Dr. Kureha's joke made Dragon sweat, and he immediately urged, "Please don't make such jokes."
"Hahaha... what a kid without a sense of humor."
Dr. Kureha laughed heartily, leaving Dragon speechless.
Soon, the laughter ceased, and Dr. Kureha switched back to a serious attitude to answer York's earlier question.
"Kid, I don't know why you want to invite an old hag like me onto your ship, but I'm already 104 years old this year. I lost your so-called adventurous spirit long ago, so please go back."
"But in my eyes, you don't look old at all right now. Living another thirty or forty years shouldn't be a problem. Are you really not going to reconsider?"
"Go back, kid. Don't make me reject you a second time!"
Dr. Kureha's attitude was resolute. Seeing this, York didn't force the issue anymore and turned to leave with Kaido and Dragon without hesitation.
On the way back, Kaido couldn't help but grumble.
"That old hag is 104 years old. Even if she came aboard, we'd probably just end up taking care of her. Even if her medical skills are number one in the world, I'm afraid she wouldn't be of much use. York, I think you wasted a trip."
Hearing this, York smiled gently.
"Then want to make a bet? Let's bet that in 30 years, she'll still look exactly the same as she does now!"
Kaido was stunned and became serious.
"You aren't joking, right? She's 104 years old!!"
"In another 30 years, she'll be 134!! The grass on her grave would be several meters high by then!!"
York looked at Kaido with a smile. "Just asking if you want to bet!"
Kaido hesitated.
He felt that York must have confidence to say such a thing. Up to now, almost nothing York had said turned out to be wrong.
Since he firmly believed this old hag could live at least another 30 years, then there was probably really some secret about her.
So...
"I won't bet!!"
The shrewd Kaido directly refused the bet, grinning slyly.
"My intelligence isn't equal to yours, so I'm not playing this stupid game with you!"
"Tch!"
York clicked his tongue.
"Didn't trick you, huh? You kid are pretty shrewd."
"Wororororo, that old hag really has a secret!"
Speaking of this, Kaido's curiosity was piqued.
"By the way, what is that old hag's secret? Why can she live so long? It's my first time seeing someone live to 104."
"I don't know either."
York shrugged.
"But you don't need to worry about her lifespan, because I know of another thing that can extend life. If nothing unexpected happens, that thing can extend our lives by at least four or five hundred years."
"And it's four or five hundred years in physical prime. It's just a bit troublesome to find."
As soon as these words came out, Kaido and Dragon, who were originally just joking around, simultaneously became serious.
"York, you aren't joking, right? Is there really such a good thing?!"
"Ah~ have you heard of Pure Gold? I know where to find Pure Gold!"
York didn't hide it and told them directly.
Anyway, that lanternfish was indeed hard to find. Without some luck and means, it really was like finding a needle in a haystack.
"Wororororo, the legend of Pure Gold? That thing is real?!"
Kaido was still a bit skeptical, but York continued to smile: "Don't underestimate legends and stories!"
"Many of those things are actually real, just not recorded in writing. Passed down by word of mouth, they were misunderstood as myths instead."
"Before going to Sky Island, you probably also thought Sky Island didn't exist, right!"
Kaido and Dragon's gazes focused again. Then, putting aside their questions, anticipation welled up in their hearts.
If the legendary Pure Gold really exists and can be found...
Four or five hundred years of life... maybe I can really realize my ideal world!!
Dragon thought to himself.
...
Chatting and laughing, the three of them strolled casually around the island.
Purely relying on luck, they wanted to see if they could accidentally encounter a Devil Fruit or something.
The result, of course, was nothing.
When they returned to the palace, it was already dusk, about to enter night.
York arrived at the hall where he had entertained the doctors earlier.
After an afternoon of discussion and no supervision, more than half of the doctors here had left.
Originally there were 411 people; now, with a glance, York saw fewer than 100.
"Not bad, quite a few stayed."
"There isn't much time left until dark. Consider it more carefully. Once you board the ship, the treatment will be excellent. Staying here, you may not necessarily live the life you want."
Time ticked by minute by minute, but York's persuasion didn't have a particularly good effect.
After all, for the vast majority of ordinary people, the identity of a pirate still represented an evil, unstable, and unsafe life.
If not for this, places like the Gray Terminal in the Goa Kingdom of East Blue wouldn't exist.
If people who couldn't survive could just go out to sea and become pirates and live well, who would bitterly stay behind to be slaves for nobles!!
Therefore, in the short time between dusk and night, dozens more doctors left one after another.
Finally, when the sky turned completely dark and the palace doors were closed by the pirates, a headcount of the doctors remaining showed exactly forty-nine people.
After carefully counting the number, York nodded in satisfaction.
"Not bad! A full 49 doctors are willing to join my command! This number exceeds one-tenth. It seems the conditions I offered and my personal charisma are pretty good!"
Having said that, York beckoned, and Dragon immediately led Ivankov to register them on the roster.
At the same time, a large chest of Berries was brought out on the spot, and 1 million Berries were distributed directly to each person.
"This is your settlement allowance!"
" Depending on your choice, you can leave this money for your family on the island, or bring them on board with you."
"Once given, I won't take this money back. Make your own decisions. We will officially set sail and leave this island the morning after tomorrow. You have one day to handle family affairs."
The 49 remaining doctors held the 1 million Berries York had handed out on the spot, silently clenching their fists.
Such importance and preferential treatment—they had never received this from their normal jobs before!!
A day passed quickly.
The morning after tomorrow.
Before the Red Flag Pirates were about to set sail, 40 of the 49 doctors brought their families on board.
Of the remaining 9, 5 were bachelors, and 4 had been broken up with by their girlfriends.
In short, those who could bring their families on board brought them all.
This made York even more satisfied with these 49 doctors who were willing to join his command.
"Lads!! Set sail!!!"
With a single order, the Red Flag Pirates, who had stayed in Drum Kingdom for nearly a week, finally set sail again.
Wapol's grandfather and the other royals and nobles, who had been detained by York all this time, watched them leave from afar in silence.
This week, they had indeed suffered hardships, and several female relatives had even been forcibly taken away by the pirates on the ship, but ultimately, they had survived.
Just then, as the Red Flag Pirates' ship was about to disappear from sight, a Marine ship sailed over from the side.
The leading Rear Admiral shouted righteously through a loudspeaker: "Where are the Red Flag Pirates?! The Marine reinforcements have arrived! Surrender immediately!!"
Seeing this scene, Wapol's grandfather and the group of royals and nobles were collectively speechless, and their faces darkened in unison.
But to make matters worse, after the Marines landed on the island, they still had to force smiles and say nice things.
What a bunch of useless Marines!!
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