Chapter 137

My eyes involuntarily turned to look at Doc's heart, drawn by the terrible condition it was in, as it had several holes leaking blood and staining the gelatinous cube encapsulating it.

What's more, the heart glowed in a dull orange hue as holes continued to appear and disappear on its surface, spraying blood as they did.

'What the hell?' I frowned, genuinely feeling confused at this sight as Kureha calmly held the heart in her hand, giving it an inspecting glance.

"Is that really Doc's heart, captain?" Byron said in an astonished tone, his expression a mixture of amazement and horror. "I've never seen a human heart before, but this..." Byron added, trailing at the end of his sentence.

"It just feels, and looks wrong, captain..." he concluded, shaking his head.

"There's no mistake about it," I said in a somber tone, my eyes locked on the Doc's heart. "But I'm afraid even I don't have an explanation for what's happening this time, if that's what you're asking," I added with a sigh.

Everyone looked at Doc's heart and had the same baffled expression, except for Kureha, who merely looked thoughtful, and Crocus, who had a look of concern on his face as he raised Doc's torso and looked at his back.

"Bastards!" Crocus whispered with a distorted expression I've never seen him wear as he lay Doc back on the bed. "Bastards, the lot of them," he repeated even more forcefully as he began pacing around the operation room.

'It looks like Crocus might know something.' I massaged my forehead with a concerned look, choosing not to interfere just yet, and letting the professionals handle it.

"This is the virus I've diagnosed indeed, but it's different, much stronger somehow," Kureha said with a frown as she turned to look at Doc with a sympathetic look on her face.

"And this brat's heart is just as strange as this virus," she said while shaking her head. "Do you know something, Crocus?" Kureha asked as she turned to look at the Crocus.

"I do," Crocus briefly replied with a perplexing look without bothering to elaborate, earning an urging look from Kureha that we all shared.

"You don't want to know," he added, and Kureha sighed with a shrug of her shoulders, letting go of the subject.

"I'll need to examine this heart more closely before I can figure out how to cure it," Kureha said as she put the heart inside a rectangular container.

"I'll need your help fort that, ope-ope brat," she added as she turned to look at Law. "So you'll be staying with me," she concluded in a tone that brokered no disagreement.

"My name is Law, and don't order me around, old hag," Law replied in a neutral tone, ducking to dodge a surgical knife Kureha threw, aiming at his head.

"Do I look like an old hag, brat?" Kureha said with a wicked smile. "I don't, so don't call me that unless you want to die," she added as she retrieved her plum sake from a table nearby.

"As for you, flower brat," she said as she turned to look at Crocus. "It doesn't look like you'll be of any help in your current state, so get the hell out of my operation room," she concluded as she turned around, making her way towards several medical equipments while dragging along Law.

...

"So, are you going to tell me what the outburst of yours in the operation room was about?" I asked with a raised eyebrow as Byron, Crocus, and myself sat on Kureha's table.

"You don't want to know, believe me, kid," Crocus said with a sigh as he poured himself a whisky shot from my bottle. "In fact, you might want to reconsider curing your friend, or going on your separate ways, for that matter," he added as he emptied his glass in one big gulp.

"So it has something to do with the celestial dragons, eh?" I asked with a raised eyebrow as he poured himself another glass with a heavy sigh.

"It does," he replied, going quiet without elaborating again.

"I'm not afraid of some bubble-wearing pigs," I said with a shrug. "In fact, we're already on their radar for some reason," I added as I took the whisky bottle, taking a sip.

"Whatever your problem the celestials have with you, it doesn't even come close to this matter, kid," Crocus said with a shake of his head. "But if you must know, then I'll tell you when your friend wakes up..." he added with another sigh.

...

"What's with the long faces?" Doc said in a wheezing tone as he made his way inside the room, leaning on Law's shoulder.

"It looks we'll need to have a serious talk, Doc," I said while gesturing for Law to take him to the couch.

"Hmm?" Doc tilted his in confusion, or maybe not, as his face turned blue with a mouthful of blood shooting out of his mouth.

"The old hag, I mean the doctor still needs me, so I'll excuse myself," Law said after dropping Doc on the couch. "You too, raccoon. The doctor called for you," he added as he turned around and began walking towards the operation room.

"I'm not a raccoon. I'm a reindeer, you asshole, you jerk," Chopper said with a scowl as he followed behind Law.

"So what's all this about, captain?" Doc asked with a frown as he leaned his back on the couch, his body going limp.

"I have no idea," I replied with a sigh, earning a confused look from the sickly doctor. "But I'm sure Crocus will explain," I added as I turned to look at the old doctor.

"What I'm about to say is related to your sickness and can be considered as private information, Doc," Crocus said as he turned to look at the sickly doctor with a complicated expression.

"Do you want me to say it here, or would rather we spoke in private first?" He asked in a stern tone that sounded strange and different from his usual easy-going self.

"Whatever you're going to say, I really doubt the captain doesn't already know about it," Doc said in a joking tone while gesturing towards me.

"Not this time, buddy," I replied with a bitter chuckle. "I'm afraid I haven't the faintest idea about what's going on this time," I added with a helpless shrug.

"Well, I guess there's a first time for everything," Doc said with a chuckle that turned to a violent fit of coughing. "But whatever it is, it seems serious," He added, shaking his head.

"Serious enough that I think the captain would need to know it sooner rather than later," he concluded as he turned to look at the old doctor while gesturing for him to start talking.

"Well, then I'll excuse myself in that case," Byron said as he stood up, intending to leave so as not to intrude on Doc's private matters.

"You can stay too if you want, blondie," Doc said with a chuckle, and Byron turned to look at me, making me give him a shrug, meaning to do what he wanted, so he sat down, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"If that is what you wish..." Crocus said with a sigh as he paused for a second, seemingly choosing his words.