Chapter 24: Arrival at Shimotsuki Village

If it’s flat, it needs to be inflated.

Xia Nuo exerted a sudden burst of strength, lifting the boat and hoisting it onto the sea’s surface. Junyi immediately knelt down and began performing CPR on Sanji.

After a long while of frantic effort, Sanji’s upper body suddenly jerked, and he let out a fit of coughing. His eyes barely managed to crack open for a sliver of a second before his neck slumped and he lost consciousness once more.

However, his breathing had become long and steady. Xia Nuo let out a sigh of relief for the time being and had Junyi carry Sanji into the cabin. He then headed back to the reef to help Zeff across.

Seeing that Sanji was still alive, the old man finally felt completely at ease and lay down obediently on the bed. Both of them were in an extremely weakened state; one was unconscious, and the other still needed his severed limb treated.

They needed to find a reliable doctor for treatment as soon as possible.

"Is there a hospital in Shimotsuki Village?" Xia Nuo asked.

"A hospital?" Junyi scratched his head. "Not exactly, but there is a small clinic. Granny Zilan at the clinic is very skilled; even people from the neighboring villages often cross the mountains just to see her."

"Then we’re heading to Shimotsuki Village!"

Xia Nuo unfolded the nautical chart. "We’ve been sailing for two days now. How much longer until we arrive?"

The East Blue is scattered with countless islands. Small villages like Shimotsuki, which rarely see outsiders, are not specifically marked on commercially available maps. Fortunately, they had a local from Shimotsuki Village with them.

Junyi pointed to a spot and spread his thumb and forefinger to estimate. "We’re very close, Boss. Three or four days at most."

"Three or four days... Let’s burn through the cola and go full speed. We’ll both take turns rowing with everything we’ve got; that should shave off quite a bit of time." Xia Nuo looked back. "Can you handle it, old man?"

Zeff struggled to raise his right hand and made an "OK" gesture. Seeing the black lines of frustration rise on Xia Nuo’s forehead, he grinned and lay back down.

...

Two days later, in the evening.

The light drizzle that had been falling for quite some time finally ceased. Xia Nuo and his party had finally arrived at an island filled with rolling hills. On the south side of the central mountain range lay Shimotsuki Village.

A few young boys were playing by the pier when sharp-eyed ones noticed the small boat approaching rapidly from afar.

"Hey, that boat looks familiar..."

"That’s Senior Brother Junyi, you idiot! Senior Brother Junyi is back!"

"Senior Brother Junyi!"

The boys joyfully rushed over, surrounding Junyi as he stepped off the boat.

Xia Nuo was still in the cabin, checking on the sleeping Zeff. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bag containing a small amount of blood.

This was what Sanji had coughed up during his semi-conscious state today. The scene had been quite frightening at the time, but fortunately, his condition had stabilized afterward, and there was ultimately no major harm done.

Blood...

Xia Nuo stroked his chin, lost in thought. This was likely the most valuable item he could harvest from Sanji right now, wasn't it?

After all, the boy had only just escaped from Germa, and the chef’s uniform he was wearing was just what he had worn as an intern on the passenger ship; he didn't have any items with deep emotional significance on him.

He didn't hesitate any longer and chose to offer the bag of blood for sacrifice.

[Offering: Sanji’s Special Blood]
[Quality: Fine]
[Value: 1,000 Points]
[Appraisal: As a member of the Vinsmoke family, the royalty of the North Blue, Sanji has undergone lineage factor modification. His blood naturally possesses unique qualities. While he hates his own bloodline, there is no doubt that the blood flowing in his veins is more valuable than that of an ordinary person.]
[Remaining Points: 8,325]

"It’s worth quite a bit, as expected."

Xia Nuo’s eyes brightened, and his mood improved significantly.

Sanji, like Nami, was still just a brat, so he couldn't expect any strength-based bonuses. Being able to "fleece" a thousand points out of him was an unexpected pleasant surprise.

He sheathed the Masamune sword on his back and stepped out of the cabin. Looking at Junyi, he smiled and said, "You’re quite popular in the village!"

