On the Merry, Luffy and his crew were heading toward their next island. Nami, however, discreetly hid a newspaper after catching a glimpse of troubling news—an uprising had broken out in Alabasta. She didn't want Vivi to worry, so she decided to keep it to herself.
But plans never go as expected. After the crew's fierce battle on Little Garden, Nami's clothes had been damaged by fire, and she was bitten by mosquitoes on the island. The result? She now had a fever that wouldn't break.
Having the crew's navigator sick was a serious blow to the ship's journey.
"Will Nami die, Vivi? Is she going to?" Sanji, tears streaming down his face, asked worriedly.
"It's just a fever, but without knowing the cause, it could be life-threatening. Does anyone on board know medicine?" Vivi asked, kneeling by Nami's bedside and tending to her.
Luffy and Usopp both pointed to Nami, indicating she was the only one who knew even a little bit about medicine.
"It's fine, just eat more meat, right, Sanji?" Luffy said cheerfully.
Sanji, looking solemn, responded, "I always make sure that the food for Nami and Vivi is the freshest, while food that's close to spoiling or slightly off I serve to the rest of you."
Usopp nearly exploded with rage—this chef was too much! But Luffy simply grinned, saying, "Well, it still tastes good!"
"Food can help, but it's no substitute for medicine. It can't cure everything," Sanji said, glancing worriedly at Nami, who was sweating and shivering with fever.
"It's 40 degrees... her temperature's gone up again!" Vivi exclaimed after checking the thermometer.
"There must be a doctor in Alabasta, right? If we head there directly, we should be able to get help! Vivi, how long until we reach Alabasta?" Luffy suggested.
"At least a week, even at full speed," Vivi replied, her expression grave.
"Is this kind of sickness really that painful?" Luffy asked, confused.
Sanji and Usopp tilted their heads, both answering, "We don't know; we've never been sick like this!"
Vivi was close to losing her patience. What kind of people are these?!
"If Nami's fever doesn't break soon, the sustained 40-degree temperature could be fatal!" Vivi said worriedly.
"What? Nami might die?" "Nami, don't die!" "Waaahhh!" Luffy, Usopp, and even Karoo the duck began running around in a panic.
"Quiet down! Nami needs rest!" Vivi shouted, exasperated.
"Right now, Nami needs a doctor. We should find one as soon as possible!" Luffy said urgently.
"Nami, there's a newspaper in my drawer. Could you take a look at it?" Nami, struggling to sit up, asked.
"Nami, are you better already?" Luffy and the others, seeing her move, asked happily.
But Vivi, who had taken the newspaper, felt her heart sink.
"This was printed three days ago… It means the Alabasta rebellion has officially started! I'm sorry I kept this from you—I didn't want you to worry," Nami said weakly.
"It sounds serious," Luffy said after Vivi explained the situation from the newspaper.
"Thank you for understanding, Luffy. I know you care about me, but Alabasta needs us now," Nami said, trying to get up.
"But you don't look well, Nami. You need a doctor!" Usopp urged.
"It's alright, thank you all for worrying. I know my body," Nami replied with a faint smile, heading out of the room.
As she stepped outside, she found Zoro exercising by the railing. He glanced at her and said, "You should be resting, not out here."
"Ugh, the course is off… Did you really just sail straight?" Nami asked, noticing they were drifting from the intended route.
"The ship's been going straight since you went to rest. You're in no condition to be up, just go back and lie down," Zoro replied, frowning.
"See? This is exactly why I have to get up!" Nami groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead to steady herself. "Wait… the air has changed. This isn't good."
"What? It looks fine to me, just clear skies," Zoro said, looking around.
"No, we need to change course. Head south, full rudder, adjust the sails for a portside wind!" Nami ordered.
Though they questioned why, everyone, including Zoro, sprang into action, trusting her instincts.
"Whoa!" Luffy approached Nami and touched her forehead. Instantly, he pulled back, yelping, "Nami, you're burning up! Let's stop and find a doctor!"
"Shut up; this is normal for me. The wind's about to change, so get moving!" she managed, fighting her fatigue.
At that moment, Vivi emerged from the cabin, clearly needing to say something. The crew gathered around her, sensing the weight of her words.
