Luffy gently tapped the shoulder of the dwarf who had introduced herself as Wicca and asked, "What exactly is wrong with your princess? What are her symptoms? Is her life in danger?"
Wicca's initial joy at making a new friend quickly turned into sadness. Her cheerful expression faded, and her tiny shoulders slumped. The other dwarfs, who had been equally jubilant moments ago, now looked just as dispirited.
Leo seemed to realize something and quickly whispered to Luffy before dashing back toward the cabin with Kabu and Bian.
On Luffy's shoulder, Wicca began to cry, wiping her tears as she spoke through sobs:
"It's all my fault! I failed to rescue the princess properly, and now she's been sick ever since! She can't even get out of bed! Woo woo woo~"
Luffy's heart clenched. "What happened? Was she injured during the escape?"
Wicca shook her head vehemently, covering her eyes with her tiny hands. "No, no! She wasn't injured. She just came down with some strange illness. Doctors from all over the country have tried to help, but none of them can figure out what's wrong with her."
"Hiss~ That bad?" Luffy's brows furrowed in concern. The thought of Mansherry—someone he regarded as a strong healer—dying in such a pitiful state was unsettling.
Wait, Luffy thought, realization dawning on him. Isn't Mansherry the user of the Heal-Heal Fruit? Why doesn't she just heal herself?
Before he could voice his suspicions, Leo and the others returned, accompanied by King Gancho and Mansherry, who was being carried out on her bed.
The old king's eyes were red and swollen from crying. As soon as he saw Luffy, he fell to his knees with tears streaming down his face.
"Please, my friend, save my daughter! If you can cure her, I will marry her to you and make you the future king of the Tontatta Kingdom!"
Luffy, initially crouching to help the old king up, froze mid-motion. His expression twisted into a mix of shock and disbelief as the king's words sank in.
"Hey, old man!" Luffy exclaimed. "Did you even think this through before saying that? Your daughter isn't even half the size of my hand! Do you have any idea what you're suggesting? Someone could die from this!"
The dwarfs around them gawked in stunned silence, their mouths agape. Then the murmurs started.
"Eh?! His Majesty wants to marry the princess to a human?!"
"This has never happened before!"
"Can a human even marry one of us? He's so big… How would the princess even have babies?"
"You idiots! Why are you worrying about that now? None of this matters if we can't save the princess first!"
"That's true. Compared to saving her life, marriage is nothing! If this human can cure her, I'm all for it!"
One by one, the dwarfs voiced their agreement, and soon a chant erupted:
"Support! Support! Support!"
Mansherry, lying weakly on her bed, opened her eyes at the commotion. She glanced at Luffy, who was squatting nearby, and her pale cheeks turned a rosy red.
She then shifted her gaze to Leo, who stood beside her bed, and whispered softly, "I'm sorry, Leo. If he can really save me… I might fall in love with someone else."
Unfortunately, Leo, dense as ever, failed to grasp the meaning of her words. In his mind, Mansherry was still the same spoiled and willful princess he had always known. Oblivious to her feelings, he joined the others in chanting, "Support! Support!"
Watching the increasingly enthusiastic dwarfs, Luffy's mouth twitched. He raised a hand, signaling for silence.
"Let me examine Her Royal Highness first," he said firmly. "Excuse me."
The old king nodded in approval, and Luffy carefully lifted Mansherry from the bed, holding her gently in his palm. However, as soon as he touched her, he felt a wave of weakness wash over him.
Luffy's eyes widened in alarm as he recognized the sensation. "Seastone?!"
The dwarfs, hearing his exclamation, tilted their heads in confusion.
"Ah?"
"What's seastone? Is it dangerous?"
"Why does he look so serious all of a sudden? He scared me!"
Ignoring their questions, Luffy's expression darkened as he focused on examining Mansherry closely. His mind raced as he carefully studied her fragile form, trying to pinpoint the source of the problem.
Soon, his sharp eyes spotted a golden bracelet on Mansherry's tiny wrist. As he looked closer, he realized it was lined with an almost imperceptible layer of seastone.
Anger flared within him. "Who the hell put this on her?!"
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