I don't want to die.
I don't want to die.
These are the only thoughts that occupy my mind as I keep moving.
With each of my steps, the sound of cracking snow reaches my ears.
I cannot say how long I have been walking.
One thing is certain, all I see around me is a vast silvery expanse dotted with trees with pointed leaves.
Impossible to guess how far I have left to go to this "neighboring town" that Cora told me about.
Damn, I hardly feel anything in the limbs anymore. What could be more normal after three days of walking without eating or drinking anything. At this rate, hunger and cold will get the better of me before white lead disease.
My body is heavy and sleep weighs on me. The idea of simply letting myself fall in the snow, so that I might be able to end it without suffering too much crosses my mind.
No, I don't have to.
If I die, my benefactor's efforts will never be rewarded. He who struggled, ran from hospital to hospital in order to heal me, finally died there. Corazon will never rest inpeace.
I take a scalpel out of the little bag hanging from my waist. And there ...
- Aaah!
I deliberately lacerate my left arm.
- There ... Like that, goodbye sleep!
After having dressed my wound, I resume my walk. In my condition, a boar or wolf attack would be fatal for sure, but I try not to think about it.
I continue my journey towards the city.
Towards this "neighboring town"where Corazon and I have made an appointment.
Lights...
Yes, there is no doubt that it sounds like city lights.
Saved, I am saved!
Right when uttering these words, I feel my step relieve a weight. Once there, I will find something to eat, I can swallow a hot soup and sleep soundly on a soft mattress!
A few running steps and here I am already at the foot of the outer brick walls. On the sign hanging at the entrance is written in large: "Pleasure Town". So that's the name of the "neighboring town". I did not realize it from afar, but the place is full of people. It reassures me, I tell myself that if I call out to one of them, he will surely lead me to his place where I can rest warm.
I run at full speed. I rush towards people to stop someone.
But suddenly, I freeze, my legs no longer respond.
I remain dumbfounded, standing at the entrance to the city, and suddenly remember everything that has happened to me so far.
I remember the persecution suffered because of the white lead disease.
The hatred of people, their restrangement, the wounds they caused, it all comes back to me.
All these memories that I would like to forget resurface one after the other.
The quarantine of Flevance, my hometown nicknamed the White City, by those people who believed white lead disease was contagious.
The government that abandoned us, the war that began, and my father, my mother, my sister and my church friends who were murdered.
I also remember my flight, hidden in a mountain of corpses.
In the despicable way we were treated when Corazon and I toured the hospitals.
Memories all more miserable than eachother.
The day my town was burnt down and my loved ones killed, I decided that I would no longer believe in anything or anyone.
When I subsequently joined Doflamingo and the Don Quijote Family, it was only because before I died, Iwanted to turn the world upside down.
I only had one thing left: despair.
However, Corazon was the only one to cry for me.
The only one to cry and, in his sobs,to pronounce my name.
While, for me, this world was nothing more than the anteroom to hell, and I thought I had nothing more to hope for from anyone, the way Cora acted towards me prompted me to give them a second chance to people and to believe in the human again.
But now my body refuses to move.
I am afraid to enter this city which is teeming with people.
I tell myself that if it happens, they will be hitting me again. That I will be hurt even more than I have ever known.
Just thinking about it causes fear in me cuts my legs and makes me tremble.
Despite everything, I manage to take one step, then two, and enter the city. I advance a little and I speak to a person in the process of removing snow:
- Uh ... Excuse me!
- Ah, hello ... But, your face ...
Damn, I'm discovered. She knows I have white lead disease. I can already see her gaze assail me. A look of hatred. A look that always expresses the same thing: you son's deserve to live.
- A ... Wait!
I hear this woman's voice, but I don't stop. I keep running until I come out of town. I did not find the courage to continue this conversation.
What a lousy thing.
Cora. Looks like despite all the love you gave me, I still can't trust people.
I wander aimlessly before entering a cave sighted near the seaside. Here, I should be able to stand the cold. My stomach is growling, I wish I had something to eat. Luckily, I found a bunch of dry branches that had fallen near the cave and spared by snow. I can see thick and thin ones.
I pick a few good skinners and use the spin method to start a fire. How ironic that a survival technique learned within the Don Quijote Family could be of use to me at such atime. I bring my hands closer to the crackling flames. Aah, a Little warmth.
However, now is not the time to praise me. I tell myself that I should hunt to get a good piece of meat, but I'm at the end of my rope and this choice definitely doesn't seem very realistic to me. So I tie a thread to the end of a branch chosen at random, dig the ground in search of an earthworm that I in turn hang, and drop my line in the sea from the nearest cliff . Despite the poor quality of my improvised fishing rod, I immediately caught two beautiful, very fatty fish.
I'm too hungry, I won't hold out any longer. I hurry back to the cave, where I empty the fish before skewering them and cooking them. A pleasant smell arises from my brazier. Um, that sounds good. I will swallow these fish in order to regain my strength. Then I will sleep a bit before considering the rest.
As I think about it all, a violent pain invades my body.
My limbs, my head, my back, it hurts all over. Bad enough to want to scream. I find it more and more difficult to breathe. Bad luck, I knew it could fall on me at anytime. I should have been more careful.
Three years and two months. This is the calculation I made from the medical data left by my parents, my life span from the day I caught white lead disease. Almost three years have passed since then. At the time when I was traveling alongside Corazon, it happened to me to have a crisis that it would not be surprising that I die from one moment to another!
So what? What should I do?
Certainly, I ate the fruit of the scalpel. According to Corazon, it seems that whoever swallows it becomes capable of rearranging bodies at will and curing any disease.But it is not for all that a fruit that confers magical powers. The mere fact of eating it does not allow you to heal.
Until I learn to harness his powers, Iwill remain helpless.
Piss off!
Spontaneously, I hit the ground with my fist. I have fever too. I smell death, it's right there. You know that feeling that all your strength has left you? My legs wobble, I stagger and fall backwards.
No, I must not give up.
Cora paid for the fruit of the scalpelI inherited with his life.
It was for me, to save me that he seized it and was killed.
I owe myself ...
I owe it to myself to live! Otherwise his death will have served no purpose! And that, I refuse!
I scream. As if I could draw a line on Cora's kindness, on that last smiling face which he gave me before dying!
Plom ...
Without warning, my pulse intensifies.
Plom, plom ...
My heart is beating violently.
Plom, plom, plom, plom, plom, plom,plom, plom, plom, plom, plom...
It is as if my whole body has started to pump blood.
Still, hard to believe that it can be dangerous.
