Chapter 28
"Actually, you don't need to come to the kitchen to help. We won't treat Ace's friends unfairly."
Thatch's helpless expression suggested that your help in the kitchen was a difficult task, reminding you of Luffy's even more struggle when you first assisted him. But you knew very well that you were no longer on the Red-Haired Pirates' ship and desperately needed to find something to do with Whitebeard.
Even if Whitebeard doesn't tell you to do anything, you can't really do nothing. If you don't do something, you won't be able to live with your conscience.
“I know, but lying down for too long isn’t comfortable, and I don’t understand what the nurses do, so I came to the kitchen to help.”
Your words elicited a sigh from Sachi, who seemed to still want to make a struggle.
"Marco, you have no objections?"
You might recall Marco's medical advice and think that helping out in the kitchen counts as "getting out more often."
"Yes, Dr. Mal said I can go out for walks more often."
Sachi was slightly taken aback when he first heard his brother's name associated with his profession on the ship. But when he realized that the person you were talking about was Marco, the one you knew, Sachi's voice became tinged with amusement.
"Alright! Since Dr. Marco said so, you go and help them peel potatoes."
Besides Sachi, you also heard others trembling with laughter, and in keeping with the principle of fairness, you responded with a similar title to Sachi.
“No problem, Chef Sachi.”
It was probably the first time he had heard someone call him that. Sachi's face was flushed after laughing at Marco. The crew members in the kitchen who were watching the situation were jokingly calling him "Chef Sachi" as he had mentioned before, which made Sachi turn around and tell them to laugh less.
After angrily berating the crew member with his drawn-out, sarcastic tone, Sachi turned around again, his gaze darting away from you, as if he wanted to say something. You stood there, waiting for Sachi to finish before peeling the potatoes. Perhaps finding it difficult to say what he wanted to say, Sachi glanced at you a few times, then finally looked away, gazing at the empty side.
"Hey, you... it's good that you're so energetic."
After confirming that Sachi had nothing else to say, you nodded in response, indicating that you appreciated his concern for you.
"Thank you for your concern, I'll go help now."
"good."
You walked in the direction Sachi had just pointed out, and the crew, who were surprised by your arrival but quickly understood what was going on, warmly made room for you with their own space and tools.
"Perfect timing! I'm tired of peeling potatoes, let me switch to something else!"
The crew member who said this grinned and left the potato-peeling line, leaving the slower crew member grumbling about how someone had taken over for him. They grumbled as much as they wanted, but they controlled their voices when they saw you.
"Um... if you're tired, you can rest anytime. Don't push yourself."
The crew member closest to you, who had just been the most vocal in his insults, forced a smile to show you his goodwill. You returned his knowing smile: "I will."
The crew member who received a response chuckled dryly and quickly turned away to talk to the remaining crew member. Because the kitchen was very noisy, and they were deliberately keeping their voices down, you couldn't hear what they were saying, nor did you have any intention of eavesdropping.
After all, you left your room just to find something to do and, incidentally, to make yourself known so that no one would notice if something happened to you on the ship later. Constantly hiding your presence has its advantages and disadvantages; in a new environment, it's best to make an impression on the people on the ship first.
Unfortunately, your attempt to make your presence known didn't last long, and you were quickly spotted by Nurse C, who was in charge of looking after you today. When she saw you sitting with the crew members peeling potatoes in the kitchen, a helpless yet somewhat angry expression appeared on Nurse C's beautiful face.
"Looks like I'll have to ask Marco to lock you in your room, you disobedient patient."
Perhaps having witnessed Nurse C's anger, the crew members sitting around you dared not utter a sound, keeping their heads down and working hard. Those closest to you were even spouting incoherent nonsense, snatching the half-peeled potato and knife from your hands.
Under Nurse C's watchful eye, you wash your hands and try to justify your actions in helping out.
"Well, Dr. Mal suggested I get out more often—"
The reasoning is a bit far-fetched, but you think it's a universally applicable explanation. However, Nurse C, who has been battling unruly patients from the Whitebeard Pirates for years, doesn't buy into your rhetoric.
"So you came to the kitchen to help? Do I need to remind you, did you just finish your IV drip before coming to help?"
Nurse C's imposing presence left you speechless, so you nodded repeatedly and followed her out of the kitchen under her watchful gaze. As you left the kitchen, your eyes met briefly with Sachi's, who was tending the stove. Even if he didn't know what was going on, seeing Nurse C's slightly angry expression made it clear, and he returned your gaze with a "good luck" smile.
On the way back, Nurse C, who was walking in front of you, did not hide her dissatisfaction with your eagerness to get back to work. Her pleasant voice continuously expressed her dissatisfaction with your inability to sit still and rest.
"Honestly, you're not fully recovered yet, so don't rush to work. If you fall ill again, you'll be the one needing injections and medication."
You didn't dare to argue and could only nod repeatedly. This continued until Nurse C brought you back to the infirmary and began her work. Before taking your temperature, she handed you a hand warmer to use. Only after confirming that you were using the hand warmer properly did Nurse C take out a thermometer to measure your temperature.
When Nurse C took out the thermometer with the measured temperature, her beautiful brows furrowed slightly because of the temperature reading.
