Treating Illness and Recuperating

Swallow Island, in the woods.

Drake sat on a rock, his eyes fixed firmly ahead, not letting even the slightest movement escape his notice.

Not far behind him was a cave. Its entrance was small, but the inside was extremely spacious, even divided into separate rooms.

In the room on the left, Baby-5 had finished dressing and asked anxiously, "Van, there really won't be any scars, right?"

"There won't be!" Van stood up bare-chested. "If there are, I'll cut them off once they scab over."

He had not dared expose his ability on the speedboat and could only perform simple bandaging to stop the bleeding. Now that they were safe, he gave both himself and Baby-5 another examination.

A mere penetrating wound was nothing troublesome to him. Law's Amber Lead Disease was the real problem.

The toxins had accumulated in his internal organs, bones, and blood. Extracting them would be painstaking work, and one treatment might not be enough.

"I'm going to treat Law now. Don't run around, and don't make any noise."

After giving that reminder, Van went to the next room and found Law resting there.

"Are you ready?"

"Van!"

Law's face was pale as paper, but he still forced out a smile. "You can start anytime. Even if I die, I won't blame you."

To him, having his body cut into pieces was still terrifying. Even though he had seen Van use his ability, he could not accept it calmly right away.

"You won't die. You might not even feel any pain. Just treat it like taking a nap."

As he spoke, Van's fingers began moving back and forth through the air.

Law first floated into the air, then his body seemed to be sliced apart by a fishing net, breaking into pieces.

Extracting the toxins, repairing the organs, restoring vitality... every step had to be repeated many times and performed with absolute precision.

Half an hour later, Law's body fused back together and returned to normal.

Though he had fallen unconscious, the ashen color in his face gradually gave way to a healthy flush, and his tightly furrowed brow completely relaxed.

"That cured him?"

Baby-5's shocked voice came from the doorway as she craned her neck to peek inside.

"Let him rest properly. Let's talk outside."

Van wiped the sweat from his forehead and struggled to stand.

Seeing how exhausted he was, Baby-5 hurried into the room and obediently supported him.

The two went outside and discovered that the sun had already set. Night would fall soon.

Hearing their footsteps, Drake turned and asked, "Van, is Law's illness cured?"

"The toxins have basically been removed. I'll still need to check him a few more times to see whether any residual toxins appear."

Van smiled and continued, "The Marines haven't found us today, so they were probably fooled. We can rest here for a while and consider leaving after Law fully recovers."

"Yeah! Some animals showed up earlier, so there must be a water source nearby. Staying here for a while won't be a problem."

Drake was somewhat excited and immediately suggested, "How about I go hunt something now? It would be good to give Law some nutrition."

The supplies provided by the Marines were limited. Even if they did not go today, they would have to find food and water tomorrow.

Considering that, Van did not object. He only reminded him, "Look for a water source while you're at it. Don't leave the woods, and definitely don't let anyone see you."

"I'll be careful!"

Drake ran off as soon as he spoke, quickly disappearing from sight.

Van had thought they would have to wait until nightfall for meat, but less than twenty minutes later, Drake returned carrying a huge wild boar.

"There's a small river ahead. It should have formed from snow melting at the top of the mountain. Lots of animals are drinking there."

"This one was the fattest. It even tried to attack me, so I brought it back."

Drake tossed the boar down. Its nearly thousand-pound body slammed into the ground, kicking up a ring of dust.

"Couldn't you put it down more gently?"

Baby-5 complained, then turned both hands into blades and marched over menacingly.

Drake thought she was angry and about to attack him, so he quickly apologized. "Sorry! I'll be more careful next time!"

"Move! I'm making dinner!"

Baby-5 glared at Drake, scaring him back. Then she prepared to skin and bleed the boar.

Van raised a hand to stop her. "No need to go through all that trouble."

As the Op-Op Fruit's power spread out, the boar immediately floated into the air and began disassembling itself. Several trees in the distance were cut down and automatically turned into usable lumber as well.

In only a few breaths, strips of meat, wooden skewers, and firewood were all ready. Even the useless parts of the boar had been buried underground.

"I'll leave the rest to you. I'm just waiting to eat."

Under Van's control, the meat strips and wooden skewers were neatly arranged on a rock ledge at the cave entrance. Most of the firewood was moved into the cave, while the rest was left outside.

Drake and Baby-5 widened their eyes and exclaimed together, "That's way too convenient!"

The two then split up, one skewering meat and the other lighting the fire to roast it, both busy as could be.

Though they had no seasoning and the roasted meat tasted ordinary, the sizzling fat and rich aroma still whetted their appetites.

The smell even woke Law's cravings, and he followed the scent out of the cave.

By the time the four had filled their stomachs, the sky was completely dark.

Van used his ability to erase all traces of their camp outside the cave, then moved over a massive boulder to seal the entrance.

That way, they did not need to arrange a night watch. A gap remained between the boulder and the entrance, so it did not affect their breathing.

Over the next few days, the four lived in seclusion near the cave, only going as far as the river to fetch water and hunt.

After repeated examinations, Van confirmed that Law's illness had fully recovered. With an ample supply of meat, his body also grew healthier by the day.

Van decided to go out and gather information, while buying some daily necessities so they could make their next plan.

However, when he voiced the idea, Drake objected.

"Van, the Marines might have left informants on Swallow Island. Let me go instead."

"I can protect myself. Even if they catch me, my life won't be in danger."

That did make sense. Van was a priority target, and if the Marines spotted him, he could only flee.

Baby-5 and Law were too young. Not only would they stand out, but accidents could easily happen, making them even less suited to show themselves.

"Fine! Hunt something first, then disguise yourself as a hunter and go into town to gather information. Buy some daily necessities while you're there..."

Van agreed to Drake's request and told him what they needed to buy.

"I'll definitely be back before dark! If I'm not back by then, leave here immediately!"

After making that agreement, Drake left the cave and headed toward the town on the other side of the island.

"If the Marines catch him, he won't betray us, will he?" Baby-5 maliciously speculated. "Or maybe he'll abandon us and escape on his own?"

Smack! Smack! Smack!

Van gave her several slaps, then asked, "Did you finish today's training?"

"I'm going right now!"

Baby-5's face flushed bright red as she covered her butt and ran away.

At that moment, Law asked, "Van, will Mr. Cora come looking for us?"

"He's a Marine lieutenant colonel and Admiral Sengoku's adopted son. He's probably not in control of his own situation right now."

Van paused, then tested him. "Unless we take the initiative to ask the Marines for help, it'll be hard for us to see him again."

"The admiral's adopted son..."

Law fell silent for a moment, then shook his head. "No need! As long as he's safe, I'm relieved."

He was from the D Family and held a grudge against the World Government. In the future, he could never possibly side with the Marines.