Chapter 19 An 'Unexpected' problem

It was breathtaking to return to where everything started, with everything that happened I'm honestly surprised the first expedition went off without too many problems. Yeah, there were a couple of snags and mishaps but all of it taught me important lessons about the sea and my new life in general. 'Though it was only about three and a half months altogether, so it's not like it was an impossible adjective but you never know in a sea as crazy as this one' I thought with a sigh as we pulled into port and dropped the anchor.

Turning to my left, I have a front-row seat to my newest crewmates' reaction at discovering their first island in this wide world, let's just say it was mildly adorable to watch them gasp at the sight. 'It's probably their first ever time seeing this much green, hell even what an alive tree actually looks like.'

"Phew, it feels like we've been gone for years, it's nice being back home," Mori said with a nostalgic smile. 'Huh, I guess I wasn't the only one that was homesick, kind of odd considering I only lived on the island for a month. I guess all of that training has been weighing on us more than I thought, it's all going to be worth it one day'

"You grew up here, It's so pretty," Sugar said with a jealous look, Mori laughed slightly before replying.

"Well, not here exactly, but the Capital. Think of more humans and fewer trees" He replied.

"Ha, that sounds worse, this right here is perfect, a small settlement surrounded by trees and wildlife. I really wish our island could look like this" Monet added with a forlorn expression.

"Come now guys, it's just one island. We'll see hundreds, maybe even thousands before we'll hang up her sail" I said with a huge smile, patting the figurehead I'd been sitting on for the past few hours.

"Captains right on that one, if you guys like this then you've got to see swallow island. The main city is composed of treehouses surrounded by the biggest jungle I've ever seen, so far at least" Drake said while looking towards the girls.

"Yeah…. The treehouses and the jungle were what made you like the island" I said while trying my best not to sound sarcastic, failing badly. He looked confused for a moment before he remembered 'Tarzan's retreat', quickly giving me a 'pleading look', as if to say 'please shut the hell up'.

'Eh, I guess he has an image to keep now that we have actual crewmates, wonder how long that'll last' I thought with a smirk before dropping the topic.

"Alright, Drake you're in charge I have to go meet the new guy at the tavern. Here take this" I said while handing over about five million berries.

"And this is for?" Drake asked.

"Well as Vice-Captain you've gotta protect the new recruits while I'm away, and they're in precious need of clothes and supplies. So go take them shopping" I said with a laugh as I jumped off the deck onto the main road.

"Oh, and make sure you all stay together this time around, we're not exactly in 'safe territory' at the moment" I ordered before waving and walking away. 'Afterall, who's to say Law didn't bring a tail with him, I'm strong but not kill Doflamingo strong, at least not yet' I thought with a sigh and I took the twists and turns almost unconsciously until I ended up at the door to the tavern.

'Well let's hope this goes well because I don't have a solid backup plan to get another doctor yet.' I thought with a hopeful smirk as I walked Into the old tavern.

After passing through the door I'm quickly greeted by Kai who was standing behind the bar. ''Well, I'll be damned, still alive there stranger?" Kai asked with a smirk

"Yeah yeah I'm still alive you ass" I said, matching his smile before unclipping Tengoku and setting it against the counter.

"You want your usual?" Kai asked to which I nodded as he began making me a whiskey on the rocks.

"Ahh that's the stuff, so where's the kid?" I asked.

"He should be in his room, kids looking rough, white spots on his face and sunken eyes. Not sure why you want him on your crew" Kai wondered before heading to the stairs to yell for him.

"Eh just wait till we're all in the papers, 'the best band of hunters to ever exist' will probably be a headline one day soon." I said cockily before lighting a smoke.

"Yeah and then you'll go through a change and become an evil pirate, a few years later you'll be proclaimed King of The Pirates" Kai said dismissively before walking back to the bar to continue cleaning.

It's only a minute later when a chibi Trafalgar Law scurries down the stairs, he looks around curiously before realizing I'm the only one in the bar. I just wave him over to sit on the stool next to me.

m

"So you're Kal?" Law asked, eyeing me up and down paying extra attention to the swords at my side and hip, I gave him a nod before he took the stool next to me.

"So…. How did you find out about me?" Law asked while Kai slid him a cup of water.

"Well, that's a hard question to answer. Do you know anything about our clan?" I asked him genuinely curious if he knows something I don't.

"Not really, I just know the Celestial Dragons consider us their sworn enemies." Law said with a modicum of disdain in his voice.'well I guess it's time to bullshit my way through this'

"Hmm, if that's all then a lengthy explanation into 'D' will not happen now, the information is too valuable to give away for free. But the basic answer to your question was My father. The man was what you may call a historical fanatic, he's pretty much recorded every known member of our clan to appear. My line as well as your line are the only ones left in the North Blue, well besides one pirate. So with that information at my disposal, I searched around" I said before taking a sip from my glass and pulling out a new smoke.

"But for what? Why search so vigorously for members of D?" Law asked, confused. 'Man if this was Skyrim my speech skill would've been through the roof, he bought all of that' I thought to myself with a smirk before lighting my cig.

"Well I have a dream of my own kid, I want to be the best bounty hunter to ever live and one day catch a Yonko," I said which caused Law to do a spit take in surprise turning to look at me like I was crazy.

"But what does that have to do with D?" Law asked, still confused.

"Hmmmm, another hard question huh kid? Well, have you ever heard of the 'Will of Kings'?" I asked to which he shook his head.

