Non-Human Physique, Carnival Celebration

"Severe burns all over his body, broken ribs and arms, internal bleeding in multiple places... it's a miracle he's alive..."

"The good news is, the toxins in his body are slowly being expelled on their own..."

"Who used to treat you when you got injured?"

Facing the aged, unfamiliar voice, a chorus of familiar voices rang out in his ears.

"Roman." x4

"Alright, it looks like you need to recruit a ship doctor..."

Something soft brushed against his cheek, causing Roman to slowly open his eyes.

"You're awake?"

Amidst the surprised voice, the blurry colors in front of Roman began to focus, forming a familiar face.

"Nami?"

"I..." Roman opened his mouth, but his throat was as dry as a desert.

"Here, drink some water."

Before Roman could say anything, Nami carefully helped him up, grabbed a pillow, and placed it behind him. Then, she personally poured a cup of warm water and handed it over.

"Thanks..."

Gulp, gulp, gulp...

"I'm the one who should be thanking you."

The orange-haired girl looked at the man whose skin was not a single inch intact. While others might see Roman as a monster now, in Nami's eyes, he was an undeniable 'hero'!

Compared to the Roman who always had a stern face and seemed 'perfect' in everything, this Roman made Nami feel...

"Don't worry, I'll take care of you for the rest of my life."

???

"My injuries aren't so bad that I need someone to take care of me, are they?"

Although he was severely injured from the inside out, Roman knew that injuries that would be fatal to ordinary people were different for him:

"As long as I don't exert myself, I can get out of bed and walk right now."

"But your appearance..."

Nami lowered her gaze. While most men of the sea didn't care much about their appearance, Roman's severe burns all over his body made him look like a vengeful spirit. It couldn't simply be described as 'disfigurement'.

"Oh, you mean this."

Roman raised his hand. Beneath the charred outer layer, fiery red cracks appeared, resembling a terrifying landscape of solidified lava.

"Yeah, it's not exactly a pretty sight, but—"

As Roman closed his eyes, he focused his attention on his arm, and then:

"Paper Dance - Shedding Skin!"

Rustle, rustle...

The scorched outer skin peeled off like 'paper', revealing fair skin underneath. It was even excessively fair, with tiny blue and purple blood vessels visible beneath the skin.

"Mmm-hmm, as expected..."

Roman nodded with satisfaction. Devil Fruits were truly magical. As long as one had a 'wild imagination' and the physical strength and energy to utilize the fruit's power, they could achieve many incredible things.

Swish,

Throwing off the covers, Roman got out of bed. He closed his eyes and fully controlled his Devil Fruit ability.

"Paper Dance - New Growth!"

Crack, crack, crack—

With a series of cracking sounds, the red dead skin all over Roman's body expanded, cracked, and fell off! As pieces of charred skin peeled away and dropped, a 'new' Roman was revealed.

Fair skin, an inverted triangle physique, well-defined muscles brimming with power, a six-pack like a vest, and long, slender arms that, though thin, exuded an explosive beauty! The room's light cast a golden hue on Roman's sculpted muscles.

Drip,

The sound of saliva dripping snapped Nami back to reality. She quickly turned her head away, her face flushed red.

"Roman, you... you're not... wearing any clothes..."

"Oh?"

"Sorry."

Roman patted his forehead. With a rustling sound, sheets of paper flew out, forming a simple suit on his body. This caused Nami, who had been peeking, to sigh in relief, while simultaneously feeling a surge of annoyance.

"Paper Dance - Clothing."

What a shame...

"Right, what was the situation after the battle at Arlong Park?"

Although he could stand here himself, it was certain the humans had won. But was it a pyrrhic victory or a complete triumph...

"It went very smoothly,"

Nami stood up and explained to Roman with a smile.

"After you fainted, those Fish-Men went crazy! They even summoned a sea monster as big as a small mountain from the ocean..."

"Just then, Luffy's Sanji appeared from behind the sea monster and took care of the monster that could destroy a small town with one move. The regular Fish-Men were no match for them either, and were quickly beaten away..."

Is that so?

It seems Luffy successfully recruited the 'cook,' that's good:

Finally, I don't have to cook anymore.

Roman touched his 'perfectly restored' exterior. Although his internal fractures and toxins hadn't fully healed, the fact that he could stand up so quickly after being burned to a crisp all over...

What a non-human physique!

Night fell, and the sea was as calm as ever.

The grand feast in Cocoyasi Village was still underway. The people who had endured humiliation and lived for this day of unrestrained laughter.

Revelry and laughter were everywhere; bonfires, dancing. It didn't matter if you were a good dancer, as long as you immersed yourself in this ocean of joy, for the hard-won freedom, for finally escaping the fate of enslavement; let the entire Cocoyasi Village offer hymns and fine wine to the heroes!

