Chapter 6

“Who are you?”
You asked aloud in sequence.

“Me? I’m a doctor on this island. I advise you not to make any sudden movements; it will only accelerate the spread of the poison, young lady.”

As if! Quack doctor!

Your status bar shows something you don’t quite understand, but the rate at which your HP is dropping seems to have slowed. Originally, you were losing 0.2 HP per minute, but now, inexplicably, it’s down to 0.1 HP per minute.

“Where is this place?”

“This is the New World, Palma Island, Xiang’a Village. Our island is famous for its delicious air-dried ham. The annual ham festival is coming soon—you mustn’t miss it.”

Xiang’a Village?

You’ve never heard of it; you distinctly remember initially choosing Windmill Village in the Kingdom of Rausch for your game start, not this place.

After asking all your questions, the ordinary-looking middle-aged man’s green name above his head changed to “Island Doctor”… He didn’t even deserve a proper name, probably just a cannon fodder NPC in the game.

He said nothing further and sat motionless. You got used to it and stopped paying attention, standing up to look for the blonde man’s figure.

You haven’t seen him since earlier. Could he be outside the house?

Approaching the door, your gaze casually fell on a wooden barrel placed just inside the entrance. Your steps involuntarily halted.

Let’s be honest—

In RPG games, barrels, boxes, and jars are usually breakable, right?

At level 15, your attack power has already increased, not to mention the attributes boosted by your title and newly acquired pearl necklace. Breaking a barrel with one punch should be no problem, but you worry about hurting your fist…

Come to think of it, you seem to have unlocked a new skill: Level 1 Armament Haki (0/100).

The blonde man once used this skill to turn his skin as hard as steel; striking others likely has a similar hardening effect.

Why not give it a try?

Your left arm still aches, so you can only imbue your right fist with Armament Haki and punch the barrel. Naturally, the silly doctor NPC sitting not far away didn’t stop you; he merely gazed kindly at the empty bed as if someone needing care lay there.

[System: Obtained Toxin Suppressants ×2.]

Two vials fell out of the barrel. Surprised, you bent down to pick them up, beginning to realize why your HP loss rate had halved.

By the way, your fist didn’t hurt at all. Your stamina dropped by 10 points, and the Armament Haki gauge changed to 1/100.

Fantastic!

Haki truly is a wondrous thing.

Yet, you still prefer Conqueror’s Haki, feeling indifferent toward this hands-on type. If the opponent’s Armament Haki is stronger, you’re sure to feel pain.

You stuffed the toxin suppressants into your backpack and pushed open the door. Sure enough, you saw the cheap old man’s figure.

Edward Newgate stood outside the wooden hut. As you approached, he placed his hands on his hips and spoke first: “Kid, you awake?”

“Yes, I’m awake.”

“This island is the closest to that lonely one. Rest well!”

He said this while pushing the door and stepping inside the wooden hut you had just left.

Cheap old man is efficient—he found you a doctor so quickly. No wonder you maxed out his favorability to 100%…

Though the doctor’s treatment was of little use, only slowing the HP loss rate.

The doctor’s small wooden house stood atop a hill, surrounded by dense woods. In front was an open clearing paved with rough wooden planks. Gazing outward from here, you faintly saw the town and streets nestled below the mountain.

You feel like exploring a bit.

Earlier, you had broken a wooden crate at the door using Armament Haki.

[System: Obtained Regular Pineapple ×1, Regular Wheat ×1, Delicious Pear ×1 (each restores 2 HP).]

Beside the broken crate lay a pair of straw sandals.

[System: Obtained Plain Straw Sandals ×2 (Attack +1, Agility +3, Defense -5).]

This village truly is a hero’s paradise.

Finally, you have shoes on your feet. Though the stats aren’t great, you put on the sandals, gathered all the loot, and just as you were about to leave the hut, a familiar transparent menu appeared before you.

[System Hint: The old man seems to be whispering with the doctor. Listen in quietly by the window.]

Whispering?

Curious, you paused and crouched by a nearby window, really hearing voices—

“Unfortunately, my medical skills are limited. I can’t cure the severe poison in that child’s body, only slow its spread.”

