"Crunch!"
"Crunch!"
"Crunch!"
Treading through the soft snow, passing snow-laden pine trees one after another in the white forest, Garp left only shallow footprints behind thanks to his perfect control over his body's strength.
Snowflakes drifted down, and within a few breaths, the footprints behind him had already disappeared.
Following the guidance of the aura he sensed with his Observation Haki just minutes ago, Garp moved through the snowy forest. The surroundings had grown eerily quiet at some point, and the trees had become increasingly massive.
From time to time, Garp would glance helplessly at the infant in his arms, meeting those curious, pitch-black eyes. The sensation of being meticulously scanned inch by inch with Observation Haki was truly unbearable.
Yet there was nothing he could do—he couldn't retaliate with his own aura. If he did, the consequences would be something he'd rather avoid.
Enduring the torment, he could only quicken his pace. Half an hour later, in a mountain hollow, before a massive tree with a diameter of about ten meters, Garp knocked on the wooden door set into the trunk.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Who is it?"
The moment he knocked, a somewhat harsh, aged woman's voice rang out. As footsteps approached, the door creaked open with a "squeak."
A stylishly dressed old woman with a bare midriff peeked her head through the crack, her forehead lined with fine wrinkles and adorned with two elegant glasses. She frowned slightly as she looked at Garp outside the door.
Then, the door swung wider, letting in a gust of cold air. The visitor lowered the gleaming scalpel in her left hand and curled her lips in a cold tone. "Well, well, if it isn't you, you little brat. What brings you here?"
The next second, a black shadow flashed—Garp jerked his head back to dodge a whip-like kick, then retreated further. Watching helplessly as the overly energetic old woman launched another kick, Garp wore an exasperated expression but still spoke appeasingly:
"What are you doing, Dory? I haven't offended you in years, have I?"
Retracting her right leg, Dr. Kureha fell silent for a moment before snapping, "Who gave you permission to use Observation Haki to probe me? And who said you could call me 'Dory'? Also, if you don't want me to keep beating you up, turn off that damn Observation Haki right now."
His face stiffened, and Garp scratched his head sheepishly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to."
Kureha's frown deepened. "Then why are you still using it?"
At this, Garp lowered his gaze to Moses in his arms. His eye twitched as he met the infant's curious eyes. With a bitter smile, he said, "Dory, you've got it wrong. It's this little guy who's recklessly using Observation Haki."
"You think I'm—" Her words cut off abruptly as Kureha exclaimed in surprise, "This child…"
In one swift motion, she stepped forward, took Moses from Garp's arms with her left hand, and pressed her right index finger against the baby's forehead. Her astonishment grew. "How strange…"
She looked up, meeting Garp's tense gaze. Her brows furrowed, but curiosity flickered in her eyes. "This little one is quite interesting. His body is perfectly healthy, yet his aura feels like he's on the verge of death. That's bizarre. It's not normal—not normal at all. It doesn't feel like an illness… more like… like he's been cursed by something."
In this vast ocean, eerie forces aren't limited to Devil Fruits. In some hidden corners of the world, there exist many other strange and mysterious powers.
"What witches, what prayers..."
Having lived long, one naturally sees much. Dory had encountered certain curse-like things in her time.
As for Garp, backed by the Navy and having roamed the seas for half his life, he too had witnessed his share of strange phenomena. Like that magical seahorse they'd released into a random stretch of ocean after entering the Grand Line.
"Eee-yaa," Moses made noises as he recognized another familiar face. Looking at Dory and comparing her to his life over the past ten-odd days, he felt a wave of resignation: "Seems I really have come to this world."
"One Piece."
A world of swords and guns, blood and fire.
Where dazzling Devil Fruit abilities clashed—a fantastical realm that, through the protagonists' eyes, appeared full of joy, adventure, and romance in the original timeline.
But that was merely the protagonists' perspective. The harsh reality was an era of rising warlords, constantly shifting powers and regimes—a turbulent, chaotic, and dangerous age.
Human life was as cheap as grass.
To live peacefully was the greatest blessing heaven could bestow.
A paradise for the strong.
A living hell for the weak.
By now, Dory—still carrying Moses—had entered the treehouse with Garp. The hollowed-out trunk provided exceptional warmth inside.
Perched on the folded operating table with legs crossed, Dory poked Moses's soft cheeks while addressing Garp: "I can't make heads or tails of this little one's body, but he doesn't seem in danger of dying. Might need long-term observation though. If you want to take him, be my guest."
