"Not healthy!?"
The explanation left everyone stunned. Logically, the phrase itself was easy to understand, but...
"There's nothing wrong with my body, Dr. Kureha..."
Erik was a swordsman. Though he was somewhat weakened at the moment, the idea that a swordsman's blood could be considered unhealthy was difficult to grasp.
"You misunderstand. When I say your blood isn't healthy enough, I'm not talking about the strong body you've built through years of training. I mean the kind of vitality one is born with."
"As I mentioned earlier, Amber Lead Disease is essentially a chronic form of heavy metal poisoning. Normally, the body's metabolic functions can expel the toxins through the bloodstream. That's the core principle behind blood replacement therapy. But the problem is that your sister's body is already too weak. Her blood has completely decayed, and her organs and tissues are nearly the same. So even if you transfused normal healthy blood into her, it wouldn't make much difference. What she needs is blood that's healthy enough—blood that carries powerful life force. Only then can it act like a strong stimulant, reawakening the dormant functions of her body."
Dr. Kureha glanced toward Tiger, then shifted her eyes to Yemu.
"For example, this fishman here—his condition is ideal. The Fishman race is born ten times physically stronger than humans, and their blood naturally carries extraordinary vitality. The same goes for the Giant Race, or those with special bloodlines. Of course, your captain could also be a candidate. For someone to achieve his current level of strength, his body must be built on a very solid foundation."
Both Yemu and Tiger froze for a moment.
"So my bloodline's that amazing? I thought it was just because I trained hard."
Dr. Kureha looked at him as if he were an idiot.
"A snake, no matter how hard it trains, will never become a dragon. If effort alone could change the world, it wouldn't be the miserable place it is now."
"That does make sense... but I don't even know my blood type. Would it even work?"
"Captain Yemu... thank you so much..."
Erik's eyes filled with tears as he spoke, while Tiger hesitated silently beside him.
Then Dr. Kureha poured a bucket of cold reality over them.
"Don't be so quick to agree. Even if your blood types miraculously match, you must be prepared to lose your life."
"Uh... what do you mean?"
"It's simple. As I said, to fully cure his sister, a normal transfusion won't be enough. A complete blood replacement is necessary."
Her tone softened slightly as she continued.
"At the very least, over ninety percent of her blood must be replaced. Only then can her body regain vitality and metabolize the remaining lead in her tissues and organs. Otherwise, it'll just prolong her life a little."
"A person's blood accounts for roughly nine percent of their body weight. Even though the girl is young, she'll need about 2,500 milliliters of fresh blood. To be safe, we'll need to extract more—at least 3,000 milliliters from the donor."
Dr. Kureha's voice grew heavier.
"A normal adult begins to lose consciousness after 500 milliliters of blood loss, goes into shock at 800, and dies after losing more than 1,000. Your body is strong, so you might hold on a bit longer—but 3,000 milliliters? Even I can't guarantee you'll survive that."
"Moreover, to preserve the blood's vitality, the surgery, extraction, and transfusion must all happen simultaneously. That makes it even more dangerous."
"So... are you still willing to try?"
A heavy silence fell over the entire castle.
Everyone's gaze turned toward Yemu.
Flare and Tiger's eyes clearly showed they didn't want him to agree.
Erik, meanwhile, was torn apart inside—he couldn't bear to abandon the chance to save his sister, yet he couldn't stand the thought of a stranger dying because of it.
"Don't worry."
Yemu took a deep breath, forcing down the impulsive thought that had flashed through his mind.
"Though I did feel the urge to agree right away and look cool doing it, don't worry—I understand. I'm the captain. Too much rests on my shoulders, so I can't afford to be reckless."
Miracles might exist in this world, but a true leader—a captain—should never gamble with their life on impulse.
Sure enough, as soon as Yemu said that, Flare and Tiger both visibly relaxed.
Flare glared at him fiercely.
"If you dare agree on a whim, I'll take the next ship straight back to Loguetown."
Then, turning to Erik, she softened her tone, guilt flickering across her expression.
"Um... Erik, I'm sorry. It's not that I don't want to cure your sister's illness... it's just..."
"I understand, Miss Flare. You don't need to apologize to me. The one who should apologize is me. No matter how this ends, I can accept it."
Tears streamed down Erik's face as he spoke.
Yemu, however, looked toward Dr. Kureha.
"Dr. Kureha, could you tell me honestly—how dangerous is this surgery?"
Dr. Kureha took a slow drag from her cigarette, exhaled a stream of smoke, and said,
"For an ordinary person, losing that much blood... I can tell you plainly, the chance of survival is less than one percent."
"But both you and this fishman have bodies far sturdier than most. As I said earlier, blood volume makes up roughly nine percent of body weight. So, in theory, your limits are much higher than a normal human's. Even so, I'd only give you a ten percent chance of survival."
She paused, then added, "Though, if you're a little lucky, maybe... fifty percent."
"What do you mean?"
"It's simple. Everything I just said assumes that only one of you matches her blood type. But if both of you are compatible with this little girl's blood..."
"Hey, don't forget about me."
A crack of lightning flashed through the room as Enel appeared at the doorway, his body still sparking faintly with electricity.
"My blood should be usable too, right?"
"Of course it can."
Dr. Kureha's tone grew serious as she looked at him.
"If you're truly that lucky—if all three of your blood types match this little girl's—then there'll be no problem at all. But it's too soon to say anything. Let's test the blood types first and see if a miracle happens."
...
In this world, blood types are divided into four main categories: F-type, S-type, X-type, and XF-type. Among them, S-type is particularly rare. Fortunately, Erik had already confirmed that both he and his sister possessed F-type blood, greatly increasing their chances.
"I'll go first."
Enel volunteered, stepping forward as the first to have his blood drawn and tested by Dr. Kureha. But when the results came back, everyone's hearts sank.
"I'm afraid your blood type is S-type. It's incompatible with the little girl's."
Of the three potential donors, one was already ruled out. That meant even if the remaining two matched, each would have to donate at least 1500 milliliters of blood—a dangerously high amount.
Enel's expression darkened.
At that moment, Tiger, who should have stepped forward for his turn, hesitated. A troubled look crossed his face...