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Zoro took a sip of wine, leaning against the alley wall as he glanced at Sanji standing across from him. "When's this banquet gonna end? It's been three days already."
Sanji exhaled a stream of smoke, shrugging. "Today's the last day, supposedly. Still no sign of him waking up?"
At this point, the two were still on relatively civil terms, far from the constant bickering that would define their future dynamic.
Zoro grunted. "The doc said he should come around soon. His body's human enough, at least."
The "he" in question was Lucas. Though Sanji had only recently joined the Straw Hat crew, he'd already grown accustomed to their chaotic rhythm, except for one member he still couldn't quite figure out, Lucas.
The problem? His face, and his gender.
That face, in Sanji's opinion, could put even the most beautiful woman in the world to shame.
'But why did it have to belong to a man?!'
It felt like his very ideals had been trampled on. Thankfully, he still had Nami to keep his spirits up.
Meanwhile, on the makeshift stage, Usopp regaled the villagers with another of his tall tales, while Luffy devoured meat with his usual bottomless appetite. Though Arlong had been defeated, the real work, rebuilding the ravaged villages was only just beginning.
Inside the clinic, Lucas lay motionless his torso swathed in bloodied bandages. Every breath sent a sharp ache radiating through his ribs.
"Cough!"
Pain that was the first thing he registered, a searing, relentless agony that made even breathing feel like a struggle.
"Lucas!"
"Lucas!"
A familiar voice cut through the haze.
'Nami? So he wasn't dead after all.'
Blinking slowly, Lucas focused on the orange-haired navigator hovering above him.
"Nami…"
Her worried expression softened into a smile. "You're finally awake."
He tried to glance around, but the unfamiliar surroundings offered no clues. "Where… are we?"
"Cocoyasi Village," she said. "We won. Arlong's finished."
Relief washed over him. He must've been out for a while.
He hadn't expected Hatchan to return to the battlefield so fast. Even with the system's enhancements, he was still human, and those injuries would've killed anyone else.
"Rest for now," Nami urged.
Lucas closed his eyes again, reaching out internally.
'System, what's my condition?'
[Host's vitals stabilized. Critical danger averted.]
Good. At least he'd live.
'Exchange a healing card. Full recovery.'
He wasn't sure if he had enough emotional points, being unconscious for days likely meant no gains.
[Severe injuries require a Purple-tier Medical Card (1,000 EP). Confirm exchange?]
'A Purple card? Damn, he'd really been on death's doorstep.'
But did he even have that much?
'System, check my current EP.'
[Emotional Points: 233,333]
"…What?" Had he misheard?
[Emotional Points: 233,333]
'How in the...? Since when did he have that much?'
'Where'd all these points come from?'
[Near-death experiences generate intense emotional spikes. Host has been accumulating EP continuously for three days.]
Huh. A silver lining, then.
'Exchange it. Use the card.'
If he was sitting on a fortune, why hold back?
A violet glow enveloped his body.
Nami and the doctor startled as Lucas's wounds vanished, his pallor replaced with healthy color.
"Lucas, you...?!"
He flexed his arms, grinning. "Special ability. All better now."
Only then did he notice Nami's bandaged shoulder, her Arlong tattoo freshly covered.
'System, exchange a White-tier Medical Card for her.'
The card's tiers White, Green, Purple, Orange, Gold meant even the lowest could handle minor injuries.
As he activated it, Nami gasped. The sting from her new tattoo faded, leaving flawless skin beneath.
"That's… incredible," the doctor murmured.
Lucas cleared his throat. "Nami, got any spare clothes? I'm kinda… exposed here."
He gestured to his bandaged torso. No way was he walking out shirtless.
She smirked. "You're a grown man. What's the big deal?"
"My big deal is perverts like you getting a free show," he shot back, though the idea of sharing a shower with her wasn't entirely unappealing.
'…Wait. Hadn't she already seen him naked?'
Rolling her eyes, Nami relented. "Fine. Let's head to my place."
In Nami's house, Lucas stared at the wardrobe in despair.
Every item was painfully feminine, frilly skirts, crop tops, shorts that'd barely cover his thighs.
"Just pick something. We're about the same size," Nami said, oblivious to his suffering.
He side-eyed her. "This is 'the same size'?"
But with no alternatives, he reluctantly grabbed the least offensive short-sleeve he could find.
The banquet outside was winding down anyway.
Maybe he'd skip it, there'd be plenty more in the future.
For now, a proper nap in Nami's bed sounded perfect.
....
T/N: Thanks for the support from: Lam Sha, Black Widow, Hamza Masfar, Lord Of the Mysteries, Andrew, Jiri Stehule, trey hill, Agustin Monti.