Almost Broken by You

Dragging the butchered yak meat, Mercer and Bear Cub returned home.

As soon as they entered, they saw Kureha sitting beside the fireplace, sipping tea.

Mercer grinned. "Doctor Doriel, are you hungry?"

"How about beef hot pot in a bit?"

Kureha glanced at Mercer, her smile not reaching her eyes. "Why didn't you come back late tonight?"

Mercer beamed. "I didn't want you to worry."

"How did it go?" Kureha asked coolly. "Did you make what you wanted?"

Mercer's face lit up with a huge smile. Like a child showing off a treasure, he pulled the dagger from the small of his back.

Kureha took it, drew the short-sword-like dagger from its sheath, and examined it carefully. Within seconds, the corners of her mouth lifted into a smile.

"Not bad."

"You actually managed to make something good."

With her extensive knowledge, she could tell at a glance that the dagger was of Fast Blade quality.

It was a Famous Blade.

And Famous Blades were rare on these seas.

Twelve Supreme Grade Swords.

Twenty-one Great Grade Swords.

Fifty Good Grade Swords.

Fast Blades weren't included in those three generally recognized grades, but they were undoubtedly still rare Famous Blades.

There were plenty of people who went their entire lives without even touching a single Fast Blade.

And now one had appeared right in her hands.

After admiring it for a while, Kureha sheathed the dagger and handed it back to Mercer.

"Take it."

Mercer smiled but didn't reach out to take it. As Kureha looked at him in confusion, he said:

"It's for you. It may only be the lowest-grade Famous Blade, but it's the first one I've successfully made, so I think its sentimental value is more important than its practical use."

"Since you know how to use weapons, Doctor Doriel, I'm giving you this dagger. It's nice and small, so you can keep it for self-defense.

If all else fails, you can use it as a nail clipper.

Oh, and I named it 'Bamboo Tube.'"

Kureha glanced at Mercer, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly. "This thoughtful gesture means more than its practical use, so I'll do you a favor and accept Bamboo Tube."

She withdrew her hand and toyed with the bamboo-tube-shaped dagger, spinning it between her fingers.

In a good mood, Kureha got up to prepare the sliced yak meat. Mercer fetched an iron pot and carried a flame from the fireplace to a small stove.

Bear Cub pressed and refined the coal. Before long, working together, they had prepared a large pot of spicy red broth.

The fire roared in the stove, and the soup soon bubbled away.

They added the various ingredients.

The two of them and the bear sat around the pot with bowls and chopsticks.

They swished the thin slices of beef, crisscrossed with fine marbling, in the iron pot. A few seconds later, they were cooked. With some seasonal vegetables on the side, they enjoyed a delicious meal of hot-pot beef.

With Bear Cub's enormous appetite, the three of them polished off an entire yak. In the end, Bear Cub even picked up the pot and drank every last drop of the spicy broth.

After eating, Bear Cub cheerfully carried the pot off to scrub it clean.

Kureha went out for a walk by herself to aid digestion.

Mercer sat at the desk, reading an amusing serialized children's comic.

Ocean Warrior Sola.

It told the legendary tale of Sola, a heroic warrior of the sea who represented justice. Based on the real exploits of the Navy's heroes, Sola led a group of companions against the evil organization Germa 66, which repeatedly tried to back him into a corner.

It was an amusing comic aimed at younger readers.

The story featured all sorts of strange abilities and creations: super-clones, giant robots, battle suits with superpowers, and other fascinating things.

Though it was a popular read across the seas, it also carried some political messaging.

See past appearances and straight to the heart of things.

Its theme was that good triumphed over evil.

Its content used Germa 66's repeated defeats to portray Sola—and the Navy—as an embodiment of powerful justice.

Since it was aimed at young readers, it was also an excellent book for shaping children's values—or brainwashing them.

But no matter how much propaganda was mixed into the comic, Mercer still considered it a worthwhile read.

In particular, Mercer knew that the superpowered warriors in the evil Germa 66 were genetically modified soldiers.

They had artificially created people with superpowers.

And they had already succeeded.

"What are you reading?"

Kureha returned from her walk and stood behind Mercer, looking at the comic he was reading.

"Hehe, it's nice to change things up. Germa 66, huh? Interesting."

"What do you think of it?"

