The Oro Jackson then began its steady journey toward Drum Island, where they would meet the acquaintance that Crocus had mentioned earlier.
Shamrock had a small suspicion about who this person might be, although he was not entirely confident that his guess was correct. Still, the idea lingered in his mind as the ship continued to move through the calm but cold waters.
As the ship progressed, Crocus immediately started examining Roger in a very detailed manner, with Shamrock staying by his side to watch every single movement the doctor made.
Shamrock attempted to observe not only Crocus but also the reactions of Roger, since this was one of the few chances he had to learn directly from someone who was a proper doctor.
The Oro Jackson had not carried a true doctor before this, so Shamrock wanted to take advantage of every second. The longer Crocus checked Roger's body, the more noticeable the deepening of Crocus's frown became, which made Shamrock follow the expression with concern.
"Hmmm, you have an incredibly tired physique. You have been fighting too frequently and refusing to allow your body enough time to recover. This illness was able to affect you because your immune system suddenly weakened," Crocus said while looking back and forth between Roger and Shamrock.
"Are you the one who discovered his illness? And if you did, why did you not mention the rest of these issues earlier, such as his muscle fatigue and the other things wrong with his body?" Crocus asked Shamrock.
Crocus spoke in a tone that treated Shamrock more like a colleague than a seven year old child, which slightly surprised Shamrock but also made him more focused.
"I already mentioned it to Captain a long time ago. But he is so stubborn that he drank an entire barrel of booze right in front of me. He is a really bad patient, Crocus-san," Shamrock said while exposing Roger's faults to the doctor without any hesitation.
"Ahhhh, Shamrock, is that how you speak to your captain?" Roger complained immediately, feeling betrayed. Rayleigh, who had been observing from the far corner of the room, did not hesitate to defend Shamrock.
"Shut up, Roger. It is true," Rayleigh said firmly. Roger turned toward him with an offended expression, complaining that nobody was on his side.
Rayleigh then continued by mentioning that Roger had once welcomed a punch to the head out of boredom, which was probably why he acted so stupid sometimes. This comment caused Shamrock and Crocus to laugh, while Roger only grew more irritated.
After Crocus completed several more examinations, including carefully studying the blood sample he took from Roger, he finally began to explain the treatment plan.
"No fighting, no booze, and you must eat a lot of meat, vegetables, and fruits. Together with the medication I will prepare, your disease will be cured in a year, and you will be able to return to your usual habits after that," Crocus said with a serious tone, which made Roger straighten up.
"Crocus, I have no doubt that you are an excellent doctor. However, I have a duty to uphold as the captain, not only to my crew but to the adventure we share together. I promised them that I would protect them, and I do not plan on taking that promise back," Roger said. It was clear he expected Rayleigh to argue, because he immediately raised a hand to stop him before Rayleigh could even start speaking.
"Sigh, you were not joking. He truly is a terrible patient," Crocus said while shaking his head. Shamrock motioned toward Roger with a tired expression, encouraging Crocus to look at him once again.
"Alright. If a situation comes up where your crew genuinely needs your strength and there is no other option, I will allow you to help. However, if there is nothing serious happening and you are confident that they can handle it without you, then you must stay in your bed and follow the treatment properly," Crocus said after adjusting his earlier instructions.
"What about the booze?" Roger asked hopefully, only to be immediately bombarded with insults from Crocus.
Crocus began saying things that were far from appropriate for a child's ears, which Rayleigh noticed as he quickly covered Shamrock's ears. Rayleigh did not realize that Shamrock could read lips and understood every insult clearly.
Once the examination ended, everyone stepped out of the room. They were greeted by the anxious and concerned faces of the crew, who had been held back by Gyaban because he knew they would rush inside without thinking. They had heard some yelling and several profanities, which did not help their worries at all.
"Rayleigh, what is the word?" Gyaban asked, hoping Rayleigh would deliver the explanation. Roger tried to speak first, but Rayleigh shut him down immediately since both he and Gyaban knew Roger too well to trust him with the explanation.
"Roger will not be allowed to fight for a full year, and he will not be allowed to drink any beer so he can properly rest and follow his treatment. There are many details in the diet that Crocus mentioned, but Max will handle that part. Can I expect all of you to stop drinking as well, so that Roger will feel guilty and avoid trying to steal a sip now and then? If all goes well, we will be able to return to normal once Roger's illness is cured," Rayleigh said, explaining everything clearly.
