"Well, well, this is a rare guest..."

  Afternoon.

  In the icy wilderness, surrounded by snow-covered mountains and a harsh, frigid wind, a structure carved from a cave stood isoted, far from any town.

  A mature woman with dark hair slicked back, dressed in stylish clothes and sungsses, opehe door, bottle in hand, looking curiously at the ued visitors.

  Wheiced El, with his bck wings and fming aura behind him, her eyes narrowed slightly, and she greeted them with a sly smile, "My, arriving with such presence—are you here to learn my secret to eternal youth?"

  "Ma-ma-ma-ma, we’re not ied in your anti-agis, though Nef and Lillian might be!" Linlin replied with a grin.

  As a Mythical Zoan Vampire-type user, Linlin wasn’t sure if she could truly achieve eternal life, but she could retain her youth and peak physical state. El, with his half-giaage and Lunarian blood, likely had a lifespan close to that of a giant. And Gerd, being a full-blooded giant, could easily live over three hundred years.

  pared to them, Tsuru, Nef, and Lillian would likely need such secrets far more. Dr. Kureha looked barely ihirties, with enviably smooth skin. If El hadn’t mentioned she was already hty, Linlin wouldn’t have believed it.

  "You must be Dr. Kureha, the Witch?" El asked, the woman eared to be ihirties. He smiled and introduced himself, "o meet you. My name is Kukulkan El, captain of the Fallen Angel Pirates. I’m sure you guess my lineage, so no need for an introdu there."

  "What you all have done has shaken the world," Dr. Kureha said as she gestured for them to enter. "I imagihe Wover is frantic to find yht now." She crossed her legs aled into a chair, looking at El with a mischievous glint in her eye. "So what brings you to a pce like this, looking for a ‘modest’ dy like me? Surely, it wasn’t my beauty that lured you here?"

  "Heh, don’t ftter yourself, you old hag!"

  Before El could respond, Linlin, a having to wait outside due to her size, gred at Dr. Kureha, her eyes practically shooting fmes. "El Onii would never be ied in you!"

  "Now, now, Linlin, calm down..." Gerd quickly held Linlin back, f her fiery-tempered friend. She turo Dr. Kureha with an apologetic smile, "Apologies for her outburst. She be a bit impulsive!"

  "Hmph, I won’t hold it against a young girl..." Dr. Kureha shrugged, then turo El. "So, why are you here?"

  "I’d like to invite you to join the Fallen Angel Pirates," El said, not beating around the bush.

  "No thanks," Dr. Kureha replied instantly. "You should look elsewhere. This old body of mine ’t keep up with you youngsters."

  With their infamous reputation for attag a Navy fortress, kidnapping World Nobles, and even taking down an admiral, Dr. Kureha could imagine how much trouble the Fallen Angel Pirates had attracted. She preferred a quiet life and inteo live a few more years.

  "I’ll make it worth your while: a million Berries a year, or if you prefer, I pay you ten million upfront to join us for a decade. If anything happens to us, you’re free to leave."

  Dr. Kureha raised her eyebrows, staring at El in disbelief. "Am I hearing this right?"

  One million Berries per year? That was a fortune, especially for a pirate crew, let alone an upfront payment of ten million.

  "pared to valuable talent, money is just numbers… I know your medical skills are exceptional, and your anti-aging expertise is unmatched. I’d imagine living past 150 is within your reach," El replied with a smile. "Ten years would hardly be long for someone like you."

  Iure, Dr. Kureha was said to live past 140 with more vigor and vitality than most people decades younger. It wouldn’t be surprising if she outlived even half-giants.

  "Of course, joining the Fallen Angel Pirates es with risks, but you won’t be expected to fight. Your role would be as a support team member..."

  "We’re pnning to establish a new nation in the New World—a pce where different races coexist peacefully without discrimination or svery, a nd called Totto Land."

  "To develop the ey and promote public welfare, we’ll need several hospitals. We hope you would sider being head of our medical department!"

  "Hmph, founding a try? Ambitious indeed..."

  Dr. Kureha studied El with a sharp gaze, unfiltered in her respohat won’t be easy. The Wover won’t sit bad watch you expand."

  "There’s o worry about that. If we didn’t have the fidend capability, we wouldn’t be here asking for your help!" Gerd replied with a smile, her voice brimming with fidence.

  "I imagihat as a doctor, no matter how little you care for fame or fortune, you might still want to use your skills to help as many people as possible?" El added, addressing Dr. Kureha with a sione. "Whether it’s researg new medies, training medical personnel, or establishing a healthcare system for Totto Land..."

  "All of these efforts could make a sting impact, saving tless lives."

  El’s gaze softened as he looked at the skilled yet etric doctor known as "The Witch." "I may not know what inally inspired your career in medie, but I believe Totto Land could be the stage for you to fulfill your aspirations, Dr. Kureha."

  In El’s view, Dr. Kureha’s decades of experiend her background in Drum Kingdom, a medical hub, made her an ideal didate to lead Totto Land’s health system—far more suited than Nef, who was still young and had much to learn.

  "Hah, you almost have me vinced..." Dr. Kureha looked at El with an amused smirk. "But given that you’ve openly defied the Wover, I doubt you’ve even secured a solid foothold, let aloory for a new nation..."

  "Don’t think I’m some gullible youngster who be wooed by big promises."

  "Ma-ma-ma-ma, Dr. Kureha, don’t uimate us..."

  Linlin, standing at the door, interjected proudly, "The Hell Trading pany operates uhe trol of the Fallen Angel Pirates. We already hold more isnds than we t!"

  "Oh? So the power behind the Hell Trading pany... is you?"

  Dr. Kureha’s eyes widened, surprised. In Drum Kingdom, where the harsh climate severely limited crops, the Hell Trading pany’s affordable food and medies had bee vital. The try oor, with much of its revenue going toward taxes and the Heavenly Tribute for Wover membership, leaving many citizens hungry or cold.

  With the Hell Trading pany providing affordable supplies, the pany had essentially saved many in the kingdom from starvation and hardship.

  "And you think we ’t hold round?" Linlin grinned. "Three days ago, tured the Supreme ander of the Holy Knights. We nearly took down Admiral Kong as well—he’s currently lying in a naval hospital, still unscious!"

  "If their reinforts hadn’t arrived in time, you might have already heard of the sed admiral’s unfortunate ‘passing.’ But the Wover has kept this i under s."

  "What!?"

  Dr. Kureha gasped, shaken. She knew well what the Holy Knights represented—a forposed of the Celestial Dragoe warriors, ranking above the Navy and even CP0. Yet even with the might of the Holy Knights and an admiral, they had failed to subdue these pirates.

  "So, what do you say, Dr. Kureha? Will you sider my offer?" El asked, smiling, letting his aplishments speak for themselves.

  "Ku-he-he-he, you lot are certainly iing..."

  Dr. Kureha gri El, her eyes twinkling. "Kukulkan El, right? I’d like to see just how far this so-called desdant of the Gods go."

  Clearly, she knew something of El’s rare lineage.

  "Of course, I’ll need my full pay up front. Ten million Berries. That way, if you fall apart, I make my escape with s. Ku-he-he-he..."

  "What a crafty old woman!”