After Yashiro finished washing the dishes at the Paiwa Inn in a daze, he grew more and more uneasy. Even if someone had weak kidneys, he shouldn't be this drained.
Feeling something was seriously wrong, Yashiro hurriedly summoned his attribute panel, ready to interrogate that oversized rodent inside it.
"Hamster… Hamster… get out here. I need to ask you something."
"Daddy, I'm here!"A plump, round hamster suddenly popped out of the glowing blue interface, its tiny paw raised in greeting.
"What's wrong with my body? Why do I feel so weak and dizzy?"
"It's like this," the hamster said proudly. "Earlier today in the forest, you got bitten by a Kodala bug. That particular bug just happened to be carrying a virus similar to the cold you had back in your old world. So you're feeling miserable now."
Yashiro: "…"
"Then why didn't you tell me sooner? You wait until I summon you? Is the virus serious? Is it just a cold? Am I going to recover? I'm not going to a doctor in this world!" Yashiro snapped. The moment he heard he'd been bitten by a bug and infected, his nerves tightened.
He remembered that in One Piece, Nami had almost died from a high fever after being bitten by insects.And now he had been bitten too—on his first day, no less. If he didn't get treatment, would he end up dead before his adventure even started?
The thought sent a cold wave down his spine.
"You never asked me…" the hamster muttered pitifully, lowering its head.
"Quit talking nonsense. Scan my body right now. What's the situation?" Yashiro snapped at the melodramatic furball.
"You really don't have to worry," the hamster replied. "This virus is nothing special. It's a very common cold in the world of One Piece. With your physical abilities, you'll be fine in a few days."
"A common cold? Then why is my reaction so extreme?"
"It's your first time, so it hurts a little more. Totally normal," the hamster said with a shady grin.
"Get lost!"Sensing where the hamster's mind was headed, Yashiro instantly shut the attribute panel and staggered toward Old Jack's warehouse.
Old Jack was a solitary man in his sixties. No children, no relatives, no savings. His daily pleasures were a bit of alcohol, a bit of gambling, and living freely without any family tying him down. His job was to manage cargo by the pier, and he'd always lived alone in the warehouse, tidying and organizing whatever goods came in.
Everything had stayed the same—until Yashiro arrived.
Recently, Old Jack had become more relaxed, letting Yashiro handle much of the sorting while he rested.
But today, something big had happened: someone had come to take Old Jack home for the New Year.
It turned out that when Old Jack was younger, after one drunken mistake, he'd left behind a woman… and a pair of children he'd never met. Unable to give up his dream of sailing the seas, he left the woman with a large sum of money and disappeared.
Years passed. The fire of adventure extinguished. Old Jack grew old and settled into a quiet life.
Now, suddenly, a grown son and daughter had come to bring him home. The whole thing left him overwhelmed—yet quietly touched.
So when Yashiro arrived at the warehouse, Old Jack immediately entrusted the entire place to him. With a small bundle on his back, he left with the pair of smiling siblings.
Yashiro felt genuinely happy for the old man. Despite his gruff attitude, Old Jack had a kind heart. He often brought Yashiro peanuts and sunflower seeds, treating him like family—just like Paiwa did.
Still wobbling from his fever, Yashiro dragged himself to his sleeping corner and touched his forehead. Hot.
"The system hamster said I can beat this with my own immunity… so it should be fine. I'll just rest a few days."
He yawned."Tomorrow I'll tell Paiwa at the tavern I need time off. I've been training nonstop since I crossed over… I deserve a break."
With that drowsy thought, Yashiro fell asleep.
After sleeping straight through the night, Yashiro dragged himself to Paiwa Tavern the next morning to report his illness.
He didn't expect Paiwa to shove a mountain of food and antipyretic medicine into his arms, insisting that it was nothing serious and would pass quickly.
Even Luoji didn't seem concerned. Getting sick was apparently routine here. They treated it like catching a cold after the rain.
Still clutching the snacks, Yashiro wanted to bring some to Nico Robin at her home—but his dizziness intensified, forcing him to retreat to the warehouse instead.
Back in bed, he glared at the ceiling.
That damn hamster had definitely tricked him. His symptoms were getting worse, not better.His fever climbed higher and higher. Without the last flickering thread of chakra sustaining him, he doubted he could even stay conscious.
"Stupid transmigration…" he muttered weakly.
Wrapped in the thick quilt Old Jack had left, a wet towel cooling his burning forehead, Yashiro shivered uncontrollably.
He never imagined that a time traveler—a protagonist, even—would fall sick with a cold. In all the novels he'd read, he'd never seen a transmigrated hero bedridden with fever.
But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.
The worlds were different. The bacteria were different. Even the immune systems differed. It was only natural his body would be vulnerable to viruses here.
Two days passed like that.His fever only worsened.Even the antipyretics failed to help.
Meanwhile, because Yashiro had stopped coming to the beach, Nico Robin—normally unbothered by anything—felt strangely unsettled and, honestly, a little lonely.
Why hasn't he come these past two days? Did something happen?She rested her chin on her small hands, worry creeping into her expression.
Twenty minutes later, unable to focus on her book at all, Nico Robin sighed, closed it, and stood up.She glanced toward the pier.
"No point worrying. I'll just go to Paiwa Tavern and ask."
The pier wasn't far from her usual reading spot. After ten minutes of walking, she reached the tavern.
Standing outside, she hesitated for several seconds. Then, biting her lip, she stepped inside.
Before she even crossed the threshold, she heard the loud laughter of adventurers and workers drinking and eating breakfast. The moment she entered, her tiny frame immediately drew everyone's attention.
A massive, bald man with a thick beard lumbered up to her, blocking her view entirely.
"Hey there, little one. What're you doing here? Lots of bad people around," he said, trying his best to soften his face—though his bulging muscles made every smile look vaguely predatory.
Nico Robin froze.
Seeing her retreat in fear, the entire tavern erupted in laughter.
"Hans, you idiot! You look terrifying—you scared her!"
"Yeah! Hans, you don't look friendly at all!"
"I'm telling you, this Hans—he looks fierce, and he is fierce! Hahaha!"
Embarrassed, Hans rubbed his bald head awkwardly.
In truth, despite his scary appearance, Hans was kind-hearted, gentle, and adored children and small animals.
Paiwa heard the commotion from the kitchen and rushed out.
The moment he saw the trembling little girl hiding behind the door, he roared,"You idiots! What are you doing scaring children!?"
A series of thwack! thwack! thwack! followed, and the adventurers collapsed to the floor like fallen dominos.
Paiwa cracked his knuckles, satisfied.
Recognizing him as the tavern owner—and Yashiro's acquaintance—Nico Robin approached timidly.
"Um… is Yashiro here?" she asked in her clear, soft voice.
Paiwa turned, saw who it was, and immediately broke into a huge smile that somehow looked even more intimidating than Hans's.
"That kid hasn't been in for days. He's sick—probably just a cold. Nothing to worry about."
Hearing that Yashiro was sick but not in danger, Robin exhaled in relief.
After thanking Paiwa, she left the tavern and headed toward the warehouse. She'd introduced Yashiro to the job, so she knew exactly where it was.
Ten minutes later, she arrived at the warehouse door. She knocked lightly.
"Grandpa Jack? Grandpa Jack?"
No answer.
She waited, knocked again. Still nothing.
Frowning, Nico Robin circled to the back of the warehouse. She tiptoed up to the window, preparing to peek inside.