Towering trees cast cool shadows, while lush and vibrant flowers intermingled, exuding a fresh green fragrance.
Diligent dwarves bustled about in a clearing.
Some were removing pests and weeds from fruit trees, while others carried small wooden buckets, collecting nectar from flowers.
Rebecca, dressed in a blue princess gown, flitted through the forest like a beautiful fairy maiden, carrying a large food box with light steps.
"Slow down, Rebecca!"
Behind her, a tall and robust middle-aged man following along, carrying a heavy load.
One of his legs was mechanical, making his movements somewhat slow and uncoordinated.
"Dad, hurry up! I'm going ahead to see Lucy!" Rebecca giggled as she disappeared among the trees.
Kyros sighed, "Ah, daughters grow up and leave their parents behind. Abandoning her disabled father for a man..."
Nearby, a young woman in a purple dress stifled a laugh, her penetrating eyes secretly observing the towering Kyros.
In a forest clearing, a massive canopy shielded the area from sun and rain.
Dozens of large beds were arranged here, each occupied by men and women.
On one bed, Luffy lay with closed eyes, his chest rising and falling slightly.
The grotesque pockmarks on his body had completely vanished, his complexion now rosy as he was merely asleep.
A palm-sized dwarf girl stood on tiptoe beside Luffy's head, continuously taking glowing dandelion puffs from a basket and placing them on his body.
These radiant white dandelions pulsed with life force, dimming upon contact with Luffy before being transferred to another basket.
"Princess Mansherry, hasn't Luffy woken up yet?" Rebecca cheerfully ran to Luffy's side, squatting down to look at the dwarf princess.
"Almost there. His stamina isn't fully recovered yet. Rebecca, you should lie down too—let the healing dandelions absorb some of your energy." Mansherry's voice was as delicate as a mosquito hum, sounding like a tiny sprite's song.
Hearing this, Rebecca obediently set down the food box and climbed onto the bed beside Luffy, smiling as she nestled against him.
"Hey! Rebecca, I told you to lie somewhere else! Being next to Luffy affects the treatment!" Mansherry pouted in frustration.
Rebecca reluctantly got up.
Just then, Kyros's booming voice rang out, "Hahaha! Use my energy instead, Princess Mansherry! Getting Luffy to wake up sooner is crucial."
Kyros strode over, placing his heavy burden on the ground before surveying the other beds.
Nami and Robin were absent, while Zoro, Chopper, Usopp and Jinbei lay weakly on their beds as dwarf warriors continuously transferred their energy to Luffy via dandelions.
Princess Mansherry motioned for Kyros to lie down, then placed some dandelions on his wrist.
As Mansherry activated her ability, Kyros felt his stamina rapidly draining, as if gathering into those dandelions.
Gradually, the clusters of dandelions began emitting a soft white glow.
After working tirelessly for over ten minutes, Mansherry was drenched in sweat.
"Princess Mansherry, please take a break. There's no need to rush," Rebecca said with a hint of concern.
Mansherry waved her hand, her tiny face relaxed as she smiled.
"It's fine. Luffy's about to wake up—pay attention now."
"Really?" Rebecca's face lit up with excitement as she scrambled to her feet.
Her own stamina hadn't even been replenished yet—how could Luffy be waking up already?
Kyros trembled, his lips quivering as he lay limp, watching his beloved daughter focus entirely on Luffy.
Here he was, practically drained dry and she didn't even spare him a word of concern.
Viola chuckled softly, taking out her handkerchief to gently wipe the cold sweat from Kyros' forehead.
Kyros' body stiffened instantly and he quickly shut his eyes, pretending to be unconscious.
Once Mansherry transferred all the stamina-infused dandelions from Kyros onto Luffy, the glow faded and Luffy's chest began rising and falling faster, his breathing growing rapid.
Suddenly, Luffy's eyes snapped open.
He suddenly sat upright, gasping for air.
"Lucy! Thank goodness, you're finally awake!"
Rebecca threw her arms around him in excitement, bouncing with joy.
Princess Mansherry sighed, tugging at Rebecca's skirt.
"Rebecca, let him go—you're going to suffocate him."
Rebecca froze, then looked down to see Luffy buried in her embrace, his face pressed into her chest, turning red from lack of air.
"Ah! Sorry, Lucy! I didn't mean to!"
She hastily released him, her cheeks flushing crimson.
"Where... am I? What... happened? I feel so weak... thirsty... and hungry."
Luffy's head drooped, his tongue lolling out weakly.
"Luffy! You're awake?"
A delighted cry came from the forest.
Luffy lifted his head dazedly to see a slender figure stumbling towards him before crashing into him.
Already frail, Luffy was immediately knocked back onto the bed.
"Na... Nami?" Luffy managed to focus and saw Nami clinging to him desperately, tears dripping onto his body.
"Luffy, why did you take so long to wake up? Sob... Brook is dead, Sanji was taken by the Marines, everyone's been hit hard... Wano has fallen completely to the enemy. So many people died..."
Nami wept uncontrollably, her arms locked around Luffy as if he were her lifeline, refusing to let go. Find the newest release on novel{f}ire.net
Robin's tall figure emerged from the forest as well.
Though she wasn't weeping uncontrollably like Nami, her beautiful, intelligent eyes were slightly reddened.
"I see. I understand."
Luffy's tone was calmer than expected.
He seemed to have matured more than before, appearing steadier and more composed than when he'd lost Ace.
Gently patting Nami's back, Luffy turned his gaze towards the nearby bed.
"Is this what Shanks meant when he said we only grow through pain? If possible, I wish we never had to experience any of this."
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