Seeking Medical Treatment

After Crocodile left, someone stepped out of the shadows. "Was it worth it?" Robin did not know why she had come over. She had only known the man before her for a few days, yet it felt as though his image had already taken root in her heart.

Holding the Den Den Mushi Li Ziming had left behind, Robin found another one in the clothes he had thrown out. She casually set both Den Den Mushi aside, then sat beside Li Ziming's shriveled body. "What an idiot. A few words from someone else got your blood boiling, and in the end, you even lost your life." As she spoke, Robin began to laugh. "Maybe I really am an unfortunate woman. Anyone who gets involved with me ends up dying." She laughed recklessly, but no matter what she did, she could not stop the tears streaming down her face.

"You may have plenty of tears, but that is not enough to pull me back from the brink of death." Li Ziming's voice sounded like two rusted sheets of iron scraping together. It was unbearably awful, yet Robin did not find it unpleasant in the slightest.

"You are almost dead and you are still talking nonsense." Robin spoke as if complaining, but the delight in her eyes could not be concealed. She hurriedly pulled out her water flask, opened it, and poured its contents into Li Ziming's mouth.

"Ah!" Li Ziming's body gradually recovered, though it was now covered in wounds of every size. Blood still constantly spilled from his mouth. He looked just as miserable, but he was far better off than when he had resembled a dried corpse.

"Come on, I will take you to get treated!" Robin hoisted Li Ziming onto her back and headed for the shore.

"Ha, you smell so good!" Leaning against Robin's back, Li Ziming was still thoroughly restless, greedily inhaling her scent.

"Behave yourself!" Li Ziming saw that Robin's ears had turned slightly red.

"Ha, no problem." Although Li Ziming said that, he did not miss a single chance to take advantage of her.

"Hey, why did you help this country? Do not tell me it was really because I said a few things and you got carried away?" Robin tried to divert Li Ziming's attention, but he had no intention of letting such a good opportunity slip away.

"Who knows?" Li Ziming replied simply, then continued taking advantage of her.

"Hey, if one day I needed you to become an enemy of the whole world, would you..." Robin's voice grew softer and softer until it became almost inaudible. "Forget it. Pretend I did not say anything."

"That will not do." Li Ziming hurriedly said, "Becoming enemies with the world for you would be such a great chance to hold something over you. Enemies with the world! Would that not mean I would get attacked wherever I went from then on? I would be so miserable. When that time came, I would definitely make you regret it and feel guilty, so no matter what kind of request I made, you could not refuse me. Then I could..."

"What are you thinking about?!" Robin stretched out an arm and gave Li Ziming a hard knock on the head.

"Urgh." Li Ziming then pressed himself tightly against Robin.

"Hey?" Robin called out. "Hey! Hey! Do not fall asleep! Wake up! If you fall asleep now, would not all my efforts to save you have been for nothing? Do not die! If you wake up, I will agree to one condition of yours!"

"Really?" Li Ziming suddenly whispered into Robin's ear. "Then I have really hit the jackpot."

Feeling his warm breath against her ear, Robin's face instantly turned red. Then even greater anger rose within her. She was angry that the man on her back had actually tricked her like that.

Just as Robin was about to teach Li Ziming another lesson, he spoke. "Do not move!" His voice was weak, and his breath came and went faintly.

"You..." Robin's concern immediately overwhelmed her anger. "You are in this state already, so stop joking around!"

"Ha, if I do not joke around, I cannot be sure I will hold on until I see a doctor..." Even speaking seemed to drain all of Li Ziming's strength. "Tell me about yourself."

Robin's eyes reddened. She hurriedly began telling him about her childhood, constantly asking Li Ziming for responses along the way. Even after they reached her sea turtle mount, she did not stop.

Li Ziming answered whenever she asked. When he heard that Robin's parents had left, regret appeared on his face. When he heard that she had been abused by her aunt and uncle, anger filled his expression. When he heard that she had become an archaeologist at such a young age, he looked at her with admiration. When he heard that her hometown had been destroyed, his eyes were full of pity.

One spoke while the other listened, and before they knew it, they had arrived at Drum Island. By then, Li Ziming found it extremely difficult even to open his eyes.

"We are here, at Drum Island. This place has the best doctors. You will definitely be fine!" Robin held back her tears as she once more carried Li Ziming on her back and hurried toward the town.

