Chapter 338: A Belated Gift

Chapter 338: Chapter 338: A Belated Gift

Chapter 338: A Belated Gift

Jonathan arrived at the central tower and pushed open the heavy iron door.

Compared to the brightly lit grounds of Navarone Fortress, the interior beyond the entrance was dark and oppressive.

For a long stretch, there was almost no light at all.

Only after walking deeper into the passage did a brightly illuminated corridor appear.

A small squad of Marines followed closely behind Jonathan.

Every one of them looked tense.

Their duty was to protect the commander, and although Jonathan normally would have teased them for taking the job too seriously, he was in no mood for jokes today.

Things had already gone far beyond what he had expected.

He had hoped the measures inside the library would delay Axel for a considerable amount of time.

Instead, they had bought less than a week.

For Jonathan, that was terrible news.

Axel had already found the sea chart.

And naturally, after getting what he wanted, he had demanded the release of his companions.

Jonathan could not agree yet.

He still needed time.

Time to prepare.

Time to arrange the next step.

Time to give G-8 any chance at all of dealing with a man he knew the fortress could not defeat head-on.

Just like the dark passage around him, Jonathan could not clearly see how the situation would end.

...

"I’m sorry."

Inside the detention area, Chopper sat with his head lowered.

His antlers drooped with him.

"This happened because of me."

Vivi closed the book in her hands.

Despite being held in a Marine prison, their treatment had been surprisingly decent.

They were not shackled.

They had books.

Their meals were normal.

It felt less like imprisonment and more like their freedom had simply been taken away.

"It wasn’t really your fault."

Chopper looked up.

Vivi continued calmly.

"We were unlucky."

That was generous.

Strictly speaking, Chopper’s terrible hiding skills had contributed heavily to them being discovered.

The Vivi of several months ago might have blamed him for it.

Now?

After spending so much time around Axel, her patience had improved dramatically.

Compared to dealing with him, Chopper’s mistakes barely registered.

Chopper’s eyes immediately filled with tears.

"You’re such a good person!"

Vivi blinked.

"I thought you were the selfish type who only cared about yourself!"

"...Is that supposed to make me happy?"

Vivi’s mouth twitched.

Chopper did not notice.

Vivi sighed and reopened the conversation they had already gone over countless times.

"More importantly, we need to figure out how to leave."

Chopper’s face immediately fell again.

He glanced through the bars.

Two lines of Marines stood guard outside.

Every one of them faced forward with perfect posture.

Chopper instinctively moved farther from the cell door.

"Do... do you have a plan?"

"If I did, we wouldn’t still be here."

Vivi sighed.

What confused her most was G-8’s behavior.

Normally, after learning who they were, the Marines should have done one of two things.

Either send them away, since Vivi, Chopper, and Karoo were not criminals.

Or formally arrest them and begin legal proceedings for infiltrating a Marine base.

That would have been worse, but at least it would make sense.

Instead, G-8 had done neither.

They had simply kept them here.

Waiting.

That uncertainty was beginning to bother Vivi more than the cell itself.

She had even wondered whether the Marines here had some connection to Crocodile.

The idea sounded absurd.

But after everything she had seen, she could no longer dismiss strange possibilities outright.

"I wonder if Axel knows we were caught."

Chopper looked at her.

"Do you really think he’ll come save us?"

His tone held very little confidence.

Axel was impossible to predict.

Sometimes he acted like a genius.

Sometimes like a lunatic.

And sometimes like a gambler who made decisions entirely because he found them interesting.

Vivi hesitated.

"He probably will."

The uncertainty in her voice did not help.

Then another voice came from outside.

"Sorry to interrupt."

Vivi looked over.

Jonathan stood beyond the bars.

His tone was soft and polite, almost gentlemanly.

Normally, it would have been difficult to dislike someone speaking so courteously.

Vivi immediately picked up her book again.

Karoo remained curled up as though asleep.

Chopper copied them and looked away.

Jonathan’s smile stiffened.

One of the Marines behind him looked ready to reprimand the prisoners.

Jonathan raised a hand and stopped him.

"Well."

He gave a helpless smile.

"I suppose I’m not particularly welcome."

No one answered.

Jonathan continued.

"Understandable."

"If someone locked me in a cell and spent days asking questions, I probably wouldn’t like them either."

He stepped closer.

"I don’t mind your attitude."

"Unfortunately, I need your help."

His expression became more serious.

"And this time, you don’t have much room to refuse."

Vivi lowered her book.

"What kind of help?"

Jonathan looked toward Chopper.

"I’ve heard the little raccoon dog here is quite a capable doctor."

Chopper’s face immediately twisted.

"Who are you calling a raccoon dog?!"

He pointed at himself.

"I’m a reindeer!"

Then, half a second later, another part of Jonathan’s sentence registered.

Chopper’s expression softened.

"...Capable?"

Jonathan blinked at the complicated reaction.

"Raccoon dog or reindeer, the point is that G-8 needs a doctor."

Chopper became serious.

"A number of Marines were injured fighting pirates."

Jonathan continued.

