Chapter 316: Indescribable Emotions
Kureha was right.
Axel could control direction and force, but he could not truly heal himself.
He could regulate blood flow, accelerate circulation, and improve the efficiency of his metabolism, giving his body better conditions to recover naturally.
But natural recovery had limits.
Many of Axel's blood vessels were already torn beyond normal function. In several places, blood no longer traveled through intact vessels at all. Instead, his ability forcibly guided it along the routes it was supposed to follow.
It was essentially circulation without proper blood vessels.
Even Kureha had little confidence when faced with damage on this scale.
Repairing his limbs was one thing.
The torso was another.
There, every system connected to something vital.
One mistake could affect the heart, lungs, major blood vessels, or other organs necessary to keep him alive.
Axel seemed remarkably unconcerned.
"If I die, I die."
Kureha looked at him.
"I don't feel particularly strongly about death anyway."
The statement sounded almost nonsensical.
Chopper, who had been grinding medicine nearby, stopped what he was doing and looked over.
He could not understand Axel at all.
The guy had traveled across the Grand Line searching for doctors because he wanted his body repaired.
He had spent one hundred million Berries on treatment.
He had climbed into the snowy mountains specifically to find Doctorine.
Yet now he claimed he did not care whether he died?
Humans really were liars.
And Axel was probably acting tough because he knew Doctorine would never intentionally kill a patient.
Kureha opened her mouth.
Axel spoke first.
"I know what you're going to say."
That amused her.
"Oh?"
"I haven't said anything yet."
"How exactly do you know what I was going to ask?"
Axel gave her a lazy look.
"You were about to make some sarcastic remark about me contradicting myself, weren't you, you sharp-tongued old hag?"
Bang!
An iron rod smashed into his head.
Or tried to.
The moment it struck Axel, Reflection activated.
The metal bent violently around the point of impact.
Axel remained completely unharmed.
Kureha stared at the warped rod in mild disappointment before tossing it aside.
"What an irritating brat."
She clicked her tongue.
"If I could, I'd cut you open right now just to see how that ridiculous body works."
Axel sighed.
"Don't describe medical treatment like you're some deranged researcher."
He glanced toward the others.
"Someone listening outside might think I walked into the home of a mad scientist instead of a doctor."
"You've got some nerve calling me mad."
Axel looked around at the medicine bottles, experimental materials, and bent iron rod.
"I'm only judging the evidence."
Kureha's eyebrow twitched.
Chopper stared.
This was the first time he had ever seen Doctorine consistently lose a verbal argument.
Vivi was equally surprised.
So she was not the only person who suffered from Axel's mouth.
Karoo understood enough human speech to find the exchange hilarious.
"Quack, quack, quack!"
His laughter abruptly stopped.
A knife had appeared directly in front of his beak.
Karoo slowly closed his mouth.
Kureha took a breath and suppressed her irritation.
Her head was already starting to ache.
She and Axel had argued countless times over the past few days, and somehow she had yet to come away with a clean victory.
Naturally, Kureha had no intention of accepting that.
"Fine."
She crossed her arms.
"Then answer the question properly."
Whatever Axel said, she was determined to find something wrong with it.
Axel seemed strangely interested in explaining.
"My emotions are complicated."
Kureha waited.
"Imagine throwing several liquids into the same container."
"Different colors. Different densities."
"They're mixed together, but they don't completely become one thing."
He tapped his temple.
"My brain is like a filter."
"I can choose which emotion reaches the surface."
Kureha's expression became slightly more serious.
"But filtering one emotion doesn't mean the others disappear."
Axel continued.
"So I can fear death and still find the thought of death boring at the same time."
"I can want to live while also feeling indifferent toward whether I actually do."
"The difference between me and most people is that I have more control over which emotion I express."
He spread his hands.
"Interesting, isn't it?"
Then his attention abruptly shifted toward Chopper.
"So, how about coming with me?"
Chopper froze.
Axel leaned forward slightly.
"Want to leave Drum Island?"
Chopper's head began shaking so quickly that his hat nearly flew off.
"No!"
He backed away.
Axel continued without discouragement.
"Don't you want to see the sea?"
Chopper stopped for half a second.
"There are countless islands out there."
"Different climates."
"Different people."
"Different diseases."
"Medical techniques you've never even heard of."
Axel's voice became unusually persuasive.
"Wouldn't you like to see all of that yourself?"
Chopper backed away even faster.
He dropped onto the floor and scooted backward using both hands.
"You're scary!"
"Don't trick Chopper," Kureha said.
Axel looked offended.
"How am I tricking him?"
He pointed toward Chopper.
