Chapter 33: Non-Human Physique Celebration.

'Severe burns all over the body, broken ribs and arms, multiple internal bleeding... it's a miracle he's alive...'

'The good news is, his body is slowly expelling the toxins...'

'Who treated your injuries before?'

Facing the old and unfamiliar voice, a group of familiar voices echoed in his ears.

"Roman." X4

...

"Alright, it seems you need to recruit a ship doctor..."

——————

A gentle 'something' brushed against his cheek, causing Roman to slowly open his eyes.

"You're awake?"

In the voice of surprise, the blurry colors in front of Roman began to gather, forming a familiar face.

"Nami?"

"I..." Roman opened his mouth, but his throat was as dry as a desert.

"Here, drink some water."

Before Roman could say anything, Nami carefully helped him up, placed a pillow behind him, and handed him a cup of warm water.

"Thank you..."

Gulp, gulp, gulp~~

"I'm the one who should be thanking you,"

The orange-haired girl looked at the man in front of her, whose entire body had no intact skin. To others, Roman might look like a monster now, but to Nami, he was an undeniable 'hero'!

Compared to the Roman who always had a stern face and seemed 'perfect' in everything, this Roman made Nami feel...

"Don't worry, I'll take care of you for the rest of your life."

???

"My injuries aren't so bad that I need someone to take care of me, right?"

Although he was severely injured inside and out, Roman knew that what would be fatal to an ordinary person was, for him:

"As long as I don't engage in strenuous activities, I can walk right now."

"But your appearance..."

Nami lowered her eyes. Although most men at sea didn't care much about their appearance, Roman's severe burns made him look like a ghost, far beyond mere 'disfigurement.'

"Oh, you mean this."

Roman raised his hand, revealing red cracks beneath the charred skin, as if a solidified magma.

"Yes, it does look a bit bad, but—"

As Roman closed his eyes, he focused his attention on his arm, then:

"Paper Dance - Molting!"

Rustle, rustle,

The charred skin peeled off like 'paper,' revealing the white skin underneath. —It was so white that the small blue and purple blood vessels beneath the skin were visible.

"Yes, yes, yes, as expected..."

Roman nodded in satisfaction. The Devil Fruit was indeed magical. As long as one's imagination was big enough and they had the stamina and energy to push the fruit's abilities, many incredible things could be achieved.

Swish,

Lifting the blanket, Roman got out of bed and closed his eyes to fully control his fruit ability.

"Paper Dance - Regrowth!"

Crack, crack, crack—

Roman's entire body, covered in red dead skin, began to swell, crack, and peel off with a series of cracking sounds! As the charred skin fell away in pieces, a 'new' Roman was revealed.

With fair skin, an inverted triangle physique, and muscles full of power, his six-pack abs looked like a vest, and his slender arms, though thin, gave off a sense of explosive strength! The room's light shone on Roman's well-defined muscles, giving them a golden hue...

Drip,

The sound of drool brought Nami back to her senses, and she quickly turned her blushing face away.

"Roman, you... you're not... wearing clothes..."

"Oh?"

"Sorry."

Roman patted his forehead, and with a rustling sound, sheets of paper flew out. They formed a simple suit on his body, allowing Nami, who was secretly peeking, to breathe a sigh of relief while a sense of disappointment welled up in her heart.

"Paper Dance - Clothes."

What a pity...

"By the way, how did the battle at Arlong Park end?"

Although he could stand here, which meant the humans had won, there was a difference between a hard-fought victory and a complete triumph...

"It went smoothly,"

Nami stood up and smiled as she recounted to Roman.

"After you passed out, the fishmen went crazy! They even summoned a mountain-sized sea monster from the ocean..."

"At that moment, Luffy's Sanji appeared from behind the sea monster and took it down with one move. The ordinary fishmen were no match for them and were quickly defeated..."

Is that so?

It seems Luffy successfully recruited a 'chef', great:

Finally, I don't have to cook anymore.

Roman touched his 'good as new' appearance. Although his internal fractures and toxins hadn't fully healed, just being able to stand up so quickly after being burned to a crisp...

What an inhuman constitution!

---

As night fell, the sea remained calm.

The grand banquet in Cocoyasi Village continued—those who had endured humiliation and hardship lived for this day of unrestrained laughter.

There was revelry everywhere, laughter everywhere; bonfires, dancing, it didn't matter if you danced well or not, as long as you immersed yourself in this sea of joy, celebrating the hard-won freedom and the end of their enslaved fate; the entire Cocoyasi Village offered songs and wine to the heroes!

