The day before Bai Yun and Luffy set sail, Foosha Village, a place where not even a bird shits, welcomed an unfamiliar pirate crew.
It was unknown whether they were friends or foes.
But pirates, without a doubt, were mostly enemies.
When pirates arrived, it was usually the old mayor who led the villagers to confront them, as the Marine base was in the kingdom and they had no time to deal with a small, rundown place like Foosha Village... The mayor and his group were in front, with Bai Yun and Luffy behind.
Due to his gun training, Bai Yun's eyesight had become excellent, and he could see the pirate ship at the dock from a distance.
It indeed looked as the villagers had described, as if it had been through a fierce battle.
It appeared to be on the verge of collapse, and most of its sails were burned away.
The pirate flag on it depicted a skull with three diagonally arranged 'Z's on the right, making it look like the skull was sleeping... The old mayor led everyone to the dock. From the dilapidated pirate ship, a skinny man with a scar on his face pushed a wheelchair onto the shore.
Sitting in the wheelchair was a pale young girl in a long white dress, her abdomen wounded, blood staining her dress red.
The other people on the ship followed them off one after another.
Including the skinny man, each of them had injuries; some were just superficial cuts, while others had severed limbs.
"Doctor! Quickly call your doctor here!!"
The skinny man immediately shouted upon seeing the old mayor and his group.
The old mayor looked around.
"Your injuries are too severe; our village doctor is powerless to help."
"If you continue sailing a short distance to the right, you'll reach the kingdom's port."
"The doctors in the border town are much more skilled than our village doctor."
The old mayor wasn't lying; skilled doctors naturally went to work in border towns where they could earn money.
As for their old doctor in Foosha Village, he could usually treat colds, fevers, and headaches.
But for injuries of this severity, he was powerless.
However, there was one person who could treat them: Bai Yun. During his time with the Red-Haired Pirates, Bai Yun learned mostly marksmanship and medical skills. With the Copy-Copy Fruit's ability, he wasn't necessarily incredibly powerful, but over the years, he had treated all of Luffy's and Ace's injuries.
"Uh..."
The girl in the wheelchair let out a soft sound, and the skinny man's expression instantly turned ferocious.
With a clang, he drew the long saber from his waist.
"Bastard!"
"How can you say you can't treat her without even looking!"
"Go call the doctor now!"
"Otherwise, I'll kill all of you!!!"
With the saber drawn, the old mayor and the townsfolk's foreheads broke out in cold sweat.
Luffy, who was behind, immediately stretched out his arms, grabbed a stone from the ground, and flung it over.
"You drew your sword, so that means you want to fight!"
The girl looked at Luffy, who was blocking everyone, and recalled his arm from just now. It seemed he was also a Devil Fruit user.
Seeing the skinny man about to strike, the girl strained to raise her hand.
"Forget it, let's go."
The skinny man's movement froze. He could only glare at Luffy, put away his saber, and walked behind the girl, preparing to push her wheelchair.
As for Bai Yun, he didn't rush over like Luffy. At this point, Luffy's strength wasn't so easily defeated.
Instead, he activated his Devil Fruit ability, scanning everyone in the pirate crew.
Under the Devil Fruit's power, in Bai Yun's vision, vertical borders appeared around each of them.
Those were their abilities, and Bai Yun could choose one to replicate.
But the abilities of this group were mostly very ordinary.
Only the skinny man was a decent swordsman.
And the girl in the wheelchair.
"Paramecia-type: Sleep-Sleep Fruit user."
The girl had only this one ability around her.
"Sleep-Sleep Fruit... This is bad!!"
Bai Yun murmured the girl's Devil Fruit ability, suddenly realizing something was seriously wrong.
And indeed, it was just as he had guessed.
Just as the skinny man reached behind her, the girl's eyes immediately turned white, and she chanted.
"Slumber!!"
The Devil Fruit ability instantly spread. Including Luffy and the old mayor, a group of people immediately felt drowsy, their eyelids fighting to stay open.
"Why am I suddenly so sleepy..."
Luffy said, his eyes about to close completely, when a loud gong sound exploded.
"Clang!!!"
Everyone was instantly jolted awake by the loud noise.
It was Bai Yun behind them, who had struck the gong, transformed from his bracelet, at the critical moment.
The girl was still not giving up and continued to use her ability. Bai Yun struck again!
Bai Yun only had to move his hands, while the girl's ability consumed her mental and physical energy.
Seeing her ability countered by Bai Yun, the girl dropped the act, her expression instantly turning ferocious.
"Kill them!!!"
At her command, the skinny man and the crew members behind him immediately swarmed forward.
Luffy, without hesitation, charged forward.
"Gum-Gum! Whip!!"
Luffy coiled his right leg, kicked it out forcefully, and his leg instantly stretched, lashing like a whip towards the approaching crowd.
Except for the skinny man, who immediately bent down, and the girl sitting in the wheelchair, everyone else was instantly kicked to the left by Luffy's kick.
The skinny man stood up, his expression the same as the girl's, mouth agape, filled with horror.
The skinny man gritted his teeth and continued to charge, "I'll fight you to the death!!"
Bai Yun instantly flashed in front of him, poked him in the stomach with a staff, and sent him flying back.
The skinny man immediately fell, clutching his stomach in pain, already having lost his combat ability.
The long staff in his hand changed back into a bracelet. Bai Yun told Luffy and the other townsfolk to tie up these pirates.
Then, he put on a smiling expression and slowly approached the girl.
The girl still wanted to use her ability, but Bai Yun directly landed a 'Face-Breaking Punch'.
"Don't be silly."
But then he suddenly took out gauze and medicine to bandage the girl's wound.
He was misunderstood. Bai Yun wasn't the type of person who would be incapacitated by seeing a woman.
Judging by the way this girl gave orders just now, she seemed to be the captain.
Kill them? It would be better to take them to town for a bounty; he and Luffy needed money anyway.
...
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