The Dragon Awoke in Bed Seventeen

"The dragon has awakened."

Doflamingo's words were still hanging in the communication channel when red lights simultaneously lit up above Seventeen Hospital Beds, and the old Den Den Mushi beside the beds opened their eyes one after another.

The dripping sounds blended together.

Lami covered his ears, and the oxygen cylinder next to his wheelchair vibrated.

Luo pressed down on her shoulder and then spread the room out over the entire ward.

Sixteen beds had no heartbeats.

There is only the seventeenth one.

The man on the bed had his eyes open, his chest rising and falling only once every few minutes. The black Den Den Mushi that had been embedded under his skin had emerged halfway and was clinging to his hospital gown with its six thin legs.

Where is Rosinante?

It's the same voice as before.

Luo walked to the bedside.

"Dead."

The man's hand reached towards his chest.

There's a heart rate monitoring line there; if you pull it out just half an inch further, the numbers by the bed will go to zero.

Luo grabbed his wrist.

"What you up to?"

"Let it remember the truth once."

What should I remember?

"The patient has died."

Chopper urgently spoke into the communicator, "Don't let him pull it! That wire is connected to his heart; he can't hold on any longer!"

The man looked at Luo's hand, which was clasped in his.

Are you a doctor?

"Yes."

"Then let go."

Doctors will not watch a patient have their support device removed.

"The Throne says I am an asset."

"It's wrong."

It has been said for thirty-eight years.

"Talking about it for too long won't make it right."

The man moved his wrist, but did not break free.

Wa Tie'er, who was standing next to him, coughed twice, and a layer of moisture appeared inside his breathing mask.

"Dragon, you still like to threaten people with your life."

You're still alive?

That's a question I should be asking you.

Where's Garp?

Which Garp do you name first?

Dragon turned to the Den Den Mushi in the corner, where only the shell remained; the recording that had belonged to Garp had stopped.

He left the duty badge behind.

"He even left his own death to others."

Upon hearing this, Luo increased the pressure on his hand.

Explain yourself.

Wa Tie'er ignored him and asked the person on the bed, "Do you remember Rosinante?"

"He came here."

"When?"

"Thirteen years ago."

Luo stared at Dragon.

"He came here looking for Lami?"

He wasn't allowed inside.

"You saw him?"

"Through a wall."

What did he say?

Ask if there are any children left here.

Lami lifted his head from his wheelchair.

"What did you say in response?"

Dragon looked at her.

I knocked seventeen times.

"That was you?"

Sometimes it's me, sometimes it's someone else.

The others are already dead.

"I know."

Lami moved his hand to the edge of the wheelchair, touched it back and forth twice, and finally stopped next to the old Button.

How long did you knock for them?

I can't remember.

"I've heard that."

So I know you're still alive.

The sound of metal hitting the ground came from outside the iron gate.

Drake turned and moved closer to the door, pressing his ear against the door panel.

"They've gone up to the third floor."

Aokiji's voice came through the communicator. "The Medical Department brought cutting equipment. I froze the passage ahead, but they're going down from the oxygen supply well."

"How many people?" Luo asked.

"The first batch is twelve, and there will be more later."

"Kill them."

I thought doctors didn't like killing people.

"They didn't come to see a doctor."

That's a good reason.

The muffled sound of ice breaking came through the communication, and Aokiji remained silent.

Dragon reached for the tubes in his chest again.

Luo used his abilities to move the connector to the wall.

The man's search yielded nothing.

Give it back to me.

"We'll talk about it when you can survive on your own."

I can't stay here.

You can't leave now either.

"The World Government knows I'm awake."

"The whole world knows."

Above the ward area, the four options on the global screen were still flashing.

Only two minutes and seventeen seconds remain in the countdown.

[All answerers, please confirm your answers.]

[Unanswered within the time limit will result in the closure of the White Swallow's rescue passage.]

Vegapunk said, "Lo, the Throne has linked the right to answer questions to the ship's oxygen supply; you must choose."

"It has no right to force patients to answer questions."

"If you try to talk to it about qualifications, it will cut off Lami's oxygen first."

Chopper chimed in, "The oxygen pressure is starting to drop, Law, save them first!"

Wa Tie'er pointed to the screen.

Choose me.

"Reason?" Luo asked.

"I died in God Valley, and my name disappeared from the records, which fits the problem."

"We can't choose him," Dragon said.

Do you know the answer?

"Have no idea."

"Then shut up."

"The Throne doesn't want a name."

Wa Tie'er grabbed the tubing beside the bed and tried twice before he could sit up.

"You slept for thirty-eight years, and upon waking, you suddenly understand the Throne?"

I didn't sleep that long.