"It's a special power that only 1 in several million people can only be born with. Through my father's research, I came to a staggering conclusion. I'd estimate 1 in every 10 members of the clan will be born with it. From your look I can tell you don't understand but trust me, it's worth the search." I finished while taking a drag.

"Well that's enough of an info dump for now, why don't we get down to the negotiations." I said.

"Negotiations?" Law asked.

"Well, I can for sure heal your disease or make it so you can do it for yourself, but it costs an insane amount of money, hell I don't even think there could be a price for it." I said with a sigh as I finished my drink as Kai passed me another.

"If it's so insanely expensive how do you have it?"

"Finally a simple question, complete dumb luck, huhahaha" I said busting out laughing.

"Just get to the point, what's your price?" Law asked with a scowl.

"You'll be my on-call doctor for the rest of my life, and you'll be my ship's doctor and possible Vice-Captain for... Let's be safe and call it thirty years" I said finishing my lengthy demands as Law looked dumbstruck at my conditions.

"You can't be serious…." Law asked in disbelief.

"It's really a good deal if you think about it, after all, I could use it to gain immortality. Can you even put a price on something like that?" I asked him after putting my cig out.

"That's not possible…" Law replied.

"Sure it is, hell it's even in the Devil fruit encyclopedia. The only problem would be finding someone to give their life for it. But I bet after some time searching I could find a dying man willing to do the operation after I promised to take care of his family or something?" I said much to Law's surprise.

Not even a second later I heard a vase fall on the ground. Turning back in confusion I simply brush it off as the wind. At least that's what I want them to think. 'So Corazon is still alive, that may be a problem…. Eh if he makes a move my Haki should sense it'

"So a devil fruit then, that makes sense. Show me." Law asked. 'So is there play to steal it? I wouldn't be surprised. Still can't look like the bad guy until they play their hand. I hope not, I'd rather not kill them' I thought before extending my usual olive branch of trust and bringing my hand into my jacket.

"This is the Ope ope fruit or the Operation fruit for short. Eating this turns the user into the best doctor to ever live. One of the best devil fruits in existence" I said before bringing out the Red heart-shaped fruit and showing it to Law.

"That could… heal me?" Law asked in disbelief, looking at the fruit like something of legend.

"Yeah, hell you could cure any disease so people wouldn't have to go through what you did. It doesn't sound like a shit deal now does it?" I said to the kid with a smirk.

"But why not use it to gain immortality? That has to be worth more than just a crew member!" Law said with vigor.

"Ehhh, not to me. Hell it sounds like a curse, I'd watch everyone I loved die and I'd just be there, present. Hell, I'd probably last two centuries before cracking, then going on a journey to find something to kill me." I said with a sigh causing Law's eyes to widen in understanding. "Still kid, I could sell it to the government for an untold amount of money. Probably enough to buy a kingdom and make my line royalty" I said trying to change his perspective of how good this deal actually is.

"Plus my crew is my family, I have none left, I'm sure you know how that is…." I said before trailing off letting the kid think it over.

{BEHIND}

Without fanfare Yang was out of its sheath in a millisecond, the tip resting directly on the man's throat that thought he could sneak up on me. Turning backward with glowing red eyes I'm met with a man with clown makeup, with visible sweat running down his brow. 'Well there goes that plan' I thought while the fruit disappeared before Law's eyes.

"So this was a robbery? Not a bad plan. But not surprising, a Marine abusing their power even while being undercover is the norm" I said with disdain as I looked Corazon in the eye. Law didn't notice any of this happening until I called him out, the boy turned slowly, his eyes widened in shock.

"Cora…" Law said in worry, noticing the blade centimeters from his neck.

"H..How did you know..." Corazon asked in disbelief.

"That you were a marine or that you were behind me?" I asked, still holding the blade to his throat.

"Both…" Corazon said in surprise. 'Hmm, that is the best info I've gotten in a while. So Doflamingo hasn't learned Haki yet, maybe not even awakened his fruit. That is good to know.'

"Yeah talking is over, get out, both of you. Deals off" I said with a dismissive wave as I turned back to my stool and continued my drink. Corazon fell back in surprise at my blade leaving his neck so quickly, I could feel him turn to Law and motion for him to leave as well.

"Are you serious, you don't even know he was going to steal it!" Law yelled from next to me, I turned to him dismissively.

"So he wanted a closer look? Do I look stupid enough to believe that kid? Your companion is the problem, solve it and we can maybe continue this conversation." I said while lighting a smoke and turning to offer my apologies to Kai for the situation in his bar.

They both quickly left the bar to talk over what to do or run. 'Damn if they run and Corazon ends up contacting Sengoku I'll be fucked. Well if he doesn't show back up in the next ten minutes I'll have to kill them both, I'd rather not be wanted' I thought with a sigh before grabbing yet another cigarette.

"Well that escalated quickly, I didn't even see that guy enter the bar…." Kai said in stunned disbelief as he poured me another drink sliding it across the counter with a flourish.

"Yeah, you've gotta be careful in this sea, people with wonky abilities show up like the plague" I said with a sigh before taking a sip of the drink.

"No, I don't think so. No one ever showed up here like that, you might just be a trouble magnet kid, haha" Kai said with a laugh.

"Yeah yeah, so how much do I owe ya?" I asked while pulling out my wallet.

"2 weeks and food for the kid... Let's just call it 150,000?" Kai answered with a salesman's smirk as I slid over the cash without much thought.

'That's a good thought, even if I recruit Law, Corazon will leave. Giving him the ability to cause trouble with the info he managed to steal. Now, what would be the best course of action to remain as neutral as possible...' I finished the thought with a sigh as I began debating the possible ramifications of every choice.