บท 136: Chapter 136

"So, how do you plan to treat Doc's illness, Dr. Kureha?" I asked while following Kureha as she led us back to her home, and I noticed Law perk his ears while pretending to look away.

"Your crewmate's illness is a troublesome one that all doctors will deem incurable," Kureha said with a smile without bothering to turn around as she did.

"It's not actually incurable," Kureha added with a shake of her head. "However, it requires surgery to heal, and the surgery will most likely kill the patient," she concluded as she drank a mouthful of plum sake.

"Oh, and what is his illness, by the way?" I asked, feeling genuinely curious, as I had avoided asking Doc about it, fearing it was a sensitive subject.

"His heart is infected with a rare but deadly virus that slowly eats away at its victim's heart," Kureha explained with a sigh as she shook her head, seemingly reminiscing about something.

"It would usually take about three to six months for the person to die of heart failure," she added as she paused for a second to do some calculations.

"It's a good thing you came to me when you did, as your friend seems to be in the fifth-month stage, and he wouldn't have much to live otherwise," she concluded in a careless tone.

"But Doc had this illness since birth...." I said in a confused tone, tilting my head to the side.

"Hmm?" Kureha stopped in her tracks as she turned to look at me with an equally confused look. "What are you talking about, brat?" she asked again with a glare, seemingly thinking I was joking or something.

"Doc Q, my crewmate has had this illness since birth, and he's in his twenties right now..." I repeated with a shrug as I looked her straight in the eye.

"You're not joking, are you, brat?" she asked, giving me a stern look that dared me to joke around or lie, and I just shook my head at her.

"But that's simply impossible, unless...," Kureha muttered to herself as she turned to look at the ground, seemingly forgetting my existence.

"But that would mean it's genetic, or maybe..., hmm," Kureha continued to mutter as Byron, Law, and I just stared at her awkwardly in confusion.

"Let's hurry up back," Kureha said as she raised her head to look at me, snapping out of her daze. "I need to have some words with him and examine him more thoroughly," she concluded as she turned around and began walking at a faster pace.

I just sighed, giving my baffled crewmates a shrug as I followed Kureha, causing them to do the same.

...

We reached Kureha's treehouse, and she didn't waste any as she barged in and made her way towards Doc. "Follow me," she briefly said as she turned around and began walking towards a closed door.

Doc turned to look at me with a confused look, and I gave him the same shrug I gave Byron and Law, helping him to his feet as we all followed the witch doctor.

Kureha opened the door and walked inside with the rest of us behind her. I stopped for a second as I walked inside, marveling at its interior that notably differed from the rest of Kureha's treehouse.

It was a white room with two sections, separated by a transparent glass wall with the side we stood on, having several chairs and shelves containing medical supplies and equipment.

However, the other side, which seemed to be the operation room, had nothing but a bed with a light aimed at it. "Only doctors and the patient are allowed into the OR. The rest of you can watch from where you're standing," Kureha said as she began washing her hands.

She then took out a medical mask and a pair of gloves while gesturing for Crocus and Law to do the same, which they did without complaint.

"Get this guy inside the OR," Kureha said as she turned to look at Law while gesturing towards Doc.

Doc merely sighed as he leaned on Law and made his way inside along with Crocus, leaving Byron and myself outside.

"Take off your shirt, and lie down, half-dead-brat," Kureha said while gesturing towards the bed, prompting Doc to sigh again, coughing a mouthful of blood as he obliged.

"So, brat, you're has been telling me that you've had this illness since birth," Kreuha said as she held Doc's arm, examining his pulse. "Is that true?" she asked, giving him the same stern look she gave me earlier.

"It's true," Doc replied with a nod. "Though I have no idea how he even knew that in the first place," he added, chuckling as his face lost color and his arm sagged in Kureha's hand.

"You'll only get a headache if you try to question every time the captain pulls off something like that," Law muttered to himself, earning a bemused look from Kureha and a chuckle from Crocus and Doc.

"Yes, the brat definitely seems to know more than he should," Kureha remarked as she briefly turned to look at me. "But let's focus on the matter at hand," she added with a shake of her head.

"Does your family have a history of suffering from illness?" Kureha asked as she turned to look at Doc Q.

"I wouldn't know," Doc replied with a shake of his head. "The closest thing I've ever had to a family was Stronger, my horse, and he's just as ill as I am," he added with a chuckle.

"Hmm, then it seems that I'll have to get a better look at your heart to discern whether your illness is hereditary or not," Kureha remarked as she let go of Doc's arm.

"You take out his heart with your devil fruit and let me get a better look at it," Kureha instructed as she turned to look at Law, causing the latter's eyes to twitch.

"Now wait, cough, wait a second," Doc said in a hurried tone as he tried to get up, causing him to cough a mouthful of blood.

"Don't worry," Kureha said with a chuckle. "He'll be able to take out your heart and put it back with a snap of his fingers, and you wouldn't even feel it," she added while gesturing towards Law, causing Doc to turn to him as well.

"It's true," Law said with a shrug, sighing at how everyone he met seems to know about the powers of his devil fruit after joining Johnny's crew.

"Fine, but just so you know, if anything happens to me, then Stronger will bite you all to death," Doc said in resignation as he sighed, laying back on the bed.

"Room," Law said while gesturing with his hand, creating a transparent doom that covered the entirety of the operation room. He walked to Doc as he helped him sit straight.

"Mes," he concluded, pushing a clawed fist to Doc's chest. A small gelatinous cube flew from Doc's back, with a tattered, bleeding heart inside it, and Kureha reacted quickly, catching the cube.

Doc looked at this sight in amazement, then turned to look at the cube-shaped hole in his chest. "Huh, my heart just flew out of my back..., now that's something you don't see that every day..." he said as he collapsed on the bed, unconscious.