"!!!"
"What do you mean!?"
It had to be said—Dr. Kureha looked rather terrifying at that moment. Especially when she mentioned death, her grim expression sent a chill through everyone present.
"Actually, the cure for Amber Lead Disease is quite simple: a blood replacement. You replace all the contaminated blood in the patient's body with clean blood."
Erik's hopeful expression instantly crumbled into despair.
"It's useless... completely useless... The doctors in Flevance have already tried that. It used to slow the symptoms a little, but now it doesn't work at all."
Dr. Kureha didn't seem the least bit concerned.
"Of course an ordinary transfusion won't work."
"!!!"
Hope flickered again in Erik's eyes as he looked at Dr. Kureha expectantly.
She didn't keep him guessing. Pulling out a cigarette, she put it between her lips, lit it, took a long drag, and spoke slowly.
"Truth is, Flevance's Amber Lead Disease isn't as terrifying as people think."
"Half a century ago, it wouldn't even have been called a disease."
"What you call Amber Lead Disease is actually chronic heavy metal poisoning. When that so-called amber lead enters the body, it damages blood cells, and over time, it begins to harm your organs as well."
"In small amounts, it wouldn't affect human health. The body can naturally expel some through metabolism. After all, your nation of Flevance was built right on top of massive amber lead deposits. You've been absorbing trace amounts every day without even noticing. If it were truly that dangerous, it wouldn't have taken a hundred years to become a problem. But as time went on, the number of patients grew, and their lifespans grew shorter and shorter."
"The real problem lies in greed. Both your own people and the World Government, all for the sake of profit, have mined endlessly and manufactured countless products with amber lead. That's what led to excessive exposure, poisoning your bodies. Once the metal builds up and can't be expelled, it begins to destroy your blood cells on a massive scale. Your bodies stop absorbing nutrients, grow weak, and fall into a vicious cycle. That's the true cause behind your country's Amber Lead Disease."
"You said blood transfusions are useless, that they only delay death. But that actually proves the disease can be treated. The real issue is that everything in your country is contaminated with amber lead. Even if you replace the blood, it gets poisoned again right away. Worse yet, some of your doctors were foolish enough to believe the World Government's lies—that it's an infectious disease unrelated to amber lead. They even use amber lead scalpels in their hospitals."
"So unless your country completely bans amber lead mining and all related industries, this disease will never be cured. And judging by the current situation, that's clearly impossible."
"If I'm not mistaken... you must have escaped from your country, haven't you?"
Dr. Kureha's voice dropped as her eyes darkened. Erik lowered his head, his face pale and heavy with sorrow.
He didn't answer, but his silence said everything.
"I knew it... How dark. All for wealth, they turned a blind eye to human life. At this rate, it won't be long before the World Government shows its true colors."
Her calm statement left everyone stunned—everyone except Yemu.
"What does that mean?"
The young Flare looked confused, unable to grasp her meaning.
But Erik, a native of Flevance, suddenly understood. A cold dread settled deep within him. His eyes widened in terror, his body trembling uncontrollably.
"Why ask me?" Dr. Kureha said. "Shouldn't you be asking your captain? Looks like he knows more than I do."
All eyes immediately turned to Yemu.
Indeed, from start to finish, his expression hadn't changed.
Flare was the first to speak, unable to contain herself.
"Yemu, what did Dr. Kureha mean?"
Yemu's face remained calm, but his words were chilling.
"It's simple. Remember what I said back in Loguetown?"
"Evil pirates might destroy countless families and villages—but the Celestial Dragons... the World Government... they destroy entire nations."
"The World Government would never let its prestige be damaged over a single country."
"And the dead... are the best at keeping secrets. In a few years, Flevance will be gone. None of its leaders will escape."
A wave of cold terror swept through the room. Faces turned pale, drained of color.
Flare, who had been composed just moments before, froze completely. Her voice trembled as she spoke.
"No... that can't be. We're talking about an entire nation's people. How could the World Government possibly..."
Flare had been profoundly influenced by the World Government and the Marines since childhood. Her decision to become a pirate stemmed partly from her father's domineering nature, and partly because Yemu seemed like a decent choice. Yet at this moment, she was utterly shaken by the darkness of the World Government.
Yemu sighed deeply.
"You'll understand someday. This is merely the tip of the iceberg..."
At that moment, the only one who could fully grasp the meaning of Yemu's words was likely Tiger, standing silently beside him.
And what Erik said next, trembling all over, only confirmed everything.
"Damn it... So that's how it is... I should have seen this coming. Damn it, the World Government... No wonder they've been hiding the truth—that this disease isn't contagious. And six years ago, they sealed off our country, not allowing anyone to leave. If it weren't for my sword training... What do I do... What do I do..."
As he spoke, Erik dropped to his knees, completely overwhelmed. A crushing sense of helplessness spread through his body.
At that moment, Yemu placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't dwell on it yet. The World Government won't give up such immense wealth so easily. Unless the situation has reached the point of no return, they won't act rashly. There's still time. Right now, the most important thing is curing your sister."
Yemu's words snapped him out of his despair.
"Right... right... Ayala... Dr. Kureha, you can cure Ayala, right?"
Erik looked at Dr. Kureha with desperate hope, but she shook her head.
"I made it clear—the disease can be treated, but whether it can be cured is uncertain. And it might cost another person's life."
"What do you mean, Dr. Kureha? Please, tell me!"
"As I said earlier, the treatment itself is simple: a blood transfusion. But not just any transfusion. I'll need to surgically remove the large amount of necrotic tissue in your sister's body caused by the lead, while performing a complete blood exchange at the same time. But there are two problems."
Dr. Kureha raised two fingers.
"I can handle the surgery myself, but the blood is another matter. First, there's the issue of blood type. To perform the transfusion, we must find someone with the same blood type as your sister. Otherwise, it's completely useless."
Hearing this, Erik exclaimed excitedly, "I can do it! My blood type matches Ayala's! I've used my blood before to slow her symptoms!"
But Dr. Kureha shook her head.
"I'm sorry. Even if your blood type matches your sister's, your blood isn't suitable. It's not healthy enough."