Brrrring brrring brrring
"B-boss! Please, save Nami. Save Nami!"
"Elodie. Is Nami sick somewhere?"
"Yes. She has a severe fever."
"Wait there. I'll be right over."
I teleported to Drum Island and immediately drove the Thalaria vehicle to the Going Merry. When I arrived at the Going Merry, I saw Vivi too.
"You're here!"
"Let me see her first."
I looked at Nami lying in the cabin. Nami had lost consciousness in bed, was breaking out in cold sweats, and had a terrible fever. I already knew what illness it was from the original story. So I just pretended to examine her properly.
"Hmm..."
"Do you know what it is?"
"Yeah."
I lifted Nami's blanket and pulled her shirt up slightly. Then I showed Luffy's crew the insect bite mark on Nami's side.
"This is a bite from a bug called 'Kestia'. It's a flea that lives in hot, humid jungles. That thing carries a very nasty bacteria, and if you get bitten, you get infected, run a fever, and die within five days."
"What did you say!!??"
Luffy's crew said in shock after hearing that.
"Can you save her??"
"Kestia is a species that went extinct 100 years ago. I could make an antibiotic, but even if I started now, it would take more than five days."
"Then..."
Luffy heard that and sat down in despair.
"It's not like there's no way at all. There's a kingdom of doctors nearby called Drum Kingdom. They might have the antibiotic there."
At those words, Luffy's crew brightened up again.
"Alright, let's go right now! But where do we go?"
"You really are hopeless. Do you remember what I told you when I treated you in Cocoyasi Village?"
"Yeah... To get a ship doctor quickly..."
Smack!
Thud!
"Luffy!!"
I slapped Luffy's cheek. Luffy got knocked to the floor from the slap. Seeing that, the crew called out to Luffy in surprise. But Luffy held out his hand to calm the crew.
"Nami being in danger is all my fault."
"You know it well."
I took the [Triton's Sword] from my inventory, adjusted the Going Merry, and set out for Drum Kingdom. The [Triton's Sword] was a sword from 'Pirates of the Caribbean' that could control everything related to a ship while at sea. For reference, it also helped with the wind, so the ship's speed increased too. In One Piece, it was truly an overpowered item.
On the way, Wapol's subordinate Chess was standing on the sea blocking our path, but we just plowed right through him. Since our speed was so fast, we passed before Wapol's ship could even surface from under the sea.
"Uh~ wait!!!"
Thud!
"Gack!"
Hearing that sound, Zoro said.
"Huh? Did you hear something just now?"
"I didn't hear anything?"
"Weird... Did I hear wrong?"
We quickly arrived at Drum Kingdom like that. We anchored near the kingdom and searched for a village. This was different from the original. It seemed Teach hadn't attacked the kingdom yet. Luffy hurriedly carried Nami on his back and ran to the village. The other crew members rushed after him too.
"We came looking for a doctor!!"
"We have a patient!"
Luffy's crew shouted in the village. It couldn't be helped since it was urgent. Hearing those voices, Dr. Kureha approached and said. Unlike in the original, Kureha also seemed to be living in the village, not the castle.
"What's going on?"
I stepped forward and spoke. If I let Luffy's crew talk, they wouldn't know anything and it would just waste time.
"She was bitten by a Kestia. Do you have an antibiotic?"
"A Kestia? She's lucky to be alive. Bring her and follow me."
We followed Dr. Kureha to her house on the outskirts of the village. Inside, Chopper was on a chair at his small height, preparing medicine.
"Huh! A deer???"
"Huh! A human?"
"Huh? The deer talked!"
Dr. Kureha introduced Chopper.
"This is Chopper. My apprentice. He ate the Human-Human Fruit and can talk."
"Wow~ Amazing!"
"More importantly, isn't that kid in danger?"
Dr. Kureha pointed at Nami on Luffy's back and said.
"Yeah, Nami's sick!"
"Lay her here."
Luffy gently laid Nami on the bed.
"Chopper, prepare Penicola cardiotonic and Tialcilin. I'll bring the antibiotic."
"Got it. Dr. Kureha."
Nami's treatment started like that. The medicine was effective, and Nami's fever began dropping quickly. Luffy's crew was running around outside trying to catch Chopper.
"Hey! Stop right there!! Be our crewmate!"
"Uwaaaaaah~~~!!!"
I took a gold bar from my inventory and handed it to Dr. Kureha.
"What's this?"
"Treatment fee. I heard you charge a lot because it costs a lot of money to research various diseases."
"Hahaha, as expected of the Merchant King."
"You knew?"
"Yeah, there aren't many people with a handsome face, silver hair, gold eyes, who go around wearing a suit."
"I see."
"For the Merchant King, this isn't enough. Invest more."
Dr. Kureha called it an investment, not a treatment fee. Then I'd take what I could get too.
"Seriously... Fine, I'll give two more gold bars. But share your research data instead."
"As expected, you're generous. Good, I also hope my research helps save many people. I'll share it."
I took out two more gold bars from my inventory and, with Nano's help, quickly absorbed various books and research materials into my head.
I didn't put in everything, just the medical knowledge Nano didn't have, the unique diseases and treatments only in One Piece, pharmacology, herbology, and other necessary materials. And I analyzed various antibiotic drugs so Nano could store them and I could make them anytime.
