“Gyaaa!”

Slap!

“Are you really a man, yeah? How come you cry so loudly when I apply my meds to your wound but act like an immortal when there’s a battle?”

“Argh, being treated hurts more than being stabbed. Lynn, take care of my wound tenderly!”

“Yeah, yeah, you’d better be careful not to get hurt later on, Barbaro…”

“It’s impossible, you should be the one who improves at putting on medications so that it doesn’t hurt!”

Lynn shooed the man away and summoned another person to treat him, slapping him on the back.

Several months after the captain’s departure, the ship continued to sail across the Grand Line, encountering other pirates along the way. The pirates grew stronger, and the marines began to target them more frequently during their patrols.

Nobody could be their ally, but such was the life they led.

They had to be mindful not only of the folks on the Grand Line’s waters but also of the lurking sea monsters and treacherous weather, which could become their adversaries at any moment. The sea was frequently perilous, sometimes damaging parts of their ship. If they didn’t work together to handle these challenges, they risked being killed by both the creatures and the elements.

As thrilling as it was, they had to remain vigilant every day.

“How close are we to the nearest island, Navigator?” Brook called up to the man in the watchtower.

Peering through his telescope, the man replied, “We should arrive at Alabasta in a few days!”

As the news spread across the ship, the crew erupted in cheers.

“At last, land!”

“Women!”

“Yeah!”

“A place to spend our loot!”

“Yeah!”

“Food!”

“Yeah!”

“Land!”

“Yeah!”

“Drugs!”

The crew quieted down at the last word, exchanging glances before squinting at their little doctor.

“What? Which of you doesn’t require medication to be healed?” Lynn shouted back, oblivious to the implications of their squints.

The crew burst into laughter, understanding that the youngster meant medicine in his words.

“Drugs!”

While the others celebrated, Lynn sought out the doctors nearby to learn more about medicine, medicinal herbs, and any drugs they knew of. They discussed various topics, sharing knowledge and experiences.

As Lynn continued his inquiries, seeking advice from his mentor, he gained a deeper understanding of the treatments discussed. Some doctors allowed him to assist with minor injuries or illnesses, while others simply let him observe and declined his help. Despite his eagerness, he hadn’t yet had the opportunity to handle a scalpel and assist in surgery.

After a month of docking, all the necessary preparations were complete.

“We’ve got the stock! What about the drugs, Lynn?” Brook asked.

“All set! I even brought some painkillers and a strange herb I found at the market!”

“Huh? What herb?”

“I don’t know; the doctors I asked didn’t recognize it, and even the seller didn’t know what it was…”

“Let me see it.”

“Okay, I’ll bring it to you, Master. Wait a bit…”

Lynn waved to Brook and hurried to the medics to fetch the herb. Brook, suspicious, had requested to see it immediately.

When Lynn returned, he handed over the box, and Brook inspected the contents.

“This… it looks like a Devil Fruit…”

“What’s that?”

“Haven’t I told you about them?”

“Oh! Right, it’s the fruit that makes you unable to swim, right?”

“It is.”

“Then, what’s the fruit’s ability?”

“That’s what I don’t know…”

“Okay?”

“Like I said, it should be a Devil Fruit. But I don’t recognize it as one I’ve seen before…”

“Okay… Barbaro!”

Lynn called out, summoning Barbaro over.

“On the way!” Barbaro responded, running towards them.

“What is it, lil’ doc?”

“Try this,” Lynn said, handing the herb to Barbaro.

“What kind of herb is this?”

“The one that will make you a man in bed?”

“Why’d you put a question mark at the end?”

“Just eat it…”

“What am I? A guinea pig?”

Despite his protests, Barbaro followed Lynn’s instructions. The crew had grown to trust Lynn over the years, knowing he always did his best for them. In some ways, he was as reliable as their captain, Brook, if not more so.

Barbaro bit into the herb but failed to break through the skin.