"Look, you got a low-grade fever again after just one walk outside. You need to take better care of your health."
"I won't tell Marco this time. There can't be a next time."
Feeling genuinely exhausted, you dared not object and nodded in agreement with Nurse C's instructions. It wasn't until you were laid on the bed in the infirmary due to your rising temperature that you truly realized how weak your constitution was.
Sure enough, your experience on that island has had some impact on your health. You know, you were practically never sick with the Red-Haired Pirates.
Perhaps because your body was still recovering, when Nurse C left the infirmary, you, who had planned to lie down for a bit and then get up, fell asleep in the warm, soft blankets. Though you said you were asleep, your sleep was very restless.
Your half-dreaming state led you to dream of many unwanted scenes: the jarring sound of drums, the boundless ocean stretching to the horizon, the dagger that cut the ropes binding your limbs, and the complex emotion of "hurry up." You awoke with a start from a dream from which you couldn't piece together a complete past. As you sat up in bed, your eyes met those of Sachi, who was about to leave after putting down the porridge.
Because your body and mind are not fully alert, you are temporarily unable to form words to converse with Sachi. Sachi, noticing your less-than-ideal condition, adjusts his demeanor and gives you a gentle smile.
"Are you alright? I heard from the nurse that you had a fever again, so I cooked you some porridge. Do you have an appetite now?"
Sachi's thoughtfulness warms your heart, and you can't give a reply other than a definite one.
"Thank you, I was just thinking of getting something to eat."
Your thanks seemed to give Sachi a sense of accomplishment, as a blush appeared on his face.
"That's good. As long as you can eat, your health won't be too bad."
"By the way, is there anything you'd like to eat for dinner? Although I'm not Marco, I can make whatever you want."
Even though you feel kindness from Sachi again, you're not in a good mood. Your body instinctively craves food, but your mind fears it—it's a "tool" the seemingly warm and ordinary islander uses to control you. Even though you can clearly distinguish Sachi from the other islanders, you still feel a moment of distraction.
Fortunately, you instinctively gripped the soft, warm bed, which allowed you to adjust your emotions in time and respond positively to Sachi's kindness.
“Sachi is a very good cook. I can eat anything as long as Dr. Marcos allows it.”
Logically, your communication skills and facial expression control should be quite good, but upon hearing your answer, Sachi's smile faltered for a moment. When he regained his composure, he looked at you with a hint of pity in his eyes. You don't know what Sachi was thinking, but you can be certain that he didn't intend to harm or control you.
And that was indeed the case. Sachi did not discuss the previous topic again, but instead said something to end the conversation.
"If you put it that way, I'll have to ask Marco what he can't eat sooner rather than later, otherwise it will affect my chance to show off my skills at dinner."
Sachi's light and energetic voice lifted your spirits considerably when your head was a little foggy.
"I will wait with great anticipation."
The brief conversation ended with Sachi's departure, giving you time to focus on the porridge he had brought. Marco had probably instructed you that during your time awake, Sachi had been making you easily digestible and delicious porridge.
You've forgotten who told you that cooking is the best way to see a person's heart. From the moment you woke up until now, every bowl of porridge Sachi has made for you has used different ingredients. Even with ingredients you don't particularly like, he's made sure you can swallow it without disliking it. Not only the ingredients, but the portion sizes have also been adjusted.
The two points above are enough to show that Sachi has put a lot of effort into your diet. You should be happy that someone cares about you so much. But past experience tells you that the kindness and goodwill of strangers are far harder to accept than priceless gifts. Since you haven't fully recovered yet, you should focus on getting your health in order before considering giving back.
After all, the nurse's anger carried considerable weight.
-
"The person has been found. He's with Whitebeard. Do you want to go see Whitebeard?"
Shanks, who had received a call from Marco not long ago, learned about your situation and, after some hesitation, dialed Mihawk's number again. To be honest, after what happened last time, it was rare for Shanks to hesitate about calling Mihawk; he used to be fearless. Of course, he wasn't afraid now, just a little embarrassed.
Even so, Shanks still called Mihawk, whom he rarely saw and who was in a bad mood. After all, he hadn't seen him. The expected conversation didn't happen; all Shanks heard was endless silence. If it weren't for the Den Den Mushi mimicking Mihawk's expression, Shanks would have suspected the person on the other end had hung up on him.
"Say something! Don't just answer the phone and not say anything. That's even scarier than not answering the phone at all!"
Urged by Shanks, Mihawk, who had been flipping through a newspaper from six months ago, folded it up and put it back in its original place before continuing Shanks' conversation.
"I understand. You don't need to worry about her anymore."
After Mihawk finished speaking, he hung up on Shanks, leaving Shanks with a headache as he looked at the Den Den Mushi, wanting to say a few more words. Recalling Marco's words about abuse and malnutrition, Shanks's rare conscience ached.
"We don't need to worry about it yet... Knowing her situation, it's hard not to care."
But judging from Marco's tone, they seem to be treating you well. After some deliberation, Shanks finalized a plan, though a specific timeframe was yet to be determined.
"Let's find some time to visit her."
I wonder how Rem and Hongo will react when they find out about this.
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