After healing the girl with his abilities, Takumi left the man's house, carrying the two bottles of liquor he had taken, his expression indifferent.
The man, overwhelmed with emotion, hugged his daughter tightly and called out to Takumi, who was already walking away, "Thank you! Thank you so much! What's your name, kind sir?"
Takumi didn't respond, continuing on his way without looking back.
The townspeople around them were left in a state of disbelief.
"What just happened? How did Julio's daughter suddenly get better?"
"It's incredible! His hand was glowing just now—was that light what healed her? Who is that kid? Does anyone know him?"
"No idea. There are only a few towns on Drum Island, and the style of his coat doesn't look like something made here."
"Oh, so he took the liquor as payment for healing Julio's daughter. We misunderstood him."
"Great, I even said he was ill-mannered… What if he holds a grudge against me?"
Takumi ignored the murmuring behind him, casually opening the bottles and pouring the liquor into his gourd as he walked.
Once the gourd was full, he drained the remaining half bottle in one long gulp.
The taste of the liquor was mediocre, but it was better than nothing.
The warmth of the alcohol spread through his body, driving away the chill.
After walking for a bit, Takumi came across a small inn that was still open.
Without hesitation, he went inside, booked a room for seven days, and settled in.
He enjoyed a comfortable sleep, and by the time he woke up, it was already dark outside.
Feeling a bit hungry, Takumi decided to go out and find something to eat.
As he stepped out of the inn, he noticed a boy in the distance. The boy was wearing a furry winter hat with leopard spots, gold earrings hanging from his ears, and had dark circles under his eyes. He wore a long black coat and was carrying a stack of books. The boy, taller than Takumi by a head, was hurrying past a row of houses.
Wait, that's… Trafalgar?
Trafalgar was a nickname that Luffy would one day give to a man named Trafalgar D. Water Law.
In Takumi's memory, Trafalgar Law had suffered great loss as a child, losing his loved ones. At ten years old, he joined the Donquixote Family to exact revenge on the world. However, he was later saved and reformed by Corazon, Doflamingo's younger brother. At thirteen, after Corazon was killed by Doflamingo, Law left the Donquixote Family to avenge him and eventually founded the Heart Pirates, earning fame across the seas.
Judging by the timeline, Law should be around thirteen or fourteen years old right now.
Takumi could tell that there were no Donquixote Family members nearby, and Corazon was nowhere to be seen.
This likely meant that Corazon had already died.
As for Law, he must have already left the Donquixote Family and was probably preparing to form the Heart Pirates.
Law, sensing someone watching him, turned his gaze towards Takumi.
Their eyes met.
Law hesitated, but before he could think further, two large men came rushing after him.
"Hey, you little brat! Stop right there and put those books down!"
"I've seen people steal money and food, but this is the first time I've seen someone steal books! Hey, kid, stop!"
Realizing that he was being chased, Law immediately took off running.
He didn't get far before he was blocked by some townspeople who had come to help.
Clutching the books tightly, Law's face grew tense as he retreated a few steps.
The townspeople surrounded him, and one of the men who had been chasing him quickly reached for the books in Law's hands.
"Let go!" Law growled through gritted teeth.
"You little thief, you think you're in the right?" the man snapped, grabbing the books with one hand while using the other to hoist Law up by his collar, trying to wrest the books from his grip. But it was as if the books were glued to Law's hands, and no matter how hard the man pulled, he couldn't pry them away. "Damn it, you've got some strength for a kid! Let go before I have to knock you out!"
"Yeah, let go, kid. You're still young—there's time to make things right."
"Stop being stubborn, boy. You're in the wrong here, so just give the books back."
The surrounding townspeople urged him to comply.
Law bit down harder, his face grim. "Your country is about to lose all its doctors, so what good are these medical books to you? Sooner or later, they'll become contraband here. Before that happens, you might as well give them to me!"
The man trying to take the books faltered, his aggression fading.
The previously noisy crowd of townspeople fell silent, and the atmosphere grew somber.
The man set Law down, his body trembling slightly as he spoke, his voice tinged with anger. "What do you know? You're just a child—what could you possibly understand? Maybe these books will become contraband one day, but that day isn't here yet. And until then, we need to protect them. We can't save our country if we can't even hold onto these books."
The man finished speaking and covered his eyes with his arm, beginning to sob.
The townspeople around them sighed in unison.
Law held the books even tighter, frustration simmering within him.
His purpose for coming to Drum Island had been to improve his medical skills. After all, this island was renowned for its medical expertise.
But as soon as he arrived, he encountered the king's decree to hunt down and exile the doctors.
With no one to turn to for guidance, Law could only rely on these medical books to learn on his own.
Though he was still a child, only fourteen years old, his strength was more than enough to take down these townspeople.
But seeing the suffering of this country's people under a tyrannical rule reminded him too much of his own past.
Law understood their pain.
That's why he hadn't resorted to violence.
But what use would it be to leave these medical books behind?
Medicine isn't something you can learn just by reading a few books. You can't become a healer overnight.
Law had been born into a family of doctors, learning the basics of medicine from his parents. If it hadn't been for the tragedy that struck his hometown when he was ten, he might have already become an outstanding doctor by now.
"Do you even know how to read these books?" Law asked, his voice devoid of emotion.
The townspeople remained silent.
Law continued, "Learning medicine on your own is nearly impossible for someone without a background. Keeping these books is a waste. I don't want to hurt any of you, but I'm not leaving without these books. Don't even think about taking them from me."
"Kid, you know how to practice medicine?" the man who had tried to take the books asked, surprised.
Law nodded expressionlessly.
At that moment, a small figure emerged from behind the crowd, calmly walking past.
"Look, it's the kid who used some kind of magic to heal Julio's daughter!" someone shouted.
All eyes immediately shifted to Takumi, who had been about to go find something to eat.
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