need to take this cable car up. Rest assured, the entire process is very safe and stable, and you can enjoy the scenery of the snow country along the way!"
As King Arnold explained, he led Minister Malvani and Vice Admiral Kuzan into the cable car. Five minutes later, the cable car started, sliding along the straight cable toward the towering snow-covered peak.
"From the ground to the summit is a height of five thousand meters. Although this cable car is decent, there must still be some shortcomings in terms of load capacity and efficiency, right?"
Minister Malvani remarked softly as he looked out the window.
"Yes, there are two aerial cableways connecting the ground to the main peak, so only two cable cars can be used at a time. Each cable car can carry a maximum of twenty people, which means transporting large quantities of supplies takes an excessively long time. If we encounter a snowstorm, we have to temporarily halt operations."
King Arnold sighed.
"Hehe, this time, Vice Admiral Aokiji is here to help you solve this problem. Your Drum Kingdom really owes a debt of gratitude to the World Government!"
After saying this, Minister Malvani turned to Kuzan beside him and asked with a smile, "So, now that you've seen the environment firsthand, can you solve it?"
"Five thousand meters is a bit challenging. I can't do it all at once in my current state. It might take about ten days?" Kuzan felt utterly exhausted.
The conversation between the two left King Arnold completely baffled. At this point, Minister Malvani pointed to the other drum peaks surrounding the main peak.
"Your Majesty, how does your kingdom utilize these peaks? Are there any buildings on them?"
"No, those are all empty. Our kingdom doesn't have that many citizens," King Arnold shook his head.
In fact, it was the successive generations of the royal family who didn't want commoners living at the same altitude as them, somewhat emulating the World Nobles of Mary Geoise.
"Is that so? That's good, that's great!" Minister Malvani clapped his hands in delight.