Ever since he had revealed the Masamune in front of Junyi, he had gotten into the habit of carrying it with him. Now that he had grown taller, carrying it on his back actually looked quite fitting.

"Heh heh."

Junyi scratched his head shyly. But noticing the exhaustion on Xia Nuo’s face, he immediately turned around, his expression turning serious as he adopted the aura of a dojo’s senior student.

"Business first. We have two patients here who need to get to the clinic immediately. Who can lend a hand?"

Being able to arrive within two days was almost entirely due to Boss Xia Nuo’s superhuman strength and stamina in rowing. He couldn't trouble him with these finishing tasks; it was time to let him get some proper rest.

"Me! Me!"

A group of children eagerly stepped up. Four of them lifted Sanji, and two helped Zeff as they headed toward the clinic.

Junyi followed closely behind, but suddenly noticed a figure in the bamboo forest and immediately shouted:

"Zoro!"

"Huh?"

A green-haired boy poked his head out, panting heavily and drenched in sweat. Seeing Junyi, his eyes lit up in surprise. "Senior Brother Junyi! When did you get back?"

"Just arrived. Are you doing extra training by yourself again?"

"Yeah."

"Stop for now. I need to take these patients to the clinic. This is Boss Xia Nuo, someone I highly respect. Could you please help me take him to the dojo to rest? I’ll come over later."

"Understood! Don’t worry, Senior Brother Junyi!"

Watching Junyi and his companions head off, Zoro picked up his bamboo sword, slung it over his shoulder, and walked out of the bamboo forest.

He looked at Xia Nuo, his gaze lingering on the Masamune sword on Xia Nuo’s back.

"Let’s go! Follow me!"

Zoro said carelessly, "There are still plenty of empty rooms in the dojo. You look exhausted; I’ll help you find the most comfortable bed!"

"Sure."

Xia Nuo smiled and followed behind.

"Say, your name is Xia Nuo, right?"

As they walked, Zoro suddenly asked without looking back. "Senior Brother Junyi seems really submissive to you, even calling you 'Boss.' But you don’t look older than him. Are you two very close?"

"We only just got to know each other, but I suppose you could call us comrades who’ve been through life and death together," Xia Nuo answered casually, his attention entirely drawn to the green algae on the boy's head.

Zoro was less than five feet tall now, a little bean sprout. Watching that tuft of green hair bobbing beneath his chest, it was hard to resist the urge to pluck a few strands.

"Is that so? Senior Brother Junyi is the strongest among the students of his generation. To be acknowledged by him, your swordsmanship must be pretty strong too!"

"But I’m strong too! Among the dojo students of my age, I’m the strongest!"

Xia Nuo was dumbfounded.

That reliable Roronoa Zoro from the Straw Hat crew seemed to be only in the early stages of human development right now. He was just a ten-year-old kid with a head full of bravado, and boasting without shame was one of the most prominent features of this age group.

"Really?"

Xia Nuo coughed lightly, putting on a curious expression. "What about Kuina?"

Zoro’s face turned bright red in an instant.

What the hell? Did Senior Brother Junyi tell this guy about those things too!

"It’s... it’s about the same! Kuina is strong too. I’ve fought her many times, and it’s basically a toss-up!" the green-haired brat gritted his teeth and insisted.

Xia Nuo chuckled.

Children were thin-skinned, so he didn't call his bluff and continued to follow Zoro into the village.

Until...

As they walked, things started to feel off. They somehow ended up at the end of an alleyway, and next to the gate of a traditional Japanese-style building, a sign clearly read: "Shimotsuki North Mountain Hot Spring Bathhouse."

"What does this mean?" Xia Nuo looked at Zoro in confusion. "Isn't this the way to the Isshin Dojo?"

"That’s not right, it was definitely in this direction..." Zoro scratched his head, struggling to think. "Which junction did I pick wrong just now?"

Xia Nuo finally realized.

You actually manage to get lost even in Shimotsuki Village!