The crew collectively let out a loud sigh of relief. They all agreed enthusiastically to avoid drinking for the entire year to support Roger, and they promised to work harder in battle so that Roger would not need to step in.
Roger stood at the back, watching their reactions. He began smiling, feeling touched, and he tried to celebrate, but Rayleigh and Gyaban stopped him instantly.
Meanwhile, Crocus and Shamrock began discussing the learning process, with Crocus planning to teach Shamrock everything he knew about medicine, and Shamrock ready to take in as much knowledge as possible.
-------------------------
The week-long journey toward the Drum Kingdom passed more quietly than expected. The crew managed to keep their promise to pick up the slack, handling chores and responsibilities with surprising coordination.
Roger, however, had a harder time following his treatment. He tried to sneak bottles of alcohol whenever he thought no one was paying attention, but every attempt ended with Rayleigh and Gyaban finding the bottles and destroying them on the spot.
Roger always complained afterward, yet he kept trying, which only proved how stubborn he really was.
During that same week, Shamrock dived deeper into his medical studies. Crocus gave him far more advanced medical books, along with his own handwritten notes, expecting the boy to take weeks to understand any of it.
Instead, Crocus found himself continually surprised. Shamrock read at an incredible pace, turning pages faster than Crocus ever expected from a child.
He not only finished the books but answered Crocus's questions with accuracy that made the older doctor stare at him in disbelief.
Crocus also took notice of the second child onboard who looked nearly identical to Shamrock. Seeing twins on a pirate ship caught him off guard, especially since twins were not exactly common on the seas.
Shanks, who had been used to having Shamrock's full attention before Crocus appeared, slowly began feeling a bit lonely.
Every time he tried to invite Shamrock to play, Shamrock was buried in books or taking notes. Because of that, Shanks threw himself into his training with Rayleigh, trying not to think too much about it.
He never voiced his feelings aloud. He understood that what Shamrock was doing mattered, and that it was important. Still, Shamrock could sense his growing loneliness. Because of this, he tried to study even faster so he could free more time to spend with Shanks.
All of these small changes happened within a single week, a reminder of how quickly a child could start feeling isolated. One day, while Shanks was assigned to scouting duty, he suddenly shouted down from the watchtower, trying to get everyone's attention.
"Captain, I see an island!" Shanks yelled with bright excitement. He climbed down the ladder as quickly as he could and handed the telescope to Roger. Roger raised it to his eye and looked at the distant landmass while the crew began to notice the air becoming colder.
"Crocus, is that the place?" Roger asked, handing the telescope over.
Crocus looked through it and then smiled. "Yes, it is. I wonder how she will react when she finds out I joined a pirate crew. I imagine her reaction is going to be amusing."
Roger and the nearby crewmates exchanged confused looks, unsure what Crocus meant.
Before long, the Oro Jackson reached the snowy island. Everything was covered in thick layers of ice, and the snowfall only made the landscape feel heavier.
The ship docked near the shore. A few crewmembers chose to stay behind to guard the ship while the rest followed Crocus inland.
"Shamrock, do you think we will meet a yeti here?" Shanks asked eagerly, still convinced such creatures existed.
"Probably. We really do not know the limits of how ridiculous this place can be," Shamrock replied, which only made Shanks even more excited.
Crocus led the group away from the usual roads, choosing instead to travel deeper into the forest. He carefully examined the surroundings as they walked, trying to recover the exact route from memory. It had been a long time since he last set foot here.
Eventually, he spotted a familiar mountain slope and immediately quickened his pace. The crew followed behind him, trying to keep up as he finally remembered the way.
After some time, they reached a lonely cabin standing in the middle of the woods. A small wooden sign hung above the roof. Shamrock read it aloud.
"The Witch's Cabin. Pretty catchy name, is it not?"
Shanks agreed with him, although his attention remained on the forest as he continued searching for any sign of a yeti. Crocus stepped forward and knocked on the door.
"You know who this is. Open the door," Crocus called out confidently.
After a short pause, the door creaked open. Crocus turned toward the crew with a satisfied smile, but he did not notice the object flying straight toward him. Rayleigh reacted instantly and caught the axe with his bare hand.
A furious female voice echoed from inside. "You have a lot of nerve showing up here alive. Did I not tell you to return in a coffin?"
The figure stepped out into view. Shamrock finally recognized who it was, noticing that not much about her appearance had changed.