The Ship's Doctor

After the encounter with Ace at the inn, Kai and the rest made their way to the port, back to the Victoria Punk.

"Kai, Kid, someone called Ace was looking for you" Heat informed the two while holding a map on his hands, he was trying to identify their next destination on the Grand Line. 

"Yeah, we met him at the inn. He was looking for information about Blackbeard" Kai responded to Heat while approaching him before taking a closer look at the map.

"Where are we heading next?" Kid questioned.

"It's a place called Asuka Island" Heat stated.

"Asuka Island? Never heard of it" Kid said.

"Me too…" Kai initially wanted to go to Arabasta using the Eternal Pose he got from Hina ship, but that was changed after he came up with of another plan for Crocodile. Something more beneficial than defeating the Warlord or stealing his Devil Fruit. 

But that's a plan that will have to wait for a couple of weeks before it can be done. His future knowledge and a Den Den Mushi he stole from Hina are the keys to that plan.

"Let's hope we don't meet another Blackbeard there" Kai added, although he's not someone who will run away from a fight but he's not as reckless as to enter a fight against a powerful person without a plan. 

The crew's battle against the Blackbeard Pirates wasn't planned at all and it could have gone wrong in many ways if not for Kai's quick thinking and negotiation skills.

"We should expect the marines on our tails after your new bounties" Killer said "After all it's not every day that we get two Supernovas in one crew"

"Maybe you'll be the third one if you try hard enough" Kid flashed confident grin at him before he turned to the rest of the crew and gave orders to get ready to sail. 

Killer assumed the helmsman duty, Heat as the navigator stood near him wearing his Loge Pose on his wrist to direct him in the right way, Gin and Wire took the job of lowering the sails while Bonney sat in the crow's nest at the top of the main mast with a spyglass, occasionally observing the sea and trying to identify any new vessel nearby.

"Let's wait for a bit before we move!" Kai voiced before he put his sunglasses on and then proceeded to recline on a nearby lounge chair on the ship's deck. 

"Don't tell me you're waiting for that doctor?" Kid asked, looking impatient. He's not someone who likes to stay still or relax in one place for too long, so he was eager to leave this island and visit a new place "Come on, we can do fine without a doctor"

"No, we're not. We don't know what we might encounter out there, having a doctor in the ship is essential"

"Tsk…You're just too paranoid" Kid proceeded to rest on the ship deck as well and the crew waited for a while.

2 hours later,

"…" Everyone was getting impatient, especially Kid.

"Alright, we've waited long enough!" he exclaimed while getting on his feet "No one is coming" 

"I agree, the old aunty doesn't seem to be interested in sailing the sea…*Munch*-*Munch*" Bonney said while shoving a big slice of meat into her mouth.

"What do you wanna do?" Killer asked Kai, waiting for his words before they leave.

"Sigh…I guess there is nothing we can do"

Just as Kai was gonna give orders to set sail, a familiar feminine voice spoke "I thought you would have been gone by now!"

Kai smiled upon hearing that voice. It was Kureha, and she was accompanied by chopper and Dalton who looked completely healed from the injuries he suffered in his fight against Kai "We were waiting for you. I was serious when I said I need a doctor in my ship" 

Kureha took a sip from a bottle of alcohol she was holding before closely examining the massive pirate ship in front of her "Nice ship you got here" She admired the Victoria Punk. 

"It's so cool! It's my first time seeing a pirate ship!" Chopper exclaimed in excitement while standing beside her. 

"You can come a long if you like it that much" Kureha said jokingly, Chopper laughed nervously in response to that. The two already had a conversation earlier and Chopper decided to stay in the island for now. 

Kai wasn't gonna accept him either way since they have different sets of morals, the crew doesn't care about taking people's lives to achieve their goals, they ransacked entire islands and plundered hundreds of ships. The little reindeer was simply never gonna fit in.

Since Kureha can't trust Chopper to take care of himself, she asked Dalton to look after him while she is away. The latter didn't mind that. 

Dalton was also hostile towards the Eustass Pirates even though they technically were the reason Blackbeard left the island without causing any more destructions to the kingdom. But the fact that they stole the treasures from the Drum Castle's treasury made him furious because it's the money they use to pay the Celestial Dragons to be affiliated with the World Government. 

But Kai did order his crew to return half of it back when he decided to take Kureha as a crew member "Don't look at me like that. I was gonna take everything initially, but since this is my ship's doctor's home, I only took half of the treasures, consider it as a payment for driving away the Blackbeard Pirates" Kai said to Dalton. 

Dalton glared in response "It's not like you did it for that reason. But whatever, hurry up and leave, you're not welcomed here"

"Right away!"

Kureha and Chopper had a brief goodbye after that.

"Thank you, Doctorine. I'll always cherish the time I've spent with you." Chopper said, tears forming in his eyes. He had been a student and under the care of Dr. Kureha for so long that he considers her as a family. He wiped his tears away and smiled "I will also leave this island one day and travel the sea, maybe we'll meet again out there" 

Kureha patted his head affectionately "I'll look forward to that"

With that Kureha boarded the Victoria Punk.

"Welcome to the crew!" Kai was the first to welcome her.

"Consider yourself lucky old hag, you're gonna sail in the future Pirate King's ship" Kid declared with a confident grin.

"Hahaha!...Cocky brat. We'll see what you're truly made of" Kureha proceeded to take another sip from her drink before Bonney took her in a tour around the ship while everyone got ready to sail. 

After all supplies were loaded and the preparation were made, the sails were lowered, and the Victoria Punk slowly sailed away from the island to where the Log Pose was pointing.

"Stay alert! I feel like the Marines are gonna start targeting us more now that we are recognized as supernova!" Kai informed everyone.

Kid who standing beside him added "Let them come, at least it won't get boring with them out here"

"Be careful what you wish Kiddo, we might just get the wrong marine after us"