Louis spread a pale golden canopy above, letting the first rays of morning light fall through. Burgeoning life energy radiated outward, stabilizing the panicked and collapsing villagers.
Honggu, the doctor of the Red-Haired Pirates, dashed forward, rapidly administering preliminary treatment to the poisoned victims.
Yelena stood behind him, holding back several villagers who instinctively tried to rush forward to help their families.
"We won't be able to help. Don't disturb the doctor." Despite the dark shadow over her face, Yelena forced herself to stay calm. She lowered her voice and spoke to her anxious people, offering reassurance. "Stay calm. If needed, the doctor will call us for assistance."
Meanwhile, Louis relied on his extraordinary senses and Observation Haki to examine the poisoned villagers, searching for the source of the contamination.
Soon, he discovered a troubling pattern: every stomach was filled with liquid.
Or more precisely, water.
Although the Red-Haired Pirates had brought abundant supplies, no extra water was among them. The likely culprit, then, was the water stored in the village.
Moments later, Louis informed Yelena of his finding.
Upon hearing this, Yelena's face went pale. She thanked Louis, instructed her tribe to stay put and be ready to assist the doctor, and left without a backward glance.
Louis watched her disappear into the shadows before turning his gaze back toward the small town on the plain.
If he remembered correctly, in the battle a few days prior, the women and children who could not fight had collected a large amount of water from the river.
Soon, Yelena arrived at the stone house where the water was stored the same place Shanks and his crew had distributed fruits and vegetables earlier. She looked down at the water that her people had secured with their very lives, her eyes vacant and silent.
Her fists slowly clenched, veins rising along her arms and forehead.
Beckman, who had noticed the issue, approached cautiously, scooping up a cup of water. Using the toxin-detection tools he had received from Honggu, he tested it.
The result confirmed his fears.
Beckman frowned, letting out a deep sigh. No wonder even Roger, so respected by Shanks, could be so merciless…
He turned, intending to report the name of the deadly poison to the ship's brilliant doctor.
Pausing at the door, he glanced back at the darkened stone house, offering reassurance: "Don't worry. Our ship's doctor is skilled. Once he knows the poison, he'll save them."
With that, Beckman closed the door, leaving Yelena alone with her thoughts.
In the dim interior, she slowly unclenched her hands, lowering her gaze. Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper: "We chose the river you despise, the one you dump your garbage into… Even so, do you still want to wipe us all out?"
She clutched her chest, each breath through her lungs causing searing pain. Her lips trembled as she murmured, "If I die… what will happen to my people?"
Could they really defeat such a despicable kingdom?
She already knew the answer in her heart.
After a long silence, a flicker of determination shone in her eyes. I'm sorry, Grandfather.
Your assumptions are wrong. Not all of the Jacob Kingdom's people are innocent…
In the shadowed stone house, Yelena made her decision. She tied several barrels of water securely with iron chains and turned to leave. But her attention caught a fruit whose shape was suddenly distorted.
Startled, she exclaimed, "What is this?"
…
"The source has been identified. It's confirmed to be the work of the Jacobites."
"Honggu is preparing the antidote now."
Beckman walked over to Shanks and explained: "Honggu says this is an extremely toxic poison, often used by clandestine organizations for assassinations. Its reputation spread, and eventually the underworld began using it too."
"If you can contact the underworld, you can acquire it."
Hearing this, Shanks's stern expression softened, though his hand remained on the hilt of his sword. "The Jacobites… they really haven't learned their lesson…"
Beckman's gaze remained fixed on Louis, bathed in the golden morning light. "Thanks to young Louis, Honggu said that if he hadn't stabilized the villagers immediately, even drinking the antidote could have left them with severe aftereffects."
Not far away, Louis observed the victims whose breathing had stabilized. After a moment's reflection, he exhaled deeply, looking at the two men discussing him.
At that moment, Honggu, now finished with the initial treatment, approached Louis, a curious expression on his face.
"Louis, your ability… it seems to help people recover faster?"
Louis, slightly confused, nodded. "Yes… did something happen?"
"The power of the Devil Fruit is miraculous. Even the most skilled doctors cannot achieve this," Honggu said, marveling, clicking his tongue in awe.
Louis understood. If someone from his previous life had suddenly built a building in front of him, he would have been even more flustered than Honggu.
Then, Louis remembered Yelena and explained her lung pathology to Honggu.
Honggu's eyes widened in shock. "Shanks mentioned on the way here that there might be divers needing treatment. But from your description, her condition surpasses typical diving-related illnesses. This is a completely new disease… one that could be named after her!"
If he weren't a pirate and hadn't encountered this firsthand, Honggu might have begun studying it academically and preparing a paper.
Louis glanced at Shanks, surprised that he had considered this possibility but it made sense. Yelena had said she was the youngest affected, implying that others in her community had suffered from similar conditions before her.
Shanks and Roger had been here, aware that some could fall ill this wasn't surprising.
Yet…
"Is her condition far more severe than that of the previous Canaan kings?" Louis asked, after a moment of thought. "Do you have confidence in curing her?"
Before Honggu could answer, a hand rested on his shoulder.
Shanks leaned over, grinning. "Of course! Honggu of the Red-Haired Pirates is the best ship doctor in the world!"
"No illness in this world can defeat him!" Shanks added proudly, his face beaming with satisfaction for his comrade.
Behind him, the reunited members of the Red-Haired Pirates nodded in agreement, one by one, echoing their captain's sentiment.