"We need help treating them."

Chopper’s ears perked up.

"What kind of injuries?"

He moved toward the bars.

"How many people?"

"Are any of them in critical condition?"

"Take me there. I need to examine them first."

"Chopper."

Vivi grabbed him.

He looked back.

"What?"

She leaned close and lowered her voice.

"This is obviously suspicious."

Chopper froze.

Vivi continued quietly.

"We’re prisoners."

"Now he suddenly wants to let you out because there are injured Marines?"

"At least think before agreeing."

Chopper’s expression became conflicted.

She had a point.

This could easily be a trap.

Then another face appeared in his mind.

Doctorine.

If he knew there were injured people waiting for treatment and refused to help because he was afraid of being tricked...

He could already imagine the beating Kureha would give him.

Chopper gently pushed Vivi’s hand away.

"Take me to them."

Jonathan’s expression softened.

For the first time since entering the cell, he gave Chopper a genuinely respectful look.

He had not lied about the wounded.

In an era filled with pirates and conflict, injured Marines were hardly rare.

All Jonathan had needed to do was notify surrounding units that G-8 could receive wounded personnel, and ships had begun bringing them in.

The only real problem was that the number of patients had rapidly exceeded the base’s available medical staff.

Medicine supplies were also beginning to become an issue.

He would likely have to request additional support from Headquarters.

Jonathan looked toward Vivi.

"You may come too."

Vivi narrowed her eyes.

He smiled.

"Cautious young lady."

"You can assist him."

Vivi hesitated.

Then sighed.

Staying inside this cell accomplished nothing.

If this gave them a chance to move freely through the fortress, then refusing would be foolish.

"Fine."

Jonathan nodded.

"Good."

He stepped aside.

"Then I’ll make a few promises."

"You’ll be allowed to move around most of the base freely."

"No restraints."

"No confinement."

"Strategic facilities are still off-limits, obviously."

Vivi became even more suspicious.

What was Jonathan planning?

Chopper, however, had already lost patience.

"Stop talking!"

Everyone looked at him.

"There are injured people waiting!"

Jonathan paused.

Then laughed lightly.

"Fair enough."

He gestured toward a Marine standing nearby.

"He’ll take you there."

The cell door opened.

Chopper rushed out first.

Vivi followed with Karoo.

They soon disappeared down the corridor under the Marine’s guidance.

One of Jonathan’s subordinates finally asked,

"Commander."

"Aren’t we going to put guards on them?"

Jonathan glanced down the hallway.

"What if Axel finds them and escapes with them?"

Jonathan waved a hand.

"There’s no need."

The Marine looked confused.

Jonathan’s expression returned to its usual lazy calm.

"He’s a good doctor."

The answer seemed unrelated.

It was not.

Jonathan had already done his homework.

Chopper came from Drum Island.

Axel had recently appeared there.

Drum Island had once been famous for medicine.

And according to the information they had gathered, Chopper was currently treating Axel.

More importantly, Chopper possessed the kind of medical ethics that made him incapable of abandoning injured patients once they were placed in front of him.

Jonathan did not need guards.

The patients themselves were the restraint.

Like a chess player putting the opposing king in check, Jonathan had placed pieces on the board that Axel could not casually remove.

...

"You really know how to create problems."

Axel sat off to the side of a busy treatment room, casually eating from a plate.

Vivi shot him a glare while carrying medicine from one table to another.

"Then help!"

She had little nursing experience, so most of her work involved moving supplies, organizing basic materials, and fetching whatever Chopper needed.

Even those simple tasks were exhausting.

And watching Axel sit comfortably while eating made it worse.

Axel barely glanced at her.

"Your request has no value to me."

Vivi nearly choked.

"Who said I was requesting anything?!"

She pointed at him.

"I’m stating a fact."

"You’re slacking off."

Axel took another bite.

"Poor explanations only make you sound less intelligent."

Vivi’s eye twitched.

There he goes again.

Half the time Axel started a conversation, it eventually drifted into some strange direction only he understood.

Then, once he got bored, he would simply end it.

Vivi had stopped trying to make sense of it.

What a strange guy.

If Axel had not consistently kept his promises throughout their journey, she probably would have abandoned him long ago.

She wrinkled her nose.

"It’s impressive you can even eat in here."

The treatment room smelled terrible.

Medicine.

Sweat.

Inflamed wounds.

Old blood.

The sour scent of sickness.

Simply standing inside for long periods was unpleasant enough.

Eating was another matter entirely.

Axel looked around.

"The room was too dull."

"So I came to add some flavor."

Vivi stared at him.

"...Do whatever you want."

She sighed.

"Most people smelling this would want to vomit, not eat."

Axel shrugged.

"I’m fine."

A voice came from inside the treatment area.

"Vivi!"

Chopper poked his head through the doorway.

"I need post-operation painkillers."

"Several patients are reacting badly."

"Got it!"

Vivi hurried away.

She began sorting through the medicines.

A short while later, Chopper finally emerged from the treatment room.

He looked exhausted.

Then he noticed Axel.

