[Through diligent study, your Medical Knowledge has improved. Experience +3.]
Time passed quickly, so quickly that Luffy had no time to dwell on the bet.
It was like cramming right before an exam; his eyes were practically glued to the page.
Nami, sitting nearby, watched him initially. Since they had a bet, how could she let Luffy continue reading so easily?
So, she occasionally stretched out her bare foot to touch Luffy, teasing him.
She was even willing to use seduction for the first time if necessary.
Because she wouldn't allow even a one percent chance of losing to materialize.
But Luffy simply treated her like air!
This left Nami feeling frustrated. She instinctively looked down at her ample chest. Nothing wrong there...
On a piece of paper beside him, Luffy had started sketching diagrams of human anatomy. They were rough, but sufficient.
The essence of learning medical knowledge was to develop his Devil Fruit abilities; he couldn't neglect one for the other.
"Time's up. Maybe we should eat first," Nami couldn't help but say. "I won't count meal time against you, if that helps."
Luffy was being too serious, even to the point of forgetting sleep and food, completely undisturbed by outside interference. If he kept studying like this, he might actually have a chance.
"No need."
Luffy shook his head.
Even though his mouth was constantly watering.
He wanted to eat too, but now wasn't the time for eating!
And regarding the bet with Nami, he hadn't made any progress at all; he hadn't even managed to digest ten minutes' worth of content.
Damn it all!
At this point, even if Nami teased him with her ankle or sat naked in his lap, nothing would change.
Was he supposed to perform some miraculous feat in front of Nami?
The thought made him feel that even if he became the Pirate King someday, he'd never be able to lift his head in front of Nami again.
But to Nami, witnessing this level of perseverance was astonishing.
She even began to feel a growing unease. Could that impossible condition actually be achieved by Luffy?
That would be inhuman.
Unless Luffy had a photographic memory.
Impossible!
Luffy was practically face-blind, the type who couldn't remember people. Back in Syrup Village, he'd mistaken someone wearing clothes similar to Zoro's for Zoro himself.
And you're telling me someone like that has a photographic memory?
What a joke.
It couldn't be that Luffy had been hiding his true abilities all along just for today, could it?
That would completely shatter Nami's established image of Luffy.
The speed at which he turned the pages visibly slowed. Sometimes, mental exertion was utterly draining. Luffy's eyelids were trembling. He hadn't had a single moment of rest all day.
Rest. Sleep. Food.
That's all Luffy dreamed of right now.
But...
[Warning. Punishment countdown...]
The slightest relaxation brought the threat of sensory shock.
Luffy could clearly feel new knowledge accumulating in his mind. He definitely wouldn't be completely clueless if questioned now. He could even feel the pathways of his imagination and thought becoming gradually clearer.
Not enough. Still not enough.
He was still far from devouring an entire book in half a day.
As the saying goes, the less hope you see, the less motivation you have.
It was as if a devil was whispering in Luffy's mind,
"Give up."
"Give up."
Being Nami's slave was better than working himself to death.
Look at it from another angle; being Nami's slave might not be so bad.
The moment this thought surfaced, that familiar feeling returned.
The punishment would make him die of shame and exhaustion on the spot!
Almost the instant the [Punishment Countdown] sounded, all the hair on Luffy's body stood on end.
Not that! Anything but that!
A surge of survival instinct, originating from the deepest part of his being, erupted.
He must preserve his dignity in this world!
Even if he had to die, it should be a glorious death—cut down, beaten, bitten to death...
Absolutely not some humiliating, disgraceful end!
There were rumors that a demon resided within every Devil Fruit user.
In truth, a consciousness was hidden within the Devil Fruit itself.
Under the dual pressures of the host's extreme conditions and willpower, that consciousness stirred.
An indescribable, refreshing clarity surged from the very core of Luffy's being.
Almost imperceptibly, on the surface of his exposed skin, especially around joints like his elbows and shoulders, a few extremely faint, thin white streaks flashed and vanished.
Luffy shook his head vigorously. An unprecedented sense of lucidity washed over him.
His thoughts, which had been as thick as paste moments before, instantly became clear and fluid.
He stared at the content in the book, stunned.
"I... I remember it all..."
Luffy didn't even understand what had happened.
Then he saw the characters appearing before him.
[Through diligent study, your Medical Knowledge has improved. Experience +3.]
[Through extreme willpower stimulation and potential exploitation, your mental capacity has greatly improved, achieving a qualitative breakthrough. Passive talent activated: [Photographic Memory].]
"Greatly improved?"
Luffy blinked, instinctively feeling a twinge of indignation. "What does that mean? Was I stupid before?"
But this slight displeasure was immediately washed away by the surprise of the new talent.
[Photographic Memory]?
Who cares about the details? If it works, it works!
He turned his gaze back to the book.
This time, there was no pain or suffering. The moment his eyes scanned the page, the words were no longer symbols he had to struggle to decipher. They seemed to come alive, arranging and combining themselves. The core content instantly imprinted itself into his mind like a brand.
Symptoms, drug names, treatment methods... all crystal clear.
"Easy, so easy. Shishishi..."
Luffy started giggling unconsciously.
He didn't know why, he just felt like laughing.
Creeak—
The door was gently pushed open.
Nami, frowning slightly, carefully entered carrying a large, steaming pot. The rich aroma of meat instantly filled the room.
It was a stew she had made using the last few pieces of sea beast meat from the fridge. Thinking her idiot captain was probably starving, she decided to show a little mercy and let him eat something before he continued his act.
"Hey, that's about enough..."
Her words caught in her throat.
Luffy's behavior before her was utterly unscientific. Finding joy in hardship? Or had he truly gone mad?
This isn't scientific!
She knew exactly what expression Luffy had on his face initially.
It rivaled her own childhood reluctance to study.
But now he was laughing? If that were all, Nami would just think he was a little crazy.
But the speed at which he was flipping pages was ridiculously fast!
N-no way.
"Did he actually memorize everything?"
"Are you kidding me? Does he really have a photographic memory?"
You don't need to act that serious! Flipping like that, even a dog couldn't read the words!
Luffy's various labels were obvious at a glance, okay?
[Carefree Rubber Idiot]
[Muscle-bound, Simple-minded]
[Afraid of Hunger and Boredom, Never Afraid of Studying]
.....
This was the first time Nami had seen anyone studying while laughing.
Wait... if this continues, I'm going to be the one crying!
"Nami, you came at the perfect time!"
Luffy suddenly stood up, closed the book, and met Nami's panicked gaze with a wide grin.
"I'm done."