"Who goes there?" The first person to spot them was a strong man wearing a green robe, with a shovel-like weapon strapped to his back.

"Please save him!" Robin anxiously said to the strong man. "He is seriously injured. Is Drum Island not famous for its medical care? Please save him!"

"Ha, this kid is badly hurt. But my fees are..." An old woman dressed fashionably and wearing sunglasses walked over.

"If you can save him, that is enough." Robin collapsed the moment she finished speaking. She had traveled from Whiskey Peak to Alabasta, then from Alabasta to Drum Island, all in one night. Her nerves had been stretched taut the entire way. Even Robin could no longer endure it. The moment she finally saw people, the release of tension sent her straight into sleep.

"Doctor Kureha, we do not seem to know who these two are." Dalton, the strong man, hesitated. "What if they..."

"Ha, I am only a doctor. If a doctor sees patients and refuses to save them, what kind of doctor would that be?" Kureha cut Dalton off, then had him carry Li Ziming and Robin to her castle.

Seeing that he could not persuade her, Dalton said nothing more. Even when the former king had still been around, this doctor had never been afraid of anyone. Rather than worry about her safety, he would be better off worrying about the wallets of those two people seeking treatment. Dalton then carried Li Ziming and Robin to the castle atop the island's highest peak.

"This kid is really badly injured." Kureha looked at Li Ziming with a grave expression.

"Doctorine, what injuries does he have?" Chopper walked over, carrying the medicinal herbs Kureha had instructed him to prepare.

"He has cuts all over his body from sharp weapons, along with bruises from heavy blows. His insides are even worse. It is practically as if someone blew him up with a bomb." Kureha took the herbs from Chopper. "He is also severely dehydrated. Any one of those things would be enough to kill him, yet this kid has stubbornly survived." As she spoke, she applied the herbs to Li Ziming's body.

"Maybe even the Grim Reaper does not want my soul." Li Ziming suddenly spoke. "And could you be a little gentler? It hurts."

"Whoa, he is alive!" Chopper stared at Li Ziming in shock, his face full of terror. He quickly ran to the door and hid his head behind it.

"You have so many wounds. If it did not hurt, that would be the real problem!" Kureha glared at Li Ziming irritably.

"Yes, yes." Li Ziming had always believed that although there were plenty of unscrupulous doctors, it was still best to listen to doctors during treatment. At least that way, he would not get himself killed. Therefore, he had no intention of arguing with Kureha. Besides, he was far more interested in that adorable creature.

"Um, are you hiding backwards?" Li Ziming kindly reminded Chopper.

"Huh!" Chopper looked startled, then hid himself properly again.

"Should I say I found you now, and that it is your turn to be it?" Li Ziming said with amusement.

"Wait, I have not hidden properly yet!" Chopper quickly stopped Li Ziming, then rushed outside to find another place to hide.

"You really plan to go look for him?" Kureha pressed one hand against Li Ziming's wound, reminding him that he was still injured.

Li Ziming's mouth immediately twitched, though he still forced a smile. "Breaking a promise is not a good habit."

"A bunch of idiots." Kureha seemed to recall someone. She then shook her head, as though trying to cast away an unpleasant memory. "Do as you please. But if your injuries get worse, I will charge extra for treatment!" With that, Kureha prepared to leave.

"How is the girl who came with me?" Li Ziming asked.

"Heh, I thought you had forgotten about her." Kureha shrugged. "Exhaustion. She is much better off than you. One good sleep will be enough. And be careful when you play with that kid." Kureha did not want anyone to hurt Chopper again.

"Then thank you very much, Doctor Kureha. Also, if possible, I would very much like to ask you about the secret to staying young." Li Ziming smiled. "As for Chopper, I believe we will get along very well."

"You little brat." Kureha was certain she had never met him, yet he had immediately called her by name and even knew her catchphrase, not to mention Chopper's name. She instinctively drew a knife and pressed it to Li Ziming's throat. "Who are you?! Why have you been investigating me?!"

"I apologize. If I have caused you any trouble, please forgive me. I am not a bad person either. I am simply interested in certain hidden matters." Li Ziming seemed completely unfazed by the blade at his throat, his expression remarkably calm.

"It had better be that way. Do not forget that I am not someone to be messed with!" Kureha left after delivering her threat.

"Oh dear, was I a little too much?" Li Ziming thought for a moment. "But her reaction was really quite entertaining." It seemed this fellow's bad habit would not be changing anytime soon.