Bruce Banner obviously hadn't seen this kind of spectacle before, standing there at a loss.
He pushed up the crooked glasses on the bridge of his nose.
He looked at the great pirate before him, who had bent his waist ninety degrees.
The fear of nearly being strangled to death just now seemed to have dissipated quite a bit.
In its place was a kind of awkwardness and helplessness unique to scholars.
"Um..."
"Actually, it's not entirely your fault."
Banner spoke somewhat stutteringly.
He stole a cautious glance at the tower-like T-800 standing nearby.
Then he looked at the mysterious Divine Physician, who was playing with a potion.
He took a deep breath.
"It's a problem with my own constitution."
"I've been trying to control it, but..."
At this point, Banner shook his head bitterly.
That green monster was the curse of his life.
It was also a nightmare he couldn't escape.
These words were spoken with extreme humility.
The surrounding pirates felt a pang of sympathy hearing them.
What a good man!
After being tossed around like that by our Captain, he's still so easy to talk to!
Ace straightened up, his face—still carrying a hint of boyishness—filled with guilt.
Suddenly, he turned his head and glared fiercely at the surrounding crew members.
"Did you all hear that?!"
"From now on, if anyone dares to speak loudly in front of this big brother, I'll throw him into the sea to feed the fish!"
The pirates nodded frantically, their necks nearly snapping.
No joke.
Who would dare provoke this man?
That one punch nearly sank the ship!
They were pirates, not fools looking for a noose—they weren't tired of living!
Just then.
The T-800, who had been standing silently nearby, had a slight flicker of red light in his eyes.
Since the threat had been neutralized.
According to the core program's judgment, there was no need to maintain a combat state.
Click.
The large-caliber shotgun in his hand was retracted into the inside of his leather jacket with a fluid mechanical motion.
That terrifying mechanical prosthetic eye was once again covered by sunglasses.
He returned to being that cold, aloof bodyguard who kept everyone at a distance.
Only.
No one present dared to treat him as an ordinary follower anymore.
This guy is a ruthless character too!
Banner straightened his messy collar and took several deep breaths, trying to let the beast named "Hulk" fall back into a deep sleep.
Then.
He turned around and looked at the robed figure who was packing up his medicine box.
His eyes were full of gratitude and a hint of undisguised curiosity.
"Um... Doctor."
Banner pushed his glasses, his tone exceptionally respectful.
This was the mutual appreciation between scholars.
And even more, respect for a savior.
"Thank you for your help just now."
"If it weren't for that purple mist suppressing my emotions, I'm afraid..."
The Divine Physician stopped packing his medicine box.
"A healer has a benevolent heart; there is no need for formalities."
"Um..."
Banner rubbed his hands, his tone extremely humble.
"Doctor, you said just now..."
"You know about gamma rays?"
"In this world... I mean, on this sea."
"Very few people should have heard of that term."
Hearing this.
The Divine Physician turned his head slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"I know a thing or two."
"All things have spirits, and all things have toxicity."
"The so-called rays are merely an extreme toxic manifestation of light."
"Moreover, it isn't necessarily a bad thing for you; try to accept it."
Listening to the Divine Physician's cryptic words, Banner seemed lost in thought.
"Accept... the toxicity?"
Banner muttered to himself.
All along, he had treated the Hulk inside him as a virus, a curse.
He tried desperately to suppress it, to drive it out of his body.
But the words of this mysterious doctor opened a new door for him.
"All things have spirits."
"Perhaps it isn't your enemy, but a part of your body."
The Divine Physician casually tossed the purple crystal back into the medicine box, his movements incredibly elegant.
"Try to understand it, rather than fight it."
"This might be the only cure for your 'heart disease'."
His words were full of gravitas.
He sounded like a peerless master living in seclusion, pointing the way.
Standing to the side, Ace's eyes were now as wide as dinner plates.
Because he had bowed so hard to apologize earlier, his head was still a bit rushed with blood.
Listening to the conversation between these two intellectuals, he only felt his head buzzing.
Rays?
Toxicity?
Acceptance?
What on earth is all this!
Ace scratched his head, his expression shifting from confusion to conflict, and finally to complete resignation.
I feel like knowledge is trying to enter my brain in a way I don't like.
Without any hesitation.
Ace suddenly reached out and grabbed the Divine Physician's wrist.
His eyes were burning, and his tone was sincere to the extreme.
"Big brother!"
"Be my partner!"
"Join the Spade Pirates!"
"We need a Doctor like you!"
This shout was full of vigor.
Ace's invitation echoed across the entire deck.
The Divine Physician was slightly stunned, seemingly not expecting this kid to be so direct.
And at this moment.
In another corner of the deck.
A small man wearing a white coat and holding bandages suddenly stiffened.
He was the original ship doctor of the Spade Pirates.
I should be under the ship, not on the ship...
At this very moment.
He was crouching on the ground, bandaging the wounds of the startled crew members.
Hearing his Captain's passionate shout.
With a snap, the bandage in his hand was torn apart.
The small ship doctor slowly turned his head, looking at his Captain's "thirst for talent" expression.
Tears flowed uncontrollably from the corners of his mouth.
His heart was freezing cold!
He stood up tremblingly and reached out a hand toward Ace's back in a dramatic gesture.
"Cap... Captain..."
"What about me?"
"If he becomes the ship doctor, what am I going to be? Am I supposed to be a nurse?"
Musk said this and started laughing to himself.
The surrounding pirates also began to laugh along.
However, as he laughed, Musk found he couldn't laugh anymore.
Because he discovered something.
Something very terrifying.
His Captain, whose brain usually worked differently from normal people.
Wasn't laughing along with him right now.
On the contrary.
Those eyes that had been somewhat conflicted earlier.
Were now shining with a frighteningly bright light!
The smile on Musk's face froze.
A drop of cold sweat slid down his not-so-smooth forehead.
"Cap... Captain?"
Musk called out tentatively.
His voice carried a hint of trembling.
"Wh... why are you looking at me like that?"
"It's creepy."
Ace didn't speak.
He just slowly raised his hand.
And slammed a heavy punch into his own palm.
Pa!
The crisp sound echoed across the silent deck.
"That's right!"
Ace suddenly looked up, a brilliant smile on his face.
That smile was full of the satisfaction of having solved a difficult problem.
"Why didn't I think of that!"
"Musk, you're a genius!"
Musk: "???"
A sense of extreme foreboding instantly enveloped his entire body.
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