"You guys..."

When Roman walked out of the infirmary, he saw the three guys who were reportedly also 'seriously injured.'

Smoke, alcohol, meat.

Excellent, the trio of 'the beautiful swordswoman brought meat' was complete!

"Weren't you guys said to be seriously injured?"

Roman swept his gaze over them: Luffy and Sanji first dealt with the Krieg Pirates, then immediately rushed to Cocoyasi Village, they should have been covered in wounds... but now they looked completely 'unharmed.'

Even Zoro, who had taken a slash from Hawk Eyes across his chest, seemed to have no trace of the injury left, and was chugging from a large wine glass...

Do people in this world possess passive abilities like 'high-speed regeneration' or 'wound healing'?

Roman, falling into doubt, only nodded when he saw the bandage on Nami's shoulder and Usopp with gauze all over his face.

Understood, he had forgotten that the main force of the Straw Hat Pirates were all tanks.

Speaking of tanks... Roman looked enviously at Luffy. Trained by Garp since childhood with 'Life Return' (the eating version), and having eaten the Rubber-Rubber Fruit for incredible stamina, many experts and bosses were worn down by him. He was simply a BUG...

Never mind, he didn't seem to have the right to talk about them either.

"Nami-san~~"

As soon as Nami came out, the blonde man in the suit named Sanji came rolling over! However, seeing Nami subtly step back and then take Roman's hand, Sanji's expression turned serious, and he bowed deeply:

"Sorry to disturb you."

Then he turned around with great elegance, and then:

went to dote on Nami's sister, Nojiko.

?

"This..."

Sanji's character setting is a bit...

"You guys continue eating and drinking, I'll take Roman out for a walk."

??

This—

Roman looked up at the crescent moon in the sky, wondering what the point of 'going for a walk' was at this hour. However:

Never mind, let's just consider it rehabilitation exercise.

As Nami led the way, Roman followed her, and the crowd gradually thinned until it disappeared. Soon, an Orange Grove appeared before them.

"Here..."

Roman remembered very clearly, this was Nami's family's Orange Grove. But the direction they were walking was not towards Nami's house, but facing the sea:

"Bellemere, your daughters have grown up..."

A voice came from ahead, causing Roman to subconsciously lighten his footsteps, and only then did he realize he no longer needed to be so cautious.

"She's exactly like you..."

Splash, The sound of liquid being poured quietly echoed under the moonlight.

"Nami has met comrades she can laugh and cry with..."

"They've avenged you and broken the chains that bound us…"

"We've made too many sacrifices. All we can do now is live on with a smile."

?!

The middle-aged man who had been talking to himself turned his head, his stern expression softening.

"It's Nami. And who is this… Roman?"

It wasn't surprising that the middle-aged policeman, covered in scars, hesitated. After all, Roman's previous state of being burned to a crisp by flames had left a deep impression. Now, less than a day later, an 'unharmed' Roman stood before him…

"That's me,"

Roman saw the doubt in the man's eyes and explained proactively, "It's my Devil Fruit ability. Although my appearance seems healed, my body is still a mess internally."

"I see," the scarred policeman nodded with satisfaction, unsure if he was marveling at the wonder of Devil Fruits or…

"Nami, come and see Bellemere."

"Yes, Uncle Ken."

The scarred policeman named Ken stepped aside. Under the moonlight, behind him was a small mound with a cross. The shape made it obvious:

Was this the grave of someone named 'Bellemere'?

If combined with the previous words, it must be Nami's mother!

"Kid,"

While Nami was placing offerings at the grave, Ken, the scarred policeman who brushed past Roman, said quietly:

"Nami wants to set sail with you as a pirate."

"If you make her cry… I won't be able to kill you."

"Do you understand?"

—

"I understand."

Although it was a 'threat' with no real deterrence, Roman nodded seriously, "I don't have a habit of making my comrades cry, so you can rest assured."

"That's good…"

After Uncle Ken the policeman left, Nami had quietly finished her 'memorial' and walked up to Roman, looking up at the boy under the moonlight.

"The moon is so beautiful tonight~~"

?

"Roman, I know you don't care, but I still want to sincerely thank you again."

Thank you for avenging my mother, thank you for shattering the shackles that bound me…

"Also, please take care of me in the days to come."

For life…

"Of course,"

Facing the girl's 'strange' words, Roman nodded and replied without hesitation, "We're all crew members of the 'Straw Hat Pirates'."

……

"Pfft~~"

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing,"

Nami first walked past Roman, then turned to look at the boy with a 'thinking' expression, her smile growing brighter.

"Let's go, let's head back."

PS: My boss dumped a lot of extra work on me today, so I can only post one chapter for now. I'll make up for it in a few days. — A dizzy, unsuccessful author.