“Huh?”

“Hmm, so that’s why the peddler sold it cheaply…”

Barbaro stared at the fruit, puzzled.

“How much did you pay for this?” Brook asked, as Lynn turned away, palming his face.

“Around one million Berries?”

“So, you actually bought a useless herb for one million Berries?”

“N-no… it was more like two million Berries…”

“You’re terrible at lying, Lynn. Remind me to limit your spending…”

“Nooo!”

Brook shook his head as he left the room, smacking Barbaro on the back of the head to stop him from trying to bite the fruit again.

“Give me the fruit, Barbaro…”

“Sure, here you go…”

Brook placed the fruit back in the box and tossed it into his room, dismissing it for the time being.

“Keep your eyes on the attack!”

Brook lunged at Lynn, who swiftly dodged the attack and countered from his position. Brook easily evaded the strike and slashed at Lynn, who blocked the blow but was still sent flying, grunting in pain.

“Ugh… You’re being too hard on me, Master…”

Lynn groaned, clutching his stomach where his six-pack muscles ached. Even though they were using wooden swords, the impact was still powerful enough to hurt him. In reality, his outerwear was shredded.

“Now I need to patch them up again, ugh…” Lynn muttered, scratching his head.

“Take it easy, boy. It’s not like you’d die from a scratch.”

“Master, I know you’re doing this for my benefit, but do you remember how you almost chopped me in half when we first sparred with wooden swords?”

“Is it my fault you were so frail? It’s not like I knew you were as weak as paper. That’s why I told you to practice your instrument more during rest, to train your motor skills. Yohohoho!”

“It’s creepy how you laugh at me like that.”

Bam!

“Ouch!”

Brook smacked Lynn on the head, irritated. “It’s rude to call your master creepy. Yohoho!”

“Anyway, what made you think of not trying that weird Devil Fruit?”

“That thing? Why would I want to eat it?”

“Don’t you want to be stronger?”

Lynn sighed, looking down at Brook. “Master, just look at you. You can’t swim after eating that fruit, and you don’t even know what kind of power it has. I’m not risking my life like that while floating in the middle of the sea…”

“Yohoho, I still think it’s worth it.”

“What is? I read about Devil Fruits, these strange fruits with mysterious powers. There are three types: Logia, Paramecia, and Zoan. All known fruits are listed in the encyclopedia, but none of the drawings resemble this floppy disk-like fruit. I’m not eating something weird like that—I don’t take chances with my life!”

“You have a sharp mind, but do you really think you’ll have a choice when it comes down to it?”

“Well, since no one can even bite into it, I doubt I’ll have to.”

“Just try to bite it; you never know until you try. Yohoho!”

“Yo, Master, are you a salesperson or something?”

“What’s a floppy disk, anyway? Is that something from your hometown?” Brook tried to deflect the conversation.

“Yeah, an old-school gadget used to store things… Anyway, I’m not eating that stuff. I still want to be able to swim!”

Character Status: Lynn Sadogashima

• Level: 1
• Class: [Unknown]
• HP: 50/50
• MP: 20/20

Attributes:

• [STR]: 40 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ (Intermediate)
• [VIT]: 35 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ (Intermediate)
• [AGI]: 35 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ (Intermediate)
• [INT]: 80 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ (Expert)

Passive Skills:

• [Dexterous Hand]

Active Skills:

• [Locked]: Magical skills yet to be discovered or unlocked. These powers have the potential to be trained and enhanced.

Techniques:

• [Swordsmanship Lv. 2]: Beginner
• [Herbology Lv. 3]: Intermediate
• [Medics Lv. 2]: Beginner
• [Music Lv. 1]: Novice

Technique Levels: 1: Novice, 2: Beginner, 3: Intermediate, 4: Advanced, 5: Expert, 6: Master, 7: Advanced Master, 8: Grand Master, 9: Advanced Grand Master, 10: Unknown