Chapter 53: Drum Island: Join My Crew as the First Mate!

"Yes, that's the kid! He's the one who saved Julio's daughter."

"Really? But he looks so young—are you sure it wasn't a mistake?"

"No mistake at all! I was there too. This kid didn't even touch Julio's daughter, and yet he healed her completely."

"Kid, how did you do it? Tell us!"

The crowd buzzed with conversation.

Seeing that everyone's attention had shifted towards him, Takumi initially had no intention of engaging with them. But after a moment, he asked, "Which restaurant is still open?"

"Huh? A restaurant? Most places should be closed by now, but I saw that the New Dawn Ramen Shop was still open when I passed by earlier. Just keep going straight, and you'll see it."

"The kid must be hungry. Do you have money? If not, you can come eat at my house."

"Yeah, you can come eat at my place too."

The townspeople were suddenly very welcoming, as if they were completely different from the ones who had scolded Takumi earlier.

Takumi ignored them and continued on his way.

From the moment the townspeople's attention shifted, Law glanced at Takumi, recognizing him as the person he had locked eyes with earlier.

Listening to the townspeople's chatter, it seemed this person also knew medicine—some sort of strange technique.

"Who is he?" Law asked, still watching Takumi's retreating figure.

The townspeople around him shook their heads, indicating they didn't know.

"We don't know. Julio asked his name earlier, but he didn't answer," one of the townspeople replied.

Law asked further, "How did he heal the girl?"

"It was like this." Another townsman mimicked Takumi's previous gesture, extending his hand palm down. "He held his hand about half a meter above the girl's head like this, and then his hand started to glow with a green light. The light slowly merged into the girl's body, and her fever went down. It was truly incredible—I've never seen anything like it."

"That's right! It was my first time seeing something like that too. That kid is amazing; I really want to know how he did it."

"Me too. It's a shame that kid is so aloof; he doesn't like talking to people."

"Oh, I almost forgot to warn him—this country is driving out all the doctors. If the guard squad finds out he knows medicine, they'll kick him out for sure."

"Huh? Do you even need to say that? He came from the port, so he must already know, right?"

"I'm not sure... I think someone should remind him, just in case. But that kid is really cold; I'm not going. Anyone else?"

The townspeople began pushing the task onto each other.

Law, clutching a stack of medical books, stared at Takumi's departing figure.

At that moment, the man who had been trying to retrieve the books suddenly spoke up. "These books give us a sliver of hope, a sense of possibility. We know not everyone can learn medicine, but I also want to see these books put to good use. Kid, do you really love and want to learn advanced medical techniques?"

Law withdrew his gaze, turning to the man, tightening his grip on the books, and nodded firmly. "Yes."

The man smiled, resigned. "In that case, take the books. But in return, you have to go tell that kid not to reveal that he knows medicine. I can see that you're interested in him too. Go on."

Law looked at the man, nodded slightly, and immediately ran off in the direction Takumi had gone, clutching the medical books tightly.

Braving the wind and snow, Takumi walked for five minutes and soon arrived at his destination: New Dawn Ramen Shop.

Since it was dinner time, the ramen shop was already filled with customers.

Takumi walked in, ordered a bowl of their signature ramen, and seeing that they sold alcohol, bought two more bottles.

He then sat down at the only empty table, a four-person booth in the dining hall.

The ramen hadn't arrived yet, so Takumi took a sip of his drink.

Law caught up, glanced around, and spotted Takumi. He walked over and sat across from him.

Law, his face emotionless, said, "The townspeople sent me to tell you not to reveal that you know medicine, or else the guards will kick you out of the country."

Takumi responded with a casual "Oh."

Law stared at him in silence.

Takumi continued to drink without a care.

Finally, the ramen arrived.

Takumi picked up the chopsticks and began to eat.

The aroma of the ramen drifted over to Law, who couldn't help but swallow hard as his stomach growled audibly.

"Damn it," Law muttered, his face reddening. He quickly grabbed the pot of hot water on the table and poured himself a cup, downing it in one gulp.

Takumi glanced at him and immediately understood—this guy had no money.

Moreover, although Law had a sword with him, it wasn't the one Takumi remembered as the legendary blade "Kikoku." This led Takumi to assume that Law probably hadn't yet mastered his Devil Fruit powers.

Indeed, Law was a Devil Fruit user.

He possessed the powers of the Ope Ope no Mi.

The Ope Ope no Mi allows its user to create a spherical space, known as a "Room," within which the user can manipulate anything—including dismembering people without harming them or swapping their minds.

Those cut by the ability don't die or even bleed; they remain alive with a slight sense of pain.

Law's ability, unlike normal swordsmanship, allows him to reassemble whatever he cuts, making it fundamentally different from typical slashing attacks. This power can even target Logia-type users' physical bodies.

If wielded by someone with enough talent, the Ope Ope no Mi can even grant eternal life, though the user dies upon performing this operation.

In short, the Ope Ope no Mi is a highly formidable Devil Fruit.

However, its powers have a drawback: they drain the user's stamina severely and can even shorten the user's lifespan if overused.

Noticing the two swords at Takumi's waist, Law hesitated but finally asked as Takumi neared the end of his ramen, "Are you a swordsman?"

After finishing the last sip of soup, Takumi wiped his mouth and replied, "You could say that."

"You could say that?" Law echoed, surprised. He touched the sword on his back and asked, "Did you come to Drum Island alone?"

"Yeah." Takumi stood up, ready to leave.

Law quickly stood as well, following him. "I'm alone too, and I also use a sword and know medicine. We're kind of similar in some ways."

Takumi: "..."

Law continued, "What's your name?"

Takumi ignored him.

Law didn't mind the cold shoulder and pressed on, "I've started a pirate crew, and I'm looking for crew members. If you're on your own, how about joining my crew? I'll make you my first mate."

********

Support me on Ko-fi at ko-fi.com/gered to read up to chapter 90!