Crocus said, "Olvia, there are countless powerhouses out on the sea. Even compared to Ares, there are many great pirates who don't lose out to him at all. Men like Rocks, Whitebeard, Roger, and Golden Lion..."
"They're all world-famous pirates!"
As someone who liked reading the newspaper whenever he had free time, of course he knew the names of the biggest pirates currently shaking the seas.
"I see. So Ares isn't the strongest person on the sea," Olvia said thoughtfully, nodding to herself.
"..."
Ares' face darkened.
She really is Robin's mother. Makes me want to sew that mouth shut.
Then he suddenly remembered something and turned to Crocus.
"Hey, Crocus, have there been any news reports about Golden Lion Shiki over the past few months?"
"There have!"
"Of course there have!" Crocus replied with a grin. "Golden Lion Shiki has been making a huge splash lately. He's been making big moves, recruiting many pirate crews under his banner and forming a massive Golden Lion Pirate Fleet!"
"The Marines have a real headache on their hands because of him!"
A pirate fleet?
A faint curve touched Ares' lips. After leaving the Rocks Pirates, Golden Lion truly had no intention of fading into obscurity. He had already begun building his own power so quickly.
Still...
Thinking of Golden Lion's future fate, Ares' expression dimmed.
Big Brother Shiki's subordinates are all a bunch of misfits and riffraff...
But then again, the whole structure of the world has already changed drastically. Who can say what the future will look like now...
Once they crossed Reverse Mountain, they entered the first half of the Grand Line.
"Achoo!"
Olvia sneezed and rubbed her nose, shivering as she pulled her clothes tighter around herself.
"Flying is fast, but it's kind of cold."
Seeing that, Crocus frowned.
"Olvia, I think you've caught a cold."
"Let me take a look."
After examining her, he confirmed it.
"She really does have a cold. She's been exposed to the wind for the past two days and probably got chilled. We need to stop so I can mix some medicine for her."
Ares shifted his position and moved in front of them to block the wind. He also brought them to a stop.
Olvia only has an ordinary person's constitution. I really didn't think this through enough...
He was so used to flying at high speed through strong winds that he had not even noticed a detail like this.
Then he said, "Hey, Olvia, you brought clothes with you, right? Put on something thicker."
While Crocus prepared the medicine, Olvia dug through her bag and pulled out some warmer clothes to wrap around herself. Her nose still felt damp, and she could not stop herself from sneezing again.
Crocus handed her the prepared medicine, and after drinking it, drowsiness quickly overtook her. Before long, she was fast asleep.
Ares could only say, "Then we'll continue once she gets better."
He was worried that if they kept flying through the wind, her condition would only worsen and recovery would take even longer.
There was no choice.
Crocus nodded.
"She probably doesn't go out much. Sudden environmental changes can easily make someone like her sick. I just hope my medicine works."
"???" Ares looked at him. "Aren't you a doctor?"
Crocus replied, "I am a doctor, sure. But being a doctor doesn't mean I can cure every illness with perfect success. There are still diseases even doctors can't do much about!"
"..."
That actually made a lot of sense.
Several hours later, Olvia slowly woke up. Her face was pale as she muttered, "It's so cold. Crocus, is your medicine really working? It feels like my condition has actually gotten worse..."
"So veterinarians really are unreliable."
Crocus' face instantly darkened.
"You're insulting my medical skill."
"Enough. Check her again and give her something else. Hurry up and cure her," Ares said, glaring at him.
Crocus carefully examined her again and then told Ares, "Her condition has worsened. The medicine I brought isn't complete enough. We need to find a place where I can buy the drugs I need, and I'll also need basic medical facilities and equipment."
Ares frowned and thought for a moment.
"Fine. I know a place that definitely has excellent medical equipment and supplies."
The first place that came to mind was the famous medical kingdom on the Grand Line, Drum Kingdom.
Chopper's hometown.
"Let's go."
Ares操控ed the Flame Cloud and shot forward at high speed. Before long, an island appeared in their line of sight.
With a brief sweep of Observation Haki, he sensed that Drum Kingdom was prosperous. And as a World Government member nation, it also had a nearby Marine branch with considerable military strength.
No wonder it's a medical kingdom. Before Wapol ruined it, Drum Kingdom had the means to keep paying the Heavenly Tribute and remain affiliated with the World Government. Its foundations are anything but ordinary.
Crouching down, he patted Laboon and said, "Wait here for us. I'm taking Olvia in to get treatment first."
Then he split off a smaller Flame Cloud and took Olvia and Crocus with him toward Drum Island.
Drum Island belonged to the "winter islands," so the climate remained frozen all year round, with a world of ice and snow stretching in every direction.
They flew deeper into the island, and Crocus asked in surprise, "Ares, there's a town down there. Why aren't we going there?"
"I know a doctor whose skill is pretty good," Ares replied, finally bringing them down atop a mountain peak.
There stood a house that looked almost like a small castle.
Landing in the snow, Ares casually scooped Olvia into his arms with one hand. His solid, wide chest and thick arm were practically like a high-backed chair, allowing the weak, feverish Olvia to lean against him.
The door opened, and a man wearing a hat, with hair shaped like an open book, stepped out carrying a medical case. The moment he saw Ares and the others, he showed no fear at all. Instead, he rushed toward them excitedly.
It was Dr. Hiriluk.
He fixed his gaze on Olvia and asked, "Hey, you're here for treatment, right?"
"What a coincidence. I happen to be a doctor!"
Then, like a stage actor putting on a performance, he spun dramatically and declared with burning passion:
"My name is Hiriluk! In the future, I am destined to become the great doctor who saves the entire world!"
"Let me treat her!"
At that moment, another voice came from behind him.
"Hiriluk, don't you dare steal one of the few patients I actually get."
Turning toward the sound, they saw a woman leaning against the doorframe, holding a bottle of liquor and wearing sunglasses.
It was Dr. Kureha.
She turned to Ares and the others.
"If you're here for treatment, then come in."
Crocus gave Hiriluk a curious glance, then looked toward Ares and left the decision to him.
Ares walked toward the castle, immediately drawing a long, appraising look from Dr. Kureha.
After all, Ares' upper body was bare. With muscles like a demon's carved body, there was no way anyone could ignore him.
Dr. Kureha took a small swig from her bottle and said, "My treatment fees are much higher than what ordinary people charge. If you mind that, go find another doctor."
"Of course, if you want to know the secret to my eternal youth, that's a different price."
Eternal youth?
Crocus stared at the fashionably dressed old woman before him. Her face did show signs of age, making her look like a middle-aged woman in her fifties or sixties, but her figure and condition told an entirely different story. Not only was she not shrunken with age...
she still had the frame and body of a young person.
In the world of pirates, whether male or female, most people eventually shrank drastically in old age, becoming short and frail.
Crocus' curiosity immediately flared.
"Ma'am, may I ask how old you are?"
"Ma'am?" Dr. Kureha's lips curled upward. "I'm old enough to be your grandmother and then some. This year, I'm already 103."
"How old?!" Crocus seriously wondered whether he had misheard. He stared at Dr. Kureha in disbelief.
Even the feverish Olvia looked at her in shock, her eyes shining.
"103? As far as I know, only the Giant race has a lifespan three times longer than humans..."
She simply could not believe that the doctor before her was already 103 years old.
Dr. Kureha smiled and delivered her signature line:
"Want to know the secret to my youth?"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
Crocus and Olvia answered in unison.
At the same time, however, a third reply rang out, entirely different from theirs.
"No."
In an instant, Crocus and Olvia both turned to look at Ares.
Even Dr. Kureha and Hiriluk were visibly surprised.
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