To test the fever-reduction method he had in mind, Tom decided to try it on himself first.
Thus, to the astonished gazes of everyone, Tom stripped to the waist, wearing only shorts as he stood on the ship's deck. The cold wind howled, snow drifted through the air, yet Tom stood there so coolly, motionless like a post. Luffy and the others gathered around curiously.
"What does he want to do?"
"Does he want to play the 'bury himself in snow' game again?"
Usopp and Luffy stroked their chins, watching the shirtless, motionless Tom and making guesses.
"That's not a bad way to train," Zoro thought, believing Tom was doing some special exercise. If not for his still-injured feet, he might have joined Tom in doing special training shirtless in this snow stretching for miles, bone-chillingly cold weather.
Despite the others making noise around him, Tom never showed much reaction. Finding it boring, they soon went about their own business.
After some time, Vivi came looking for Tom. He had previously asked Sanji for something, and after Sanji finished, he asked Vivi to notify Tom. But after searching the ship, she couldn't find him and asked Luffy and the others where he was.
"He's over there," Luffy and Usopp said in unison, pointing at a nearby snowman.
Vivi was so shocked to learn the snowman was Tom that her delicate chin nearly hit the deck. She had seen the snowman earlier but never imagined it was him.
"How did he become like this?" Vivi asked after recovering.
"I think he's using his body to experience the beauty of nature."
"Maybe he likes being a snowman. What a special hobby."
Usopp and Luffy started guessing again about Tom's motives.
"Why didn't you stop him? In such cold weather, what if he gets frostbite?" Vivi said as she walked over to Tom and brushed the snow off him.
"Why aren't you wearing any clothes?" Vivi was so shocked her mouth fell open upon discovering Tom was naked.
"It doesn't make sense. Something's really off here," Tom said, shaking his body to shake off the snow. The shaken-off snow flew onto Vivi's face.
Suddenly having a large amount of icy snow splashed onto her face, Vivi felt a bone-piercing chill spread through her whole body, her body involuntarily shuddered.
"Why are you applying snow to your face? Do you want to make yourself more beautiful? Be careful your face cracks from the cold; that would be ugly to death. Hahahaha." Tom said, seeing Vivi covered in snow. He casually flicked away the snow from her face, inadvertently noticing her skin was even whiter than the snow—truly fair as jade, skin surpassing snow.
You're the one who got snow on my face!
Seeing Tom completely unaware and even laughing at her, Vivi took a deep breath to calm down and asked, "What did you mean by 'something's off'?"
"Oh, I deliberately stood here shirtless letting the wind and snow blow on me for over an hour. But I haven't caught a cold or fever yet. It's really unexpected," Tom said, leaving Vivi stunned on the spot.
Your actions are the unexpected part!
Vivi astonishedly asked, "Just for that, you foolishly stood here...?"
"I know it's pretty stupid," Tom interrupted her. "But if I got a fever too, having a comparison would help determine if Nami's illness is just an ordinary fever."
"For just that reason, you did such a ridiculous thing?" Vivi said, noticing a flat, round scar on Tom's right shoulder. It looked like it could have been from a sharp piercing or a bite from sharp teeth. But before she could see it clearly, Tom had already put his shirt back on.
"Why are you staring at my body?" Tom said with a smile after dressing. "If you don't try things, how do you know the result? If I can try something, I will! I don't care what others say."
Hearing this, Vivi froze for a moment, falling into brief contemplation. But she soon came back to her senses, suddenly remembering Sanji's instructions and hurriedly chased after Tom. "Wait!"
Hearing Sanji had prepared what he needed, Tom, thinking it was time to treat Nami, changed direction to find Sanji.
On the way, Vivi asked about the scar on his right shoulder.
"That was from a Fish-Man's long nose. It happened when we went to Nami's hometown," Tom said. "Though that Fish-Man had a long nose like Usopp's, the power of their noses is worlds apart."
When Tom mentioned Usopp's long nose, Usopp, who was playing in the snow with Luffy, inexplicably sneezed.
"Someone's definitely talking behind my back," Usopp said after sneezing, rubbing his nose.
"You got cursed. That's terrible," Luffy said while building strangely shaped snowballs.
"That battle... it must have been very tough?" Vivi asked.