On the contrary, everything happens as if this latent force which was dormant in me was awakening little by little.
Voom. A loud thud is heard in turn.
By the time I realized it a dome-shaped circle appeared with me in its center.
What is this thing ?!
Strangely, I was able to see everything in the dome. As if I could even peer inside my own body. I close my eyes and concentrate. My brain, my heart, my lungs, my stomach, my small intestine, my large intestine, my spleen ... I understand everything. From the location of each of my organs, through my muscles and to my nervous system, I feel like I can touch everything with my hand.
So that's it ... the power of the scalpel fruit!
It's not just about my own body. I instinctively understand that I am able to modify whatever is inside the dome as I see it. I am free to make the objects move, or else to intervene. This dome I am telling you about becomes in my eyes an operating table.
With that, I should be able to do it!
So, while I am on the verge of dying, I feel the heat come over me again. I'm going to show him what I'm up to with this white lead disease. A deep determination shakes my whole body.
I close my eyes and mobilize my mind once again. Since white lead disease occurs because of too much lead in the body, it would be enough for me to extract the lead to be cured. I then embark on a careful check of each of my organs. Arrived at the liver, I see that this is where the lead has accumulated.
I move to the barrel in the cave and only remove the liver from my body. No pain. The most natural way in the world was to remove one of my organs myself. I put the latter on the barrel in question.
Good, and now ...
Out of the question to have my liver completely removed. This gesture, like the white lead disease, would only cause my death. I must therefore remove the lead contained in my liver. and put it back inside my body. To begin with, I decided to collect in a single point the lead dispersed all over the organ. Then I take a scalpel out of my satchel.
Now is the time to put into practice what my parents taught me, as well as what I learned on my own. One thing to know, however: human organs are insensitive to pain. But the one that I extracted with my power being linked to my body, if I hurt it, I will feel the pain through the membrane that covers it.
Phew, I take a deep breath. Impossible to imagine the degree of suffering that awaits me. If I had known, I would have taken an anesthetic with me.
It's okay, I'm ready. With my right hand, I plant the scalpel in my liver.
Waaah!
A terrible pain overwhelms me. I have the impression that a powerful current runs through my body tearing my mind!
Haa, haa, haa...
Still, I can't stop. I cling to what is left of me and cut off with a sharp blow the piece of my liver which contains all the lead. I let out again a cry of pain, and wonder if this one will not kill me before the disease.
But no, this is not the time to let go. I have to finish what I started. I take a needle and thread from my satchel and, after stitching up the wound, I put my liver back into my body.
Operation completed.
The effects are immediate. Following the extraction of lead, I feel the pain and fever gradually leaving me. The operation is a success, my life is saved.
Did you see that, Cora? I brilliantly managed to handle the fruit of the scalpel that you collected for me! Thanks to you, it is not yet today that I will die!
In the cave, I cry without restraint. I tremble so much with joy that I will almost forget my pain.
I hardly have time to reassure myself that I feel sleep assault me.
No matter how much I light the fire, now is a really bad time to faint. But I'm at the end of my rope. I... I need to ... get some sleep ...
In the haze of my thoughts, I see Cora standing in front of me.
As always, he's wearing a black hood, funny makeup, and I imagine him smiling.
***
It is good where I am.
I am wrapped in something sweet.
I feel like I had a happy dream, but I forgot the content.
Little by little, I regain consciousness.
When I open my eyes, I am lying in a bed, under a wooden ceiling that I see for the first time.
Or ... where am I?
I stand up and look around. This room contains a desk and chair, a library full of books, anaquarium in which a goldfish swims, as well as an imposing fireplace where a fire burns. Everything seems to indicate that I was taken to someone's house.
As I am thinking about all this, the door to the room opens with a thud.
- Oh, you're finally awake.
An unknown old man has just entered with a tray on which is placed a bowl of soup. At first glance, I would say he is sixty years old. His long white hair is slicked back, he wears an all-red visor, an exotic shirt, Bermuda shorts and sandals. The kind of guy who, even looking from all angles, remains shady. But above all, first of all, I would like to point out to him that it is the middle of winter, that it is snowing and that his look is far from being adapted to the season.
Regardless, that's not the problem. What concerns me most is who he really is. Thanks to Cora who had planned everything, Doflamingo and the Family firmly believe that the Navy has taken me under its wing. But if they find out I'm not the boy in question, they'll look for me all over Swallow Island and do anything to catch me.
This is how much Doflamingo wants to get his hands on the fruit of the scalpel. And if he thinks of offering an additional bounty for my capture, then I wouldn't be surprised to see a whole bunch of bandits attempting to hand me over to him.
Regarding this, it is evenquite possible that the old man in front of me will quietly wait for the arrival of the Family after having contacted her.
- You must be hungry, he told me.
He walks over and puts the bowl of soup for me on the corner of the bed. A delicious smell tilts my nostrils, I swallow my saliva. I haven't eaten anything for several days and must refrain from jumping on this soup.
Instead of bringing the bowl to my mouth, I grab my scalpel and find myself on the man's back in the blink of an eye. While I block him at the level of the neck with my left arm, with the other hand I position my weapon on his throat.
- What are your intentions, old man?
It is not because I have not yet regained all my strength that I am going to let a little old man take the lead. I ask him what his goal is, but he remains impassive.
- Well, since you don't leave me the choice ... humf!
Ouch!
The next moment, I'm in the air, before falling violently to the ground. What the hell happened?
- Even though I got older, I used to be more of the shack type. It's not a kid running behind my back that will make me put my knee on the ground.
In all likelyhood, the old man has just sent me waltzing in the air. He's right, I'm a kid, but a kid trained in combat within the Family. This is perhaps what made me lower my guard.
I get up at full speed and place myself in front of him. In a way to intimidate him, I open my eyes wide and stare at his.
- You are in a very bad condition. You look like a hungry wild beast.
Without giving the impression of wanting to attack me, the old man takes the bowl of soup and the spoon before approaching me.
- Eat. When I found you, you were completely frozen. I'm guessing you haven't eaten anything for a long time.
My God, that sounds good. In this brownish soup, I also saw pieces of meat, chicken or beef, I don't know. Without forgetting the colorful vegetables which finish whetting my appetite.
But I'm scared.
If so, he tries to get me to ingest sleeping pills in order to save time until Doflamingo arrives. I will no longer be imprudent and no longer give my trust to anyone.
- Wondering if I didn't put anything weird in it, eh? You have a hard time trusting others, from what I see.