Garp took a deep breath, his expression unreadable. He'd known Dory since his youth—nearly thirty years of friendship. Though they rarely met, she'd genuinely saved his life once. An old comrade indeed.
"Then... I'll leave Moses with you," Garp said. "I'll visit when I can. The boy's in your hands, Sis Dory."
"Tch!" Dory scoffed. "You treating my place like a junkyard? Dumping your messes here at will? This brat's not even your spawn, is he? Doesn't look a thing like you."
Her tone shifted, turning businesslike. "You remember my rates, don't you?"
Garp's arrival had signaled a big payday to Dory. Opportunities to fleece the wealthy didn't come often—especially not with tightwads like Garp around.
Garp's eye twitched, already anticipating the financial hemorrhage. "I know."
"I'll have my men deliver half the supplies from my battleship later," he said through gritted teeth.
Dory nodded approvingly, giving him a 'you're learning' look before adding, "Not enough. I hear that Vegapunk's working for your government now. Bring me his latest research on the Life Design Blueprint—the 'Lineage Factor' studies. I need it. Suspect this kid's body might have Lineage Factor malfunctions. Get it here quickly."
Not allowing Garp time to protest, her expression turned icy. "'Transaction' complete. Now scram."
Garp sheepishly picked his nose, about to flick something when Dory's death glare froze him mid-motion. "Wasn't gonna flick it," he chuckled nervously.
"Out." Her finger pointed at the wooden door. "Now. Unless you want me angry."
Garp gave a helpless smile, muttering under his breath, "How old are you already, yet still so hot-tempered? No wonder you've stayed single your whole life."
Whoosh!
A cold glint shot through the air, reaching within ten centimeters of his pupil in the blink of an eye. Garp jerked his head aside to dodge it, and in the next instant, a soft "thunk" sounded as a scalpel embedded itself completely into the treehouse wall.
Garp left.
Fleeing in defeat.
But before he went, he left Dory with a name—Moses's full name.
"So, after ten days, I've been given away again?" Moses stared blankly at the wooden ceiling.
...
[Merit Points +1]
"Waaah!"
In the dead of night, the sound of a baby's crying rang out, followed by an old woman grumbling as she threw on her clothes to change a diaper.
Nothing unusual—practice makes perfect.
During the day, with dark circles under her eyes, she sipped on invigorating plum wine and carried Moses to the nearby village of Great Horn for medical consultations.
And to find someone to nurse Moses.
The village was crowded—no shortage of milk there.
In the blink of an eye,
January 10, 1501, in the Sea Circle Calendar.
A tiny one-year-old wearing a fluffy white rabbit-eared hat was being carried by the straps of his overalls by a stylish, crop-top-wearing old woman as they walked down the snowy street.
She held him like a trash bag, occasionally glancing at him with eyes full of exasperation.
"Moses, didn't I teach you?" Dory said with disdain. "Sweet-talk a little, and you'll get good things to eat."
Being jostled around, Moses felt like his brain was sloshing in his skull. He slurred, "Auntie Dory, that lady is so ugly—not as pretty as you. I can't bring myself to say it, so I can't sweet-talk."
"Tch!" Hearing "Auntie," Dory's eye twitched. She lifted Moses menacingly and growled, "You little brat, your mouth is plenty sweet with me, but it's useless. And don't call me 'Auntie'—call me 'Doctor Dory.'"
"Doctor Auntie?" Moses tilted his head, staring at the fierce old woman. "Do I have one?"
Her blood pressure spiked.
Her temples throbbed.
Dory rolled her eyes, utterly drained. She had no idea what sin she'd committed to agree with that bastard Garp a year ago to treat this little troublemaker.
Every night, he had to pee and poop. Couldn't he just wet the bed or soil his pants? Did he really have to wake her up in the middle of the night to hold him over the potty and wipe his butt?
Still, because of this, she never had to wash diapers.
So, in a way,
it was a blessing.
At nearly 120 years old, she was experiencing the joys of motherhood for the first time.
In less than half a year, the brat had learned to speak in simple terms. By now, he recognized over 800 characters and could hold basic "conversations" with her.
After a year of observation and treatment, Dory had made zero progress with Moses's "condition," though she'd burned through plenty of expensive medicinal herbs.
At least half had been used on this kid.
But with Garp and the Navy as powerful backers, supplies weren't an issue.
The only consolation was that the little guy's physical condition was now on par with that of a healthy, robust adult.
No—more accurately, the brat was a prodigy. From birth, his physique had matched that of an average adult.
Pursing her lips and taking a swig of liquor, she discreetly observed Moses with her Observation Haki.
