In the somewhat somber dining hall, Jake looked at the slightly gaunt old man before him, as faint golden light began to glow in his palm.
"Healing Prayer!"
Under the tense gazes of the surrounding Marines and amidst old William's labored breath, the gruesome scar on his abdomen completely healed in an instant.
The restored skin even appeared noticeably healthier than the surrounding area.
But merely healing the skin wasn't enough.
If his internal organs didn't recover, this would mark the end of old William's career.
Yet in the next moment, the Holy Light in Jake's hand erupted with dazzling brilliance once more.
In an instant, old William's previously haggard face became flushed with vitality and radiance.
"You're completely healed, Old man. You can stand up now and let Ms. Elibam examine you."
Old William touched his abdomen with disbelief, feeling his internal organs restored once more.
His emotions instantly soared to their peak as he practically sprang up from the chair, his face flushing red as he exclaimed.
"No need! No need at all, Jake! You're practically an angel sent from heaven! I can clearly feel that my body has fully recovered! No—it's even better than before! Even some old injuries from before I joined the marine have completely healed! Your ability is nothing short of a miracle!"
Hearing Old William's voice tremble with excitement, the surrounding marines couldn't help but cheer.
No one understood Old William's condition better than they did and no one wished for his recovery more than they did!
Moreover, if Jake could heal injuries as severe as Old William's, then their own wounds might also have hope of being healed!
This meant they could continue following T-Bone to carry out justice, to capture those damned pirates who harmed innocent civilians and throw them into prison!
But Elibam stretched out her sturdy arm and yanked the Old man back down.
She roughly tore open his shirt, ignoring his embarrassment and scolded him.
"You damned old fool, sit still! You can celebrate only after I've thoroughly examined you and confirmed there are no issues, understand?!"
Amids the marines' teasing laughter, Old William sat red-faced as Ms. Elibam conducted a full-body examination.
After a meticulous series of checks, Ms. Elibam stood up with a slight smile.
"Old William's body has fully recovered! Next is you, Little Johnson. If I recall correctly, you dragged your injured body into battle last time, didn't you? How many times have I told you—ah, forget it! You stubborn little brat never listen to me anyway. Jake, can your body handle it? Do you need to rest?"
Just as Jake was about to answer Ms. Elibam, a system prompt suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Healed Old William's abdominal injury and restored his internal organs. Holy Light proficiency increased by 1. When Holy Light proficiency reaches 15, a new ability will be unlocked!"
"Note: Increased Holy Light proficiency enhances the effectiveness of Healing Prayer, reduces its mana consumption and slightly improves passive abilities."
Hearing the voice in his mind, Jake couldn't help but smile.
While healing Old William was something he would have done regardless, being able to improve himself while saving others was an opportunity no one would refuse.
With the increase in Holy Light proficiency, he could clearly feel the warm energy within him grow significantly stronger.
The energy expended in healing Old William had almost fully replenished itself in this moment—only his mental fatigue remained, but it was manageable.
So, facing the eager Johnson before him, he nodded gently and said.
"It's alright, Ms. Elibam. I can use this ability about five times a day, so please let me continue."
Hearing Jake's words, Ms. Elibam's face broke into a smile.
She then waved her arm and addressed the surrounding soldiers.
"You all heard that, right? If you still want to keep fighting pirates, from now on, you'd better all try to please Jake! What I want to say now is that Jake is getting a bit hungry—oh and he might also be thirsty. What are you going to do about it?!"
As Ms. Elibam's voice faded, it didn't take long before Jake found himself staring at a mountain of food that nearly buried him, a helpless smile appearing on his face.
Still, he didn't stand on ceremony.
He thanked every soldier who brought him food and quietly memorized each of their names.
That day, the Marine warship under Lieutenant Commander T-Bone was filled with cheers and celebration that lasted almost the entire afternoon.
****
Night fell, moonlight spilling across the land.
T-Bone and Old William stood on the bow deck talking about something.
Looking at Old William, whose face was now rosy, T-Bone's fierce features softened into a genuine smile.
He spoke softly to the older man.
"Congratulations. Feeling better now?"
Old William looked up with a smile, meeting the gaze of T-Bone who towered nearly a head above him.
There was no trace of fear in his eyes—only the ease and joy of reuniting with an old friend.
"Yes, my injury is completely healed. In fact, I feel even better than i did when I first joined the marine! All thanks to Jake, and to Ms. Elibam's earlier treatments, and of course, to you, Lieutenant, for saving my life back then. Oh, and this means I don't have to leave the ship now, right, Lieutenant Commander T-Bone?"
T-Bone sighed lightly, his voice slightly muffled.
"William, if you keep going like this, you could die at any moment. You could easily stay at the next island's marine base and become a logistics soldier there. That would be the best for you—"
"I know that would be the wisest choice—getting a generous salary, enjoying people's respect, retiring in comfort. But for me, that would be more painful than death. Do you remember what I said after you saved me all those years ago?"
T-Bone nodded gently.
"You said you'd capture every pirate who threatens innocent civilians and send them all to Impel Down!"
"Hahaha, Exactly! My dream isn't fulfilled yet! A man's dream isn't something that can be easily changed!"
Hearing this, T-Bone's face also broke into a slightly fierce grin.
He patted Old William's shoulder and laughed.
"Then you'd better not die before achieving that dream!"
"Ah, you can count on it!"