“And…”

“It’s not just about the poison. That child doesn’t have much time left—her organs won’t last more than a month. But I can’t identify the exact illness.”

“…”

You only have a month to live?

Isn’t that obvious? Your attribute panel clearly shows a demo version countdown of one month. Actually, only 27 days remain now. Did he really need to remind you?

The blonde man remained silent, turned away so you couldn’t see his expression.

You sulkily stayed by the window. Finally, the serious-looking doctor spoke again.

“Unfortunately, my medical skills are limited. I can’t cure the poison…”

Repeating himself.

Realizing no new plot was coming, you jumped down from the window, feeling utterly bored. As your gaze left the window, Edward Newgate emerged, pushing the door open.

He stood at the doorway, seemingly waiting for you to approach and trigger the next event.

“Dad, you’re out!”

You walked over and spoke to Edward Newgate; he responded energetically, rubbing your head and making that strange laugh you could never imitate: “Gulala!”

“Let’s go, we’re heading to the next island. Your wounds are well controlled; old man will take you to have some fun!”

Huh?

Leaving now? So soon? You still wanted to explore the village below the mountain.

You hesitated about protesting, then suddenly noticed a young man with yellow hair sitting on a wooden railing nearby. He stared with dull eyes, speaking in an exasperated yet helpless tone:

“So, you’re here. Old man, you really made us easy to find.”

His name above his head read “Marco.”

The second named NPC appears! His name is green, but he looks a bit like a street punk… You’ve never seen such a messy hairstyle.

Because of his appearance, a dialogue bubble appeared over Edward Newgate.

Choice 1: Dad, who is he?
Choice 2: Hey, who is he? How dare he not kneel before me—I’m a Celestial Dragon!
Choice 3: Ignore everyone; stay on Palma Island.

No option to exit—forced plot.

You almost chose the last one but don’t want to stay on Palma Island forever, so you said choice 1: “Dad, who is he?”

The first to react was the boy named Marco.

“Pa… PaPa!!!??”

His eyes widened, his tongue sprung out in shock, nearly falling off the railing.

“Hey, old man, what’s going on?”

“Gulala! Marco, that’s her you see there—she’s my daughter, from now on a family member of the Whitebeard Pirates.”

“…Dad, you know that’s not what I was asking, right?!” Marco looked at your beautiful golden hair, then at Edward Newgate’s similarly colored hair, wearing a subtle expression.

“Why ask so much? Family is family. No matter what, you’re my children!”

Why did they start an automatic conversation on their own…

When playing games across the screen, you’d usually press A to skip such dialogues, but since you couldn’t skip here, you caught a key phrase:

Whitebeard Pirates.

So the cheap old man is a pirate? You recall the game’s setting is about pirates, so it’s not too surprising. His thick crescent-shaped beard fits the nickname, and he really has other sons. The young man before you must be your “cheap” older brother then.

While you were stunned, the two finally finished their conversation.

Marco approached, half-squatting and smiling, extending a greeting: “I’m Marco. What’s your name?”

“…My name is Cornelia Elena.”

“Nonsense! Your name is Edward D. Marlowe!”

Edward Newgate suddenly poked your head with a dissatisfied look.

Damn!

You looked at him in disbelief, unable to accept that he actually said such a ridiculous name.

“Hahaha, Marlowe, huh? That’s a good name.”

Marco showed no displeasure, smiling as he patted your head: “Just call me Marco.”

…Is he serious? What on earth does he find good about your name!? Shut up, don’t say that word again!

Choice 1: Okay, big brother.
Choice 2: Marco, good day.
Choice 3: I won’t acknowledge you as my brother; a lowly person doesn’t deserve it!
Choice 4: Leave.

This time you can exit the choice, but there’s no need. You took a deep breath, calmed down, and chose option 1.

No shame in acting cute to gain favor—after all, your specialty is showing off your “green tea” charm… uh, using your appearance to win others’ affection.

“Okay.”

You stepped forward, hugged Marco’s leg, burying your face against him and sweetly called out: “Brother!”

[System: Marco’s favorability +10.]

…

These guys’ favorability increases way too easily.

Remembering the game has a gift system, you pulled out an edible mushroom from your backpack and handed it to him.

“Huh? For me? Thanks.”