"You guys..."

When Roman walked out of the infirmary, he saw the three 'severely injured' guys in front of him.

Smoke, wine, meat.

Great, the trio of 'beautiful swordswoman bringing meat' was complete!

"Weren't you all supposed to be seriously injured?"

Roman glanced around: Luffy and Sanji had first dealt with the Krieg Pirates, then immediately rushed to Cocoyasi Village, they should have been covered in wounds... but now, they looked completely unscathed.

Even Zoro, who had taken a slash from Hawk Eyes, seemed to have no trace of the injury across his chest, drinking from a huge mug...

Does everyone in this world have 'high-speed regeneration' and 'wound healing' passive abilities?

Roman's doubts persisted until he saw the bandages on Nami's shoulder and the bandages all over Usopp's face, and he nodded.

Understood, I had forgotten that every main member of the Straw Hat crew is a tank.

Speaking of tanks... Roman looked enviously at Luffy. Trained by Garp from a young age to develop 'Seimei Kikan' (eating version), and having eaten the Rubber Fruit, he gained incredible stamina. Many experts and bosses were worn down by him, he's practically a bug...

Well, I guess I have no right to complain about them.

"Nami-san~~"

As soon as Nami appeared, the blond man in a suit named Sanji rolled over! But when Nami slightly stepped back and took Roman's hand, Sanji's face turned serious, and he bowed:

"Sorry for the interruption."

Then he gracefully turned around and:

Went to shower Nami's sister Nojiko with attention.

?

"This..."

Sanji's character seems a bit...

"You all continue eating and drinking, I'll take Roman for a walk."

??

This—

Roman looked up at the crescent moon in the sky, wondering what the point of a 'walk' at this time was. But:

Well, let's just treat it as rehabilitation exercise.

——————

With Nami leading the way, Roman was led by her through the gradually thinning crowd until they disappeared. Soon, an orange grove appeared before them.

"Here..."

Roman remembered clearly, this was Nami's family's orange grove. But now they were heading not towards Nami's house, but towards the sea:

"Bellemere, your daughters have grown up..."

A voice came from ahead, making Roman instinctively lighten his steps, then realizing he didn't need to be so cautious anymore.

"They're just like you..."

Splash,

The sound of liquid being poured echoed quietly in the moonlight.

"Nami has found companions she can laugh and cry with..."

"They've avenged you and freed us from our shackles..."

"The sacrifices we've made... are too many. All we can do is live on with a smile."

?!

The middle-aged man talking to himself turned around, his stern face relaxing.

"It's Nami, and this is... Roman?"

It's no wonder the scarred middle-aged policeman hesitated. After all, the scene of Roman being burned by flames was too deeply ingrained in everyone's mind. In less than a day, a 'completely unscathed' Roman was standing in front of him...

"It's me,"

Roman saw the confusion in his eyes and explained, "It's my Devil Fruit ability. Although I look healed on the outside, my body is still a mess inside."

"I see," the scarred policeman nodded in satisfaction, whether marveling at the wonders of the Devil Fruit or...

"Nami, come see Bellemere."

"Yes, Uncle Genzo."

The scar-faced policeman named Aken stepped aside, revealing a small mound with a cross behind him. This design made it easy to guess:

Is this the grave of someone named 'Bellemere'?

If we consider what he just said, it should be: Nami's mother!

"Kid,"

While Nami went forward to place offerings at the grave, the scar-faced policeman Genzo whispered to Roman as he passed by:

"Nami is going to sea with you to become a pirate,"

"If you make her cry... I won't be able to kill you."

"Do you understand?"

---

"I understand."

Although it was a threat with no real intimidation, Roman still nodded seriously, "I don't have a habit of making my companions cry, so don't worry."

"That's good..."

After the policeman Uncle Genzo left, Nami quietly finished her 'memorial' and walked up to Roman, looking up at the boy under the moon.

"The moonlight is beautiful isn't it?"

**tl/n: you know what it mean isn't it?

?

"Roman, although I know you don't care, I still want to sincerely say 'thank you' again."

Thank you for avenging my mother, thank you for breaking the shackles on me...

"And in the days to come, please take care of me."

For a lifetime...

"Of course,"

Facing the girl's 'strange' words, Roman nodded and answered without hesitation, "We are all crew members of the 'Straw Hat Pirates.'"

·······

"Pfft~~"

"Why are you laughing?"

"Nothing,"

Nami first walked past Roman, then turned to look at the boy with a 'thoughtful' expression, her smile growing brighter.

"Let's go back."

——————

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