"'Klahadore the Thousand Plans,' with a bounty of sixteen million, has been defeated..." Usopp's clenched fist finally loosened. A wave of dizziness suddenly washed over him as the serious injuries he'd suffered the night before, when Kuro had nearly killed him, and the exhaustion from rushing here all morning caught up with him. He collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"Usopp..." Kaya swayed on her feet. Nervously, she checked for his breath, and only then did she finally relax.
She had always been frail, and after a morning of climbing and walking, she was nearly out of strength. She sat on the ground and took several breaths before forcing herself up and walking toward Buggy and the others.
"You..." Kaya glanced timidly at Cabaji. "May I treat your injuries...?"
Cabaji leaned against the rock wall, his wounded chest bare. He said coolly, "No need. I don't want to accept a gift from someone else, and I know how to take care of a simple wound myself."
"Oh..." Kaya hesitated. She had wanted to help the people who had saved her from Kuro, but her attempt to speak had met with a rebuff. Her confusion and fear only deepened. Months of recuperation had left her timid, just as her body had grown weak.
"Cabaji, don't be shy." Buggy walked over and patted him on the shoulder. "This isn't a gift. It's payment."
A crafty glint flashed in his eyes. "Young lady, show us how you treat injuries."
"Please don't call me that... I'm truly grateful that you drove off the pirates and helped me see K... Kuro's true colors. I only hope I can do something to help." Kaya's gaze was sincere.
"Swordsman... sir, may I treat you?" Though Buggy had given her permission, Kaya still politely sought Cabaji's consent.
"Do whatever you want," Cabaji replied flatly, without much enthusiasm.
Treat him? How? Could she really do it with her bare hands?
"Yes." Kaya nodded politely and held out her right hand, palm up. As Cabaji's expression gradually turned to astonishment, a green bubble formed in her palm and grew larger. Then she slowly pressed it against his chest.
The bubble seeped into Cabaji's body little by little. A tingling sensation spread across his chest, dulling much of the pain, while a pale green scab formed over the wound.
"How... how did you do that?!" Cabaji had gone from scornful to utterly astonished. He touched the wound in disbelief, sensing a tenacious vitality spreading from it and repairing the injury from within.
"I... I don't know," Kaya said, flustered.
"You ate a Devil Fruit... just like me." Buggy's eyes gleamed. "It's a fruit that gives you a strange power when you eat it. But the price is that the sea rejects you, and you become unable to swim."
"Then my power..." Kaya stared blankly at her palm.
"It's the power to become a ship's doctor," Buggy said with a sly grin.
"A... doctor?" Kaya looked at him in confusion.
"That's right. Do you think saving you from such a huge plot—one that might have endangered the entire village—can be repaid with just a thank-you or two?"
Like a startled fawn, Kaya backed away two steps, her face pale. "Red Nose... sir, what do you mean?"
"Don't call me Red Nose, and don't call me sir!"
Buggy composed himself and spoke with studied nonchalance. "The ship's doctor, who only knew how to wrap bandages, has retired. I happen to need a doctor, so you're the one."
"But... I don't want to become a pirate."
Buggy's eyes shifted as he abruptly posed a weighty question.
"Tell me, do you have a dream?"
"A dream..." Kaya murmured. She thought for a while, then said softly, "I want to see the colorful world outside, like the one in adventure stories. I want everyone to be healthy and never suffer from illness the way my parents and I did. I also want to become stronger... I want so many things, but I know I can't do them..."
She was hooked!
Buggy discreetly formed a crafty smile and gathered his thoughts.
"As you can see, we're pirates, but we're pirates with dreams. More than pirates, we're wanderers roaming the world, discovering a wider world through unknown adventures.
"As a blade of grass, you can only put down roots in one place for your whole life. But as a dandelion, you can let yourself fly far away. And if you're with a bunch of interesting 'dandelions,' you can stick together through even the fiercest storms."
"Wanderers like us sometimes get hurt, or even nearly die, for what we believe in. You can put your talents to good use and save the lives of people who cherish their dreams."
Buggy paused, then launched into his pitch with all the passion of a sales instructor. "Do you want to grow and discover your own worth? This ship will teach you to be independent, strong, confident, and to love yourself. It's a teacher for everything you want to learn!"
Listening to Buggy, Kaya lowered her head and clasped her hands to her chest, her expression troubled.
"Do you know why you're hesitating? Because you're tempted. You want to see the vast ocean, but you're timid, afraid, and uncertain. You're terrified of the unknown and anxious about your own weakness. If you stop here... you'll never grow. Standing still is just another way of falling behind. Deep down, you know what the right choice is."
"I... I..." Kaya desperately wanted to argue, but not a word came out. She found herself agreeing with Buggy, if only a little.
"Ahem..." Buggy cleared his throat and delivered the final push. "It's only natural to have doubts. If you acknowledge that I helped drive off those pirates, we can make a gentleman's pact that will remain in effect forever."
The next morning.
In the villa atop the hill in Syrup Village, a frail girl with pale yellow hair hummed a cheerful little tune as she sorted through the clothes in her wardrobe. For some reason, her longing for the world outside had begun to outweigh her unease, and she was starting to look forward to it.
"Young lady!"
Merry had learned the truth and everything that had happened from Kaya. Looking at the young lady, who seemed so unlike herself, he said sadly, "Are you really going to become a pirate? You're still ill, and you'll always be that sweet, well-behaved child to me. I never imagined you'd want to become a pirate..."
Kaya slowed her hands, confused by the change in her own feelings. How could I...
She looked up at the book on her desk, Ivan's Adventure Stories, and gradually found peace in her heart.
Maybe I really am someone who can't stay in one place...
Before you continue