Aden Kingdom.
Far away from the docks, a giant cherry blossom tree had appeared.
It glowed softly, and countless cherry-colored "petals" floated down.
The tree trunk reached into the sky, breaking through the thick rain clouds, creating a calm and beautiful space in the wind and rain.
This miraculous sight appeared in the eyes of everyone currently in the Aden Kingdom.
...
The docks.
Kureha walked out of a room, looked up at the scene, clenched her fist, and punched the wall.
Her eyebrows were furrowed, and she gritted her teeth, saying:
"You overconfident quack..."
Suddenly, a small shadow passed before Kureha's eyes.
It was sand.
Following it were countless golden grains of sand.
They rushed into the heavy rain at great speed, passed through the tiny gaps between the raindrops, and entered the patient isolation area that had been set up earlier.
There, some of the Aden Kingdom patients had already changed.
Countless crystal formations grew out of the white spots on their bodies, making them unrecognizable, as if they were wearing crystal armor like demons from the underworld.
Other patients with less severe infections watched this scene and cried out in fear.
It made sense, just a few minutes ago they were familiar people, and now they had turned into such terrible monsters!
Would they... become like that too?
A younger brother witnessed his older brother turning into a crystal demon.
He was so scared that he couldn't move, and could only watch as his brother walked towards him step by step.
The younger brother was not infected with the strange disease, but was worried about his brother, so he came with him to seek help.
Therefore, the primary target of all the crystal demons in the isolation area was naturally the younger brother!
The younger brother watched as the crystal demon raised its claws high, but just when he thought he was going to die, a Sand-Rock patient suddenly grabbed his brother from behind.
Not just the older brother, countless Sand-Rock patients who suddenly appeared controlled all the people who had turned into crystal demons.
...
Rowan, having finished this, also looked up at the cherry blossoms in the distance, his gaze slightly heavy.
Beside him, a Sand Advance soldier held an old man who had turned into a crystal demon.
Judging from the old man's struggling, these crystal demons were several times stronger than ordinary people, slightly weaker than Fish-Men, and reached the standard of ordinary Marine soldiers.
They were no match for the Sand-Rock patients, so the patients in the dock isolation area were quickly controlled.
Several Alabasta soldiers wanted to help, but were stopped by Kureha's shout.
"Be careful, these crystals are very infectious!"
Kureha was a skilled doctor, so she quickly grasped the key weaknesses of this unknown disease.
Hearing this, Rowan had the Sand-Rock patients continue to control all the patients, while keeping the soldiers on alert. He then had people call over the main officers of the Four Seas Alliance, plus Rosinante.
...
Once everyone had arrived, Kureha got straight to the point.
"Now we can confirm that what's appearing in the Aden Kingdom is not Amber Lead Disease at all!"
Kureha's face looked terrible.
Seeing this, Dalton immediately understood the seriousness of the situation.
After all, in Dalton's memory, there was no disease that could trouble this hundred-year-old doctor!
Kureha continued:
"This is a highly contagious disease. The initial visible symptoms are similar to Amber Lead Disease, with white spots appearing all over the body."
"But unlike Amber Lead Disease, this disease doesn't cause great pain. Instead, a special 'crystal' grows inside the body."
"These crystals gradually take away the patient's ability to move. When the disease fully develops, a layer of crystal similar to armor grows on the patient's skin."
"At the same time, these fully developed patients will frantically attack the uninfected, and will no longer pay attention to those who are slightly infected."
After thinking for a moment, Kureha added: "The physical abilities of fully developed patients will be greatly enhanced, and they will lose their sense of self."
After speaking, Kureha fell silent, flipping through the case files she had organized, giving everyone time to digest the information.
The expressions on everyone's faces were either serious or frowning.
But among them, only Rowan's furrowed brows showed a hint of doubt.
Because in terms of intelligence, Rowan did have an overwhelming advantage over others.
So after hearing Kureha explain the characteristics of this unknown disease, the name that Rowan recalled in his mind was -
Ice Demon Virus.
...
Many years later, in Wano Country, a man nicknamed "The Plague," named Queen, worked under Four Emperor Kaido of the Beasts.
During the great war in Wano Country, he released a special virus.
This virus was extremely contagious, and infection would occur with even a slight touch.
The infected person's ferocity and muscle strength would suddenly increase, and their skin would become abnormally cold, turning the whole person into a cold ice demon covered in ice, attacking everyone around them without discrimination.
At the same time, because the virus was extremely poisonous, the infected person usually didn't live for more than an hour!
...
It was too similar.
The contagious disease appearing in the Aden Kingdom now was too similar to the virus that Queen would release in the future!
Although the exhibited properties had obvious differences, such as infection speed, infection symptoms, transmission conditions, etc...
But in the end, this unknown contagious disease and the Ice Demon Virus were the same type, there was no doubt about that!
Why?
Rowan narrowed his eyes.
Before joining the Beasts Pirates, Queen belonged to the illegal research group MADS, and was a colleague of Vinsmoke Judge, the leader of Germa 66 in the North Sea, and Vegapunk, the world's greatest scientist.
Could it be one of these three who was behind it?
Rowan touched his chin, and several possibilities flashed through his mind.
Currently, the most likely person involved was World Government's Vegapunk, but since it was in the North Sea, Vinsmoke Judge, who had deep ties to the North Sea, was also possible.
On the other side, Kureha also gave her own theory:
"I think this is very likely a viral weapon."
Kureha thought for a moment, "For now, let's call it the 'Crystal Demon Virus'."
Almost the same as Rowan's guess after combining information.
And just like the answer Chopper would give in the future, Kureha also said seriously: "Since it's an artificially created virus, then its creator must have the antidote!"
Kureha didn't say the rest, but everyone understood.
Having the antidote meant that Hiluluk and the two soldiers who had gone deep into the Aden Kingdom—and even the entire Aden Kingdom—might still be saved!
But... there wasn't much time left.
"The initial patients were infected slowly, which is why it took more than a month to break out. But after being scratched by a crystal, the infection speed will be extremely fast. Even if they remain still, they will fully develop within a few hours!"
"And after the outbreak, it will only take three days for these crystals to completely destroy the patient's bodily functions, eventually leading to death."
Kureha frowned, "So, to save the quack and them, we only have three days!"
Hearing this, Dalton nodded slightly, "So, we have to spend three days finding the person who has the antidote?"
If that was the case, time was very tight.
But to everyone's surprise, Kureha shook her head.
"No, are you looking down on me, Dalton?"
She grinned, her pupils sparkling with light, "Give me two days, the antidote - I'll make it!"
"But at the same time..."
Kureha's gaze turned to Rowan, "These 'guests' who have arrived in the last two days, I'll have to trouble Your Majesty to deal with."
Rowan nodded, looking up at the ceiling.
Something had indeed appeared within Rowan's territory sensing range.
"Coincidentally, a batch of guests has arrived."
"But it seems like the person I want to invite isn't among them."
Rowan lowered his head, smiling at the people in front of him.
That smile had a rare hint of gloomy anger that was rarely seen on Rowan.
"How about we entertain them first, and then we go 'invite' the remaining people over?"
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