I try at all costs to keep my gaze on him, without answering anything. It was then that, before my eyes, he tastes the soup. First a gorge, then two. It looks good.
- There you go, now you know it is not poisoned. You don't have to worry, I don't mean harm to you. I don't want to be vigilant, but neither am I so vicious that I take it out on a boy on the brink of death.
So saying, the old man hands me the bowl of soup again. All the while I was unconsciously keeping the spoon in my left hand. With the scalpel to the right, its flavor oozes my mouth. I have the impression that all that it contains nourishing elements permeates my body little by little.
When I realize this, I am already crying. Thanks to this soup so hot and so good, I realize that my life is saved. A whole whirlwind of emotions that I can hardly contain and that makes me shed tears.
- Bug, I'm enjoying it ... It's so good!
No way to stop eating. I putmy scalpel on the side and swallow without even chewing the pieces of meat and vegetables available to me. Up to the last drop. Is it because I was hungry? In any case, at this time, this soup is in my eyes is the most precious meal that I have been given to eat. The man then addresses me laughing:
- Stay there, I'll find something to serve you again.
I have the impression of being an abandoned cat that he has taken in and who is starting to get attached to his new owner.
On his advice, I go take a bath. Aaah, how long hadn't this happened to me? The only memories I have of recent times are those of my long walk in the snow in search of this damn "neighboring town". For the first time, I realize how pleasant it is to take a good hot bath.
Aah...
As I wash, I look at myself in the mirror and see a big change.
They have disappeared... The white spots due to white lead disease have disappeared, my skin is back to how it was before!
Patting my face allows me to become convinced that I am well and truly healed.
The tranquility, that inner peace that I felt then, that of no longer being afraid of white lead disease, I haven't felt it for years.
All the muscles in my body relax and I fully and simply enjoy the heat of my bath.
When I leave, even a change awaits me.
- These are my son's clothes, I did well to keep them. They have lived, but can still be used.
After changing, we each sit on a chair facing each other. Only, the palpable tension which was floating in the air a few moments before has completely disappeared. For my part, my distrust of this old man has also dissipated.
- Say ...
- Yes?
- Did you actually save my life?
- Hmmm! I was coming back from town and heard a loud cry coming from the cave. It disturbed me, so I went to see, and I ran into you, a lonely kid, collapsed on the floor. I'm not telling you about the bad conscience that I would have paid myself if I had left you to die there, so I took you to sleep here.
- I see...
What a story! This old gentleman is neither a Doflamingo henchman nor a bounty hunter, and he rescued me out of goodwill. I suddenly feel so silly.
- Old man...
- Yes?
- Thank you for helping me out of this mess.
- Pah! Don't be naive! The world is made that it's „give and take", kid. You owe me a debt now. I hope you understand?
- Yes.
- In that case, tell me a bit about yourself. I can then erase your slate. For a child to find himself alone in a cave, in this season, collapse on the ground, there is necessarily a reason.
I agree to his request and start talking to him about what I have experienced, in bits and pieces.
I tell him that I was born and raised in Flevance, nicknamed the "white city", that my parents taught me about medicine. That one day white lead disease spread, and the city was abandoned by the government. I tell him that war has broken out, that my parents and my sister are all burnt to death. I also relate my contamination, my despair towards the world and my entry into a pirate crew. Finally, I tell him about the one who saved me, Corazon, my benefactor.
As I recall my memories in order, I feel my heart grow lighter and lighter. If so, I had wanted someone to listen to my story for a long time. I'm only evading one thing, the existence of the fruit of the scalpel. I don't want to be seen as a worrying type, nor to be seen in me as a financial windfall. But above all, nothing would be more disagreeable to me than to see the old man's attitude change right before my eyes. That is why I am content to tell him that it is a very talented doctor who cured me.
Once my story ends in broad outline, the old man crosses his arms and remains for a moment immersed in his thoughts, letting out funny noises.
- Very well, I hear. You may be just a kid, but you already live with a hell of a load on your shoulders.
- Stop calling me "kid", I have a name! My name is Trafalgar Law.
- Law, you say. A very elegant name. And so, in short you are alone in the world and you have no place to go or a goal to reach, am I wrong?
A goal. He's right, I don't. For a long time, I had only one idea in mind: to destroy the world. Thanks to Corazon, I set myself the goal of healing, but now that it's done, I wouldn't know what to say if someone asked me about my goal.
- What do you plan to do now?
The old man is asking me the question.
- I don't know, I answer him.
- In that case, he adds, patting his knees, you just have to stay here until you find what you want to do.
- R ... Really?
Nothing could please me more than such an invitation. In an unknown land, without any knowledge and in the total impossibility of entering the city, the perpecitve of being assured of having a bed and hot meals reassures me greatly.
- I hope you haven't forgotten what I told you! Existence is "give and take!" Here is my principle of life! You gonna work for me, you hear me?! The laundry, the housework, the work in the fields! You'll have to give me a handful of hand on my personal work, too! There is so much to do, if you only knew! In exchange for a secure life, you offer me your labor power! Okay?!
Damn it, man. This way of speaking ... It's the only way you can find to express your sympathy, eh? It seems so funny to me, at the time, that I let out a laugh.
- Finally, you decide to show me a smile, he said, laughing in turn.
- Mh? By the way, Ossan, what does this work consist of? Excuse me, but I refuse to be involved in banditry.
- You insolent little one! Who do you take me for, name of a dog ?! As if I indulged myself to this kind of futility.
- Don't worry, I don't take it for anyone. It's just that I have no idea who you are.
- Oooh, of course, I forgot to introduce myself. Since that's how it is, listen carefully and listen! My name is Wolf! Wolf the genius and freaky inventor!
- A brilliant inventor? You?
I look again at his look and the oddly patterned shirt he's wearing. No matter how much I turn the idea all over the place, his outfit is much more like that of a crook than an inventor.
- I see you don't trust me. Wait a minute.
He leaves the room before returning quickly with a box full of curious objects.
- Today is your lucky day. I will present you some of my exceptional inventions! To start, this: The "portable hot spring number 1"! With this invention, it becomes possible to change from cold water to hot water in no time! No need to worry beforehand to prepare your bath!
- Oooh...
He's right, it can come in handy. After all, and despite appearances, the old man may really be genius, in fact ...
- Only there is a flaw. The function to stop the rise in temperature being absent, the water first boils very quickly before evaporating.
- Well, thats bad!
- Wait, wait, I haven't finished. I present to you my next invention: "Super menage No."! It moves on its own depending on the presence of dirt and stains, just put it on the floor for it to clean the house!