"If you have nothing to do, leave."

Axel looked at him.

"You’re distracting me."

Axel lifted his fork.

"Eat."

Chopper frowned.

"Then go eat somewhere else!"

"I meant you."

Chopper stopped.

Axel looked him over.

"You haven’t eaten properly in two days."

"Saving patients doesn’t require starving yourself."

Chopper’s expression softened slightly.

Only slightly.

"Who asked you to worry about me?"

He crossed his arms.

"Just leave."

"Of course I have to worry."

Axel pointed his fork at him.

"You’re my personal doctor."

Chopper bristled.

"And if you starve to death..."

Axel looked at the meat on his plate.

"You’ll turn into reindeer meat."

Chopper froze.

Axel lifted a piece.

"Like this."

Chopper’s face went white.

"R-Reindeer meat?"

"Yes."

Axel nodded seriously.

"Probably tastes good too."

"AAAAAH!"

Chopper forgot all about maintaining dignity.

He fell onto his rear and scrambled backward.

Axel burst out laughing.

The expression on his face made it obvious he had gotten exactly the reaction he wanted.

"Relax."

"I’m joking."

Chopper immediately transformed into his larger humanoid form.

"You bastard!"

He shoved Axel toward the door.

"GET OUT!"

Axel offered little resistance.

He allowed himself to be pushed into the hallway.

Before leaving, he looked back.

"Remember to eat."

Chopper glared.

"Reindeer meat really is pretty good, Doctor."

BANG!

The door slammed shut hard enough to bend slightly at the frame.

The Marines outside stared.

If they had not witnessed the exchange themselves, they might have assumed someone had just attacked the medical ward.

Inside, Chopper returned to his smaller form.

"What an awful guy!"

Vivi had watched the entire scene.

She walked over.

"You okay?"

"I’m fine!"

Chopper still looked furious.

Vivi smiled.

"You don’t have to take it so seriously."

"That’s just how Axel talks."

Chopper frowned.

"But he was trying to help."

Chopper looked up.

"Help?"

Vivi nodded.

"He was eating in this horrible-smelling room because he wanted you to notice."

Chopper blinked.

"He told me once that people sometimes remember what they’ve forgotten only after seeing someone else do it."

Vivi handed him something to eat.

"You forgot to take care of yourself."

"So he came in here eating."

Chopper stared at the food.

Vivi sighed.

"He’s strange."

"If he wants to do something nice, he always seems determined to make it annoying."

Chopper thought about it.

Then nodded slowly.

He really was strange.

But somehow...

Not quite as terrible as before.

...

After leaving the medical ward, Axel headed straight for the cafeteria.

No Marines tried to stop him.

Jonathan’s orders had already spread through the fortress.

Until further notice, Axel was to be left alone.

Axel entered the cafeteria.

Then stopped.

Jonathan was sitting at one of the tables.

Axel looked disappointed.

"Why are you here?"

Jonathan raised an eyebrow.

"Why shouldn’t I be?"

Axel walked over and dropped his empty tray in front of him.

"Are you waiting for another chess game?"

Jonathan immediately shook his head.

"No."

"I don’t have a habit of voluntarily getting humiliated."

They had played several times over the past few days.

Jonathan had lost every game.

He had no intention of repeating the experience.

Axel sat down.

"Then why are you wasting time here?"

He glanced around.

"Don’t commanders have work?"

"You’re surprisingly relaxed."

"The World Government pays you a salary, you know."

Axel smiled.

"If they saw how much they pay compared to how little you seem to work, they might cry."

Jonathan gave him a pained smile.

"If paying a salary could make a headache like you disappear..."

He sighed.

"I think the World Government would gladly double mine."

Axel laughed.

Jonathan leaned back.

"The real reason I’m here is simple."

"You come to this cafeteria far too often."

Axel tilted his head.

"What’s wrong with wanting good food?"

"The food isn’t the problem."

Jonathan’s expression became serious.

"The problem is that you keep looking for Jessica."

Axel blinked.

Jonathan continued.

"As her husband, I have every reason to appear here more often."

"To stop you from doing anything improper."

Axel looked deeply wronged.

"I’m only here for the cooking."

Jonathan stared at him.

"You told me yesterday that my wife’s hands were very smooth."

Axel paused.

Jonathan’s mustache twitched.

"Do you think that sounds like someone only interested in food?"

Axel waved dismissively.

Jonathan sighed.

"You might be the freest wanted criminal I’ve ever seen."

"I already ordered everyone not to act against you until your gift arrives."

"For now, the base is pretending you don’t exist."

Axel smiled.

"Then I should thank you."

He leaned forward.

"What gift?"

His eyes narrowed playfully.

"A beautiful woman?"

Jonathan’s expression immediately darkened.

Before he could answer, a sound came from inside his coat.

Pururururu.

Pururururu.

The Den Den Mushi rang.

Jonathan reached inside.

The irritation disappeared from his face.

His expression became calm again.

He looked at Axel.

"It seems..."

He picked up the Den Den Mushi.

"Your gift has arrived."

....

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