A few days into his leave—having spent the journey intercepting illegal pirate ships and sinking a few others for good measure—Krieg arrived at Faust Island.
He had picked up a few "interesting things" on the way, but those would have to wait for later investigation.
Faust Island had become a sanctuary. Originally a desolate rock with nothing but a small Marine branch, Krieg had transformed it into a world-class medical facility.
His goal was to provide a safe haven for the refugees of Flevance suffering from Amber Lead Syndrome.
By keeping them here, he avoided the global hysteria and misinformation surrounding the disease, ensuring they could be treated in peace.
The medical dream team was now in full swing: the genius surgeon Dr. Hogback, the flamboyant Dr. Indigo, the metallurgist Dr. Ashie, and Dr. Trafalgar Luc, who led the efforts despite being a patient himself.
The island was also home to a growing support system: Monet and her sister Sugar (learning medicine and pharmacy), Olga (Ashie's daughter), and Krieg's trusted adjutants, Gin and Sigma, who stayed behind to provide security.
And, of course, the man who still hadn't opened his eyes: Donquixote Rosinante, also known as Corazon.
The Sleeping Lion and the Ultimate Fruit
"I see... so he still hasn't woken up."
Krieg listened to Dr. Luc's progress report with a frown. Corazon had been in a coma for far too long.
"Yes," Luc sighed, lifting his hands in a gesture of helplessness. "Even Hogback-dono looked him over, but the cause remains a mystery. We've hit a wall. There's a possibility of deep-seated neurological damage..."
"That's problematic," Krieg muttered. "We can't exactly operate if we don't know what we're looking for."
Monet, who had been listening while assisting Luc, chimed in. "Dr. Luc, Krieg-san... what about that 'Op-Op Fruit' you mentioned once? Wouldn't that make this possible?"
Krieg felt a pang of frustration. "It likely would. But as I've told Luc, there's a high probability his son, Law, was the one who ate it. And unfortunately, we still haven't found his whereabouts."
[Internal File: The Op-Op Fruit (Ope Ope no Mi)] A Paramecia-type fruit that allows the user to create a spherical space called a "ROOM." Within this space, the user becomes a "Free Modification Human." They can cut, displace, and reassemble anything—including living beings—without causing pain or death. It is the ultimate tool for a surgeon, but its efficacy depends entirely on the user's medical knowledge.
"True," Luc said, his voice softening at the mention of his son. "If Krieg-dono's information is correct, Law would be the perfect one to use that power. He's always been a bright boy..."
"But if we don't know where he is, it's all just talk," Monet added, tapping her chin thoughtfully.
The Budding Surgeon
Seeking to lift the heavy mood, Krieg turned the conversation toward Monet. "So, how is her progress coming along?"
Luc's face brightened immediately. "If you'll forgive me praising her right to her face—she's remarkable. She's absorbed my knowledge, studied surgery under Hogback-dono, and is even learning pharmacology from Dr. Indigo.
She's already handling consultations in my stead and acting as a primary assistant in Hogback's surgeries. I'd say she's a natural."
Monet blushed, rubbing the back of her head with a shy "Oh, stop it," while Sugar watched from the corner, munching on grapes with a silent, observant gaze.
Krieg nodded, satisfied. His "investment" in these lives was paying off. But the shadow of the Donquixote Family and the missing Law still loomed over their peaceful island.
The Fate of the Snow:
「Hmm... to think this would be the Snow-Snow Fruit (Yuki Yuki no Mi)... what a dilemma.」
Krieg paused his woodworking on the beach, wiping sweat from his brow as he stared at the fruit on the table. Its characteristic swirls shimmered under the sun, a contrast to the Devil Fruit encyclopedia he held in his other hand.
He had confiscated it from a mid-tier bounty head he'd bumped into on the way from Marineford to Faust Island.
In the original timeline, this fruit belonged to Monet, but since Doflamingo's downfall had come early, fate had rolled it right into Krieg's lap. Now, he was undecided on what to do with it.
「What kind of sorcery does that one grant-less?」
Cotton dropped onto his shoulder with a flutter of wings from Kafu. She had just finished a reconnaissance lap around the island.
「Oh? You know about Devil Fruits?」
「Leo, who guards Princess Mansherry, ate a fruit like that and can use 'Stitch-Stitch' sorcery-less. Is this the same-less?」
So it was Leo next to the Princess back then, Krieg thought.
「The same power... or 'sorcery' in Tontatta terms. No two fruits grant the same ability. This one is the 'Snow-Snow' sorcery. It lets the user turn their body into snow.」
Cotton tilted her head. 「...What is 'snow'-less?」
Krieg blinked. Right, it never snows in Dressrosa.
「Well, in cold places, instead of rain, tiny frozen white flakes fall from the sky. That's snow.」 He gave a rough, somewhat inaccurate explanation.
「Hmm, the outside world is full of things I don't know-less! So, what will you do with it-less? Are you going to eat it, Krieg-less?」
That was the problem. Being a Logia-type, it was incredibly rare. However, compared to other Logias like fire or light, its offensive power was lacking.
While Logia intangibility was tempting, Krieg's own Vajra Style (Kongo Taiso) already made him nearly impervious to most attacks.
Furthermore, Logias had clear elemental weaknesses. Sand feared water; lightning feared rubber. Snow was weak to heat—fire and magma.
In a world where people generated flames just by being angry, it felt like an easy weakness to exploit.
「No, I won't eat it. I'll keep it in storage for now. It might be useful for someone else down the line.」
「If that's what you think, then it's fine-less!」
Krieg tucked the fruit and the book back into his rucksack and picked up his hammer, resuming the construction he'd been working on.
「What are you building-less?」 Cotton asked, hopping to his left shoulder to avoid his swinging arm.
「A ship. Or rather, a small boat—just big enough for two or three people. We're going on a trip, and you're coming with me.」
「A trip? Where-less?」
「Think of it as a surprise. It'll be me, you, Gin—the black-haired subordinate who met us at the dock—and Tesoro. You remember him from Sabaody? The one with the gold rings.」
「I'll look forward to it-less! Every new place is a discovery-less!」
「We'll leave Faust Island in a day or two, head back to the first half of the Grand Line, and then aim for our destination in this boat.」
Cotton looked at the tiny, half-finished dinghy and then at the horizon. 「I learned about geography, but... how do you plan to get to the 'First Half' from the New World in such a tiny boat-less?」
Krieg froze. He looked at the boat, then at the map in his head, then at the boat again. He slapped his forehead.
「Ah... I completely forgot about the calm belt and the Red Line. ...This whole boat is useless!」
He tossed the hammer into the sand in frustration.
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