Oooh...
- Only there is a flaw. If you use it for more than three minutes in a row, it explodes hard enough to blow an entire house.
- This is no longer a fault, that, your thing is good for the dump!
- In this regard, his predessor "Super household" not knowing the difference between the rubbish and the rest, it almost cost me my right leg ...
- Stop, that's enough! It becomes disgusting!
The old man then presented me several of his inventions, all supplied with defects andcompletely unusable.
- See, I think you now understand the extent of my genius a little better, and ...
- I do not identify that slab, yes! Nothing at all!
- Anyway, from tomorrow you will be responsible for helping me in my research. So remember which devices are flagged as dangerous.
- Seriously? We risk our skin, here, with his stuff.
Ah, damn ... I let out a deep sigh.
But hey, too bad.
- Hey, mister junk.
- I see, you think that's nicer than "Ossan"!
- I would like to thank you once again for saving my life. I am also grateful to you for allowing me to stay here. Pleased to meet you!
With these words, I extend my right hand to him.
Wolf chuckles, snorting and holding out his hand to me.
- I will make you work until exhaustion! It takes something to honor a "give and take"!
This is how my life began alongside Wolf.
I get up at the same time as the sun, help him working on his inventions and in the fields, devour a lot of books, eat a hot meal, train myself in the handling of the sword with a weapon that he has given me, loaned, and when evening comes, we both chat and laugh.
Our daily life is quiet and peaceful.
I am relatively surprised by the work in the fields. As the winter on Swallow Island is long, its hould in principle be difficult to grow vegetables there. But Wolf built a plastic greenhouse at the back of his house with a function to regulate the temperature and the degree of light, so that he could grow crops all year round.
- So, Law, what do you say ?! Thanks to my "Vege vege no 7", greenhouse cultivation becomes possible! In the future, I would like to grow more to sell my production in town.
The name of his inventionmay suck, but the results are worth it. And I must admit that I appreciate to bring my help in the manufacture of objects which can be useful to all.
Some days we also go out hunting together. At first, the idea of seeing this respectable aged person standing alone in front of a wild boar or a deer was not reassuring me, but I quickly noticed that Wolf was belaying with the rifle and that he was almost slaughtering all his targets on the first try. I once asked him why he was shooting so well, but he evaded my question by answering that he once practiced. I didn't look any further.
With Wolf, we have our meals, we laugh and we discuss everything and nothing. However, I refrain from intruding too much on his privacy. Same for him, he is not clingy and does not treat me like a child.
This distance between us suits me perfectly.
Wolf has a habit of going to town once a week to sell his inventions and vegetables, and then to buy the essentials for everyday life. As for me, if possible, I prefer to stay here. No need to force myself to hang out with the people of the city.
At least, that's what I thought.
Wolf is just fine, I'm tired of reading medical textbooks, so I go for a walk to take my mind off things. A month has passed since Wolf took me in, and I have become quite used to what is called a normal life. Despite everything, I remain without a "goal". But I sometimes think that after all, it's not that bad.
As I approach the entrance to the forest, thinking about all this, I see a polar bear and two children.
- Stop! Stop!
The polar bear speaks.
What is that?
Does a talking bear really exist? It's true that I've heard of a talking reindeer before, so after all why not a bear?
At first glance, the irrelationship does not seem very friendly. The two boys keep kicking in the back of the bear which opposes no resistance.
- Hey, hey, he might be a bear, but he's awfully weak! mock the boy in the cap by nudging the animal's head with his elbow.
- Go! Go back wisely to where you come from, in the forest!
This time it's the boy wearing a hat with "Penguin" written on it that hits the bear.
Aah, how stupid they can be.
Faced with this spectacle to say the least unpleasant, I unconsciously click my tongue: "tss". Disturbed by this noise, the two acolytes look in my direction.
- What's wrong with you?! You have a problem? Get out of there! The boy in the cap let go some of these gangster words.
- No, I don't have a problem. I'm not interested in you or this bear. Do what you want.
- But it is because he dares to fart it, moreover! If there is one thing that I don't like, it's the guys who tell it to each other... So you know what? If you put down everything that you have of value, maybe we'll let go!
This time it's the "Penguin" hat trick to look for me.
No matter where the wind takes me, I always have to run into trouble.
- No more showing off, spill out the money! they shout, both rushing towards me, knife and bat in hand.
„Room"! As I let that word escape in a small voice, a dome-shaped circle appears with me in its center.
- W... What is this?!
- Are we locked up ?!
Perfect, everything works, by dint of training without Wolf's knowledge, I ended up mastering the powers of the scalpel fruit. I can now move and manipulate whatever is inside the circle as I please.
I then grabbed two stones which were at my feet and threw them high into the sky.
And then...
„Shambles"!
The stones and the two boy sexchanged places, the latter two naturally finding themselves floating in the air before falling heavily to the ground and losing consciousness.
Humf...
I was thinking that inaddition to medical care, these powers could be effective in combat, but it exceeded all my expectations. But I would feel bad if these two were to die, so I examine them and find that they just passed out.
Well, here's one thing that's settled. Wolf should be home soon, I have to cook dinner.
As I set off towards the house, the polar bear grabs my clothes.
- A ... Wait!
- What?!
- Thank you for coming to my aid. I was so scared that ... that I could not put up any resistance to them ...
- You're welcome, but they' were rushing at me, that's why I attacked them. It wasn't to help you.
- It doesn't matter! I'm still super happy!
As he says these words, the polar bear still clinging to my clothes starts to cry. Unbelievable...
Since I don't feel like he's going to let me go anytime soon, we both go to the nearest cave to chat.
- Why haven't you responded to their blows? You are a polar bear, after all, you are certainly stronger than them.
- Yes, but ... They are the ones who came to talk to me.
- So what?
- I thought maybe we could be friends.
- What? Is that what you were thinking while they were hitting you ?!
- Yes. I told myself that if I stayed quiet, if I didn't resist, maybe we would end up becoming friends ...
- „Friends".
I am hearing that word for the first time in a long time.
I don't have any more friends. They are all burnt to death. For a moment, I remember my family and all my church friends. Aah, that's not a bad memory.
Come to think of it, the presence of this polar bear here, alone, seems strange to me. If that happens, he lives in solitude, without anyone, like me not long ago. It's where I'm starting to get interested in his situation.
- Say, do you live in the area?
- No, I only arrived on this island yesterday. I don't know anyone and I have nowhere to go.
- And before, where did you live?
- In the New World, do you know?
- Yes, I've heard of it before.
