Chapter 142 A... A Man?

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Amazon Lily, Amazon Lily City.

Gloriosa, a warrior of the country, stood within the grand hall where a short, elderly woman holding a snake staff presided over all affairs.

"Elder Nyon, has Snake Princess not returned yet?" Appledore asked respectfully.

"Ah, it's Appledore the warrior. What is the matter? Snake Princess will return in a day or two at the earliest, or three to five days at the latest."

"I have an urgent matter to report."

"Let's hear it."

Following that, Appledore detailed from beginning to end the golden ship she had discovered on the shores of Amazon Lily.

Elder Nyon paced the grand hall with her staff. If the golden ship was real, this discovery was of extraordinary significance. It was a pity, however, that because Amazon Lily was located in the Calm Belt and isolated from the outside world, news did not travel freely, and no News Coo had arrived for days. Therefore, she had no idea what major events might have occurred in the outside world.

However, the Marines had once announced that they would publicly execute the Sea-Kings kept by the Ghost Hunter, Monkey D. Shumingyuan, at Impel Down. Calculating the time, the scheduled execution had already passed. She just wondered if this strange golden ship had any connection to that incident.

Anything related to the World Government always gave Elder Nyon a headache, because Amazon Lily was a nation founded by pirates, yet the emperor of this country, the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock, was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea personally appointed by the World Government.

It was precisely the protection of this status that prevented the Marines from laying siege to Amazon Lily. If, because of this inexplicable golden ship, they somehow became entangled in a bad relationship with the World Government, resulting in the revocation of the Pirate Empress's legitimate status as a Warlord, that was what Elder Nyon feared most.

After much deliberation, Elder Nyon made her decision.

"Appledore, gather the warrior guards. We are going to take a look at this golden ship you spoke of."

"Yes."

"Didn't you say that when you found the golden ship, there was also a dying man on the deck? Where is he?" Elder Nyon asked.

"That man? He was saved by Margaret, and he's probably at the medical clinic now. Who knows if he'll survive? With any luck, we might be able to glean some useful information from him."

Elder Nyon nodded. That was what she had been thinking as well.

"Then let's go check out the golden ship first."

……

The Medical Clinic.

Doctor Snake-Crone looked thoughtfully at the man soaking in the wooden tub. Her fingers tapped gently against the wooden rim, her eyes revealing a wisdom that surpassed ordinary people.

"To suffer such severe injuries—even powerful pirates could not possibly survive. Yet there has always been a powerful breath of life guarding within your body, which shows you are no ordinary person.既然如此, then I will help you once more. Whether you survive or not depends entirely on your own fortune."

Doctor Snake-Crone took down the snake staff wrapped around her arm, tightly pinched its venomous fangs with a slight pang of heartache, and five drops of transparent liquid fell into the bubbling medicinal broth.

The already churning broth instantly became even more turbulent. Those five drops of transparent liquid seemed to transform into five crimson dragons, swimming across the surface of the medicine.

"The venom of my medicinal snake only produces one drop a year, pregnant with powerful life energy within. However, its medicinal properties are extremely violent. If you can endure this, the benefits you reap will be by no means small."

Doctor Snake-Crone muttered to herself. This man's physical constitution was far tougher than she had imagined; ordinary people could never bear the potency of this tub of medicine.

The scorching heat alone, akin to fire, could burn a person alive. Even more exaggerated was how the medicinal power entered the body; to fully unleash its properties, this scalding crimson broth would seep into every single inch of flesh and blood. The pain could truly be described as heartbreaking and soul-rending.

Yet Doctor Snake-Crone clearly saw that Shumingyuan's face bore no trace of pain. Instead, because the medicinal power entering his body was exceptionally effective in treating his injuries, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Truly a freak."

Doctor Snake-Crone spat lightly and walked toward the bedroom. Brewing this tub of medicine had also consumed a vast amount of her mental energy; after all, the dosage of every ingredient had to be precisely controlled, otherwise, a slight mistake could turn a supreme tonic into a deadly poison.

