In the North Blue, in a small town, a boy wearing a spotted hat walked down the street.
Following behind him was a white bear.
A polar bear, to be exact.
The strange pair attracted countless curious looks. After all, most people had never seen a polar bear walking upright like a human.
And the bear looked far too harmless—white, fluffy, and almost unbearably cute.
The bear was Bepo, a polar bear Mink from Zou.
When he was young, Bepo had wanted to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Zepo. Ten years ago, while descending from Zunesha to see the outside world, he accidentally became separated from the others and drifted away. Because of that, his memories of Zou had become vague.
Determined to return home one day, he threw himself into studying navigation.
When he was nine years old, he met Trafalgar Law.
The boy walking ahead of him was none other than Trafalgar D. Water Law.
Back then, during that chaotic incident, Rosinante had hidden Law inside a treasure chest. The chest was mistaken for loot and carried away, allowing Law to escape Doflamingo's pursuit.
Afterward, Law survived alone on a small island until he met nine-year-old Bepo.
One boy and one bear hit it off surprisingly well.
Bepo had been trying to learn navigation, but because he was a talking polar bear, people often treated him as a monster and bullied him wherever he went.
With his timid personality, he endured it for a long time before finally hiding away on a remote island.
There, he met Law.
The two talked endlessly, sharing their pasts and their dreams. Gradually, they became close friends.
In a sense, they had been fortunate.
Because of the storage bracelet incident, White Ghost had leaked information to Doflamingo.
When Doflamingo later investigated, he discovered that Law had escaped more than a week before he arrived. The revelation nearly drove him into a murderous frenzy.
Unwilling to give up, Doflamingo contacted White Ghost again.
White Ghost's mocking response had almost made him cough up blood.
"If I were that all-knowing, would I still need your help finding that Devil Fruit? It's not like I don't know what the awakened Op-Op Fruit can do."
After that, Law and Bepo continued drifting from island to island.
Once Law ate the Op-Op Fruit, he devoted himself to studying medicine, traveling everywhere in search of knowledge.
Bepo focused on learning navigation so he could one day find his way back to Zou.
Their hard work paid off.
After accumulating enough medical knowledge and mastering his Devil Fruit abilities, Law successfully cured himself of Amber Lead Disease.
Even after that, he never abandoned medicine. While improving his medical skills, he continued developing the powers of the Op-Op Fruit.
And today, fourteen-year-old Law had brought Bepo to this town.
The two found a place to eat.
As Bepo stuffed roasted meat into his mouth, he asked, "Boss, is there really a cursed sword here?"
Since he had not officially gone to sea yet, he still called Law "Boss" instead of "Captain."
Law nodded.
"If the information is correct, the sword is part of a noble's collection. Getting it won't be easy."
Bepo immediately patted his furry chest.
"Don't worry, Boss! I'll definitely help you get it!"
His voice was loud enough to draw the attention of nearby diners.
Law's face darkened.
"Keep it down."
"Sorry."
Bepo instantly lowered his head.
Law was helpless whenever it came to Bepo.
This bear always looked pitiful whenever he apologized, making it impossible to stay angry.
After the people around them lost interest and looked away, Law lowered his voice.
"This time we use our brains. We're not doing things the old way."
He took another bite of his rice ball.
"Wasn't that noble recently reported to be seriously ill? We'll treat him. If I cure him, asking for the sword as payment shouldn't be a problem."
Law chewed thoughtfully.
"Kikoku..."
"I'm taking it."
Then his eyes darkened.
"Doflamingo... just wait."
"I haven't forgotten Corazon's death for a single day."
His grip tightened around the rice ball as if it were Doflamingo's throat.
Before long, one boy and one bear arrived at the noble's estate.
The luxurious manor sprawled across an enormous area.
Even from a distance, it looked less like a residence and more like a castle from a fairy tale.
The gray stone walls were marked by age, while towering spires pierced into the sky.
The massive oak gates were covered with intricate carvings so elaborate they almost seemed excessive.
The private guards at the entrance frowned when they saw the pair approaching.
One of them waved dismissively.
"Where did this brat come from? Take your pet and get lost."
Before Law could speak, Bepo lowered his head.
"Sorry."
"A talking bear?"
The guards froze.
Then they looked more carefully at the boy beside him.
One guard suddenly widened his eyes.
"Wait... are you that young miracle doctor, Law?"
Law looked up and nodded calmly.
The guard felt a chill when he met those eyes.
They didn't belong to a child.
"We came to treat Count Rosmontessori."
"Please wait."
The guard captain immediately changed his attitude.
"I'll inform the Count at once."
After arranging for someone to receive them, he hurried inside.
Not long afterward, Law and Bepo were warmly welcomed into the estate.
Only after entering did they realize just how outrageous noble wealth could be.
The surrounding gardens looked almost unreal.
Flowers bloomed in dazzling colors, filling the air with fragrance.
Vast emerald lawns stretched like finely woven carpets, perfectly maintained without a single flaw.
White pebble pathways wound between flowerbeds and ornamental trees.
Law's mouth twitched slightly.
Poverty really did limit a person's imagination.
"Wow!"
Bepo stared at a crystal-clear artificial lake.
At its center stood a fountain, spraying water high into the air. Sunlight refracted through the droplets, creating rainbow-colored pillars of light.
Willow trees lined the shore, their branches swaying gently in the breeze.
"This is way too extravagant."
Unlike Law, Bepo simply said whatever came to mind.
The butler leading them smiled politely, though his eyes carried unmistakable condescension.
"This is nothing. You have no idea how many estates the Count owns."
Even he couldn't hide his envy.
After entering the castle, Bepo's jaw practically remained open.
The interior glittered with gold, jewels, pearls, and agates.
Rows of maids stood waiting along the corridors, ready to respond to any command from their master.
Bepo's eyes darted everywhere.
If he weren't worried about embarrassing Law, he would have started touching things.
Then he suddenly looked at the maids.
"Are there any female bears here?"
The butler's face immediately darkened.
"This is a human estate. Why would there be female bears?"
"Sorry."
Bepo lowered his head again.
Law glanced at the butler.
"If you keep wasting time, find someone else to treat your master."
The butler immediately shut his mouth and continued leading them upstairs.
When they arrived at the bedroom, he waved a hand.
The maids standing beside the doors activated a mechanism.
Creak—
The massive doors slowly opened.
Inside, maids lined both sides of the room.
At the center, lying on a luxurious bed, was a huge, overweight man with a sickly complexion.
Count Rosmontessori.
The moment he saw Law, his eyes lit up.
The rumors had been accurate.
A young boy.
A polar bear.
"Doctor Law!"
The Count nearly sat upright.
"Please examine me. What exactly is wrong with me? I have no appetite, constant diarrhea, and no energy at all."
Law approached with Bepo.
Bepo's eyes were fixed on the giant bed.
It looked incredibly comfortable.
Ignoring him, Law raised his short blade.
The nearby bodyguards immediately became alert.
If not for Law's reputation, they never would have allowed a child carrying a weapon into the room.
The Count waved them back.
He had already seen countless doctors.
This was his last hope.
"Scan."
Law casually swept his blade through the air.
To everyone else, nothing happened.
But in Law's eyes, the Count's condition became completely clear.
After lowering his weapon, Law spoke.
"You're not sick."
The Count blinked.
Then Law continued.
"You've been poisoned."
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