Carefully savoring the little one's breathing, this was a rather interesting breathing method Dory had discovered long ago.
Most infants use this type of breathing when they're first born.
Abdominal breathing.
Dory had found it fascinating before and even conducted some research, but ultimately it came to nothing.
Because she discovered that this breathing gradually transitions to thoracic breathing as one grows older.
But now.
After a year of meticulous observation and occasional comparisons with adult patients, Dory had been keeping daily records and had summarized a set of key points for practicing abdominal breathing from Moses.
Currently, there were three main points:
-
When exhaling, contract the abdomen below the navel. The diaphragm moves upward, the chest contracts, and stale air is expelled from the base of the lungs.
-
When inhaling, slowly draw fresh air through the nose to fill the lungs. The diaphragm moves downward, causing the abdomen to protrude.
-
Both exhalation and inhalation should gradually become deeper, reaching the lower abdomen, with abdominal muscles tight and substantial.
Combined with high-nutrient beast meat, this was greatly beneficial for the body.
The transition between thoracic and abdominal breathing was troublesome—switching from one instinct to another. Even Dory herself felt thoroughly unaccustomed to it.
But even after only a short period of transition, Dory had already noticed some benefits.
Her energy was more abundant than before, and her kidney function had improved as well.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!" Walking through the snow, Dory suddenly burst into a fit of coughing, her face turning red. "Damn it, messed up my breathing. This blasted abdominal breathing."
Glancing at Moses, who used abdominal breathing as naturally as if it were instinct, Dory could only sigh in exasperation.
This kid really was one of a kind.
Just then, Moses' sweet voice rang out: "Doctor Dory, I told you to drink less while walking, but you wouldn't listen. See? Choked now, didn't you?"
Dory wiped the foam from her lips and sneered, "You little brat trying to lecture me? You're a hundred years too early for that."
"True, Mama Dory is over a hundred years older than Moses. Can't argue with that."
Held in Dory's hand and dangling mid-air, Moses spoke in an adorable, childish voice.
Dory's eye twitched as she forced a smile. "I'll cook you a pot of Ten Complete Great Tonic Soup when we get back. Make sure you finish it all."
The so-called Ten Complete Great Tonic Soup was a hodgepodge of vegetables and minced meat, boiled together with some mild herbal supplements Dory prepared herself—suitable for a one-year-old child.
Nutritious, body-strengthening, and easy to digest. The only downside was that it tasted awful—bitter and astringent.
As for why it was a whole pot, that was because Dory had observed that Moses' digestive abilities were extraordinary—comparable to an adult's.
This was another benefit brought by abdominal breathing.
"Can you add some sugar?"
Seeing Dory ignore him, Moses sighed helplessly, letting his head, arms, and legs dangle limply as she carried him forward by his suspenders.
Moses didn't notice the slight upward curve of Dory's lips.
...
Merit Points: [375]
Closing the screen before her, it was like clocking in for work—every day brought another point of merit.
Unfortunately
New book by a new author!
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Regarding the relationship between Garp and Dory, the author has created an alternate setting after some deduction.
Dory truly knows Roger's full name and might even know about the "D." From certain details, it can be inferred that she likely had some dealings with Roger.
Thus, extending to Garp's connections—after all, Dr. Kureha has lived long enough that it's hardly surprising she might know him.
No need to overthink it. Also, thank you all for reading! Just skip the insults—I've got a tender heart and can't handle harsh words.
PS: [Legend Score]: Each tier of Legend Score grants a situational daily increase in Merit Points.
(Ordinary) Unknown: +0/day (Like weeds—insignificant and easily overlooked.)
(Notable Figure, Bounty in the Tens of Millions / Captain Rank) Somewhat Famous: +5/day (Some places know of your existence.)
(Bounty in the Hundreds of Millions / Supernova) Rising Fame: +15/day (Your name is on people's lips.)
(Warlord, Emperor's Right Hand, Elite Vice Admiral) Renowned: +25/day (Your name spreads far and wide across the seas.)
(Emperor, Admiral) Influential Figure: +50/day (Your every move stirs the winds and tides.)
(Those Recorded in History) Legendary Through the Ages: +100/day (Even if your name is erased, generations will speak of you.)
◆ Quality Tiers: F - E - D - C - B - A - EX (Conceptual / Demigod↑)
◆ Each tier is further divided into three levels: e.g., F- / F / F+
PS: The +/- does not denote additional quality but rather three stages within each tier: entry-level, standard, and peak.
(End of Chapter)