"I genuinely want him as a companion."
"A companion..."
Kureha repeated the word quietly.
For a brief moment, the corner of her mouth lifted.
There was warmth in the expression.
And something else.
Perhaps regret.
The peaceful atmosphere lasted only a few seconds.
Axel's expression changed.
The relaxed look disappeared.
His crimson eyes shifted toward the door.
"Someone's coming."
Kureha immediately understood.
Still, she refused to let the mood become too serious.
"Oh?"
She grinned.
"My little cabin has become quite popular lately."
Axel stood.
"I'm borrowing this."
He grabbed one of the wooden boards from a nearby bookshelf.
Crack!
The board tore free.
Kureha stared at him.
"You could've asked before breaking my furniture."
"I did ask."
"You asked after tearing it off!"
Axel ignored her.
The wooden board shifted in his hand.
Under precise control, its shape changed rapidly.
Edges narrowed.
The surface straightened.
Within moments, what had been an ordinary plank had become a slender wooden sword.
Kureha looked mildly interested.
"I didn't know you were a swordsman."
Axel tested the balance.
He swung once.
Whoosh.
Again.
Whoosh.
The wooden blade cut cleanly through the air.
Axel flexed his fingers around the handle.
"It's been a while."
"My hands feel a little rusty."
He swung once more.
"Before this, I avoided using weapons whenever possible."
"Every swing affects the muscles, circulation, and blood flow through the arm."
He looked at his newly repaired limbs.
"Now that these are mostly stable, I should be able to use a sword for a little while."
Kureha snorted.
"If any other patient in your condition tried something this stupid, I'd tie them to the bed."
Axel glanced over.
"But since it's you, go ahead."
She waved dismissively.
"Just die somewhere far away."
"I don't want blood all over my cabin."
Axel easily recognized the concern hidden beneath her words.
He chose not to mention it.
Instead, he rested the wooden sword against his shoulder.
"You should decide on your payment soon."
Kureha raised an eyebrow.
"If something unexpected happens, I may have to leave immediately."
"Oh?"
She scratched her chin.
"I still haven't decided what I want."
Then she grinned.
"Why don't you tell me what you can offer?"
Axel actually considered it.
His gaze wandered around the cramped cabin.
Books were stacked everywhere.
Medical notes occupied shelves, tables, and boxes.
Research materials competed for the little remaining space.
Then an idea came to him.
"How about a castle?"
Kureha blinked.
"A castle?"
"This cabin barely has enough room for your books."
Axel gestured around.
"A castle should be much more convenient."
Kureha gave him a suspicious look.
"And where exactly are you getting a castle?"
"Are you going to build one?"
"Build?"
Axel shook his head.
"I'm terrible at construction."
Then he smiled.
"But I'm pretty good at taking things."
Kureha stared at him.
Axel pointed upward.
"There's already a perfectly good castle on Drum Peak."
Silence.
Then Kureha began laughing.
"Hehehehehe!"
Her sharp laughter filled the cabin.
"You're planning to pay your medical bill with someone else's castle?"
Axel nodded.
"Basically."
Kureha's grin widened.
"You really are a terrible brat."
She seemed delighted.
"But I like that attitude."
"Fine."
She slapped her hand against the table.
"I accept."
Vivi watched the exchange in disbelief.
She understood perfectly well what Axel meant.
He intended to seize Wapol's castle and hand it over to Kureha as payment.
Under normal circumstances, stealing a king's castle would have sounded insane.
But Vivi could not bring herself to object.
Wapol had gathered the kingdom's best doctors solely for himself and forced ordinary citizens to beg for access to medical treatment.
A ruler who treated his people that way was hardly worth defending.
If anything, Drum Island might improve without him.
Axel started toward the door.
Vivi finally spoke.
"Are the Marines here?"
"Probably."
He opened the door.
The wind immediately sent snow swirling into the cabin.
Vivi stood.
"Then why aren't we running?"
Axel stopped.
She could not understand it.
If Kureha was not going to perform the next stage of treatment immediately, leaving the island should be the obvious choice.
The Marines were hunting him.
More forces were gathering.
Why walk toward them instead of away?
Axel turned his head.
His crimson eyes showed no excitement.
No fear.
Only boredom.
"Fighting them sounds troublesome."
Vivi waited.
Axel looked outside at the storm.
"But running away sounds even more boring."
Then he stepped into the snow.
Vivi did not ask again.
Even if he explained further, she doubted she would understand.
Some people desired power.
Some desired conquest.
Some were willing to destroy peace for ambition.
Vivi had never understood those people either.
And Axel, in his own strange way, was just as difficult to comprehend.
....
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