As dusk approached, the room where Shumingyuan lay was illuminated by a brilliant crimson glow, shrouded in rising steam, with the faint sound of dragon roars echoing from time to time. As long as the medicinal properties had not been completely absorbed, this tub of broth would maintain this boiling temperature.

Rolling waves of medicinal power continuously poured into Shumingyuan through his limbs, bones, and thousands of pores, while majestic life essence frantically repaired his battered body.

Every single cell in his body was greedily devouring this powerful life energy. Cell division accelerated, and the healing speed of his injured body increased countless times over.

This exquisite porcelain vase covered all over in cracks was finally being mended at a speed visible to the naked eye, as the fine fractures gradually faded away...

As for the devouring of the medicinal power, Shumingyuan's body was like a bottomless pit, accepting everything. The pain of the medicinal power entering his body was simply not worth mentioning compared to the agony of his physical collapse earlier.

Infinite medicinal power was devoured and refined by Shumingyuan, and even the five crimson little dragons gradually had their primordial essence extracted and seeped into Shumingyuan's body.

The medicinal broth in the wooden tub also slowly turned from a magma-like, scalding crimson into clear water.

Early the next morning.

All the medicinal broth had been completely devoured and exhausted, and the churning wooden tub suddenly cooled down.

Doctor Snake-Crone walked out of the bedroom, a flash of surprise crossing her eyes as she looked at the clear liquid.

Shumingyuan's physical constitution was obviously even better than she had imagined. She had projected that Shumingyuan would take until at least noon today to finish absorbing all the medicinal power, but she hadn't expected him to finish a full five hours faster.

Nourished and repaired throughout the night, Shumingyuan's body underwent earth-shaking changes. His surface injuries had all healed and scabbed over, and his breath was no longer weak, becoming smooth and steady instead.

Although the meridians within his body were still not fully repaired, and his bones still retained a small number of cracks, he was vastly better off compared to yesterday.

No one would have imagined that a dying man, after a single night of treatment, would be almost completely recovered.

"This fellow's will to survive is truly intense."

Doctor Snake-Crone sighed. She knew very well that while the efficacy of the medicinal broth accounted for the vast majority of the credit, the most crucial factor was his own sheer will to live.

Predatorily absorbing medicinal power and converting it into the life energy he needed to heal his injuries—this was the first time in her life she had ever witnessed such willpower.

Margaret arrived. She was overjoyed to see Shumingyuan almost fully recovered. There was no need to dwell on Doctor Snake-Crone's medical skills; being able to bring a dying man back to life said more than enough.

"Elder Snake-Crone, why hasn't he woken up yet?" Margaret asked.

"Logically speaking, he should be able to wake up by now. However, this may also be related to his previous injuries. The wounds he suffered before were far too severe, so although his physical body is currently fine, his state of consciousness still requires a period of recuperation before he can regain awareness. This time can be long or short—anywhere from a few days to several months or even years."

"Ah, it'll take that long?"

"You don't need to worry too much. This man's willpower is very strong; he'll probably wake up before long. So, when are you going to give me the two hundred million Berries for the consultation fee?"

"Two... two hundred million? Isn't it one hundred million?" Margaret was stunned, her eyes wide.

Doctor Snake-Crone glared at her and said, "I said two hundred million, so it's two hundred million! Doesn't this guy have a golden ship? Tell him to bring me the money after he wakes up!"

Margaret instantly shrunk her neck. "A... alright. Can I take him away now then?"

"You expect me to keep him here if you don't take him? The medical clinic doesn't provide free lodging and meals—of course, if you pay, that's another matter entirely." Doctor Snake-Crone said indifferently.

"Thank you, Elder Snake-Crone, for saving him! I don't have any money, so I'll just take him home." Margaret brought out a set of her own clothes for Shumingyuan to wear, though no matter how she looked at it, it seemed rather awkward.

"Lass, do you know that the person you saved is actually a man... strictly forbidden in our country?" Doctor Snake-Crone suddenly spoke up, a teasing smile playing on her lips.

"What! He... he is a... a... man?!"