The day before Kaito Sakamoto and Luffy set sail, the desolate Windmill Village welcomed an unfamiliar pirate crew. Whether they were friends or foes was uncertain, but it was clear that most pirates tended to be enemies.
When pirates arrived, it was typically the old town mayor who took a group to greet them. The navy base was situated in the kingdom, and they had no interest in a rundown place like Windmill Village.
The mayor led the way, with Kaito and Luffy following behind. Thanks to his rigorous training with the gun, Kaito's vision had improved significantly, allowing him to spot the pirate ship at the dock from a distance. Just as the townsfolk had described, it looked like it had been through a fierce battle. The ship appeared on the verge of collapsing, with more than half of its sails burned away. The pirate flag bore a skull with three slanted "Z"s above it, giving the impression that the skull was sleeping.
Upon reaching the dock, the old mayor saw a scar-faced, thin man pushing a wheelchair down from the rickety pirate ship. Seated in the wheelchair was a pale girl dressed in a flowing white gown, her abdomen injured and blood staining her dress.
One by one, the other pirates followed them off the ship. Each of them bore wounds, some only superficial, while others had severed limbs.
"Doctor! Quickly call your doctor!" the thin man shouted as he spotted the old mayor and the villagers.
The mayor looked around, shaking his head. "You're all too injured. Our village doctor is not skilled enough to help you. You need to continue on for a while to reach the kingdom's port. The doctors there are much more capable than ours."
The mayor wasn't lying; skilled doctors only worked in the nearby town for better pay. The village's old doctor could handle colds and fevers but was utterly helpless with such severe injuries.
However, there was one person who could help, and that was Kaito. During his time with the Red-Haired Pirates, Kaito had learned a lot about both marksmanship and medicine. Thanks to the abilities he had gained from the Clone Fruit, he could not claim to be an expert, but over the years, he had treated many injuries for Luffy and Ace.
"Uh…" the girl in the wheelchair murmured, and the thin man's expression suddenly twisted with rage. He drew a long knife with a swift motion.
"Bastard!" he shouted. "How dare you assume you can't be healed! Quickly bring a doctor! Or else, I'll kill you all!!!"
With his blade drawn, the old mayor and the villagers began to sweat nervously. Luffy, sensing the tension, instinctively stretched out his hands and grabbed a stone from the ground, ready to retaliate.
"If they've drawn their swords, that means it's time to fight!" he declared.
The girl, observing Luffy blocking the way, recalled the strength in his arms and realized he was also a capable fighter. As the thin man prepared to attack, the girl raised her hand desperately.
"Forget it, let's go," she said.
The thin man hesitated, glaring at Luffy before reluctantly sheathing his sword and stepping behind the girl to help push her wheelchair.
Meanwhile, Kaito didn't rush forward like Luffy; he knew Luffy's strength was not easily overcome. Instead, he activated his Clone Fruit ability, scanning the pirate crew for any signs of their powers. To Kaito's perception, vertical frames began to appear around the pirates, representing their abilities, which he could choose to replicate. However, most of them seemed quite ordinary. The thin man was a decent swordsman, but the girl in the wheelchair…
"Paramecia-type: Sleepy Fruit user."
There was only that one ability surrounding her.
"The Sleepy Fruit... this is bad!!" Kaito murmured to himself, realizing the severity of the situation.
Just as he suspected, the moment the thin man stepped behind her, the girl's eyes glazed over, and she recited, "Sleep Dream!!"
In an instant, her ability spread through the air, leaving Luffy, the mayor, and the others drowsy, their eyelids heavy as they fought to stay awake.
"Why am I suddenly so sleepy...?" Luffy muttered, barely able to keep his eyes open when suddenly a loud gong rang out.
"Bang!!!"
Everyone was jolted awake by the loud noise, which Kaito had struck just in time with his chain transformation.
The girl, undeterred, attempted to use her ability again, but Kaito struck the gong once more! He merely flicked his wrist, while she was expending her mental and physical energy.
Seeing her ability thwarted by Kaito, the girl dropped her pretense, her expression shifting to one of fury. "Kill them!!!"
At her command, the thin man and the other crew members surged forward. Luffy, refusing to let them attack first, charged ahead.
"Gum-Gum Whip!!"
With a powerful kick, Luffy extended his leg, striking out like a whip toward the advancing pirates. The force sent all but the thin man and the girl in the wheelchair sprawling to the side.
The thin man rose, mirroring the girl's expression, his mouth agape in shock. Clenching his teeth, he charged at Luffy again. "I'll take you on!!"
In a flash, Kaito positioned himself in front of Luffy, striking the thin man in the stomach with his staff, knocking him back down. The man doubled over, clutching his belly, effectively out of the fight.
Transforming his staff back into a chain, Kaito directed Luffy and the other villagers to tie up the pirates. Then, wearing a friendly smile, he approached the girl in the wheelchair.
She attempted to use her ability again, but Kaito quickly threw a punch, stopping her. "Calm down."
He then produced some bandages and medicine to tend to her wounds. Misunderstood, Kaito was not the type to be distracted by a girl. Observing the girl's earlier commanding demeanor, he realized she was likely the captain.
Killing her? It would be better to take her back to town for a bounty instead; after all, he and Luffy needed the money.