I'm A Plunderer In The World Of One Piece.

On the Going Merry — Nami's Room

"Waaah, waaah, is Nami san going to die? Is she, Shirogai!"

Sanji stood beside Nami's bed, an unlit cigarette hanging from his lips, looking utterly heartbroken.

He gazed at Nami, whose face was flushed and body trembling with fever.

He wished it were him lying there instead of her—even though he had no experience with sickness.

"Nami…"

Luffy and Usopp stood nearby, watching silently while Shirogai checked her pulse.

"…"

Shirogai narrowed his eyes, focused, and remained silent for a moment.

"If I'm not mistaken,"

Beside them, Vivi gently wiped Nami's forehead with a damp cloth, speaking softly:

"Nami may have contracted a tropical disease due to the Grand Line's erratic climate. Many sailors fall ill each year from it. Even the strongest have died suddenly after infection."

"Waaah! Miss Nami won't die!"

Sanji cried bitterly, his voice breaking.

"Nami will die?"

Luffy's eyes widened in shock.

"Nami will die?"

Usopp looked equally horrified.

"Ah! Ah! Ahhh!"

The three panicked, their voices overlapping in disarray.

"Don't worry."

Shirogai's calm voice cut through their hysteria.

"It's not a tropical disease."

Those words were like a cool breeze through fire, calming the trio instantly.

Sanji blinked in surprise. "Phew, so it's not that! Maybe it's just a cold?"

"Nami won't die! That's great news!"

"Yeah! Yeah! Haha!"

Luffy and Usopp cheered with wide smiles.

Shirogai's lips curled slightly upward.

"It's not a common cold either. Nami was scratched by a Kestia—an almost-extinct toxic tick. Her current fever is the initial symptom."

Sanji's relief vanished. "So she was bitten by some bug... Wait, that's bad?"

"This disease is worse than any tropical fever," Shirogai explained, voice steady. "It starts with a forty-degree fever, then escalates to myocarditis, arteritis, and encephalitis. The pain becomes unbearable, and within five days, the patient dies. It's known as Five-Day Disease."

Sanji froze, his face pale. "Then what do we do?! Can you cure her, Shirogai?"

Shirogai nodded—then shook his head.

"I can create an antibiotic to counter it, but we lack the proper materials and medical equipment on the ship."

"Then what—what now?"

Sanji turned to Nami, trembling.

"So she only has five days?"

"Not necessarily," Shirogai said. "I gathered some herbs on Little Garden. I can make a temporary treatment to suppress the infection. After taking it, she'll be able to move around freely within a day."

"Shirogai, you're incredible!"

Everyone beamed with renewed hope.

"But," he continued, "we must find a nearby inhabited island. They'll likely have proper antibiotics—or at least the equipment I need to make them myself."

Shirogai turned to Vivi, who smiled with hope.

"So, we can't keep following the Eternal Pose to Alabasta. We have to change course."

Vivi understood immediately and nodded. "Okay. I support heading to a nearby island to save Nami."

"Is that so?" Shirogai said, pulling a newspaper from his coat. "Then let's hope you still feel that way after reading this."

He handed it to her. "Three days ago, three hundred thousand royal troops defected to the rebels."

"That... that's impossible!"

Vivi's hands shook as she unfolded the paper—and found that it was true.

"Vivi, Shirogai's right," Nami said weakly, sitting up with effort. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry... but we couldn't have gone faster anyway."

She looked apologetically at Vivi.

"Your country needs you... but I can manage. Shirogai, please make that medicine. We don't have time to stop."

But Shirogai gently pushed her back down.

"This illness can kill you, Nami."

"I'm fine..." she whispered.

"Sleep for a while. When you wake, you'll feel better."

With that, Shirogai released a soft pulse of Conqueror's Haki.

"…"

Nami fainted peacefully.

Shirogai tucked her in, then looked at Vivi.

"So, Princess—do you choose to continue to Alabasta to save your kingdom, or change course to save Nami's life?"

"Originally it was six hundred thousand royal troops vs. four hundred thousand rebels," he added, "but now, the tide's turned."

Vivi clenched the newspaper, eyes intense. "Shirogai San... Nami said you're a navigator too?"

He smiled. "Of course."

"Then even without her, you can guide the Going Merry to Alabasta?"

"Absolutely."

But the others—Luffy, Usopp, Sanji—had already turned grim.

Usopp glanced at Nami, conflicted.

Luffy clenched his fists.

Sanji's expression turned ice cold as he stared at Vivi.

Vivi didn't notice. She pleaded:

"Then... please steer us to a nearby island to treat Nami. Then guide us to Alabasta as fast as possible."

Luffy and the others relaxed slightly.

Shirogai stood and walked toward the door. "Of course. Relax—finding a nearby island is easy for me. My navigation skills are good enough to teach Nami."

Using the Whisper-Whisper Fruit, Shirogai had already contacted nearby sea creatures and located Drum Island.

...

On the Going Merry's Observation Deck

Zoro stood watch, one-handedly lifting a heavy dumbbell.

"Course steady. No abnormalities."

...

Inside the Helm

A faceless wax figure held the rudder.

Two more wax figures cleaned the floor behind it.

One with an apron dusted a cabinet. Another used a telescope crafted by Shirogai and Usopp to scan the sea.

Wax-Wax Fruit: Modified Fourth Form — Undead Knights.

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