I lived in the Family, so I was very aware of all the stuff concerning the sea. It was there that I learned that the New World was located on the second half of the Grand Line, a road that splits the world in two. All pirates who seek the OnePiece are bound to go there one day or another.
- And so, you, have come here from this New World ?!
The polar bear nods. It is said that almost all the knowledge acquired here is of no value once in the New World. The currents, the weather, the magnetism, everything. Doflamingo taught me that all this information necessary for navigation is totally wrong once there. According to him, this is not a place for hackers and ordinary browsers.
So to reach Swallow Island, which is on North Blue, from there, you need guts ...
- Did you maneuver your boat yourself to get here?
If so, I am in front of a very talented sailor.
- No, not exactly, although I have studied navigation a bit in the past ... In fact, in the New World is the island of Zou.
- The island of Zou? Funny name. Is that where you were born?
- Yes, I belong to the tribe of minks from this island. We lived in peace and I got along well with my family, until the day my big brother suddenly disappeared.
- Without leaving any message?
- No nothing at all. I then made up my mind to go to the sea to search for him. Unfortunately, I got the wrong boat and landed here on North Blue ...
- You surprise me, damn blunder.
- Yes ... In addition to being tossed around in the waves, lightning almost fell on me several times, I really thought I was going to stay there.
- Ha ha ha! What a fool you are! Even a bear that knows how to speak, is still a bear!
Hearing these words, the polar bear suddenly stands up and tries to tie a rope around its neck which is hanging on the ground.
- But no, I was laughing when I called you an idiot! Seriously, you are too fragile of mind, you!
I quickly throw the rope away and console my companion the bear to help him chase away his dark ideas. Honestly, I would have been very annoyed if he took his own life for a simple joke.
- And so, if I understood correctly, you have nowhere to sleep, do you?
- Yes that's it. In fact, I would love to take a boat to the New World, but I don't think I'll find one anytime soon ready to risk such a dangerous region ... As for trying to get there by my own means, regarding my current level of navigation, I would end up swallowed up by the waves before arriving safely.
- So we can say making progress in navigation in order to go in search of your brother is in a way your current "goal"?
- Absolutely.
- Heard, follow me.
- What, but ... Huh ?!
I set off without paying attention to the embarrassed bear who ends up deciding to follow me, timidly.
- By the way, you didn't give me a name.
- My big brother's name is Zepo. In Mink language, it means "handsome kid" ...
- I'm not talking about him, but about you! It's your name I want to know!
- Ah me ?! My name is Bepo.
- Bepo, OK. I like it, it's easy to pronounce. I am Law. Trafalgar Law.
- Law, okay.
- Now that the presentations are done, you are going to shut up and do as I tell you. Bepo. Don't worry, I'm not here to eat you.
- True ... Really? You and your group aren't you planning on using me to cook a bear stew?
- Where you looking for this ?!
After thirty minutes of walking, we arrive at the house. Wolf has already returned.
- Hey, mister junk!
- How many times will I have to repeat this to you ?! Call me Wolf the inventor or genius ... But ... what is this bear doing here ?!
- Ah, this is Bepo. This polar bear got lost. From today he will live with us.
- And what do you do with the owner's agreement ?!
- Come on, be nice. I am sure that he will be of great help to us for the most difficult jobs.
- Nice to meet you, my name is Bepo. Your friend took me here without me knowing why.
- In addition to that, he speeeaks !!
- Easy, junk, you hurt my ears. So, do you want him to stay with us?
- I imagine you have a good reason for bringing him here.
- Without doubt, yes.
- Okay, first of all, let him explain to me how he got here.
For over an hour, Wolf and Bepo talk on the sofa. Without hurrying, the old man asks him questions about his past as well as his family. Once the conversation is over, Wolf heads for the kitchen to prepare tea, which the three of us drink in silence.
Bepo sips his tea looking a little more relaxed than he was before. This does not prevent the spectacle of a bear holding a cup of tea from remaining surreal ...
- Alright, I pretty much got your story, Wolf says suddenly. You want to learn to sail to go find your brother. Hmmm! I find you very close to your family for a bear! But hey, nothing about you seems suspicious to me, and you answered my questions well. You are a good guy.
- So what now?
- Yes, he can stay. But, beware! Don't forget that with me, it's "give and take", Bepo! You will have to work to deserve your pittance, it will not be free! You will have to toil every day if you don't want to be kicked out!
- Tcha ... Tcha tcha! Alright! I will do my best to be of service to you!
Wolf goes to his room, sniffing a bit and adding, "One more kid to feed, that's notgoing to make it any easier for me." I vaguely have the impression of guessing what the old man is thinking.
Because when the latter sniffs, something is rejoicing.
It was decided that Bepo and I would sleep in the same room. As I was the first to move in, I stayed in bed, while Bepo stretched out a futon and slept on the floor.
- Say, Law, why are you so nice to me? Bepo asks me a few moments after turning off the light.
The reason why am I nice? I myself have no idea.
- I acted on a whim, I simply answer.
A line that seems to suit him, because I immediately hear him snoring.
I guess I got interested in him because of his comments about his family.
I happen to think about it. What is family for me? My father who taught me medicine, my mother so kind to me, and my sister who continued to laugh despite the illness... But today, everyone is dead.
And since I lost all hope in this world, I stopped thinking about it.
However, I have to admit that lately I've been a bit confused. By the kindness that Wolf shows me, just like by the help I gave to Bepo. As if I wanted to trust others again.
And if I came to see it this way, it is obviously thanks to Cora. Thanks to his efforts and his life he sacrificed to save mine.
What exactly was he for me,Cora?
We were not related by blood, and the time we spent together was relatively short.
In spite of everything, something akin to affection had been woven between us, a bond which required words to be understood.
Will I ever be able to carry affection for someone like that again?
By dint of living alongside Mr. Junk, will I end up carrying him in my heart?
Or, no matter how much time passes, will our relationship remain based on this "give and take", on this idea of mutual profit which is the basis of its philosophy of life?
How should the situation evolve? What should I do to contribute?
No matter how much I thought about it, I had no idea. And something told me that it would take time, a long time, to find the answer.
***
After a month, it is still snowing.
According to Wolf, the hot season on Swallow Island does not exceed three months. But it doesn't bother me any more than that, I quickly got used to the cold. Anyway, during my saber training or my work in the fields, I sweat naturally. Bepo seems to give a damn about the cold. You will tell me, normal for a bear.
To tell the truth, he is also much more skillful than I would have expected. While helping Wolf in his work, he does the cooking, the dishes, and immerses himself in his studies of navigation as soon as he has some freetime. It is very useful for a bear.
