First Half of the Grand Line, an unknown island.
“ROAR!”
Accompanied by a mighty roar, a Tyrannosaurus had just defeated its prey and was carrying it back to its nest.
Dinosaurs had long gone extinct on islands in the outside world, but they still existed on certain islands within the Grand Line. Such islands were known as Prehistoric Islands.
Because these islands were isolated from the outside world, they had preserved the appearance of ancient times.
Luna’s group was currently anchored near one such island. Prehistoric Islands were rare, and many of the things that grew on them were rare resources in the outside world.
Many nobles were willing to pay high prices for a dinosaur as a pet, and some of the island’s plants possessed unique uses. Even those without any effect could sometimes be sold for high prices simply because of their novelty.
At this moment, Luna held a grinder in her hands, crushing and mixing various plants together like a witch, concocting something strange.
When sailing the seas, a ship doctor was an extremely important profession. Like a navigator, it was an indispensable role, and Luna happened to be the doctor aboard this ship.
Besides combat-related matters, Luna also possessed considerable talent in herbal medicine. After all these years, while she couldn’t be considered a famous doctor, she was at least at a level of a country doctor, capable of handling most problems aboard the ship.
“I say… are you sure this thing is okay…?”
Looking at the thing in Luna’s hands, Inuarashi sniffed it carefully before taking two steps back.
His sense of smell told him that it would be exceptionally bitter.
“No idea, but it definitely won’t kill anyone. I’ve checked, it isn’t poisonous. So… does anyone want to try it?”
Luna’s gaze shifted toward Inuarashi and Nekomamushi.
This wasn’t medicine for treating illnesses. It was Luna’s current research project: an experiment on how to allow Minks to enter the Sulong state anytime and anywhere.
It was already known that every Mink possessed the potential to enter Sulong, but doing so was extremely dangerous. If they couldn’t control the power, they would be driven purely by instinct and fight crazily in a berserk state until they exhausted themselves and died.
It was also known that even trained Minks required the stimulation of a full moon to enter the Sulong state.
Thus, Luna had reached the conclusion that the power of Sulong lay dormant within every Mink’s bloodline and required a certain stimulus to awaken it.
A full moon could fulfill that requirement, but there was no reason it had to be the only way. In theory, as long as the conditions were right, drugs should be capable of achieving the same effect.
However, she only had a general idea and lacked a clear direction. In the end, she could only proceed slowly with experiments using her knowledge of herbal medicine. Much like Shennong tasting a hundred herbs, she believed that as long as she tried everything once, she would eventually find an answer. [TN: Shennong, the mythical “Divine Farmer,” is the legendary forefather of Chinese agriculture and traditional medicine. According to folklore, he consumed hundreds of wild herbs—often ingesting dozens of poisons in a single day—to determine their medicinal properties and save his people from sickness.]
Of course, she didn’t possess an immortal body, so highly poisonous plants were naturally off-limits. Instead, she had accidentally created some things with other effects, such as digestive tablets.
“Meow… it doesn’t look very tasty…”
“Stupid cat, what are you talking about? When has any pill she made ever tasted good? Even if it works, it’ll definitely taste awful…”
Inuarashi and Nekomamushi began listing Luna’s past failures right in front of her. Luna didn’t mind, though, because they were simply stating objective facts.
Only Minks could test this sort of thing. From the very beginning, the three of them had agreed to take turns serving as test subjects. Neither Inuarashi nor Nekomamushi wanted to miss an opportunity to become stronger.
If Luna truly managed to develop something, it would be a good thing for all of them.
“Forget it, I’ll do it this time. My instincts are telling me that it’ll work.”
“Wait!”
“Stop!”
Seeing Luna preparing to test the medicine on herself, Inuarashi and Nekomamushi immediately stopped her and then shouted toward the side:
“Kuma! We need you over here!”
“What are you two doing?”
“Just in case, it’s better to have Kuma watching.”
Kuma didn’t understand pharmacology, but his Devil Fruit power was extraordinary. As a prize prepared by the Celestial Dragons for their own people, the Paw-Paw Fruit was an exceptionally high-quality Devil Fruit.
Its conceptual abilities allowed him to repel many things from a person’s body. Even abstract concepts such as “pain” and “fatigue” were no exception.
Unfortunately, it couldn’t deal with viruses and bacteria that had entered the body or the diseases they caused. In the original timeline, being unable to remove Sapphire Scales disease was one of Kuma’s lifelong regrets.
However, toxins could still be expelled. If Luna accidentally created something poisonous, Kuma could at least provide emergency treatment.
Kuma’s Paw-Paw Fruit served as a safety net. Moreover, Minks possessed excellent constitutions. While not as absurd as Lunarians, they were still far stronger than ordinary humans. After trying so many things, they had never encountered any major problems.
Hearing Inuarashi’s shout, Kuma emerged from the nearby forest. A beast of unknown species was slung over his shoulder, making it clear that he had just returned from hunting.
Because they had Ginny, a big eater, the greatest pressure during their voyages was actually logistics. Whenever they had an opportunity to replenish supplies, they would stuff the ship’s refrigerators full.
The moment he saw the thing in Luna’s hands, Kuma understood what she intended to do. He immediately removed his gloves and prepared himself to provide “first aid.”
This drug experiment was no different from the previous ones, but Nekomamushi and Inuarashi soon noticed something unusual. Luna’s fur seemed noticeably smoother and glossier.
“So… this is actually for fur care?”
“No.”
Luna clenched her fist, and blue-green sparks crackled through her fur.
“This line of thinking might be correct. The static electricity it’s generating is much stronger than before.”
The electricity used by Minks was originally generated through the powerful static charge created by their fur rubbing together. Although she couldn’t enter the Sulong form this time, it could still serve as a usable enhancer.
“Congratul—”
RUMBLE!!
Before Kuma could finish speaking, the volcano at the center of the island suddenly let out a loud rumble, and black smoke began rising from its crater, looking as if it could erupt at any time.
“So it’s actually an active volcano? Looks like this island isn’t suitable for a long stay. Let’s gather these herbs, and once the Log Pose finishes recording, we’ll leave.”
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The group began preparing to depart, but at that moment, the entire island started shaking, as if some enormous creature was awakening.
On one side of the island, a giant with a long black beard emerged, carrying a round shield and a longsword.
On the opposite side, another giant wielding a battle axe and a round shield made his way toward the center of the island.
“Gegyagyagyagya! Brogy, you’re as punctual as ever!”
“Of course I am, Dorry!”
Dorry and Brogy.
Nowadays, many people on the seas had forgotten their names, but eighty years ago, they had been nightmares feared across the sea.
Their identities were none other than the two captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates…
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