Fate truly smiled upon the Sky Pirates.
Out of five crewmates, two shared Ayala's blood type—a miracle that drastically reduced the risk. Considering Yemu and Tiger's formidable physiques, the danger was now almost negligible.
Erik burst into tears of joy, his sobs of relief echoing through the entire castle.
However, the blood transfusion couldn't begin right away. A procedure like this required preparation, and Dr. Kureha still needed time to get everything ready. At the same time, Yemu had to make the necessary arrangements.
According to Dr. Kureha, the entire process would take about three hours to complete.
During that period, Yemu and Tiger would need to continuously and evenly channel their life-filled blood into Ayala's body. Once the surgery was done, the two of them would require roughly a full day to recover.
Losing that much blood was different from ordinary fatigue—it wasn't something that could be remedied with a single meal. Recovery would take time. If not for their exceptional endurance, it would've taken an ordinary person over a month to return to normal.
This meant that for nearly a full day, with both Yemu and Tiger incapacitated, the Sky Pirates would be left in an unprecedentedly fragile state.
Even if nothing happened during that short window, Yemu wasn't about to take chances.
"Enel, you're in charge of monitoring and cutting off all communication between the Drum Kingdom and the outside world. For the next twenty-four hours, no one leaves or enters. Our location must remain secret."
"Got it," Enel replied casually. For him, that was an easy task.
"Flare, I need you to prepare a large amount of food. Once the transfusion's over, Tiger and I will need it to recover our strength. If you can't handle it alone, get Baby-5 to help you."
"No problem."
"Erik, where's your original sword?"
"Captain, I sold it to pay for Ayala's treatment."
"I see. Since you fight with two blades—Enel, go fetch the Sandai Kitetsu from the ship and give it to him. I'll lend him the Shishimaru from my waist as well. From now on, the safety of the entire crew depends on you and Enel."
"Leave it to me, Captain Yemu. Even if it costs me my life, I won't let anyone disturb you."
"Good. Then let's get ready."
...
Once everything was in order, the blood transfusion began inside the Ice Castle's operating room.
Dr. Kureha was the one truly busy. Yemu and Tiger didn't have to do anything except lie still, serving as living reservoirs as their blood flowed into Ayala's frail body.
Time ticked by slowly until the critical 500ml mark was reached.
Still, both of them were in good condition—just a bit weaker, but with no other issues.
"Impressive, Fishman. And you, kid—you're holding up well too," Dr. Kureha remarked as she expertly operated, carefully removing the areas where lead had accumulated most heavily in Ayala's body.
"Hey, Dr. Kureha, focus on the surgery, alright? Less talking," Yemu said uneasily.
Dr. Kureha laughed heartily.
"Relax. This kind of procedure's nothing for me. I'm Dr. Kureha—the doctor who's lived a hundred and eighteen years."
"Eh...?"
Tiger blinked in surprise. Fishmen had long lifespans too, but the doctor before them was clearly human.
"Humans can actually live that long?"
"Ah! There are indeed some exceptional humans. I'm not talking about the Giant Race, but rather individuals who've inherited special bloodlines. They possess remarkable vitality and regenerative abilities—like the Pirate King you've heard of, Gol D. Roger."
"Dr. Kureha, have you ever met Roger?" Yemu asked curiously.
"Unfortunately, no."
"That's a shame. Then tell me, between you and the doctor from Roger's crew, who do you think was the better physician?"
"You mean Crocus, right?"
"Yeah. You know him?"
"I met him once. That kid has real talent when it comes to medicine. Living this long has its perks—you get to meet all sorts of monsters..."
The three of them kept talking, their conversation drifting as more blood was drawn from their bodies. Both Yemu and Tiger were beginning to feel lightheaded.
About two and a half hours later—
"1250 milliliters..."
Tiger was finally reaching his limit.
Seeing this, Dr. Kureha smiled lightly. "If you're tired, it's fine to fall asleep. I'll wake you both once the operation's over."
Tiger's expression softened into a calm smile. Turning his head toward Yemu, he said, "In that case, Captain, I'll take a nap. Wake me when it's done."
"Don't worry, Tiger."
Yemu's voice was weak, but steady.
Soon after, Tiger drifted off into deep sleep.
At that moment, Dr. Kureha finally finished the surgery. She exhaled a long breath and looked over at Yemu.
"My part's done. All that's left is to infuse another 500 milliliters of blood, and the procedure will be complete."
"Thank you, Dr. Kureha. But... I have a request."
"Go ahead."
"Let me handle the remaining 500 milliliters myself."
"Is that so? Very well..."
Dr. Kureha didn't object. She removed the blood tube from Tiger's arm, then sat down nearby. With her blood-stained hand, she pulled a bottle of liquor from her coat, took a deep swig, and said,
"I knew it. I wasn't wrong about you, kid. You really are a monster. Your body's even tougher than a fishman's. You've already lost 1250 milliliters of blood, yet you're still completely conscious... That kind of vitality and recovery..."
"Yeah... I think it's pretty amazing too..."
Yemu was definitely weak, but his mind remained remarkably clear.
That realization surprised him a little.
"I didn't expect... my body to be this gifted..."
Then, suddenly, Dr. Kureha asked something that caught him off guard.
"Hey, brat, do you feel anything... strange about your body?"
"!!! What do you mean?"
Yemu could instantly tell something was off. Dr. Kureha's tone had changed—this wasn't just idle curiosity.
"Nothing... If you don't know, then forget it."
That response only made Yemu more uneasy.
"Hey, Dr. Kureha, you realize stopping halfway like that is seriously frustrating, right?"
"Heeheeheehee..."
Dr. Kureha laughed. "Don't get me wrong—it's not that I want to be vague. It's just that when I examined your blood, I found something odd about your blood type."
"What do you mean? Aren't there only four types?"
Dr. Kureha gave him an exasperated look before explaining.
"Of course not. Those four are just the basic classifications. If we break them down further, there are close to a hundred subtypes."
"So what's so special about mine?"
Dr. Kureha shook her head, clearly unwilling to elaborate.
"As a doctor, I can't give an answer I'm not certain of myself. So don't ask further. But if you'd let me dissect you, maybe I could find out—though I doubt you'd agree to that. Still, it might have something to do with your origins."
Yemu fell silent, lost in thought.
He had come into this world by inhabiting the body of a native, but since he had no memories of the body's past, he'd never known—or cared—to learn about it.
He remembered Roger once asking him about it, but there had been no answer, and Yemu hadn't pressed the matter. At the time, it hadn't seemed important.
But now, for the first time, he felt that maybe... it was something he needed to understand.
Dr. Kureha ended the discussion with one final remark.
"Still, though I can't say for sure what it is, I can tell you this—your body holds potential beyond anything you can imagine."