Chapter 32: Crocus!
"Hehe, not strong enough means not qualified to be my companion. This applies to others, and it applies to you. Let me say this upfront: if you don't work hard, if you don't gain my recognition, in the end, forget about revenge; I will definitely finish you off myself." With a hint of killing intent, Buggy gave a very cold answer.
However, upon hearing this answer, Little Law's eyes actually calmed down considerably.
"Can you save me now?" Little Law asked coldly.
"I can't save you. I can only give you a chance to save yourself. Whether you can be saved in the end still depends on you." As he spoke, Buggy fumbled in his package, took out a small box, opened it, and placed it in front of Little Law.
"What is this?" Looking at the fruit before him, which resembled a heart, Little Law was somewhat bewildered.
"This thing is called a Devil Fruit. It possesses unbelievable power. However, after eating it, you will be detested by the sea and become unable to swim. Different Devil Fruits possess different powers. In your situation, only the power of a few Devil Fruits in the entire world can save you. This is one of them, called the Ope Ope no Mi. Eat it first, and then I will take you to a place to meet someone. You will learn medicine from him in the future. Remember, this Ope Ope no Mi can only have its power fully unleashed by someone proficient in medicine. Whether you can save yourself depends on how much you can learn. Now, eat it."
After hearing Buggy's words, Little Law directly took the Ope Ope no Mi in his hand and then bit into it.
"It tastes horrible!" After swallowing a mouthful, Little Law immediately said with a disgusted expression.
"Mm, it indeed tastes very bad. But eating it grants power, so you have to eat every last bit!" Although one bite was enough, Buggy still coaxed Little Law into eating the entire Ope Ope no Mi.
At Twin Capes, the entrance to the Grand Line, Crocus was troubled. Ever since he had circumnavigated the Grand Line and brought back news of the Rumbar Pirates, Laboon's temper had become increasingly violent. This couldn't continue; sooner or later, Laboon would die from ramming into the Red Line.
Crocus couldn't just watch Laboon die. After all, Laboon had accompanied him in this place for several years, and they had a deep emotional bond. This situation couldn't persist; he had to find a way to use medicine to suppress Laboon's agitation.
Thinking of this, Crocus had already made up his mind to undertake a major project.
Taking out a pen, Crocus sat in front of the lighthouse and began to unhurriedly write down a list of needed supplies.
"Uncle Crocus, long time no see!" Just as Crocus was writing his list, a voice sounded behind him.
Turning his head, Crocus glanced over and then smiled.
"Isn't this Buggy? Long time no see! This is truly delightful! I met Shanks a few years ago, and I was wondering when I'd get to see you. Although it's a bit late, I finally see you." Seeing his former young comrade-in-arms, Crocus was extremely happy at this moment.
"Uncle, I'm also very happy. It's been almost ten years in a flash, hasn't it? Seeing you still so spirited, I'm truly glad!" Buggy replied with great sincerity.
"Yes, it's been over nine years since the day Captain announced the disbandment of the Roger Pirates. Time really flies! By the way, Buggy, who's the little one behind you?" Crocus had noticed the little boy, whose eyes were filled with vigilance and enmity, from the very beginning.
"Uncle, this little fellow is named Law. He's an orphan from the 'White Town' Flevance. I picked him up from a pile of dead bodies." Buggy didn't introduce Little Law excessively; he believed that as long as he mentioned White Town, Crocus would definitely know.
In fact, there was no one in the medical field in the pirate world who didn't know about White Town. Perhaps they might not know the place name Flevance, but they definitely knew the term [Amber Lead].
"From Flevance, eh? The poison from [Amber Lead] is quite troublesome. I've also studied this toxin, but I haven't found an effective way to eliminate it. At most, I can use a drug I developed to suppress the spread of the toxin." It had to be said, Crocus was indeed a top-notch, extraordinary doctor.
While others were completely helpless against [Amber Lead], Crocus was already able to use medicine to suppress the spread of the toxin.
"Uncle, I came to find you this time not for you to treat this little fellow, but because I want you to teach him medicine. This kid has a high aptitude for medicine. Before coming here, I had already found the Ope Ope no Mi for him to eat. As long as you teach him medicine, I estimate that sooner or later, he will be able to use the Ope Ope no Mi's ability to completely remove the toxins from his body."
Hearing Buggy's words, it was Crocus's turn to be shocked. What was the Ope Ope no Mi? Ordinary people might not know, but any top-tier doctor knew that this thing was coveted by every physician.
"Buggy, what's your relationship with this little fellow? Do you understand the Ope Ope no Mi?" Crocus asked, his expression somewhat serious now.
"Uncle, of course, I know what the Ope Ope no Mi is. The reason the Five Elder Stars of the World Government have been able to live until now is because a doctor who had consumed the Ope Ope no Mi once performed the Perennial Youth Operation on them. Rest assured, I don't plan to live that long, so I naturally won't let this kid use his life to perform that Immortality Operation on me. However, he is the future doctor on my ship, and his medical skills can't be too poor. This is also why I brought him to you." With a slight smile, Buggy unreservedly revealed the secret of the Ope Ope no Mi in front of Little Law.
"With your words, I am relieved. Coincidentally, I also need to perform surgery on Laboon. With the Ope Ope no Mi's ability, it can solve a lot of trouble. I will teach him diligently," Crocus nodded and said, stroking his beard.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Uncle. But Uncle, there's one thing to pay attention to: don't let this child use his ability when many people are around. You know, the World Government people haven't stopped searching for the Ope Ope no Mi and its user for even a second. If they find out, it will become very troublesome. Although the Five Elder Stars wouldn't want to add another person to share their power, they can't stop those Celestial Dragons' thirst for life." Buggy was very clear about this point.
"Of course, I know this. You don't need to worry either. After all, the surgery will be performed inside Laboon. No one will notice anything unusual unless they enter Laboon's body." Having a considerable understanding of the Ope Ope no Mi, Crocus naturally understood what Buggy meant.
"Now that you say that, I'm relieved."
For the next six months or so, Buggy was basically busy with the equipment Crocus needed.
Speaking of which, Buggy really wanted to just leave Law at Twin Capes and depart, just like when he left Paula at Amazon Lily.
But he had no choice. Crocus was now shouldering the responsibility of teaching Law and couldn't spare the time to prepare the materials for Laboon's reconstruction project. This task naturally fell to Buggy. Who else but Buggy, since he was the one who brought Law here? If you ask someone for a favor, you have to show the attitude of someone asking for a favor.
After being busy for over half a year, back and forth, and having gathered most of the materials Crocus needed, Buggy was finally freed.
By the time Buggy left Twin Capes, it was already the spring of 1507.
(End of this chapter)