A group of people laughed so hard they almost fell over, and it took them a while to recover. At this moment, Marco flew to Orochimaru's side and asked with a solemn expression, "Can you really cure Old Man? Although my Phoenix ability can repair wounds and accelerate regeneration, Old Man's body functions are too weak now..."
Orochimaru did not answer immediately. Instead, he slowly infused his Chakra into Whitebeard's body before saying,
"It's no problem to restore Whitebeard's fighting strength for a short period. My Chakra, you can think of it as a special ability. It can accelerate cell regeneration and temporarily repair the hidden injuries within Whitebeard's body.
However, it's only temporary, just enough to last for this battle.
To fully restore Whitebeard, his internal organs must also return to a youthful state.
As for the issues with organ function... once this war is over, when I have time, I can give him a whole new set of internal organs."
Marco fell silent upon hearing this.
Replace internal organs? It's not that simple! This isn't like repairing a ship and replacing a mast; there will be all sorts of complex rejection reactions.
It's like forcibly inserting a new part into a precise machine; if not done correctly, it could cause the entire "machine" to collapse.
Why do you say it so casually?
Whitebeard, however, didn't consider these complex problems. When he heard that he could temporarily regain his youthful strength,
an excited smile instantly bloomed on his weathered face, and his laughter was as loud as thunder: "Gurararararara... Bring me sake!"
"No!" Marco and Orochimaru stopped him simultaneously. Orochimaru simply disliked the smell of alcohol, while Marco instinctively disagreed.
The group looked at Whitebeard's crestfallen expression and burst into a triumphant laugh. The laughter spread freely in the air, as if to dye everything around them with joy.
"Old Man, you just rest and recover. We'll gladly drink your sake for you!" someone shouted, their words full of teasing.
As the boisterous laughter gradually subsided, everyone happily continued the banquet. After all, they were all well aware of Whitebeard's physical condition, and now that there was hope for a cure, it was undoubtedly the brightest dawn in these dark days for them.
At this moment, their only remaining concern was to bring Ace back safely. As long as Ace could return unharmed, they would have no more regrets.
They were all orphans; they gathered together because of Whitebeard.
It's just a pity; they'll never get to eat Thatch's cooking again.
Orochimaru, who had just jumped off Whitebeard's broad shoulders, was unexpectedly caught in a firm hug by Sabo.
Sabo's lips curved into a gentle smile as he reached out and softly ruffled Orochimaru's head, his eyes full of doting affection:
"(-.ω-) You've worked hard."
Orochimaru awkwardly turned his head. "Hmm... long time no see, Sabo."
Izo quietly watched the two interacting before him, his gaze fixed on Orochimaru.
His eyes held scrutiny, as if he wanted to see through Orochimaru. His gaze slowly moved down from Orochimaru's face, carefully examining his attire.
Underneath the white kimono, he wore chainmail, and his Ninja shoes were particularly striking, with a shimenawa forming a large bow behind him.
The unique clothing and accessories, this sense of familiarity, like a wisp of smoke, lingered in his heart, giving him a feeling of closeness.
"Ace's brother? You... are from Wano Country, aren't you?" Izo frowned slightly, asking tentatively, his voice carrying a hint of uncertainty.
"No." Orochimaru answered simply and directly, without any hesitation. Sabo said nothing, just continued to rub Orochimaru's head.
Sabo's gaze lingered on Izo's kimono; the style, color, and pattern all bore distinct marks of Wano Country. A flicker of inquisitiveness crossed his eyes, like a ripple on a calm lake.
"Is Izo from Wano Country?" Sabo's words were a question, his tone gentle yet full of curiosity.
"Yes..." A glimmer of memory appeared in Izo's eyes,
"My master was once the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Kozuki Oden. Lord Oden was a great man; he possessed extraordinary charisma and fearless courage.
Later, Roger took Lord Oden away, and as Lord Oden's subordinate, I should fulfill his promise on his behalf, so I stayed.
After all these years, I have come to regard the Whitebeard Pirates as my own family."
"I see..." Sabo scratched his head, feigning a hint of apology on his face. "But I'm not very familiar with this Oden, so I apologize, I can't appreciate the greatness you speak of."
As he spoke, Sabo habitually reached out and smiled, patting Orochimaru's head, his movements full of intimacy.
However, the next second, Sabo only felt a great force, and his palm was slapped red and swollen. Sabo pitifully blew on his hand, which had swollen like a bun. "Really, don't take your anger out on me!"
"Tsk..." Orochimaru clicked his tongue under his breath, muttering, "I'm not angry. Patting my head like that will stop me from growing taller."
Meanwhile, at Impel Down, Luffy, along with Ivankov, Inazuma, Buggy, Mr.3, and Bon Clay, advanced all the way and finally reached the sixth level of the prison.
With Buggy's help, when they encountered Magellan, Buggy disintegrated the attacks of the Hydra, and at the same time, Mr.3 used his wax to create a protective shield to cover everyone.
Even so, Luffy and the others were injured, but only lightly. While walking, they accidentally fell into Level 5.5.
On Level 5.5, Luffy met Ivankov and Inazuma. Ivankov learned that Luffy was Dragon's son and decided to help Luffy.
Returning to the present moment, on the sixth level of Impel Down, Luffy ran frantically like a headless fly, constantly shouting Ace's name, his voice echoing through the silent prison corridor.
The group accompanying him, however, noticed something unusual. The prisoners here were all eerily quiet, as if their souls had been extracted. This deathly silence formed a stark contrast to Luffy's clamor.
Luffy's anxious shouts, like a sharp signal, caught Jinbe's attention. After all, in this vast and oppressive sixth level, after Ace was urgently taken away by Magellan,
now only three of them were still active on this sixth level... No, it should be two, Bullet was completely as if dead.
"Over here... You're Straw Hat, aren't you? You're too late." Jinbe's voice was low and hoarse.
"Ace has already been taken away and should have been handed over to Marine Headquarters by now."
Upon hearing this, Luffy felt as if all his strength had been drained, feeling disheartened for a moment. But very quickly, Luffy regained his fighting spirit.
"I've decided! I'm going to Marine Headquarters! If I don't go, I think I'll regret it for the rest of my life!" Luffy clenched his fists, his eyes resolute.
Just then, Crocodile appeared behind the cage in front of Luffy, his face grim, his eyes dark and unreadable.
"Since you know, let us out. After all, only the three of us are left on this level." Crocodile said impatiently, looking at Straw Hat Luffy.
Luffy stared at Crocodile in front of him, thinking hard, then suddenly realized, pointing at him with a shocked expression.
"You... you're that Shichibukai who was tricked by Orochimaru! Ah... no, that... can't be said... just pretend I didn't say anything."
Luffy seemed to realize he had said something wrong and quickly covered his mouth with his hand, his eyes wide open, looking innocently at Crocodile.
"So, what were you just saying?"
Crocodile's mouth twitched. So, the whole world knew he had been tricked?
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