I finished what I had to do here and went outside.
"Luffy, I'm heading back now. Good luck."
"Thanks, hyung. I'm still really lacking as a captain. I felt it a lot this time."
"Knowing it is enough. You can fix it as you go."
I said goodbye to Luffy's crew and moved to recruit talent for the Merchant's Island. I took out [Jack Sparrow's Compass] and drove the Thalaria vehicle toward 'Little Garden'.
After moving for a while, I saw a pale boat made of wax heading toward Alabasta Kingdom. I teleported and boarded that ship.
"What do we do now? We failed the mission, so we're dead meat..."
"If we go back and make up for it, won't they take us back?"
From the cabin, I heard voices worried about not handling Vivi and Luffy's crew. I kicked down the cabin door and went inside. When I entered, I saw 'Miss Goldenweek Marianne', 'Mr.3 Gal Dino', 'Mr.5 Gem', and 'Miss Valentine Mikita'.
Bang!
"Huh! Who are you?"
"I'm Taejin."
"No way! The Merchant King!!??"
"Yeah."
I used to immobilize them.[Telekinesis]
"Ugh! I can't move my body..."
I started reading their memories one by one. To sort out who was worth rehabilitating and using.
'Hmm... Mikita was working for Baroque Works to open her own restaurant. She has potential.'
Next was Mr.5 Gem.
'Because of his ability, he was branded as dangerous from childhood and suffered a lot, so his personality got a bit twisted, but he's loyal in his own way. His dream is to be a firefighter. Good.'
Next was Miss Goldenweek Marianne.
'Huh? This one just drifted in. Then she was recognized for her ability and started working. She seems laid-back and just lives as she pleases, but she cares about her comrades in her own way...'
Next was Mr.3 Gal Dino.
'Trash. He enjoys turning people into wax.'
He's trash now, but later he gets inspired by Mr.2 Bon Kurei and goes through a change. I finished reading all four of their memories and spoke.
I pointed at Mikita, Gem, and Marianne and said.
"You three pass. If you go back like this, Mr.0 (Crocodile) will kill you, so come under me."
Hearing that, Mr.3 Gal Dino, who wasn't chosen, said.
"Tch... Mr.0 won't just sit still!"
"Keh heh heh, that's funny. You think I care about someone like Mr.0?"
At that moment, Mikita and Marianne spoke.
"Let's go to the Merchant's Island. If we go back, we'll just die for failing the mission. I don't want to die before opening my restaurant."
"Right! There's no other way! If the Merchant King protects us, Mr.0 won't be able to do anything."
Gem asked why Mr.3 wasn't chosen.
"Why can't Mr.3 come?"
"That guy enjoys murder. He's different from you who do it because you have no choice for the mission."
"How do you know that?"
"I know all information. Information is money. Your actions are in the palm of my hand."
I just made it up. There was no way they could verify the truth.
"You think you'll get away with betraying us?"
I didn't need to hear more, so I grabbed Mr.3's face and started applying pressure.
Squeeze!
"Uwaaack!"
"Wait! Spare Mr.3. Then I'll work under you."
"Yeah, spare him. I'll work under you too."
"Me too!"
As expected, the three who had loyalty hurriedly stopped me. I didn't actually intend to kill him. If I killed him here, Luffy might not be able to escape Impel Down.
He plays an important role in holding off Magellan. Right now the original story is twisted a lot, so Luffy might not go to Impel Down, but if it flows like the original, he's still a guy needed for the escape.
Anyway, I looked at them once and let Mr.3 go.
"Kugh... Damn it! You think I'll be grateful for this!!"
I ignored those words, pulled out the Thalaria camper, put the three in, and moved to the Merchant's Island. From that day, hellish training began for the three.
Mikita focused on physical combat to properly utilize the [Kilo-Kilo Fruit]. I taught Gem physical combat and throwing, and explained the scientific theory of explosions so he could awaken the [Bomb-Bomb Fruit] quickly. Marianne had no talent for physical combat at all, so I had no choice but to focus on teaching her to set traps and escape quickly using Shave, Moonwalk, and Paper Art.
Of course, all three trained in 'Haki' alongside it. I had high expectations for Gem especially, because he was wasting that great [Bomb-Bomb Fruit] just flicking boogers and throwing them. If he awakens, he'll probably be able to use the bomb-bomb ability on other objects too. If that happens, it's the same ability as the [Energy Bomb] I use.
I planned to keep gathering usable people like this. For the future.
Brrrring brrring brrring
"Who is it?"
"It's Crocodile. Why did you take our employees?"
Looks like Mr.3 snitched to Crocodile. Moreover, he didn't say Mr.0 and went straight to Crocodile. He probably thought revealing his identity was better for talking to someone like the Merchant King.
"Weren't you going to discard them anyway for failing the mission? So I'm using them."
"That's for me to decide."
"Seriously, you're picky. I'll send another barrel of liquor next time."
"Hmm... Two barrels!"
"Fine."
Whether it was because he didn't need employees who failed missions, or because he didn't want to antagonize us, it was settled nicely with two barrels of liquor. Honestly, I planned to take more once the Alabasta incident was over. I told the three about this.
"Our worth is just two barrels of liquor..."
"Serves us right for being under a boss like that."
"Damn it..."
They trained even harder starting the next day.