"BANG—CRASH!!"
The back door of the clinic was kicked open violently, nearly making the doctor choke on his liquor.
"What the hell—?!"
Coughing furiously, the doctor stormed out into the backyard, only to freeze on the spot.
Hermes stood there, drenched in blood—so badly injured that it looked like he might drop dead in the next second.
…Went out to "earn living expenses" again, huh?
"Kid, you're practically knocking on death's door!"
The doctor hurried forward and caught Hermes before he collapsed. This wasn't just a patient—this was his golden goose.
Even if Hermes were dying, he'd drag him back from the brink.
Why?
Because in just this short period, he'd already made a small fortune off this kid. And more importantly—Hermes never once asked about the bill. Generous, straightforward, easy to deal with.
The doctor's life had improved dramatically.
This source of income must be preserved.
"You have five minutes," Hermes said weakly as he was helped inside and laid onto a chair. "After that, erase all traces of me being here. Otherwise, you'll be in serious trouble."
He was gravely injured. The Two-Wheel Pirates would likely begin a full sweep of the town.
Treatment had to be fast—then he had to disappear again.
"Kid… what kind of trouble did you stir up this time?" the doctor asked seriously, hands already moving without pause. He pulled out a medical kit from nowhere and snipped Hermes's upper clothes off. "Did you piss off someone worth more than ten thousand Beli?"
Up to this point, the doctor still didn't know Hermes's true identity.
He only knew Hermes was a pirate hunter—someone who hunted pirates with bounties in the hundreds or thousands.
That was his assumption.
After all, Hermes was far too young.
"…You could say that," Hermes replied after thinking about Kokos's bounty.
Forty-four million Beli.
Yeah. Definitely more than ten thousand.
That wasn't a lie.
"Hiss—!"
Hermes sucked in a sharp breath. His entire body convulsed, veins bulging along his wrists and neck.
The doctor worked fast, but the pain was still unbearable.
Same rule as always—no anesthesia.
"This is a gunshot wound," the doctor muttered. "Very dangerous. Lucky it didn't hit anything vital."
He stitched rapidly. Besides the gunshot, there were multiple other wounds.
Looking at this scar-covered body, the doctor couldn't help but sigh.
So young… yet already dancing on the edge of death again and again just to survive.
But more than sympathy, he felt admiration—for himself.
Any other doctor would've screwed this up. Who else could stitch this cleanly? Who else could keep pulling this kid back from the jaws of death?
Clearly—
Hermes was alive because of him.
Exactly five minutes later.
Not a second more, not a second less.
"I've packed all the medicine for you," the doctor said. "We shouldn't see each other for a while."
"After treating you so many times, you know what to watch out for."
His conscience was there—just not very thick.
He was a normal man. He didn't want trouble.
Hermes nodded. The doctor had already done more than enough.
"I'll pay you next time," Hermes said as he stood up.
Credit, this time.
"You'd better hurry and go."
Then the doctor added bluntly, "If I'm forced into it, I won't hesitate to sell you out. Don't blame me for lacking medical ethics."
Hermes chuckled, grabbed the medicine, waved once, and disappeared.
Not much conscience—but still a decent guy.
Meanwhile—
Just as Hermes expected, Kokos recalled his men and began a town-wide search.
Especially clinics.
Strike while the enemy is sick—basic logic.
Mayute Town became lively once more.
"Did you hear? Pirate Hunter Hermes Jormungandr clashed with Two-Wheel Gunslinger Kokos—and got seriously injured!"
"No wonder the Two-Wheel Pirates are searching everywhere."
"Did Lord Jormungandr lose?"
"No way. They must've ganged up on him."
"Shh—keep your voice down."
Clinics were searched one after another. Rumors spread uncontrollably.
Few people had actually seen Hermes, and the stories about him had countless versions.
Soon enough, the Two-Wheel Pirates stormed into this clinic.
Medicines were tossed everywhere. The doctor stood nearby, bowing and scraping, furious but helpless.
"You're saying you didn't treat a kid with a gunshot wound?" the pirate leader demanded impatiently.
"My lords, this is just a small clinic. I haven't had business in ages. I've never seen a kid with a gunshot wound."
Inside the doctor's head—
He was screaming every curse he knew inside his head.
Gunshot wound. Kid.
How was that not obvious?
That "small-time pirate hunter" was the same man who had turned the entire town upside down.
Not hundreds. Not thousands.
Thirty million Beli and up.
Damn it.
I charged too little.
His heart bled as if he'd lost millions.
That bastard kid—cheap bastard.
Spit.
Seven or eight days passed.
The Two-Wheel Pirates found nothing.
Because Hermes was no longer in Mayute Town.
He was deep in the mountains.
Whether the doctor truly had skill, or the medicine wasn't watered down, or Hermes's physique was just abnormal—
After five or six days, his wounds had begun to scab.
He hunted and trained in the mountains.
ROAR!
A tattooed tiger over five meters long roared, throwing the forest into chaos.
Birds scattered. Beasts fled.
Only one two-legged creature stood still, frowning in thought.
The tiger's eyes burned with rage.
It had been napping peacefully when this human kicked it in the ass.
Nearly scared it half to death.
Worse—
The human wasn't afraid.
That was unacceptable.
The king of this forest would not tolerate such disrespect.
The tiger lunged.
Hermes dodged instinctively, holding his breath against the stench.
"…No."
He frowned.
"Still not right. What's missing?"
The tiger was ferocious—but Hermes slipped past every strike effortlessly.
He didn't even use his Devil Fruit.
He was trying to recreate that feeling.
But no matter how many exchanges—
Nothing.
"…Not enough pressure?"
Hermes looked at the increasingly furious tiger and understood.
No real danger.
No fear of death.
Without that pressure, adrenaline wouldn't spike—and Observation wouldn't awaken.
Looks like I still have to farm Kokos.
So far, in Mayute Town—
Only Kokos was qualified to receive that "honor."
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 60 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/arcanechronicals