One day, while Wolf was locked in his room of inventions, Bepo and I were harvesting vegetables in the greenhouse. Here we are able to grow plants that cannot be found in winter, and even control the speed at which you want the vegetables to grow. Honestly, hard not to admit that this is an exceptional invention.
- Hey, Law, can I pick those plums too?
- Especially not, moron! What do you plan to do with it? Dried plums, I bet?
- Yes that's it. I love dried plums, they go wonderfully with rice balls.
- Shut up! I don't ever want to hear you say the words "plum" and "dried" in front of me again, get it ?!
- Hiii! Yes, okay, but that's no reason to get upset ...
Raaah, here he is still depressing. This polar bear is really lacking in character. But that doesn't mean I apologize. He didn't have to talk to me about dried plums, period. Frankly, what is this acidity? It makes the tongue wriggle in such an unpleasant way. In my eyes, it is the dried plum, the true fruit of the devil.
In any case, if it is not the bear, it is the old man who will take care of the leather. They will only have to eat them together, that's none of my business.
Suddenly, a loud explosion sounds.
It comes from the forest and must be awfully powerful for it to be heard so far.
- Law!
- Let's go, Bepo!
We leave the greenhouse and we start running in the direction of the forest. Arrived nearby, we soon find the place where the big cloud of smoke rises.
Even though we don't know what is going on, we are aware that it may be an enemy. Carefully, without making any noise, Bepo and I approach the place where the smoke comes from. Voices are heard, voices of children crying.
Arriving in a slightly more open area, we come across two children bleeding profusely and weeping loudly. I recognize them right away, they are the two boys who attacked Bepo the other day. The one in the cap is bleeding from his stomach, while the other with the "Penguin" hat has his right arm ragged from the elbow. I don't know what they did to deserve it.
The situation is serious. Even a novice in medicine would understand right away that these two will die if nothing is done.
- Bepo! Take the one with the cap on your back! I take care of the other! We will bring them home to treat them!
- OK! We must save them at all costs! Bepo answers without any hesitation, who knows however that these two martyred him shortly before ...
We go straight ahead with the children on our backs. I am also holding the right arm of the one covered with the "Penguin" hat.
- Ouch, it hurts ...
Good. He has lost a lot of blood, but appears to be conscious.
- A wild boar rushed over us ... without warning ...
- Shut up and let yourself be carried away wisely!
I interrupt "Penguin"and continue my journey to the house.
- Haa, haa, haa...
It is more and more difficult to breathe. It's not easy to run with all your might while carrying someone. But their wounds are too deep and they've lost too much blood for us to hang around.
- Mister Junk!
I kick open the door and walk into the house.
- Law! You still come back with people without asking my opinion ... Ah, but ... No, you are covered in blood!
- They are all seriously injured! I would like to treat them here!
- Heard! I take care of boiling water! You, focus on the care!
As if responding to the grace that shines in my voice, Wolf also gets to work right away.
We deposit them both on the ground floor, I go to my room to get the necessary to operate, and come back.
- Law, what ... What should I do?
Here is where we are. Bepo's voice reflects his agitation.
- While I take care of treating the one in the cap, you try to stop the other's bleeding! Attach a tourniquet at the joint of his arm and direct it upwards! Then stuff the loose member into a bag full of ice cream!
- Tcha tcha tcha!
I put the boy in the cap who has lost consciousness on the table and observe the depth of his wound. Perfect, the bleeding may well be substantial, the vital organs are not affected. I'm not going to need the powers of the scalpel fruit to heal him.
It all depends on my operating skills.
- Oi, "Penguin", can you hear me?
- Y...Yes...
- Do you know your friend's blood type ?!
Without a transfusion, he will stay there. But a transfusion from an incompatible blood group suddenly causes a devastating reaction. It is first the red blood cells present in the veins that are destroyed, before all the cells of the body are completely destroyed. This is why nothing is more important than knowing the blood type.
- Yes, I know ... It's X, like me ... That's why I remember, there is no doubt ...
- X...
It's bad, it's not my group. And of course, we don't have time to bring in blood.
- Law, take mine! I'm from group X, I'm sure!
- Mister Junk...
He is right, if his group is the same, we can transfuse the two wounded without problem. Only...
- These two boys are bleeding profusely, Wolf. If we want to transfurs them, we will need a large amount of blood. And if we take it all on you, then in the worst case you risk ...
- I know exactly what that means, triple nozzle! And I am ready to take this risk! Who asked you to worry about me, huh? When I was young, during the war, I lost many more and many times. So it's not the amount of hemoglobin needed to cure two kids that will get the better of me!
- It's okay, I got it. I'll use your blood!
At this point, we are in a race against time. I take a syringe and remove a large amount of blood from the old man. I transfer it to a plastic bag, put a needle in the arm of the kid in the cap and make sure that the red liquid drains out duly. I then repeat the same operation on "Penguin".
Good. It's done. Bleeding shouldn't be a problem for us anymore.
- Wolf, are you okay?
I ask him the question, because in spite of having paid careful attention to what I have done, given the quantity of blood of which I have deprived him, a shock is not to be excluded.
- Do not worry about me! It's barely my head spinning. Like a slight anemia, if you know what I mean. So rather than worrying about the old crouton, hurry to take care of their wounds!
- Yes, it's okay, I got it. I thank you anyway.
- "Give and take", do you remember? Next week you and Bepo will be doing all of the housework.
With these words, Wolf collapsed heavily on the sofa in the living room.
Not to mention that's my job too!
I then delay the powder from special plants in water to inject it into the boy in the cap. This is a strong anesthetic that I made shortly after arriving here. With that, I'm sure he won't wake up during the operation.
Then, with a scalpel previously sterilized in the flame, I cut sharply in his belly. Part of his intestines are affected, but it won't be difficult.
With a quick movement, I suture his wound with a needle and thread, then I check if it is not injured elsewhere. Perfect, nothing to report. Finally, I close the incision made on his stomach.
First wounded, operation completed.
- Bepo! Bring the second one over here!
- Aye!
We move the boy in the cap from the table to the sofa, and place "Penguin" in his place. Is it all the lost blood that prevents him from finding the strength to speak? Still, he is stretched out at full length, inanimate. The difficulty of the operation in which I am about to launch myself in is much more important than the preceding one. Obviously, I could just save his life by suturing the wound and stopping the bleeding, but I really want to sew up his arm so he canuse it again someday.
