"What?"

  "So, she's Dr. Kureha?"

  "She's really hty?"

  "Incredible—her skin is smoother than mine!"

  "Dr. Kureha, please teach me the secret to staying young!"

  "Ku-cha-cha-cha~ I charge quite a lot for that, young dies!"

  "Money is no issue… If I could look as young as you at eighty, I’d pay any price!"

  ...

  By evening, unlike Linlin and Gerd, the others had returned from their day out—Tsuru, Nef, Baka, Rena, Luna, and Lillian. As soon as they learned about Dr. Kureha’s age, they were immediately captivated, being instant fans. They surrouhe doctor, eager to learn her secrets to youthful skin.

  Even Nef, a trained ship doctor who initially had her doubts, was ier hearing Dr. Kureha’s real age. She soon found herself asking questions about medical teiques and discussing pharmacology with her.

  ...

  Watg Dr. Kureha being swarmed by her admirers, Moss, Rufe, and Barry were left speechless.

  "Well, who bme them?" Sak, the Wax-Wax Fruit user, said with admiration. "Holy, even as a man, I’d love to know her secret. Look at her skin—if you didn’t know she was hty, you’d probably think she was only ihirties!"

  "Ahem…"

  Rufe coughed, his face turning red. He had felt a little smitten by Dr. Kureha’s mature allure—until he learned she was old enough to be his grandmother, which promptly ended any thoughts of romance.

  As for the beautiful young women in the Fallen Angel Pirates? They only had eyes for El-sama.

  Bae, Rufe had been the best fisherman in the vilge, skilled in spearfishing and with a good sense of judgment. He knew better than to daydream about things he couldn’t have.

  To be ho, El-sama erfect—young, powerful, and handsome, the captain of the Fallen Angel Pirates with dreams of establishing a nation. Soon, he would be a king in his ht. Though he was a man with a massive bounty of two billion Berries, he wasn’t as cruel as Rufe had expected. In fact, he was surprisingly patient with the newers. Though stri training, El roachable outside of it, as long as they respected him.

  Appeararength, status, personality—El had it all. Even if he were a woman himself, Rufe thought, he’d probably fall for him too.

  "If you’re ied, you should go for it."

  El had walked over, uionally pig up on Rufe’s thoughts. With a mischievous smile, he cpped Rufe on the shoulder, teasingly encing him, "After all, you may not live as long as she will!"

  Rufe’s face turned bright red as he looked at his boss, bewildered. "El-sama, I know my luck is terrible, but there’s o jinx me like that!"

  "Oh, no misuanding—I meant it literally," El chuckled, folding his arms aling onto a floating bubble Homie. "Dr. Kureha may be human, but in terms of health, she’s unmatched on these seas. I’d bet she’ll live to at least a hundred and fifty, and she’ll be as eic then as she is now—not bedridden or barely surviving."

  "Even if you live to be a hundred, by the time you’re in your seventies hties, I doubt you’ll be as healthy as Dr. Kureha at the same age."

  If it were anyone else, they’d be beyond thrilled to have such a skilled ah-scious older woman by their side. Who knows, maybe her presence alone would help them live longer.

  "What?"

  It wasn’t just Rufe who was shocked. Sak, Moss, Barry, Uthan, and the other male members of the Fallen Angel Pirates all wideheir eyes in disbelief. Then, in a fsh, they dashed over toward Dr. Kureha.

  "Wait, Dr. Kureha…"

  "We’d like to learn some health tips from you, too!"

  "Yes, exactly…"

  They weren’t fools. With such a health guru around, it would be a missed opportunity not to learn a few methods for staying in shape. With the right tips, maybe they wouldn’t have to rely on goji berries in a thermos. Who wouldn’t want to still be fit and spry at a hundred?

  "…"

  Watg them grovel, El eechless.

  The sight made Linlin, Lily, and Gerd all chuckle quietly.

  But soon…

  "Ugh… what’s happening?"

  "Why does my stomach feel like this…"

  "I feel it too, ’t hold it…"

  "Hey, don’t push me—let me in first!"

  Before long, Moss, Uton, Barry, Rufe, and the others were all clutg their stomachs, looking pained, as they rushed toward the bathroom.

  "Did y them?"

  El walked over, bemused.

  "Ku-cha-cha-cha~ those kids were getting annoying, b me with endless health questions. One even asked if I had a method for having sons, and another had the o ask if I could still have children myself…" Dr. Kureha ughed mischievously, shrugging.

  She adjusted her sungsses and gave El a curious look. "Odd, though—you’re not affected?"

  "The abdominal-distress spores I made with the Mushroom-Mushroom Fruit are desiget men. They’re only supposed to affect people with active hormones. Even as a Lunarian, I wouldn’t have expected you to be totally immune."

  "…"

  Tsuru, Lily, Lillian, and the others froze, instinctively drawing back as they felt a chill down their spines. Dr. Kureha, known as the Witch of Drum Kingdom, had casually dosed them all without aig. They quickly decided this eternally-youthful doctor was not someohey wao cross. If she could produce spores to cause abdominal cramps in men, who’s to say she couldn’t e up with something equally unpleasant for women?

  "A strong enough Haki ter most Devil Fruit powers."

  El rolled his eyes. Naturally, his potent Haki was one reason he was ued, but for him and Linlin, who were both naturally resistant to poisons and had powerful Mythical Zoan abilities, ordinary toxins were iive. Dr. Kureha’s spores, impressive as they were, couldn’t touch him.

  El couldn’t help but admire her skill, though. In such a short time, she’d mastered the Mushroom-Mushroom Fruit so thhly that none of them even noticed her release the spores. Her title as the Witch was now well-deserved.

  "Haki, huh?" Dr. Kureha nodded, uanding. "Ku-cha-cha-cha~ good to know. I’ll be more cautious iure!" It was clear she knew a bit about Haki.

  "You’re incredible, Dr. Kureha. I ’t do that at all…" Nef, another doctor, watched in awe, barely stopping herself from kneeling down to ask for lessons on the spot.

  Bleam