The warship set sail once again.
However, there were now five additional passengers on board: Luffy, Usopp, and Kaya's family. Among them, Luffy had the worst treatment; he was bound in Seastone and locked away.
'''
Several days later, at the Marine's 16th Branch.
Inside Sean's office, Chavris spoke with a trace of hesitation. "Rear Admiral Sean, can you truly cure Kaya's illness?"
"Please don't mistake my suspicion for malice. I am Kaya's father, after all..."
As Ace had pointed out, Chavris couldn't fathom what Sean could possibly gain by deceiving him. Yet, the situation was so extraordinary that a sliver of doubt remained.
"Rest assured. In ten minutes, I will return a healthy daughter to you!"
"You say... ten minutes?"
"Correct. However, the treatment method is a secret. Could I ask you to wait outside the door?"
"This..."
Truthfully, Chavris was reluctant. But...
"Father, you and Mother should go outside. I'll be fine!"
"This... Alright! If anything happens, just shout for me!"
Hearing Chavris's fussing, Sean smiled helplessly. If he truly wanted to do something to Kaya, what good would shouting do while she was within his domain? Still, he understood the father's concern.
A moment later, the office door closed, leaving only Sean and Kaya in the room.
"Kaya, as I mentioned, my treatment method is a secret. Once the treatment is finished, can you keep it between us?"
"Of course I can!"
"Very well. Let's begin. First, eat this."
Sean reached into his drawer and handed Kaya a piece of dried meat. While it looked ordinary, this was no simple snack; within the branch, it was known as Type 2 Jerky. It was currently the most effective Sea King jerky in Sean's possession.
What was the essence of Kaya's illness? Her body was frail, and the condition was congenital. In simple terms, her physical constitution was abysmal. If someone were to measure her Doriki, it would likely not even reach 1.
Even accounting for her being a fifteen-year-old girl, her constitution was far too weak. This profound fragility naturally led to a cascade of various ailments. Therefore, the first step of Sean's treatment was to bolster her physical foundation. Once that was achieved, he would use Doriki to heal the existing symptoms.
Without overthinking it, Kaya began to eat the jerky in small bites. It was a struggle for her; jerky is naturally tough, and Kaya was extremely weak. Despite this, she pushed through, spending a full five minutes to finish the small piece.
"Do you feel anything now?"
"I feel... my body is getting warm!"
"Mhm, that's normal. Don't worry. Now, we formally begin."
Sean nodded and stepped toward Kaya, placing his right hand on her shoulder. A faint green light emanated from his palm, steadily sinking into Kaya's body.
At that moment, Kaya felt an indescribable sense of relief and comfort—a feeling she had never experienced since she could remember.
After another five minutes, Kaya suddenly stood up, her face filled with shock.
The weakness... the lingering aches... the sensations that had been her constant companions for years had vanished. In their place was a surge of strength, as if she had an endless reservoir of energy.
She had never felt this good in her entire life!
"Alright, go on and see your parents. They're probably out there worrying themselves sick."
"Thank you, Rear Admiral Sean!"
Kaya thanked him earnestly and then dashed toward the door. Her cheerful energy made it impossible to associate her with the fragile girl from ten minutes ago.
A short while later, the family returned to Sean's office. All three of them had red eyes, having clearly shared a collective emotional breakdown.
Looking at Sean, Chavris and his wife now wore expressions of deep guilt. The man had truly cured their daughter, yet they had spent the entire time suspecting him of having ulterior motives.
"Rear Admiral Sean... does my daughter truly have a talent for medicine?"
"Yes, I am certain of it. If Kaya is willing to join the 16th Branch, I will first send her to Headquarters to systematically study medical knowledge."
Sean had given this careful thought. The 16th Branch currently only had a few medics, not a proper physician. Kaya wouldn't learn much if she stayed here. While Sean could buy a vast library of medical texts for her to self-study—much like she did in the original story—that approach had its drawbacks. Sending her to Headquarters for formal training was the most efficient path. She could return to the branch to serve as a doctor once she had graduated.
"This..."
Gratitude was one thing, but having Kaya join the Marine was quite another.
"I'm willing!"
"Kaya..."
"Father, please let me do this!"
"But..." Chavris was still hesitating.
"There's no rush. You can stay at the 16th Branch for a few days. Give me your answer in three days," Sean said with a wave of his hand and a smile. "Of course, this isn't mandatory. If you're unwilling, I'll arrange for you and Kaya to be escorted back to Syrup Village."
While he thought Kaya was a great fit and would have a promising future as a doctor, he saw no need to force them. If they refused, he would simply consider it a favor to a girl in need. He could find a doctor elsewhere—perhaps by poaching Chopper. Adding a mascot to his branch wouldn't be a bad choice either.
Sean then summoned a messenger to arrange accommodations for Kaya's family and to bring Usopp to him.
'''
"Am I really that intimidating?" Sean asked with a smile, looking at Usopp, whose legs were trembling slightly as he stood before the office.
"N-no!! Not at all!!"
"Alright, I won't beat around the bush. I want to establish a sniper unit—a small squad of twenty-four men. Currently, I lack a commander. Do you understand what I'm getting at?"
"Uh... what happens if I refuse?"
"Hmm. I heard there's something called the 'Usopp Pirates' in Syrup Village, claiming to have 8,000 men under their command. That sounds like a massive threat to the East Blue. Tell me, what should I do about that?"
"Enough! My dream is to become the Marine's number one sniper!"
"Very good!"
Sean nodded with satisfaction.
"Currently, the 16th Branch is conducting its second round of recruitment. The new recruits will arrive in waves over the next week; you'll enter the training camp along with them."
"Six months from now, as long as you pass the graduation exam, you will be the commander of this sniper unit."
"However, if you can't even pass the recruit exam, I think it would be better for me to go to the East Blue and wipe out that pirate crew of eight thousand!"
"Please rest assured, Rear Admiral Sean! I won't need six months—I'll graduate early in three months at most!"
With a snap, Usopp stood bolt upright and offered a clumsy salute, bellowing at the top of his lungs.
"Excellent. Messenger!"
"Commodore!"
Hearing the call, the messenger outside immediately jogged in and saluted.
"Take him to old man Sanders. While you're at it, give him a message: this guy must complete the recruit graduation exam early—within three months!"
"Yes, Commodore!"
Usopp was quickly led away.
Once they had left the office, the messenger looked at Usopp with an expression of pure pity.
'Good grief, passing the recruit exam in three months...'
'It's hard enough to do it in six, isn't it?'
'Did this guy offend Rear Admiral Sean or something?'
"Brother, give it your all. I hope you can pull off a miracle!"
The messenger patted him on the shoulder and uttered those baffling words. Usopp was left feeling completely bewildered.
'''
At the same time, Sean stood by the window, gazing out at the scenery of the branch fortress.
'Next, as for that guy Luffy...'
'Forget it. I'll let that old man Garp know first.'
'I just hope the old man can be... a bit smarter this time!!'