Crocus said in surprise, "Ares, extending one's lifespan is something countless people dream of!"
"Besides, Dr. Kureha has lived for over a hundred years, and she is still this healthy and agile. The secret to eternal youth would drive who knows how many people across the seas mad!"
Olvia nodded in agreement. "At a hundred years old, and still in this condition, anyone would want to know the secret to preserving their youth, even if they had to sell everything they owned."
"Take Drum Kingdom for example. The reason it became such a famous medical kingdom on the Grand Line is because it earned a huge fortune from its patients..."
Ares grinned. "Hey, aren't you two being a little naive? Do you really think Dr. Kureha would just tell you a secret like that?"
"And besides..."
He looked Dr. Kureha up and down before saying, "She doesn't seem to have any family. Could it be that this secret brought her trouble? Or maybe this so-called eternal youth comes with some kind of flaw?"
Hearing that, Crocus and Olvia both calmed down. The idea of eternal youth had really made them lose their heads.
Dr. Kureha's smile turned slightly unnatural as she studied Ares with surprise. "Heh. I didn't expect you to have no interest in eternal youth. No wonder you're the pirate the World Government put a 3.5 billion bounty on."
"War God Ares!"
Ares smiled mysteriously. "It isn't that I'm not interested in eternal youth. It's that I know how a person can obtain an extremely long lifespan, or even true immortality."
The words were shocking.
For a very small number of people, this was not some great secret. But for almost everyone else, it was an earth-shaking revelation.
In an instant, every gaze in the room turned toward Ares.
Looking at Dr. Kureha, Ares asked in return, "Do you want to know the secret to immortality?"
He knew that the so-called Witch, Dr. Kureha, possessed medical skill that ranked among the very best in the entire One Piece world. More importantly, she had been Chopper's teacher.
Chopper's dream was to create a panacea, a universal medicine that could cure anything. During his journey, he would also invent the Rumble Ball, something capable of disrupting the transformations of Zoan Devil Fruits and allowing the user to access multiple forms with different combat uses.
As Chopper's teacher, Dr. Kureha's medical skill was unquestionably top-tier.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Dr. Kureha's heart began pounding wildly.
Faced with such an overwhelming temptation, even she could not remain calm.
Crocus asked excitedly, "Hey, Ares, do you really know how someone can become immortal?"
Hiriluk looked unconvinced. "That has to be fake, right? There are plenty of legends like that across the seas, but all of them turn out to be false. No one has ever proven anything like that exists..."
Olvia had also read plenty of stories like that in old books. She, too, found it hard to believe that something as outrageous as immortality could really exist.
Faced with their doubts, Ares remained completely calm.
Immortality did sound absurd.
But he knew the truth.
A girl named Myskina Olga had worn a ring made of Pure Gold and bathed in its light. Even after two hundred years, her appearance and body had remained that of a six-year-old girl.
Compared to Dr. Kureha's so-called eternal youth, the effects of Pure Gold were clearly superior. After all, Kureha's appearance was still aging. She already looked like she had entered old age.
There was also the Ope Ope no Mi.
Since the truth about it had come from Doflamingo, a man deeply tied to the Celestial Dragons, its authenticity was highly credible.
Ares looked at Dr. Kureha. "Want to know? Become my subordinate, and not only will I tell you, I'll make sure your medical skill is recognized by the entire world."
Crocus immediately said, "Me! Ares, let me work for you. Tell me the secret in private!"
Olvia glanced at him doubtfully. "Is your medical skill really that good?"
Then she suddenly remembered why she had come here in the first place and hurriedly added, "Hey, after all this talking, can you treat me first? I'm the patient here!"
Ares chuckled. "Fine. Then I'll leave Olvia in Dr. Kureha's care. As for me, I won't be going inside. The door is too small anyway. I've got something to take care of. I'll come back later to pick you up."
"Dr. Kureha, you can think over my offer while I'm gone."
A country, especially a strong country, had to develop in many areas. Livelihoods, science, technology, and naturally medicine as well.
With Dr. Kureha's skill, she was more than qualified to serve as Wano's chief physician. Not only that, she could also train a large number of outstanding doctors, attract sick patients from across the seas, and help Wano earn enormous wealth.
Just like Drum Kingdom.
Crocus asked curiously, "Ares, where are you going?"
"That's none of your business," Ares replied.
Of course he was not going to tell them he was off to search for the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Ordinary Citizen.
A Devil Fruit was worth at least a hundred million berries.
And if Laboon ate that fruit...
Ares did not even dare imagine it.
If Laboon transformed into a human with that size, he would probably be even more terrifying than Little Oars Jr.
But even if he found it, he did not plan to give it to Laboon right away.
After all...
No feelings.
Ares spread out his Observation Haki and began searching for reindeer herds. If he could trace their range and movements, maybe he would get lucky and find the Human-Human Fruit.
Then, pulling his cloak tight, he leaped from the mountaintop like a black stone dropping into a frozen world.
He sank into the thick snow below.
Muttering to himself, he said, "Hopefully I can find it. I'll count it as testing my luck. At least this trip can't be for nothing..."
Very soon, he found a herd of reindeer on the island. Concealing his presence, he quietly tailed them, using his Observation Haki to search their territory for the presence of a Devil Fruit.
And unexpectedly...
He actually found one.
His eyes lit up at once. "Looks like Lady Luck really is smiling on me."
Letting out just a sliver of his aura, he frightened the reindeer away. Then Ares walked toward a cluster of giant rocks buried in ice and snow.
In the narrow crack between them, there was not only a streak of green...
There was also a Devil Fruit.
But the fruit before him...
did not seem to be the Zoan Human-Human Fruit, Model: Human. Instead, it was a dark purple fruit shaped like a jagged, monstrous mouth.
Ares' face lit up with delight.
"Now this is a surprise. It's the Paramecia Swallow-Swallow Fruit. Perfect!"
"With this fruit, Wano's development will speed up even more!"
He reached out and plucked the fruit, his mood instantly becoming excellent.
The Human-Human Fruit, Model: Ordinary Citizen, would have been nice.
But Ares preferred the fruit in his hand even more.
The Swallow-Swallow Fruit.
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