Naming This Sickness After Her (Seeking Follow-ups!)

Louis unfurled a canopy of light gold, specks of golden dawn light cascading down, dense vitality blooming forth, directly stabilizing the lives of those who had collapsed in agony.

The Red-Haired Pirates' ship doctor, Hongou, sprinted over, quickly administering preliminary treatment to the poisoned victims.

Yelena stood behind Hongou, reaching out to stop several people who instinctively tried to rush forward to help their families.

"We can't do much here—don't disturb the doctor." Though Yelena's expression was terrifyingly dark, she forced herself to stay calm.

Then, fixing her gaze on her anxious tribesmen, she lowered her voice and soothed them: "Don't act rashly. If he needs us, the doctor will call for help."

On the other side, Louis extended his superhuman senses and Observation Haki, scanning the poisoned patients' bodies to trace the source of the poison.

Soon, Louis found something: in everyone's stomachs, there was a large amount of liquid.

Or rather, water.

Though the Red-Haired Pirates had brought plenty of supplies, water wasn't among them. So the most likely culprit was the water stored in the village.

A moment later, Louis informed Yelena of the problem.

Hearing this, Yelena's face turned ashen. After thanking Louis, she ordered her tribesmen to stay put and await the doctor's call, then turned and left without looking back.

Louis watched Yelena's retreating figure calmly until her silhouette vanished into the shadows. Only then did he turn his head to gaze again at the town on the plains.

If he remembered correctly, during the battle a few days ago, the women and children too weak to fight had brought back plenty of water from the river.

"..."

Soon, Yelena reached the stone house where the water was stored—the same place Shanks and the others had gifted fruits and vegetables. She looked down at the water her tribesmen had traded their lives for, her eyes hollow, silent.

Gradually, she clenched her fists. Veins bulged on her arms and forehead.

Just then, Beckman, who had also sensed the problem, walked over slowly. He scooped up a cup of water and used the poison-testing tools he'd gotten from Hongou to check it.

He quickly got the answer he'd expected.

Beckman frowned deeply, sighing inwardly. No wonder even Roger, whom Shanks holds in such high regard, could bring himself to strike them down...

Then he turned to leave, intending to tell their outstanding ship doctor the name of the poison.

Near the door, he paused, glancing back at the shadowy figure in the stone house. "Don't worry. Our ship doctor is excellent. As long as he knows the type of poison, he'll definitely save them."

With that, Beckman closed the door, leaving the space to the silent Yelena.

"..."

"We already picked a river you looked down on—one you used to dump trash..." In the dim stone house, Yelena slowly unclenched her hand, lowering her eyes. "And even then, you have to wipe us out completely?"

Yelena pressed a hand to her chest, feeling the sharp pain in her lungs with every breath, and murmured to herself: "If I die, what will my people do?"

"..."

"Can they really defeat this despicable nation?"

Yelena already knew the answer.

After a long silence, a flicker of resolve passed through Yelena's eyes. She silently vowed: Forgive me, Grandfather.

Your belief was wrong. The ordinary citizens of the Kingdom of Jacob may not be innocent either...

In the dim stone house, Yelena made up her mind. She tied up the barrels of water with iron chains, then turned around. But she noticed that the appearance of a fruit had suddenly undergone a strange transformation.

Yelena froze. "What is this?"

"The source is clear—it was definitely the people of the Kingdom of Jacob."

"Hongou is already working on an antidote."

Beckman walked slowly to Shanks' side and explained, "Hongou says it's a poison often used by the CP Organization for assassinations. After it made a name for itself, the Underworld started using it too."

"As long as you can get in touch with the Underworld, you can buy it."

Hearing this, Shanks' cold expression gradually softened, but he still didn't release the hilt of his sword. "The Jacobites... they really haven't learned a thing..."

Beckman stood beside Shanks, but his eyes were fixed on Louis, who was surrounded by a halo of golden dawn light. He remarked, "Thanks to that young man Louis. Hongou said if he hadn't stabilized their lives in time, even if the villagers drank the antidote, they'd probably be left with severe aftereffects."

Not far away, Louis watched the victims, whose breathing had now steadied. After a moment's thought, he retracted the halo of dawn light surrounding him.

Letting out a long breath, Louis then looked toward the two men discussing him.

Just then, Hongou, having finished his treatment, walked over to Louis with an odd expression on his face.

"Louis, your ability—does it help wounds heal quickly?"

Louis was a bit confused but nodded. "Yes. What's up?"

"Devil Fruit abilities are truly amazing. No matter how skilled a doctor, they couldn't do something like this." Hongou didn't press Louis about the abilities he hadn't fully revealed; he was simply marveling, clicking his tongue in wonder.

Louis understood. If, in his past life, someone had built a building in front of him in an instant, he'd have been even more flustered than Hongou.

Then, Louis suddenly remembered something about Yelena and described the pathological condition in her lungs to Hongou.

Hongou was taken aback, then said, "Shanks mentioned on the way here that there might be someone here needing treatment for Divers' disease."

"But based on what you're describing, her condition has gone beyond Divers' disease. It's a brand-new illness—one that could be named after her!"

Hongou remarked that if he hadn't become a pirate and encountered this situation, he might have already started research, preparing to write a paper for publication.

Louis was quite surprised at this and cast a glance at the red-haired man, not expecting him to have considered this point as well.

Still, it made sense—Yelena had said she was the youngest to develop the illness, which meant the pillar before her had likely suffered from a similar disease.

Shanks and Roger had been here before, so it wasn't strange that they knew someone here might have such an illness.

But...

"Is her condition much more severe than the previous King of Canaan?" Louis fell into thought, then pressed further: "Are you confident you can treat her?"

Before Hongou could answer, an arm from behind landed on his shoulder.

Shanks leaned in, grinning as he said, "Of course! Hongou of the Red-Haired Pirates is the world's greatest ship doctor!"

"There's no illness in the world that can stump him!" As he spoke, Shanks's face was brimming with pride, as if he was incredibly proud of his comrade.

Behind him, the gathered members of the Red-Haired Pirates nodded in unison, as if they fully endorsed their captain's words.