"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?" Barbaro stared at the fruit, puzzled.
"Hmm, so that's why the peddler sold it cheaply…" Lynn murmured.
"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!"
"Yo, Lynn! Get up here!" Barbaro's voice bellowed from the crow's nest.
Lynn sighed, tucking away his medical journal beneath his hammock. The ship creaked beneath his feet as he made his way up, the familiar smell of salt and timber filling his nostrils.
"What is it now? Did you reopen that cut again?" Lynn called up, scaling the rigging with practiced ease. His hands had grown calloused over the months, no longer the soft palms of a middle schooler.
"Better! Look!" Barbaro thrust his spyglass into Lynn's hands the moment he reached the top. "There's something weird in the water!"
Lynn squinted through the lens, adjusting the focus. About half a mile from their starboard side, the ocean churned unnaturally, forming a slow spiral that caught the afternoon sun in a hypnotic pattern.
"That... doesn't look good." Lynn handed the spyglass back, a knot forming in his stomach. "In my world, we'd call that a whirlpool, but something's off about it."
"GRAND LINE PHENOMENON AT TWO O'CLOCK!" Barbaro shouted down to the deck.
The crew burst into action, practiced movements as they adjusted sails and changed course. Lynn climbed down quickly, heading for Brook who stood calmly at the helm.
"Master, shouldn't we be moving faster to avoid that thing?" Lynn asked, his voice pitching higher with nervousness.
Brook's fingers tapped a rhythm against the ship's wheel. "Yohohoho! You see danger where there's opportunity, my apprentice! That's not a whirlpool—it's a treasure current!"
"A what now?"
"Watch and learn!" Brook spun the wheel sharply, directing the ship closer to the phenomenon rather than away. "These currents appear when underwater sea kings disturb ancient shipwrecks. They bring up all manner of treasures from the deep!"
Lynn's jaw dropped. "You're sailing us toward it?"
"OF COURSE!" Brook laughed heartily. "What kind of pirates would we be if we avoided treasure? Yohohoho!"
The entire crew cheered as nets were prepared and fishing lines cast out. Lynn could only shake his head in disbelief—no matter how long he spent in this world, its bizarre logic still surprised him.
Soon enough, the nets began coming up filled with waterlogged chests, strange artifacts, and bottles sealed with wax. The crew worked in synchronized chaos, hauling in their findings while maintaining the ship's precarious position at the edge of the current.
"Lynn! Check if any of these items have medicinal value!" Brook called out, tossing a barnacle-encrusted box toward him.
Lynn caught it with a grunt—it was heavier than it looked. "On it!"
Working methodically, Lynn sorted through the haul. Most items were worthless: rotted wood, rusted metal, unidentifiable organic matter. But occasionally, he found something useful: sealed vials of liquid that might be medicine, strange plants preserved in jars, unusual shells that could be ground into powder.
"Found anything good, doc?" One of the crew members asked, dropping another chest beside him.
"Maybe. This jar might contain an antibiotic—or deadly poison. Hard to tell without proper testing."
The pirate slapped Lynn's back. "That's our little doctor! Always seeing the bright side!"
Lynn rolled his eyes but smiled. The crew's ribbing had become familiar, almost comforting.
As the sun began to set, the treasure current dissipated as suddenly as it had appeared. The crew gathered their findings on the main deck for inventory. Brook strolled among the piles, occasionally picking up items of interest.
"Another successful day on the high seas!" Brook announced. "Tonight, we celebrate with music! Lynn, I expect you to demonstrate what you've learned on the violin!"
Lynn groaned internally. Despite months of practice, his violin skills remained mediocre at best. His fingers were nimble enough from medical practice, but producing anything resembling actual music was a challenge.
"Can't I just stick to treating everyone's inevitable injuries instead?" Lynn pleaded.
"Nonsense! Medicine and music are not so different—both require precision, patience, and passion!" Brook twirled dramatically. "Besides, how will you honor our oath to Captain Yorki if you can't play Binks' Sake properly? Yohohoho!"
Lynn knew he'd lost this argument before it began. "Fine, but don't blame me when everyone's ears start bleeding."
The celebration lasted well into the night. Lanterns swung gently with the ship's motion, casting golden light across the deck as the crew danced, drank, and sang. Lynn had survived his violin performance—barely—and now sat cross-legged near the bow, carefully examining the contents of a medical kit he'd salvaged from the treasure current.
"Not joining the festivities?" Brook's voice came from behind him.
Lynn shrugged without looking up. "Just wanted to inventory this while it's quiet. Some of these herbs might be useful for the crew's injuries."
Brook sat beside him, long legs folding awkwardly. For a few moments, they sat in companionable silence, the sounds of celebration carrying across the deck.
"You've come far since we found you," Brook finally said, his tone uncharacteristically serious. "Captain Yorki would be proud."
Lynn's hands stilled. "Do you really think so?"
"I know so." Brook nodded firmly. "You were a liability at first—a strange boy with stranger ideas about medicine. Now you're indispensable."
"I'm still learning," Lynn mumbled, uncomfortable with the praise. "Back in my world, I was just a kid who read medical books for fun. Here..." He gestured vaguely at the ocean surrounding them. "Everything's different. The diseases, the treatments, the way bodies work with Devil Fruits and Haki."
"Yet you adapt." Brook placed a bony hand on Lynn's shoulder. "That's what makes a true Rumbar Pirate."
A lump formed in Lynn's throat. These moments—when the homesickness faded and belonging took its place—were becoming more frequent.
"Speaking of adapting," Brook continued, his tone lightening, "let's see how that Devil Fruit of yours is doing!"
Lynn groaned. "It's not mine, and I'm still not eating it!"
"Yohohoho! We'll see about that!" Brook pulled the strange fruit from inside his coat. "I've been thinking—perhaps this isn't meant to be eaten like a normal fruit. The skin is too tough."
Lynn eyed it suspiciously. "What are you suggesting?"
"Perhaps it needs to be prepared first! Ground into powder, maybe, or steeped like tea."
"Or maybe it's just not a Devil Fruit at all," Lynn countered. "Maybe it's just a weird, overpriced paperweight that I foolishly bought."
"Only one way to find out!" Brook pressed the fruit into Lynn's hands. "Experiment! That's what you're good at, isn't it? Think of it as a medical challenge!"
Before Lynn could protest further, Brook had already stood and rejoined the celebration, his violin singing beneath skilled fingers.
Lynn turned the fruit over in his hands, studying its unusual shape and pattern. It did resemble a floppy disk—a comparison none of the pirates would understand. The surface felt organic but unnaturally hard, almost like reinforced plastic.
"Fine," he muttered to himself. "I'll try to study it—but I'm still not eating it."
As if in response, the fruit seemed to pulse once in his palm, so subtly he thought he might have imagined it.
___
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