Hiriluk


 * The subject of this article is sometimes called "Dr. Hiriluk".

Hiluluk (ヒルルク, Hiruruku) was a quack doctor from Drum Island, as well as Tony Tony Chopper's father figure.

History
In his early days, Hiluluk was a thief who was diagnosed with a fatal illness. What he believed cured him was the serene vision of a grove of cherry trees. After being cured, he came to believe that there is no disease in the world that cannot be cured. He had a complete change of heart and returned to Drum Island, the island he was born on, to help cure a dire illness. Hiluluk's main dream was to cure the people on the island of their frozen hearts which had formed because of Wapol's selfishness. After Wapol declared any doctor not under his rule to be outlaws, he and Doctor Kureha were the only free doctors left. However, unlike Kureha, Hiluluk ended up doing more damage than good to his patients by accident.

He found Chopper one day while traveling home in a blizzard. At first Chopper tried to knock him away, but Hiluluk earned his trust by stripping naked in the cold, showing that he didn't have any weapons or intention of hurting Chopper. From then on, the two slowly formed a sort of father/son relationship, traveling (and in a way terrorizing) the island trying to cure patients and generally resulting in them having to literally run for their lives from angry patients or their associates.

After one year had passed, Hiluluk reluctantly kicked Chopper out of his house, as he was going to die from a terminal illness. Hiluluk didn't want his friend to worry about him. After Chopper learned the truth, he went on a journey for an Amiudake mushroom. Sadly, unknown to the reindeer, the mushroom turned out be poisonous; but Hiluluk, who did know this, took it anyway because he was so moved by Chopper's concern from him. (Hiluluk had always called the jolly roger pirate emblem a symbol of vitality, which Chopper took literally, not realizing that the crossbones symbol in the medicine book he read meant that the mushroom was poisonous.)

Afterward, Hiluluk heard news that Wapol's personal 20 doctors, the Isshi-20, were sick and rushed to the castle, only to find out it was a trap by Wapol to draw Hiluluk out and kill him. He thanked Chopper for a wonderful life just as Chopper was about to reach the castle. Hiluluk realized that his life would soon end and so, too, would his country if nothing was done about Wapol. Hiluluk truly believed that his country would be healed in time and his death would not be in vain. Thus with clear and hopeful eyes, and so as not to die from the poisonous medicine Chopper had made, he drank one of his own failed medicines and was blown up in an explosive blast.

When does a man die? When he is hit by a bullet? No. When he suffers a disease? No. When he ate a soup made out of a poisonous mushroom? No! A man dies when he is forgotten!

Legacy
Though Wapol laughed at Hiluluk's suicidal death, the quack doctor's actions have moved many other people in Drum Island.

Tony Tony Chopper
As the surrogate son of the doctor, Chopper was devastated by his death, and decided to become the best doctor he can through the teachings of Kureha.

Dr. Kureha
Knowing Hiluluk would be dying, Kureha drank to the quack's final moment, and complied to his last wishes of teaching Chopper the medical arts and spreading the cherry powders to Drum island.

Dalton
Moved by the doctor's brave actions and ideals, Dalton defied Wapol's spoiled actions once and for all.

Isshi-20
Seeing Hiluluk's brave actions, they refused to lose to a quack, and decided to dedicate their research for the goods of Drum Island, despite working for Wapol in fear.

Sakura Kingdom
It took Hiluluk 30 years to complete his research, which was to create cherry blossoms that would bloom in the snow, in hopes of curing the country people's hearts. His work was not realized until after his death when Kureha blasted the powder he created into the sky, making the falling snow resemble cherry blossoms by turning it pink. For this, the people of Drum Island renamed their kingdom "Sakura Kingdom".

Merchandise
He was issued alongside Chopper in a One Piece Block Figures set featuring the Straw Hats and their past mentors/loved ones.

Trivia

 * In the 4th Japanese Fan Poll, Hiluluk is ranked the 26th most popular character in One Piece.
 * His name presumably comes from the German word "chirurg", meaning "surgeon".
 * The shape of Hiluluk's head is modeled after a medical cross.
 * During the sequence when Hiluluk commits suicide in the anime, a musical chorus of Ave Maria, is played as he confronts Wapol and his entourage.