I don't know why, at this point, I see it that way. Maybe I tell myself that slipping my job would be an insult to medicine and everything I have learned so far. No doubt I also want to act in a way to do honor to my parents who, in the past, managed a hospital with the sole aim of helping people and making them happy.
Yes, that's just that.
Just like I did for the first, I totally anesthetize my second patient, then I take a peel at the wound caused by the exposure in the arm. The fabrics are very damaged, it is not beautiful to see. If a saber or a sword with a limb severed so sharply, the task becomes more complicated.
Will I be able to?
Even the powers of the fruit of the scalpel do not make a joining operation easy. It requires pure knowledge and technique. It is what it is.
I just have to get started.
I don't do it out of compassion, nor to be shown gratitude afterwards.
Anyway, I was never what you would call a "good person".
The one and only reason that pushes me to do it is this: to safeguard my pride as a doctor!
- Mister Junk! I'll borrow your microscope!
We recognize the alleged inventors of genius. They always have everything you need at their fingertips.
I take the arm of sleeping "Penguin", put it on the microscope stage and secure it there with a rope. I then tilt the lens over the wound and increase the magnification.
That's it, I see everything!
Every vein, every nerve, nothing escapes me.
- Bepo! Take the arm that came off!
- Tcha... Tcha tcha!
I also put this piece on the set, starting from the elbow, torn apart by the explosion.
Perfect, it's quite cold. The cellular system is still alive. It should be doable!
I grab a needle with thread and begin my joining operation.
With caution and circumspection.
I just need to tie together the two ends, that's it.
No error is allowed.
Remember what Daddy taught you.
Remember everything you've read.
First, the muscles and tendons. Yes, here it is ... No problem.
Then the nerves. If I screw up, he'll never be able to move his arm again. A millimeter across is already too much. I have to connect them all perfectly. With speed and precision. All the nerves, one by one. I feel like I'm losing track of time.
How many hours have passed since I started the operation? Two? Three? More?
My energy is being consumed at breakneck speed. At this rate, I'll be the first to collapse.
- Thank you, Bepo.
- Say ... they're not going to die, are they ?!
- Of course not. Who do you think I am? I'm Trafalgar Law, engineering surgeon!
As if to shake me up a bit, I make the chorus of Mister Junk mine. And I note indeed that sometimes it is enough to take oneself for what one wants to be to end up believing that one has become one, just to gain back a little strength.
Continuation of the operation.
I connect the two parts of the last nerve together.
Ok, here it is ... That should do ...
I concentrate all my strength in my shaky legs, and I move on with the blood vessels.
First the veins.
Then the arteries.
Finally, to finish, I sew the arm in its entirety.
End of the operation.
"Bam", here I am falling behind with all my weight.
- Law!
- Kid!
Aah, I'm so sleepy.
- Bepo, old man, don't bother looking at me so panicked. Watch the transfusion needle so that it doesn't come off ... I'm just taking a nap ... I'll be back right away ...
I am at the end of my strength and can only say these few words.
The relief that overwhelms me at the end of the operation is accompanied by the sandman.
Enveloping and rocking by this feeling of having accomplished something, I plunge into a soft and deep sleep.
***
As soon as I wake up, I inquire about the condition of the wounded.
The anesthesia apparently had its effect, as they are both still asleep.
I withdraw from each of them their transfusion in order to give them an injection of this powder diluted in water. This is a revolutionary nutritional supplement invented by my father. Their pulse is stable, they don't have a fever.
Alright looks like they both got over the tipping point.
- How are they doing, Law?
- Ossan, are you awake?
- Obviously. Impossible to close an eye knowing that I could wake up surrounded by two corpses.
- They are fine, no need to worry. My operation went perfectly. If we watch out for infections, they'll be fine.
- Ah good ... So much the better.
- So much the better? It's rare to hear you say such things. You're not going to get any profit from all of this though.
- Two kids who are saved is more than enough as a reward, isn't it?
With that, Wolf turns his face away. Without really knowing why, the awkward kindness that I perceive in him at this moment fills me with joy.
After four days, they both wake up.
They seem to remember perfectly what happened to them.
Because of his stomach operation, the boy in the cap has not yet recovered all his strength. But I know that by feeding him quietly and letting the time pass, everything will be fine.
The problem is more on the side of "Penguin".
Of course, his life was saved, but if I failed in my operation, he will never be able to use his arm again and will take a big shock.
- I'll take your bandage off, "Penguin." Then you can try to move your arm and fingers.
- A... Alright...
"Penguin" looks terrified. The old man, Bepo and the other boy are also watching the situation with an air of concern.
- Go slowly. As if you wanted to give something extra to the touch.
- Ok...
"Penguin" watches his arm. This arm that he may have to carry around, during and useless, until the end of his days.
Plic.
"Penguin" wiggles his pinky finger. Then, in the order, his ring finger, his middle finger, his index finger and finally his thumb. To conclude, he raises his entire forearm.
I succeeded! The connection of the nerves is crowned with success.
Ha ha ha! Frankly, it's not a bad feeling.
I suddenly have the impression of seizing this "Joy of the doctor" that my parents looked for more than anything in the world, they who taught me everything.
- Uaaah! So much the better! So much the better! launches Bepo, throwing himself on the neck of "Penguin".
This guy is terribly good-natured. He even seems to have forgotten that the one he is hugging right now was persecuting him not long before.
We only hear their tearful voices.
They both cry, their faces brimming with tears and slime.
- Thank you, thank you! whines "Penguin" lowering his head.
- I was so scared ... I thought I was going to die ... But thanks to you ... I'm here ... alive!
Still unable to move properly, the boy in the cap is content to sob, his forehead wrinkles.
- No need to thank me, I did it like that.
Then I turn around so that none of those in the room can see how silly happiness makes me look.
About a week later, they are both almost recovered. During this period, Bepo and Wolf gave me significant help. The latter continued to complain, with a frowning expression and giving the air of being disturbed, but he never tried to put the wounded outside.
Now that their condition has stabilized, we decide to ask them about the circumstances of their accident. What happened? Why did two lonely children end up in such a place? There is no shortage of questions.
- Listen, kid, we're going to do the presentations again! I am Wolf! Mr. Wolf, inventor and genius! This is what you will call me, with the greatest respect!
- It doesn't matter what he says. It goes in one ear and comes out the other, it is just an old crouton with a passion for junk.
- Shut up, Law! And stop confusing the conversation!
- Ok, ok, if you want.
Incredible, he immediately turns red like a tomato.
The two boys talk to each other, then start talking about themselves.
The one with the cap is called Shachi.
