The Agreement Between the Frail Lady and Mr. Pirate

"Klahadore the Thousand Plans, with a bounty of sixteen million, has been defeated..." Usopp's tightly clenched fists finally slowly relaxed. A wave of intense dizziness suddenly flooded his brain; the severe injuries he had sustained while nearly being killed by Klahadore last night, combined with the exhaustion of rushing here all morning, erupted at once. He collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.

"Usopp..." Kaya's body swayed unsteadily as well. She nervously reached out to check Usopp's breathing, finally letting out a sigh of relief when she confirmed he was still alive.

Her own health was naturally frail, and after the morning's trek, she had no strength left. She sat on the ground, gasping for air several times before forcing herself to stand and walk toward Buggy and his crew.

"You..." Kaya looked at Cabaji with a hint of timidity. "May I help you treat your wounds?"

Cabaji leaned against the rock wall, his chest bared to reveal his scars. He spoke with a cold, aloof air, "No need. I don't want to accept handouts from others, and I know how to perform simple bandaging myself."

"I see..." Kaya trailed off, wanting to provide some help to those who had saved her from Klahadore. Being rebuffed made her feel even more lost and fearful; months of convalescence had made her temperament as timid as her body was weak.

"Cabaji, don't be shy." Buggy walked over and patted him on the shoulder. "This isn't a handout; it's payment."

A cunning glint flashed in his eyes: "Young Miss, let us see how you treat wounds."

"Please don't call me Young Miss... I am very grateful that you drove away the pirates and let me see K... Klahadore's true colors. I just hope to do what I can," Kaya said with a sincere gaze.

"Swordsman... sir, may I treat your wounds?" Although she had Buggy's permission, Kaya still politely sought Cabaji's opinion.

"Do whatever you want." Cabaji didn't show much enthusiasm, his tone flat and indifferent.

Treatment? How could she treat him? Surely she couldn't heal someone with empty hands?

"Yes." Kaya nodded reservedly. She held out her right hand, palm upward. As Cabaji's expression shifted from indifference to astonishment, a green bubble formed in her palm, growing larger and larger. She then slowly pressed the green bubble against Cabaji's chest.

The bubble seeped into Cabaji's body bit by bit. A tingling sensation spread across his chest, masking much of the pain, and pale green scars began to form over his wounds.

"You... how did you do that?!" Cabaji's initial disdain vanished, replaced by a look of shock. He touched his wounds in disbelief, feeling a tenacious vitality growing from within, repairing the damage from the inside out.

"I don't know either..." Kaya said, looking a bit flustered.

"You ate a Devil Fruit... just like me," Buggy said, his eyes flickering. "It's a fruit that grants miraculous abilities when eaten, but the price is that the user is forsaken by the sea and becomes a hammer."

"Then my ability is..." Kaya looked at her palm, lost in thought.

"It's the ability to be a ship's doctor," Buggy laughed cunningly.

"Ship... doctor?" Kaya looked at Buggy in confusion.

"That's right. Do you think that by crushing such a massive conspiracy—one that could have endangered the entire village—a simple 'thank you' is enough to settle the score?"

Kaya retreated two steps, looking as panicked as a young deer. Her face turned pale as she asked, "Red Nose... uncle, what do you mean?"

"Don't call me Red Nose, and don't call me uncle!"

Buggy adjusted his mood and said, appearing somewhat nonchalant, "The ship's doctor who only knew how to tie bandages has retired, and I happen to be missing a doctor. That would be you."

"But... I don't want to be a pirate."

Buggy's eyes rolled, and he suddenly threw out a big question.

"Let me ask you, do you have a dream?"

"A dream..." Kaya murmured, thinking for a moment before saying softly, "I want to see the colorful world outside, like the one in the adventure stories. I want everyone to be healthy, so they don't have to suffer from illnesses like my parents and I did. I also want to become stronger... I want many things, but I know I can't do it..."

Hooked!

Buggy wore a subtle, cunning smile as he prepared his next words.

"As you can see, we are pirates, but we are pirates with dreams. Rather than pirates, we are more like wanderers roaming the world, witnessing a vast horizon through unknown adventures."

"If you are a blade of grass, you can only take root in one place for your whole life. But if you become a dandelion, you can let yourself go to distant places. If you are with a group of interesting 'dandelions,' you can huddle together even in the midst of great storms."

"Wanderers like us are sometimes injured or even near death for our beliefs, but you can fully realize your own value by saving a group of lives that love their dreams."

Buggy paused, releasing a surge of passionate emotion like a sales lecturer. "Do you want to grow and understand the value of your own existence? This ship will tell you. Independence, strength, self-confidence, self-love—if you want to learn these, this ship is a teacher!"

Listening to Buggy, Kaya lowered her head, clutching her hands to her chest, her face showing hesitation.

"Do you know why you're hesitating? Because you're moved. You want to see the vast ocean, but you are timid, afraid, and lost. You are full of fear for the unknown and anxious about your own weakness. If you stop your footsteps here... you will never grow. To move forward is to move backward. You should make the right judgment in your heart."

"I... I..." Kaya tried desperately to refute him, but she couldn't say a word. Deep down, she felt a glimmer of agreement with Buggy's words.

"Ahem..." Buggy cleared his throat and delivered the final straw that would break the camel's back. "It's only human nature to be worried. If you agree with the results of me helping you drive away those pirates, we can make a gentleman's agreement that will remain valid forever."

The next morning.

In the villa on the mountain of Syrup Village, the frail girl with pale yellow hair hummed a light tune as she began to pack her clothes alone. For some reason, a trace of longing for the outside world had overcome her previous anxiety, and she began to feel a sense of anticipation.

"Young Miss!"

Merry, who had learned the truth and everything that had happened from Kaya, looked at the young mistress who seemed so different from her usual self and said with a sense of loss, "Are you really going to be a pirate? Your illness hasn't fully healed, and in my heart, you will always be that cute, well-behaved child. I never imagined you would want to be a pirate..."

Kaya's movements slowed, and she felt confused by the change in her own emotions. How could I...

She looked up at the book on her desk, Ivan's Adventure Stories, and slowly found peace within herself.

Perhaps, I am actually a restless soul after all...