Inside Kaya's room...
Kaya clung to Ace, sobbing uncontrollably.
Ace gently stroked her golden hair, speaking softly to soothe her trembling emotions.
Nearby stood the other butler of the mansion—Merry.
He'd only just woken up, having been drugged earlier when Kuro slipped a sedative into his drinking water.
Now fully awake, Merry repeatedly bowed and thanked both Ace and Nami.
As for Kuro, Ace had already dealt with him—along with Buchi and Sham, all three unceremoniously thrown into the sea.
Jango, on the other hand, had been spared per their agreement.
Such small fry weren't worth Ace breaking his word in front of Nami and Kaya.
"I can't thank you enough. Klahadore—no, Kuro—turned out to be a ruthless pirate.
He's the one who caused the deaths of the Master and Mistress.
If not for you, Kaya-ojousama would've surely met the same fate..."
Merry bowed low, his gratitude pouring out in waves.
"Th-Thank you, Ace..."
Kaya's voice was still shaky, but she had calmed considerably.
A flush crept into her cheeks as she slowly pulled away from his chest.
"You're my destined ship's doctor. There's no way I'd let Kuro lay a finger on you."
Ace grinned and tousled Kaya's golden locks again, his tone light.
"Huh?!"
Merry froze, dumbfounded.
What did that mean?! This young man wants to take the young lady to sea?!
"I… I've always wanted to see the world beyond this place.
But my body's far too weak—I can barely walk outside, let alone survive life at sea.
And I can't exactly call myself a doctor... I've only read a few medical texts.
But if you ever get injured out there, you can come back here—I'll study as hard as I can to treat you."
Kaya's words came softly as she bit her lip, determination flickering beneath her frailty.
"You don't need to worry about any of that."
Ace chuckled warmly, placing both hands gently on her shoulders.
"I said you're my destined ship's doctor, didn't I? That means I've already got a way to fix it."
He looked directly into her eyes, a playful yet sincere smile on his lips.
"Just one question, Kaya…"
"Would you become my ship's doctor?"
"...!!"
Kaya looked up, meeting his gaze. His eyes were so serious, so sure of themselves.
Her cheeks flushed redder, and before she could stop herself—she nodded.
Ace laughed heartily, the sound rich and bright.
Off to the side, Nami rolled her eyes.
This guy really knows how to sweet-talk girls, huh...
Still, she was honestly curious—with Kaya's condition, how did Ace plan to get her seaworthy?
"Get some rest for now," Ace said with confidence. "When the sun comes up, I'll solve the problem you mentioned."
"Okay."
Kaya nodded, watching Ace's confident smile. A quiet blush lingered on her lips.
After they left Kaya's room...
"Um, Ace-san!"
Merry called out nervously.
"Yes, Merry-san?"
Ace turned politely.
"Do you really have a way to heal the young lady's condition? Life on the sea is... it's just..."
Merry hesitated, worry etched across his face.
"You'll see once the sun rises. Oh—and Merry-san, could you prepare a room for Nami and me?"
"O-Of course!"
Merry nodded quickly.
When morning arrived, the sunlight poured into the villa.
After a good night's rest, Kaya was looking a bit more energetic.
She joined Ace and Nami for breakfast, and afterward, the three of them made their way to the seaside.
"Beautiful, isn't it, Kaya?"
Ace laughed as he pointed toward the shimmering sea.
The wind blew Kaya's long hair back, and she closed her eyes, breathing in deeply.
"Yes. It's beautiful."
She looked out at the endless blue, eyes filled with longing.
Ever since she was young, her body had been weak—too weak to even walk far, let alone sail the oceans.
"Well then, it's time to make good on my promise.
I told you I had a special power, remember? And that you were my destined ship's doctor, Kaya."
Ace slowly raised his hand, and a ripple of strange energy began to form around it.
"Domain of Comprehension—Bestowal."
With a mere thought, a mysterious aura expanded from Ace and enveloped Kaya.
The Domain of Comprehension—a power Ace had only awakened the day before he set sail.
That day, Ace was determined to push Luffy's potential to its absolute limit.
He'd spent the entire day beating Luffy into the ground to help him awaken the final spark of Conqueror's Haki.
But something unexpected had happened.
[Your comprehension is unparalleled! Through constant strikes against 'Nika,' you've awakened a resonance and glimpsed his exclusive power—Imagination!]
[Your comprehension is unparalleled! By fusing Nika's exclusive Imagination with your own unparalleled comprehension, you have unlocked the unique ability—Domain of Comprehension!]
Those words had appeared in his mind like a system prompt.
Ace had spent hours researching the ability afterward—and what he discovered thrilled him.
This Domain allowed him to temporarily grant another person a comprehension level as monstrous as his own.
The effect only lasted while the domain was active, but that was more than enough.
Ace wasn't worried about himself—he already possessed overwhelming strength.
Thanks to his freakish level of comprehension, he estimated his power to be on par with a Marine Vice Admiral.
With Conqueror's Haki: Infusion, he could go toe-to-toe with even the most elite among the Navy's top brass.
And with Ittō Kasō, one of his broken-tier skills—even an Admiral wouldn't escape unscathed if caught off-guard.
But for Ace, the most exciting part wasn't his own strength.
It was what this ability meant for choosing crewmates.
With the Domain of Comprehension, the number of people he could bring aboard skyrocketed.
Take Kaya, for example.
Without this power, her frail body could never endure a voyage.
Her beginner-level medical knowledge was far from enough to qualify her as a ship's doctor.
But now?
None of that mattered.
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TL/N:
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