[System: Marco’s favorability +1.]

Then you offered the wheat you picked up from the crate.

“How interesting, thanks.”

[System: Marco’s favorability +1.]

There was also a plain pineapple with no attribute bonus in the crate, which you gave him.

“Wow! Pineapple! I like this, thank you.”

[System: Marco’s favorability +8.]

Hmm?

Unexpectedly, your cheap big brother’s reaction was bigger than you imagined. It seems giving someone their favorite item raises favorability more, but you only have one pineapple…

Better keep giving mushrooms.

You pulled out another mushroom from your backpack and handed it over.

“Huh!? This one is…”

Marco hesitated when he saw the mushroom you gave him. You also looked down at it and realized you’d grabbed the wrong one.

Help! You gave him a pregnancy mushroom!

That’s a rare and valuable item—you couldn’t bear to part with it. You quickly took it back, nervously saying, “Th-this one is Dad’s. I grabbed the wrong one.”

You swapped it for a straw chicken mushroom.

“Oh! Thanks.”

[System: Marco’s favorability +1.]

But for some reason, his expression turned noticeably more serious, as if deep in thought. Usually, he seemed quite mechanical when not triggering dialogue. You tried to give him another mushroom.

[System Hint: You’ve given too many gifts. Come back tomorrow.]

Alright, that’s enough for today.

Meeting for the first time and raising Marco’s favorability to 21 was actually pretty good. You were very pleased and put the mushrooms back into your backpack.

There should be no further plot now. Seeing the two standing awkwardly here, you couldn’t help but start walking toward the railing.

Leaving the doctor’s house, Marco and the others followed. The youth with messy hair looked at your bandaged arm and asked curiously:

“Little sister, what happened to your arm?”

“Marco, I was just about to talk to you about that.”

The blonde man behind you replied in a low voice: “Let him check the wound. She got hurt because of me.”

[System: Marco’s favorability +10.]

“I see.” Marco nodded seriously. “Let’s head back to the ship. The others are still on the main ship—I came separately to find old man.”

So now you have to return with them to the ship.

Looking back at the two men following you, they mirrored your steps exactly—when you walked, they walked; when you stopped, they stopped. Their expressions never changed, creating an indescribably eerie feeling.

If you tried to veer off toward the town, Marco would remind you: “Little sister, we need to hurry back.”

You had no choice but to walk toward the docked ship.

Marco’s ship wasn’t large—he came alone to meet old man. Compared to the shabby small boat you and Edward Newgate patched up on the deserted island, this medium-sized wooden vessel was far superior, even having a private cabin.

As soon as you stepped aboard, Marco took you to the deck cabin.

He unwrapped the bandage on your left arm, inspected the wound and the purple discoloration spreading on your skin, dipped a test strip in your blood, used a stethoscope to listen to you, but didn’t draw blood or run tests. Instead, he immediately prepared a potion on the spot.

[System: Obtained Antidote ×1.]

A miracle doctor!

You stared wide-eyed in shock. Truth be told, you don’t mind bitterness or hard-to-swallow medicines at all, as long as you don’t have to get injections, you’re willing to do anything.

“Thanks, brother, you’re so kind!”

You took the potion and swallowed it in one gulp. The poison debuff causing 0.1 HP loss per minute vanished. Your left arm still bore a wound but no longer hurt continuously.

[System: Marco’s favorability +1.]

“All better now.”

“Get some good rest in the room.”

Marco smiled, ruffled your hair, stood up from the chair, opened the door, and left the room.

Choice 1: Lie down and sleep.
Choice 2: Don’t sleep, go outside for a walk.
Choice 3: Leave.

You don’t want to sleep; your stamina is almost full—no need to replenish.

At times like this, of course, you want to explore. Yet the wooden barrel at the door still bothers you…

You noticed it as soon as you entered the room, itching to check it out. You reluctantly chose the third option to exit the menu temporarily, imbuing your fist again with Armament Haki.

Everything will wait until you finish scavenging. You raised your right arm, ready to smash the barrel, when the menu popped up once more.

[System: Marco seems to be whispering with old man. Crouch by the door and eavesdrop on their conversation.]

Choice 1: Eavesdrop.
Choice 2: None of my business.