"Do you want me to give you my thoughts on it?"

There was no doubt about whether Germa 66 was real. Both of them knew it existed; it wasn't something made up for the comic.

The research Vegapunk had brought from Garp on the blueprint for designing life—the "Lineage Factor"—had also mentioned the Vinsmoke family of the North Blue. Germa 66 was the outward manifestation of the Vinsmoke clan.

Before Kureha could respond, Mercer continued, "The super soldiers of Germa 66 must be genetically modified through the Lineage Factor. The five of them—Poison Pink, Spark Red, Electric Blue, Invisible Black, and Winch Green—all have different superpowers.

"But they also all share the same basic abilities: steel skin, super recovery, and physical abilities far beyond those of ordinary people.

"Doctor Doriel, I've read your research on the Lineage Factor. Could you use special drugs to alter human genes and give people extraordinary abilities?"

Kureha narrowed her eyes. "You can understand that stuff?"

"I understand the general idea. Germa 66's genetic technology must involve altering the arrangement of the Lineage Factor and grafting in new biological genes.

"By grafting in the genes of creatures with special abilities, they gain extraordinary powers that surpass ordinary human limits?"

Kureha rubbed her forehead, looking helpless. "I didn't expect you to actually understand it. You're right; that's how it works. But I can't do it. My current research is also about developing drugs to enhance the human body, but it doesn't involve grafting genes into people.

"No, that's not quite right.

"My research uses drugs to enhance the activity of human telomerase, affecting the ability of human cells to proliferate."

"The Elixir of Immortality?"

Mercer nodded in understanding.

Kureha immediately beamed. She put both hands on Mercer's shoulders and squeezed them firmly.

"You really are a clever kid. You catch on right away. That's right. Although I've shifted the focus of my research to Brain Domain Development, research on the human body is all interconnected. Some of the work on genes and cells is still relevant. Besides, both fields are based on the Lineage Factor.

"Vegapunk really is a genius."

Hearing that, Mercer forgot about his aching shoulders and looked surprised. "Have you made any progress on your brain research, Doctor Doriel?"

Kureha's face twitched. "I have, but the experimental mice don't survive for more than a day. They die of brain death.

"What? Do you want to try it?"

Mercer's expression stiffened. "I'll pass. I'm still young. I don't want to go see my parents so soon."

Kureha's hands paused on Mercer's shoulders. She pressed both hands against his head and ruffled his hair, then said knowingly, "So that's how it is. About what I expected.

"Didn't you ever think of asking that bastard Garp who your birth parents were?"

"We asked him. Do you want to know?" Mercer said. "I can tell you, if it's you."

"No. Your parents have nothing to do with me, and they're already dead. There's no point in knowing."

"From the way you put it, though, were your parents famous?"

Mercer nodded. "My mother was just an ordinary person. The other one was a household name."

"Heh!" Kureha laughed. "A household name? Don't tell me your father was Whitebeard? No, your father's dead. Could it be that bastard Roger? No, the timing doesn't add up."

At that, Mercer's eyes turned distant. "Is it possible that my little brother and I spent more than twenty months in the womb?"

"Cough, cough!" Kureha choked. Her hands, which had been ruffling Mercer's hair, twisted backward. With a crack, Mercer's neck bones popped.

"Cough, cough!"

"Sorry, sorry. I was a little surprised."

Kureha looked awkwardly at Mercer, who had turned around just in time to avoid having his neck broken and was now staring at her with wide eyes.

Mercer looked at her with a distant gaze.

"Did that guy happen to offend you somewhere?"

"Was that really necessary? You almost twisted my neck off."

"What did he ever do to you to deserve that?"

Kureha awkwardly rubbed her nose, then snapped, "That's enough. I didn't do it on purpose, and I didn't break your neck, did I?

"Even if I had, I could have healed you. With your physical constitution, you'd grow back in ten days or half a month."

Mercer blinked and thought about it seriously. "I guess that's true."

"Then I'm not mad anymore."

Kureha rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue in amazement. "I never would've guessed.

"The World Government went to all that trouble and still couldn't catch you, but this method managed to keep you safe.

"Your birth mother was one tough woman. I respect her."

"My godmother's tough too. She almost snapped my neck just now."

Kureha snapped irritably, "You little brat, are you going to keep bringing this up? Drop it right now. Don't mention it again."