The other, in the "Penguin" hat, is called Penguin.
Timidly, as if they still feared us, they disclaim their identity.
- Shachi and Penguin, delight. Could you start by telling us under what circumstances were you injured?
Wolf asks them the question in a tone a little softer than the accountant, in a quieter voice.
- Far in the forest, Shachi and I have built a cabin we've been living in for about two months, begins Penguin, who also speaks for Shachi, who is suffering from the stomach injury. The two of us do pretty well with the hunt, and as even in winter we find a lot of trees that bear fruit, we have never lacked enough to eat. But one fine day, while we were cooking a bird, a wild boar attracted by the smell appeared out of nowhere ... It was so sudden that we didn't know what to do ... the boar took the opportunity to rush on us and pierce Shachi's side.
At this point looking exhausted, Penguin inhales at Shachi's side.
- Take your time, there's no rush, Wolf told him, pouring him more water.
- Immediately after, the boar turned to me. I could have run away, but I didn't want to leave Shachi to his fate. So, for lack of anything better, I headed for the cabin to pick up a bomb that I then tried to throw. Unfortunately, it exploded in my hand ...
- Hence the serious injury you made to yourself. But tell me, how did you get this bomb?
- We stole it in town. We said to ourselves that it could be useful for us to live in the forest, in case a danger arises.
- Yes I understand. It is not good to steal, but to ward off possible attacks of cattle, it is rather well seen.
Wolf pauses before swallowing a mouthful of tea.
Listening to the story of Penguin, a question comes to my mind. I imagine that Bepo and Wolf must have asked it themselves, too.
- And what about you parents?
I ask them the cash question, bluntly.
- Shachi's parents and mine died six months ago, Penguin blows.
At the time, I do not know what to say, but Penguin continues without further delay.
- That day, Shachi, his parents, as well as me and mine, we were having a barbecue on the most beautiful beach on all of Swallow Island. It was party time, everyone was enjoying themselves, and no one had noticed the strange aspect of the sea ... We had not realized that a huge wave was approaching at high speed. A wave so big that it could have swallowed up the whole island. Shachi and I were saved, because we were playing tree climbing further inland, but our respective family members ... were all washed away ...
At this point in the story, Penguin suddenly withdraws. He does his best to contain his tears.
Then, after a short pause, he resumes speaking, evoking in snatches what happened to them next. Their remaining families have agreed to entrust them both to Shachi's uncle and aunt. However, the uncle and aunt did not want children, but drudgery "tools". Penguin and Shachi found themselves embroiled in weapons smuggling and jewelry store heists, against their will. To eat, they were only allowed water and a little bread.
I listen to the story of Penguin with a frown - it disgusts me. To learn that there are adults capable of plunging into the infernal life of children who have just lost their parents puts me beside myself.
- They wouldn't even think of us as humans. In their eyes, we were nothing more than escalves! That's why we ran away. But since we had nowhere to go or a way to make money, we built a cabin in the forest ... without being able to live honestly ... Fed up! I'm sick of not knowing what it is to live!
Penguin starts to cry. The face points to the ground, he tries to stifle his sobs.
Shachi who was lying on the bed gets up in turn in tears and comes to sit next to his friend.
- If you hadn't helped us, we would be dead. So thank you for your intervention! And...
Shachi turns to Bepo awkwardly and, as if he has just made a decision, opens his mouth and says:
- You, the polar bear ... You took care of us when we couldn't move. You fed us, you helped us in our reeducation ... So I could thank you again and again, it will never be enough!
- Don't worry about it, it's nothing ... It's okay to help a person when they're hurt, right?
- No of course not! Especially when these people are the ones who persecuted you a short time ago. We hit you with punches, kicks, and you manage to be nice to us? That's normal for you?!
Shachi turns to Bepo, nods his head, before being imitated by Penguin.
- Dear polar bear ... Uh, no, Bepo. Thanks for helping us. And I'm sorry, really sorry to have let out my anger on you! Sorry!
Silence invades the room. Bepo tells them not to worry. Penguin and Shachi stand still, tears streaming down their faces.
„I'm sick of not knowing what's the point of living?"
That's what Penguin shouted. I imagine Shachi is in the same state of mind too.
And shit. I don't know why, but it instantly made me uncomfortable.
I had the impression that he was the spokesperson for my feelings when my city burned down.
- Say, guys ...
I speak to Penguin and Shachi in the most natural way.
- You have nowhere to go. You're not going to go back to your uncle's either, are you?
- No, certainly not ... This is the last thing we would do …
- In this case, you just have to come under my orders, so you can live here.
- As I spoke, their faces began to glow.
- Did you forget that it is my home, here! plague the old man with a snarling tone.
- I do not know.
- By the way, Bepo is already part of my team.
- I'm learning it, here! Better late than never! Tcha tcha tcha!
Shachi and Penguin look at each other and, in the same vein, both nod their heads. Then they turn to us and sayin one voice, again bowing their heads deeply:
- Please let us put our bags here!
At the same time, Wolf sighs deeply, as if to complain that the number of kids living in his househas increased further.
- Listen to me carefully, kids! I have no choice, so I accept that you all sleep at my place for a while! But do not get me wrong! I have no intention of acting as a tutor! No way I will become a member of your family or even a friend! The only relationship that exists between us is "give and take"! You, you need a place to live! Me, I need arms for everyday tasks and to work on my inventions! It's give and take, get it?! As soon as the wounded are back on their feet, you will all go to work in the city! Not only will you help me around the house, but you will also be looking for a real job! Do we agree?!
Nobody objects to anything.
No face darkens.
Only Wolf blushed, as if he had just finished an embarrassing speech.
I think back to the meaning of the word "freedom" that Cora used to pronounce.
Bepo, Penguin, Shachi and I have all tasted an in effable loneliness, a nameless despair that we have overcome to keep us here.
I still don't know what that word "freedom" means. Only I know that Wolf's house is a place where I feel good.
Why, you will ask me?
Because the words of this old man whose principle is "give and take" are not words that crush those for whom they are intended. We can feel that he treats us as equals and that he respects us deeply.
If so, this place is the right one. Perhaps that by dint of living in the cores of these energumenes, I will end up finding this "freedom" which Cora harshed my ears.
I am convinced of it, but it is a conviction that is based on a few things.
Far away, at the end of our funny life together for five, I know that I will come across what I would like to find.
Aah ... The more I think about it the more I tell myself that in fact, this world is not that bad.
Watching these four fellows stir noisily, I feel a grin rising at the corners of my lips, discreetly.