God of Disease

Cook's ship doctor was actually a little abnormal. He had once been hailed as a genius doctor in his homeland, but when he treated the prince, he used the wrong medicine and worsened the prince's condition. He was later expelled from his country.

However, according to some people, he had been set up. His teacher had been jealous of his talent and secretly switched his medicine, which was why the prince's illness worsened. The one who took over the prince's treatment was his teacher.

Because of this incident, the genius doctor was expelled from the country. His family also became the laughingstock of the nation because of him and came to despise him even more.

West Blue was a place with strict family systems. Here, a family's honor stood above the individual. Having brought shame upon his family, he was stripped of his surname and forbidden from ever returning to the country. He had no remaining ties to his family.

Yet the genius doctor was unwilling to be driven out like that. He had grown up in the spotlight. This incident had taken everything from him, so he hated. He hated everyone. He hated his family for abandoning him, his teacher for framing him, and those people who had once been cured by him but kicked him while he was down when it mattered.

They were jealous of my talent!

After spending five years, the genius doctor became a poison doctor. He turned his talent for medicine toward toxicology and began researching all kinds of poisons. Eventually, he developed a contagious plague.

He released the virus into the country he had once served. In just one month, everyone in the nation had been infected.

Even the World Government was alarmed by the incident. The plague could not be contained, and no antidote was developed. The World Government could only seal off the country, just as it had done with Flevance, isolating everyone afflicted with Amber Lead Syndrome.

More than a million people in the kingdom died in that plague. Only afterward was it discovered that the culprit had been the genius doctor expelled from the country years ago. The World Government captured him and imprisoned him in a cage at a Marine base somewhere in West Blue.

He was locked up for twenty years. Not long ago, however, an earthquake struck that Marine base, and massive amounts of seawater flooded into the prison. Cook happened to be passing nearby and saved the doctor.

The Marines assumed he had drowned and reported his death.

"Sounds like another utterly evil bastard," Rogge said with a smile after Cook finished telling them about their next companion.

Jelly drank from a bottle and laughed. "I heard about that too. But I was still young back then, so I had no concept of what a million people meant. A whole country was destroyed because of him. Just thinking about it is terrifying."

"Ares. That was the name he gave himself when he was captured. He said he wanted to become the God of Disease and create every disease in the world," Ham said.

"Ares," Rogge murmured softly.

Ares was the God of Disease in Greek mythology. Rogge had liked reading myths when he was young, including a Greek mythology story adapted into an anime. It had been crude, but he had watched it with great interest as a child and remembered most of the gods in it.

"Where is he now?" Rogge asked.

"I left him in the Land of a Thousand Lakes," Cook said.

"If I remember correctly, the Land of a Thousand Lakes is famous not for having a thousand lakes, but for the island's abundant forest resources, right?" Rogge said.

"That's right. While we're there, we should repair the ship. This ship is fine in West Blue, but on the Grand Line, with only five of us, it's still too large," Cook said.

"Works for me. We're not in a hurry to head to the Grand Line anyway. The Marines have probably figured out my identity by now," Rogge said with a shrug.

"You're looking for a mad doctor. Aren't you afraid he'll poison us?" Jelly said.

"If he refuses to cooperate, we'll kill him," Ham said with a smile.

"Don't be like that. That guy may have a terrible reputation, but you'll understand when you meet him. He's actually a very kind person," Cook said.

"What? The God of Disease is a kind person?" Rogge asked in surprise.

"You'll understand when you meet him." Cook offered no further explanation and continued steering toward the Land of a Thousand Lakes.

Elsewhere, when Rogge and the others ate the Devil Fruits, Doberman had retrieved all the surveillance records from the Marine fortress. He found Rogge, and with head chef Tom's identification, they located Rogge's employment application.

"Marshall Rogge." Doberman frowned as he looked at the file.

Rogge had only casually made up a name for himself. He had not expected Doberman to pay attention to it.

"The loss of three fruits has already been reported to Headquarters. Return to Headquarters immediately." Doberman did not linger. He left the fortress with Rogge's file, and five warships crossed Reverse Mountain into the Grand Line.

At the same time, in the first half of the Grand Line, Marine Headquarters Marineford beneath the Red Line received the message Doberman had sent back.

"A petty thief actually managed to seize three Devil Fruits meant as tribute for the Celestial Dragons from a Marine vice admiral's fleet?" Sengoku found it hard to believe after receiving the report.

"He stirred up all the pirates in West Blue, infiltrated a Marine fortress himself, and drugged Marine soldiers. Tsk, tsk. People like that are the most disgusting," Kizaru said blandly while holding a pair of nail clippers.

"The World Government has already sent word. One of the three fruits possesses no ordinary ability. The Celestial Dragons are furious and have ordered the complete capture of those petty thieves," Fleet Admiral Sengoku said.

"Don't worry, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Those people won't be willing to remain in West Blue forever. Sooner or later, they'll enter the Grand Line," Kizaru said.

"I've already had Brannew set their bounties. Borsalino, haven't you settled your matter yet?" Sengoku said, setting the report aside.

"Kuma has agreed to cooperate, but a Shichibukai position needs to be opened up," Kizaru said, putting down his nail clippers.

"Kuma agreed to cooperate... There's no need to rush the Shichibukai matter. Finding someone to replace a Shichibukai isn't something that can be done in a day or two," Sengoku said, shaking his head.

"That's what I think too," Kizaru said blandly.

Elsewhere, Brannew of the staff department had already pinned a photograph onto the blackboard before numerous officers.

"Marshall Rogge, the mastermind behind the Heavenly Tribute Incident in West Blue. His methods were vile. Through this incident, he obtained three powerful Devil Fruits. He holds the World Government and the Marines in contempt and poses an enormous threat to the seas. We will set his bounty at..."