"Whoooosh—"

  Snowfkes swirled as a massive thundercloud passed overhead.

  Dr. Kureha, though a seasoraveler, was momentarily stunned by the sight of the enormous cloud Homie, resembling an isnd. "So… this is your 'ship'?"

  "Hehe, yes! I used my Soul-Soul Fruit to ihis giant cloud with life, creating the enormous isnd Homie!" Gerd replied with a proud smile. "We call it Atntis, the airborne fortress of the Fallen Angel Pirates!"

  "Ma-ma-ma-ma, see that fully armed, white-armored army up there?" Linlin added, pointing toward the Homie army. "All of them were crafted by Gerd from hardened wax and then given life as Homie soldiers!"

  "Don’t uimate them," she tinued. "They’re as strong as any Navy elite squad, maybe even stronger!"

  "To be able to do all this… the Soul-Soul Fruit truly is an astonishing power…"

  Dr. Kureha marveled as she took in the massive isnd cloud, Atntis, and the impressive Homie army with human-like faces and expressions. This cloud fortress alone would make it difficult for the Wovero front them directly.

  And to think, the Soul-Soul Fruit could create su army on such a scale. This crew might indeed prove to be one of the Wover’s most formidable foes.

  "El-sama…"

  "Gerd-sama…"

  Two figures, a giant pterodactyl knight and a giant griffin knight, led hundreds of aerial soldiers in formation as they desded and saluted the group. The leader of these soldiers seemed to possess intelligence as sharp as a human’s—no surprise, si taihe soul of a Navy rear admiral. With its steel body and flight adva had siderable bat capabilities.

  "Dr. Kureha, what do you think?" El asked, gesturing at the colorful bubbles and enting sights of the dreamlike ndscape.

  "Heh, it’s like I’ve stepped into a fairytale kingdom…" Dr. Kureha remarked, taking in the Homies of various shapes and the vibrant bubbles floating in the air. "I never imagined you’d even mao cultivate Yarukiman Mangrove trees like those on the Sabaody Archipego!"

  "That’s thanks to El Onii!" Linlin beamed, her eyes crest-shaped with pride. "He trol pnt growth and shape, making it easy to grow Yarukiman Mangroves and other pnts in no time!"

  "I see…" Dr. Kureha observed El thoughtfully, a spark of uanding dawning in her eyes. "So, that’s why the Hell Trading pany has an endless supply of food and medial herbs?"

  "Just a minor trick," El replied with a dismissive wave.

  Now that he had the Logia-type Woods-Woods Fruit, he could simply train someoh potential to hahis task, leaving him free from the responsibility.

  "Hehe, with your 2 Billion Berry bounty, you’re practically a walking gold mine…" Dr. Kureha chuckled, looking him over with feigned regret. "I should’ve asked for more!"

  Gerd ughed. "Heh, Dr. Kureha, you’ve boarded the pirate ship now. It’s too te to back out!"

  "Ku-chak-chak-chak~ well, I guess I’m stuck…" Dr. Kureha chuckled, her words teasing but her tone warm.

  She knew El had shown true siy. Given her experiend skill in medie, she was no doubt valuable, but not irrepceable. Many pirates might have resorted to threats if turned down, but El had instead offered her a generous tract, proving his genuine desire to recruit talent.

  She didn’t sider herself the world’s best doctor, yet here she was being offered a million Berries a year for non-bat duties alone. And as El had mentioned, if she developed new medies to sell on a rge scale, she’d even receive a share of the profits.

  Of course, money was only a sedary .

  What Dr. Kureha truly wao see was just how far El and his ambitions would go. That was what she genuinely looked forward to. If he mao fulfill his vision, she wouldn’t mind serving as the Minister of Health or Medical Affairs in the otto Land Kingdom.

  In life, everyone chases either fame or fortune. For a doctor, whether motivated by wealth enuine desire to help people, there’s always a part of them that dreams of making an indelible mark in the field of medie, to be remembered for their tributions.

  eople often call “letting go” is, more than anything, a promise with harsh reality, a way ning themselves to whatever path they follow.

  When Dr. Kureha was younger, she, too, had boldly believed she could someday ge Drum Kingdom. But as time passed, she realized that while she could save many individual patients, she couldn’t ge the nation itself, much less cure its deeper societal ills.

  "El—Captain!"

  Moss and Little Oars approached. They had opted to stay back, ued in the cold climate of the winter isnd. Tsuru, Nef, Utan, Lillian, and the others, however, had eagerly gone ashore, likely to return with various local products from Drum Kingdom.

  "This is Dr. Kureha," El introduced with a smile. "She’s a highly skilled doctor with years of experience… and our crew member!" He turo Dr. Kureha, gesturing, "This is Moss, and this is Oars."

  "Hello, Dr. Kureha!"

  "o meet you…"

  Kureha nodded, eyeing Moss and Little Oars with curiosity. Pointing to the green-skinned, horned, devilish-looking Little Oars, she asked, "I’ve seen the Mink Tribe before, but ecies is he?"

  "Little Oars is from the A Giant Race, desded from the legendary ‘Devil’ Oars of the North Blue," Gerd expined. "He’s also a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit user, so he adjust his size freely."

  "Tsk…"

  Dr. Kureha was amazed. She knew from the bounty posters that El’s crew included various races—Fish-men, Longlegs, Snakenecks, and more. From earlier versations, she’d also learhat Gerd, who looked almost human, was actually a Giant and used Devil Fruit powers to reduce her size. But she hadn’t expected to find the rare A Giant Race among them.

  And then, of course, there was El himself—a member of the legendary Lunarian Race. It was clear he genuinely inteo create a kingdom that united every race.

  "By the way, Dr. Kureha, would you be ied in being a Devil Fruit user?"

  El took a Paramecia-type Mushroom-Mushroom Fruit from his pocket, holding it out to her. "This is a ret find from Drum Kingdom’s royal pace. I think it would suit a doctor like you perfectly."

  "Mushroom-Mushroom Fruit?"

  Dr. Kureha raised an eyebrow, intrigued, as she took the fruit.

  "The Mushroom-Mushroom Fruit grants the ability to release various spores…" El expined. "With your medical expertise, you could develop it to create new medical treatments."

  "For instance, perhaps you could use harmless spores to ehe body and eliminate harmful bacteria. Or, spores carrying medie could deliver it directly ihe body, allowing for full absorption and enhanced healing effects."

  "Or, you might even develop entirely ypes of medies using the spores."

  "Like anything, it depends on how it’s used—the potential be good or bad."

  To be ho, if Nef hadn’t been so eager and already ed the Pet-Pet Fruit, El would have kept this one for her. His suggestions were just examples of how the fruit’s power could be used in medie. For a skilled and imaginative doctor, the Mushroom-Mushroom Fruit could also be terrifyingly effective in bat.

  "Ku-cha-cha-cha~ the way you put it does make it souing!"

  Dr. Kureha’s eyes lit up at El’s suggestions. Without further hesitation, she took the Mushroom-Mushroom Fruit and bit into it. "Alright, I’ll give it a try!”