The sea breeze whistled, mingled with the sharp ring of a blade cutting through the air.
Johnny, the bounty hunter, let out a furious roar as he swung his broadsword downward with bone-crushing force. However, the straw-hatted youth before him merely shifted his weight, sidestepping the strike with effortless grace.
"Whoa, whoa! Dangerous!"
CRACK!
Having lost its target, the blade's momentum didn't falter, slamming heavily into the wooden railing behind. Amidst a shower of splinters, an entire section of the railing was sliced clean through, the cut as smooth as a mirror.
"Ah! Dammit!"
Luffy stared at the damaged ship, his eyebrows knitting together in immediate distress. "I don't really get what's going on, but I won't let you wreck my ship anymore!"
He pulled his right arm back, the limb stretching like a fully drawn longbow.
"Gum-Gum... PISTOL!"
THUD!
With a dull impact, Luffy's fist shot out like a cannonball, slamming squarely into Johnny's face. Before Johnny could even scream, he was sent flying backward, crashing onto the deck with his eyes rolled back, unconscious.
"Nice one, Luffy!" Usopp shouted excitedly from behind the mast, waving his slingshot. "That's the spirit!"
At that moment, the cabin door pushed open, and the rest of the crew stepped out. Viktor squinted at the brilliant sun and stretched his limbs. "Ah, what beautiful weather."
Standing beside him, Nami's face went dark. "Is this the time for that? The fight's already over!"
Zoro followed last, letting out a massive yawn, looking like he hadn't slept nearly enough. He wandered toward the edge of the deck, his bleary eyes falling on the broken railing. He frowned slightly. "Eh? Who broke the fence?"
Then, his gaze shifted to the figure in the black t-shirt lying on the deck. "What... isn't that Johnny?"
Hearing that familiar, authoritative voice, Johnny—who had been groaning and trying to crawl back up—stiffened. He twisted his body around. When he saw the green-haired man with three swords at his waist, the ferocity on his face instantly melted into pure excitement.
"Zo... ZORO-ANIKI?!"
Johnny practically crawled over, kneeling and pressing his forehead against the deck. Luffy tilted his head, retracting his arm. "Oh? So he's an acquaintance."
"Aniki! Why are you on a pirate ship?" Johnny looked up, his face full of disbelief and heartbreak. "Why?! You were a specialist at hunting pirates..."
"Never mind that," Zoro said, waving off the interrogation and glancing around. "Is it just you? Where's Yosaku?"
At the mention of that name, Johnny's excited expression collapsed. Tears erupted from his eyes like a fountain. "Waaaaah! Aniki... please come with me!"
A few moments later, the crew gathered by Johnny's small fishing boat below. Nami turned to Viktor and whispered, "What's going on? Do they really know each other?"
"Yeah," Viktor replied, arms crossed. He watched Zoro, who was perched on the railing, directing Luffy to move a wounded man. "They were probably Zoro's partners back when he was a bounty hunter. Come on, let's go see."
By now, the man named Yosaku had been hoisted onto the Merry's deck by Luffy and Zoro.
"Is he sick?" Zoro knelt down, staring at Yosaku's deathly pale face, his brow furrowed.
"It looks serious," Viktor noted, observing the man closely. Yosaku's eyes were shut tight, his skin a sickly shade of bluish-purple, and his breathing was shallow and rapid.
Johnny knelt nearby, sobbing as he wiped his eyes. "Yes... big brother. A few days ago, Yosaku caught some strange disease. First, his teeth started falling out for no reason. Then, his old scars began to reopen and bleed uncontrollably..."
Johnny clenched his fists in grief. "I took him behind that rock formation to rest, and suddenly, a cannonball flew in from the direction of this ship..."
At the word "cannonball," Luffy and Usopp both turned ghostly white. Their jaws nearly hit the floor. The target practice...
The two shared a stiff, terrified glance, cold sweat pouring down their necks. In the next second, they both bowed ninety degrees toward Johnny and yelled in unison:
"WE'RE... WE'RE SORRY!!"
Johnny didn't even notice them. He was spiraling into despair, clutching Zoro's pant leg. "Waaaah! Yosaku! Aniki! Is he going to die? I'm going to lose my brother!"
Zoro froze, completely out of his element. He was an expert at cutting people down, but saving them was far beyond his expertise.
He turned to Viktor with a pleading look. "Hey, Viktor! You've got to have a way, right?"
Viktor was about to speak when an orange-haired figure pushed past him.
"Honestly, are you men all idiots?" Nami sighed helplessly, kneeling beside Yosaku. She used her fingers to expertly pry open his mouth to check his gums, then checked the color of his tongue.
Confirming the symptoms, she stood up and barked orders at the panicked Luffy and Usopp. "You two! Go to the kitchen and get some of those limes! Hurry!"
"R-Right!" The two troublemakers dashed into the cabin as if they'd been granted a divine pardon.
Watching this, Viktor nodded thoughtfully. "I see... Scurvy?"
It was one of the most common terminal illnesses for sailors, having claimed countless lives throughout history. The primary cause was the severe lack of Vitamin C due to long periods at sea without fresh fruits or vegetables.
Nami glanced at Viktor and nodded. "Exactly. If we're not too late, a few days of proper nutrition and he'll be fine."
"Really, Big Sis?!" Johnny turned and knelt before Nami, hope reigniting in his eyes. "He'll really be okay in a few days?"
"Don't call me Big Sis!" Nami pushed him away, looking annoyed. She sighed at the group of men who knew how to fight but seemingly nothing else. "Honestly, you people have a lot of nerve heading out to sea knowing absolutely nothing."
Luffy and Usopp came running back with a mountain of limes.
"Shishishi! Drink up, drink up! It tastes great!" Luffy grabbed a handful of limes. Without a juicer, he simply crushed them with his bare hands, spraying juice everywhere.
"Ah! Luffy, it's getting in his eyes! You're making a mess!" Usopp yelled. "Move, let me do it!"
"No, that's too slow!" Luffy grabbed another handful and, regardless of the consequences, stuffed them directly into Yosaku's open mouth. "There, this is faster!"
"Luffy! You're going to choke him to death!" Usopp screamed, sweat-dropping.
"Mmph... gurgle...!" The unconscious Yosaku let out a muffled, pained groan.
Luffy wiped the juice off his hands and looked at Nami with a bright smile. "Nami, thanks to you, this guy's saved! You're incredible!"
Nami looked at the chaotic scene, her face dark with exasperation. She rubbed her temples. "If you don't even have this much common sense, you're going to lose your lives out here in no time. Hey, Viktor, you need to..."
She stopped mid-sentence. Her expression faltered as a sudden realization seemed to hit her. She turned her head, casting a complex, unreadable glance at Viktor standing nearby. She bit her lip and, without saying another word, turned and walked quickly back into the cabin.
Luffy scratched his head, watching her leave. "Viktor, did I say something wrong?"
"You're an idiot, so probably," Usopp teased. "You were way too rough."
Pft—!
Just then, Yosaku sat bolt upright on the deck, spitting out a mouthful of crushed limes and coughing violently. "Cough, cough! S-So sour! Who's trying to murder me?!"
"Ah! He's awake!" Luffy cheered.
"Yosaku!" Johnny scrambled over, sobbing. "Thank goodness!"
The deck returned to its usual noisy, celebratory state. Viktor, however, didn't join the celebration. He stood still, his gaze piercing through the crowd to the cabin door where Nami had disappeared.
Was it because of what Kray said earlier... or because of Arlong?
Recalling the look in Nami's eyes, Viktor had a sinking suspicion. He hesitated for a moment, then finally started walking toward the cabin to follow her.
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