"You've already been kind enough to let me travel with you. I shouldn't make any more selfish requests… but my country is in an unprecedented crisis. I need to get back as quickly as possible. We can't waste a single moment," Vivi said, looking at each of them with pleading eyes.
"Of course, we promised you, didn't we?" Nami responded to Vivi with a smile, while the others remained silent, showing their quiet determination.
"Since everyone agrees, let's find an island with a doctor!" Vivi said, smiling. "We'll get Nami treated and then head to Alabasta at full speed. That's the fastest way to reach our destination, right?"
"Hehe, absolutely! There's no faster way!" Luffy grinned, his enthusiasm lighting up the room.
"Hey, are you sure you're okay with this? You're a princess—you should be more worried about your million citizens," Usopp teased, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yes, which is why I want Nami to recover as quickly as possible!" Vivi replied with a warm smile.
"Well said, Vivi! I'm really impressed!" Sanji exclaimed, cigarette in hand, for once without his usual flirtatious demeanor.
Zoro, nearby, gave Vivi a sidelong glance and murmured, "Such grace under pressure."
While Nami struggled with her illness, Ryu had already set sail from the branch headquarters, heading toward Alabasta.
"Sir, aren't we going directly to Alabasta?" Lena asked, noticing their route.
"It's too early for that. Let's find some appetizers first," Ryu replied, taking a hearty drink from his glass. "So, Lena, have you been improving your swordsmanship?"
"Yes, sir! I've been training hard. I may not be as skilled as you, but I've given it my all!" Lena replied, saluting.
"No need to be so formal. Let's see if there are any pirates on the next island. This is the Grand Line, after all—pirates are everywhere. Real combat is the best way to improve!" Ryu said with a smile.
"Yes, sir!" Lena replied, eager for the challenge.
Soon, Ryu's warship arrived at a small island, a different route from Luffy's, so he had no qualms about disembarking and heading to the island's tavern.
At the port, he'd spotted at least three pirate ships, so the tavern seemed like the quickest place to find them.
"A Marine officer? What's he doing here?" a pirate muttered from a corner of the bar, looking curious.
"Alright, you all know who I am. So, everyone who isn't a pirate, clear out!" Ryu announced with a smile after ordering a whiskey at the bar.
The bartender gave a nervous smile, handed Ryu his drink, and then quickly disappeared behind the counter.
"Felix the Lion, where do you think you're going?" Lena intercepted a pirate trying to slip away.
She didn't bother with the lesser pirates, but anyone with a bounty was fair game, especially since she knew Ryu targeted wanted criminals.
"Hey, we didn't provoke you! Don't go overboard, Marine!" the pirate known as Felix snarled at Lena.
"Lion Felix, bounty 21 million berries," Lena announced, a sharp look in her eye.
"Alright, looks like everyone here is my enemy now," Ryu said, finishing his drink and standing up. "So, are you planning to team up, or wait for a chance to slip away?"
"Rear Admiral Ryu, the Purple Dragon! Looks like we'll have to join forces today!" a group of pirates in the corner stood up, speaking in hushed tones.
"Balloon Pirates, Captain Balloon Greg, bounty 43 million berries. Sir, we've got a big one!" Lena said excitedly, her eyes shining as she identified the pirate in the corner.
They had been sitting in the shadows, but now that they'd stepped forward, Lena could finally see them clearly.
"Haha, well, looks like there's no other choice!" another pirate crew emerged from the shadows.
"Bounty of 40 million, Snake Callip!" Lena murmured, narrowing her eyes at the speaker.
Though his bounty was lower than Greg's, the danger he exuded was even greater.
"I'll handle the big bounties. The rest are yours. Soldiers, surround the area but don't engage in the fight!" Ryu instructed, smiling with satisfaction.
In just this small island tavern, he could rack up a total of 10,400 diamonds. Combined with the 15,490 diamonds he already had, he'd break the 20,000 mark.
Back in Loguetown, he'd captured Buggy the Clown and the Sube Sube fruit user—one worth 1,500 diamonds, the other 500—bringing him to his current 15,490 diamonds.
......
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