How many times have you woken up?

Dragon did not answer.

Luo noticed seventeen stitches on the abdomen of the black Den Den Mushi, each stitch made with a different thread.

"Seventeen times?"

The man looked at him.

Someone has woken you up seventeen times.

Sixteen times.

This is the seventeenth time.

"Everyone in front of us is dead."

Who woke him up?

"Doctor."

There were three knocks on the door.

No one answered.

When the door fell for the fourth time, it caved inward, and white smoke seeped into the ward through the gap.

Chopper shouted, "Anesthetic gas! Don't inhale it!"

Luo raised his hand.

The room was covered at the entrance, and the smoke, along with the damaged door panel, disappeared and was moved to the outside of the ward.

The next moment, several loud noises of heavy objects falling to the ground were heard outside.

Drake opened the door.

Two Medical Department officers collapsed in the corridor, and someone behind them raised a pistol.

The gun was not loaded with bullets, but with thin, long tranquilizer darts.

"Put down your weapons and hand over bed number seventeen and Trafalgar Lami."

"She doesn't belong to you," Luo said.

The team leader produced a document stamped with a red seal.

"Ward 17 belongs to the World Government, and all patients there are treated as assets."

"Read the patient's name again."

The serial number is sufficient for identification.

Chopper immediately projected Lami's medical records onto the screen.

The name field occupies the center of the page.

[Trafalgar Lami]

Lami pointed to the seventeenth bed.

"And him."

The team leader glanced at Dragon.

"The patient's name was not registered."

He just said his name.

"Entries cannot be made without verification from the Medical Department."

"I can verify it," Luo said.

You do not have this permission.

"I have doctor's authorization."

"The Throne has designated you as an unauthorized awakener."

That's perfect.

Luo raised his finger half an inch upwards.

All the pistols in the hands of the Medical Department disappeared.

The tranquilizer darts from the gun barrel were found in the medicine box on the leader's waist, and the twelve metal pens that were originally in the medicine box were replaced in the gun barrel.

Someone pulled the trigger.

The pen cap popped out and hit the door frame.

The ward fell silent for a moment.

Drake drew his longsword and stood in front of Lami.

"Should we fire again?"

The team leader looked at the empty gun in his hand.

"Attacking World Government medical personnel will worsen your charges."

Luo placed twelve anesthetic needles beside the bed.

"Drug Name."

No one answered.

"Dose."

"This is an internal treatment drug."

Who is it for?

"Patients who refuse to cooperate with transportation."

How old are you?

The team leader folded the documents again.

No comment.

Luo picked up a syringe, pointing the needle at the other person.

"Then you can use it first."

"Luo," Lami called out to him.

The needle tip stopped on the side of the team leader's neck.

"What's wrong?"

Don't get the bed dirty.

Luo looked at her for a while, then threw the injection back into the medicine box.

"Did you hear that?"

The team leader took a step back.

"Take your men and get out of here."

"The White Swallow has been sealed off. If you answer incorrectly, all lifeboat exits on board will be closed."

"Go out."

You can't protect them.

Luo placed the Kikoku across the doorway.

The team leader finally raised his hand, signaling the rest of the group to step back.

Dragon looked at Lami.

You used to talk like that too.

Do you recognize me as a child?

"When you wake up, you always tell people not to make noise."

"Because the other children are sleeping."

"Then they stopped sleeping."

Lami didn't respond.

She touched the connector of the oxygen supply tube, pressed the loose part back in, and tried twice before it was fastened.

"You guarded the door for the child."

Dragon moved his hand toward the edge of the bed.

"Someone is going to take them away."

Did you stop them?

"No."

"Then why are you still guarding it?"

Someone has to tell those who come after them that they lived here.

The countdown on the screen shows only ten seconds left.

The Throne issued another prompt.

[Please answer, who was the one who truly disappeared from God Valley?]

[Ten]

[Nine]

Wa Tie'er looked at Luo.

"If we don't choose now, everyone will die."

There is no answer among the options.

"You've never even been to God Valley."

"I've seen how it alters medical records."

[Six]

Dragon braced himself against the bed frame and said, "Reject all four options."

Vegapunk immediately asked, "Are you sure?"

"It wasn't just one person who disappeared from God Valley."

[Four]

"What is that?" Luo asked.

"Those who have seen the truth."

[Two]

Luo raised his hand and tapped the submit page, but didn't touch any of the four options.

"Add option."

The system did not respond.

The countdown resets to zero.

The screen went dark for half a second.

The oxygen supply on the ship stopped.

The airflow in the tube in front of Lami's nose stopped.

The next moment, a fifth line appeared below the four options.

There are no words.

There is only one Blank box.