"It was alright. But that's all in the past," Tom stopped, gazing at the vast and boundless sea. The red sun was slowly setting, casting a crimson glow on the sea.
"You know? After setting sail, I realized something. The sea has a mysterious charm. It makes you keep growing."
After saying this to Vivi, Tom didn't linger and went straight to find Sanji.
My own future path? Vivi thought, lowering her head and pursing her lips. A few strands of afterglow of the sunset filtered through the snow dancing across the sky, illuminating her jade-white profile. Seeming to think of something, she glanced at Tom's retreating figure, her gaze gradually becoming firm.
When Tom found Sanji, Sanji handed him a large basket of garlic. "Stupid fisherman, aside from what's needed for daily meals, you can have all this garlic."
"To help reduce Nami's fever," Tom answered, lifting the basket.
"You stop right there!" Sanji urgently called out to him.
"You're going to use garlic to help Nami-swan's fever?" Sanji asked angrily.
"What does that have to do with me using garlic to help her fever?" Tom decided not to talk nonsense, carrying the large basket of garlic, patting his butt, and walked away.
Sanji prepared to chase him, but Luffy started shouting from the deck that he wanted dinner. After righteously warning Tom not to feed Nami garlic and getting Tom's promise, Sanji went back to the kitchen.
It was now sunset approaching, dusk arriving. Waves of cold swept over, making one only want to crawl into bed.
"You're not planning to go behind Sanji's back and secretly feed Nami garlic, are you?" Vivi asked curiously.
"How could I do that? I just want to apply this stuff to the soles of her feet," Tom answered honestly.
Hearing this, Vivi was even more confused.
Actually, Tom had accidentally recalled reading an article long ago about using crushed garlic on the Yongquan pressure point on the soles to reduce fever.
Upon entering Nami's room, Miss Goldenweek and Karoo were taking care of the bedridden Nami, though the little girl seemed low-spirited.
"You caught a cold?" Tom asked casually.
"And a fever?" Tom squatted down and touched Miss Goldenweek's forehead. It was indeed somewhat hot. His eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, "That's great!"
"She's sick and you're happy?" Vivi asked with a sweatdrop, three parts confusion, seven parts reproach.
"Uh, I mean, I can help treat her illness," Tom said, scratching his head and dropping the basket of garlic on the floor.
Though Tom felt his smile was gentle, to Miss Goldenweek, he smiled like a devil.
"We'll treat you first, then. Plenty of garlic anyway," Tom said, pouring out the garlic.
Seeing the floor covered in garlic, Miss Goldenweek's cute little face instantly turned pale. In a trembling childish voice, she said, "I don't like garlic."
"I know. You like senbei," Tom chuckled.
Vivi, seeing Tom's manner and suspecting he had a habit of bullying children, suddenly hearing his request, hesitated.
After Vivi left, Tom sat on the floor, peeled a garlic clove, and asked, "You're scared of me?"
"You're a bad guy! I'm not scared of you!" Miss Goldenweek said.
Hearing her call him a bad guy, Tom didn't mind and was amused by her puffed-up cheeks.
"You... ate the garlic?" Miss Goldenweek said shocked and frightened, as if she had seen a ghost.
"Yep."
Then Miss Goldenweek was dazed by the strong, pungent garlic smell and actually fainted.
"Now you'll behave, right?" Tom gently set down the fainted girl.
Just then, Vivi returned.
"She just couldn't stand the garlic smell and fainted," Tom explained.
Seeing Miss Goldenweek choking and coughing, Vivi thought Tom's method might be effective.
"No. We need to apply garlic paste to the soles of her feet first," Tom said.
"Oh, Sanji has dinner ready," Vivi remembered.
"You go eat first. I'll finish this up," Tom said.
Night had fallen, making the room somewhat dim.
Nami's voice sounded weak and powerless.
Having her foot held by a man gave Nami a strange feeling.
A woman's feet are private and sensitive.
By the time Tom had applied garlic paste to both of Nami's feet, she was breathing softly.
"If you dare make me drink this, I'll make you pay!" Nami said.
In that moment, the man and woman froze simultaneously.
When Miss Goldenweek woke from her faint, she happened to see the scene.
In the painting, the warm, gentle yellow light reflected two closely leaning shadows, appearing so inseparable…
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T/N :
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