Early morning, a thin mist lingered.
The first ray of morning sunlight fell on Shiro's face.
"Once more!"
Shiro, refusing to admit defeat, said.
"No need. Here are the cigarettes." Law decisively took out the cigarettes and handed them to Shiro. However, the latter, with strong initiative, used his ability.
Under Law's speechless gaze, Shiro materialized a stone mortar and a plate of unidentified beans.
Accompanying him all night wasn't enough… now it's morning and he still wants to continue.
Law just felt a bit tired. If this guy weren't Ging's friend and hadn't treated Netero, he would have already tossed the cigarettes down and walked away.
"Don't worry, this time it'll work. Believe me!"
Shiro said solemnly, then began grinding the unknown beans.
Immediately after, a crisp crack was heard.
Shiro picked up the stone pestle and looked, a chunk was missing from its semicircular bottom.
Law silently looked at the pestle. The small stone path became exceptionally quiet.
"Accident, accident."
After a moment, Shiro gave an awkward laugh, then wasted a circle of Nen to restore the pestle, and began focusing intently on grinding the beans.
Similarly, it required high concentration… otherwise, the pestle's hardness would be defeated by the beans. And if a few chunks were knocked off the pestle, it would require wasting more Nen to repair it.
Watching Shiro begin to concentrate on grinding the beans, Law let out a deep sigh, feeling somewhat compelled to explain things to Shiro.
However, information about Calamities and Nen Abilities inherently shouldn't be easily disclosed.
Even though Shiro was Ging's friend, that didn't change this fact.
Originally, Law was the type who was good at considering others, and he wouldn't ever disregard Shiro's dignity.
Now, he could only honestly continue waiting beside him, hoping Shiro would finish grinding the beans quickly.
Time passed bit by bit. As the hospital's greenery park, many patients and family members soon came out for light.
People came over from the small stone path. Usually, someone often sat on the bench to sunbathe, but today, seeing a strangely dressed man earnestly grinding beans nearby, they found it very odd.
Passersby looked at Shiro with strange eyes, incidentally including Law in their gaze.
Basically, everyone would stand there and think for a moment, then give up on sitting on the bench to sunbathe.
And so, until noon, after being scrutinized by countless gazes as if looking at a lunatic, Shiro finally finished grinding the beans.
The stone mortar vanished, leaving behind a large bowl of bean powder.
Shiro held the large bowl, his arm trembling.
Continuous, high-intensity use of his Nen Ability had now left him at the end of his rope.
"Come on, this time it'll work!"
Shiro's eyes, fixed on Law, seemed to emit a green light, very much like a hungry wolf.
Seeing this, the corner of Law's mouth twitched. He took the large bowl, looked down at the bean powder concentrated with a considerable amount of Nen, and asked, "How should this be used this time?"
Powder ground from such hard beans, whether to ingest or apply topically was unclear.
Shiro's lips, dry and cracked from lack of moisture, moved slightly. "Just contact the skin."
Objects conjured with Nen are generally categorized into two functions: the practical application of the item itself and the super-natural application beyond the item itself. Shiro's Conjuration-type clearly straddled both.
The set of stone mortars he conjured represented the practical application of the item itself… nothing special, just for grinding things. Those beans, however, possessed functions beyond common sense, but needed to be ground into powder before use.
Whether it was grinding beans in a stone mortar or grinding an iron pestle into a needle, it was part of this system.
So, this ground bean powder, like the needle that healed Netero, could exert effects beyond common sense.
Unfortunately, this ability with an extremely high healing ceiling had rather stringent time constraints, only suitable for post-battle healing, not as a means for in-combat treatment.
Law looked at the white bean powder, thinking that given Shiro's current state, this was probably the last attempt.
With this in mind, Law followed Shiro's instruction, directly sprinkling the bean powder onto his left shoulder. When a strand of powder touched his left shoulder, all the powder transformed into shimmering points of light, swirling into a small whirlwind, directly merging into Law's body in mid-air.
Shiro, with bloodshot eyes wide open, stared fixedly at Law's empty left arm.
As the ability's user, he could clearly feel the Nen he sent out bit by bit merging into Law's body, then slowly becoming part of the other.
And then, and then...
Looking at the completely unchanged left shoulder, Shiro slowly opened his mouth. There was no 'and then'.
After a long while, Shiro, utterly exhausted, said, "How could this be? Is it because I've gotten old?"
"It's fine. I don't mind," Law comforted him.
'You don't mind, but I do!'
"No, can't let it end like this. One more, one more...!"
Shiro's bloodshot eyes now glared like a gambler who had lost everything.
However, before he could finish the sentence, he ran out of breath, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
It was because of excessive Nen consumption. After all, he had effectively used his Nen Ability continuously for a day and night. Such endurance was quite remarkable.
Seeing Shiro faint, Law immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Kuro emerged from the back of his hand, looked at Shiro lying on the ground, and complained, "Is this guy sick?"
Law instinctively wanted to reprimand Kuro for being impolite, but the words stuck in his throat, unable to come out.
It seemed... he shared the same view.
Ten minutes later, Ging arrived by the park bench, looking at Shiro lying on the bench, with heavy dark circles under his eyes.
"What did you do to Shiro?"
"He wanted to heal my arm."
Law answered, then added after a pause, "Very persistently."
Hearing this, Ging couldn't help but cover his face, able to imagine Shiro's situation at the time.
"Shiro's ability is quite good. Combined with Knov's Hide-and-Seek, it's a powerful healing method, greatly aiding the journey to the Dark Continent."
Law glanced at the sleeping Shiro.
Ging shook his head slightly and said, "Shiro has no interest in that place."
The companions who created Greed Island together… each one was no weakling, but none of them wanted to go to the Dark Continent.
People are like that… living in this world, they each have their own pursuits.
Judging by the risks, there was basically no possibility of hiring them.
"Moreover, can you be sure Knov is interested in going there?"
"Can't. The Dark Continent is originally a taboo. Many Pro Hunters don't even know of its existence."
"That's true." Ging shrugged.
Law looked at Shiro and said seriously, "Even if they were willing to go, not everyone would be willing to bear the risks of being 'stowaways'. Furthermore, compared to whether Knov and Shiro are willing to go to the Dark Continent, your problem is more troublesome."
Ging knew what Law was referring to and could only sigh deeply.
'Why was I tricked by Netero back then, completely stripped of my 'stowaway' status, forced to take the formal route to the Dark Continent? Though back then, I didn't anticipate someone like Law… a Guide.'
"If the Chairman passes away, the agreement between you and him becomes a 'dead promise'," Law continued.
"What can I do about it? I'm desperate too," Ging said sincerely.