"Okay!"

"Back to business, Doctor Doriel. What do you think caused the brain death?"

"Hmm!" Kureha walked over to the desk and sat down on it, lost in thought.

"I think a medicinal catalyst is missing—something that allows brain cells to keep regenerating. After the mice took the Brain Domain Development drug, their neural responses became unusually active for a while.

"But afterward, it looked as if they'd exhausted their brains' potential.

"We need to experiment on a creature with regenerative abilities. One that can regenerate its brain would be even better. Then we could extract the missing key component through experimentation."

As she spoke, her eyes suddenly lit up. Kureha smiled. "Salamanders. Even when they lose part of their heart or brain, they can regenerate. We should be able to get useful data from experimenting on them."

"See? I'm the clever one." Kureha smiled smugly and looked at Mercer. "I'll take you somewhere tomorrow. It should be the only place on this Winter Island where we can find Snow Salamanders."

"Get some sleep early."

Mercer looked at the sky outside. It was already dark. "Oh, okay!"

Mercer stood up. "I'll go wash up first."

After washing up, Mercer read the comic for a while longer. When it was getting late, he went to bed early.

The next day.

He got up and washed.

Mercer opened the curtains and looked out at the heavy snowfall.

Visibility was poor.

"I'm going for a morning run. I'll be back in a bit."

Mercer called out to Kureha in the kitchen.

He opened the door, with Bear Cub following behind him, and soon disappeared into the snowy landscape.

His breath turned into a white mist.

Mercer closed his eyes and entered the Unity of Heaven and Man state, sensing his surroundings with Observation Haki as he ran swiftly through the Snow Forest.

His steady pace matched the rhythm of his breathing.

His limbs moved in perfect coordination.

He ran faster and faster through the snowstorm, precisely dodging obstacles he sensed. In the Heavenly Human State, everything around him seemed vivid and full of life.

His aura mingled with the auras of his surroundings. Observation Haki picked up the auras around him and relayed them back to him, creating a special kind of Visual Sense in his mind.

He ran with complete freedom.

His arms swung in time with his strides. He breathed freely, vitality pulsing through every part of his body.

It was as if the wind itself helped him along.

Even as he ran against the wind and snow, he could feel a force pushing him forward.

He felt the wind and snow breathe, blending his aura into them. The wind generated by his running mingled with the natural wind and snow, becoming a driving force.

It was like a whirlpool.

In his perception, Bear Cub was keeping close behind him.

Mercer sensed Bear Cub's breathing rhythm. Since their Breathing Technique had the same origin and they had spent so much time together, their breathing gradually fell into the same rhythm.

In the Unity of Heaven and Man state,

he already had a unique ability to interact through breath with all things in nature. Using his own breathing rhythm, Mercer guided Bear Cub's breathing, bringing their rhythms into increasingly perfect harmony.

They ran without stopping.

At a certain moment,

"Yip!" Bear Cub's breathing rhythm suddenly faltered. He had tripped on a stone and flipped forward.

He crashed straight into Mercer's back.

The next moment, Mercer fell too, and the boy and bear tumbled together through the snow.

His breathing was disrupted, and Mercer left the Unity of Heaven and Man state.

He lay sprawled in the snow, adjusting his breathing.

Puffs of white breath spread from his mouth.

"Roar~!"

Bear Cub crawled over and rested his big head on Mercer's chest, placing his left paw on Mercer's face.

Mercer pushed Bear Cub's paw aside and said helplessly, "That's cold. Your paw's covered in snow. And you're so clumsy—you actually fell down. You almost crushed me."

"Yip!"

Bear Cub came over with his tongue out and vigorously licked Mercer's face with his wet tongue.

His big head rubbed hard against Mercer's face.

He let out a low "yip-yip," his voice full of grievance.

"All right, all right. I won't scold you anymore, so stop pretending to be upset."

"You're a panda spirit, not a cat spirit or a fox spirit. Stop acting cute."

"Roar~"

New author, new book! Please follow along!

Please recommend! Please vote with monthly tickets! Please invest!

P.S. Some details about Germa's human-body technology are headcanon, since the original didn't specify exactly how it worked. I could only use my imagination to make it as plausible as possible.

Please don't mind any inaccuracies!!!