One Piece: The Saiyan Pirate

Chapter 85: An Unexpected Illness

The interior of the Going Merry was peaceful, a sharp contrast to the urgency Goku felt as he stood by the edge of the small room that had been converted into Nami's temporary sickbay. His brow was furrowed, his gaze fixed intently on the bed where Nami lay unconscious, her brow slick with sweat. Her breathing was shallow, her body trembling slightly under the covers, and her usual vibrant orange hair was damp and sticking to her face.

Beside her, Vivi was gently adjusting the blankets, her fingers trembling as she worked to make Nami as comfortable as possible. Goku's eyes were heavy with worry, his hand resting on the doorframe as he watched the scene unfold. It was rare for him to feel helpless, but the sight of Nami—usually so strong and fiery—reduced to this pale, feverish state made something inside him stir uncomfortably.

"How is she?" Goku finally asked, his voice low and filled with concern.

Vivi looked up at him, her face etched with worry. "She has a fever," she said softly, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "Her temperature's dangerously high. She's been like this for a while now... I've been trying to cool her down, but it's not working."

Goku clenched his fists, his eyes scanning Nami's limp form. "What's causing it? She was fine earlier today... She collapsed after the training, but I didn't think it'd be something like this."

Vivi bit her lip, her hands still hovering over Nami as she searched for the right words. "I… I don't know exactly. She's been shivering a lot, and her skin's very warm. I also noticed some slight swelling on her back when I helped her earlier. It looked like a bite, but there's no sign of a wound on the surface... it's as if something's inside her, making her sick."

Goku's mind immediately snapped to the jungles of Little Garden. His memory of the expedition there was still fresh in his mind—the dense, humid forest, the perilous wildlife, and the venomous insects. Nami had been exposed to all of it, and while she hadn't shown signs of anything strange at the time, this fever seemed to have emerged out of nowhere.

But something didn't sit right with him.

---

As Goku stood there, lost in thought, his mind flickered between the two voices inside him—his new persona and that of Eto Shapan, a constant internal battle that had become more frequent with each passing day. His newfound sense of concern for Nami, his softer reactions and care for his crew, it all felt foreign. It was a constant source of internal conflict.

"You've become too soft, Goku," Eto's voice echoed in his mind, dripping with disdain. "You're too emotional. The Naivety of Luffy, the softness of Goku… it's a liability."

Goku's brow furrowed, resisting the harsh tone of the voice. "I'm not soft," he thought back defiantly. "I'm learning to care for those around me. It's not the same as weakness."

But Eto's voice didn't relent. "Weakness is what happens when you act like a child—when you let things like friendship cloud your judgment. This is no time for softness. If you had your focus, you'd already know what's going on."

The voice of Goku's new self responded, uncharacteristically calm in its retort. "It's not that simple. I've learned that there's more to this world than just fighting, than just survival. We have a crew now, and we need to look out for each other."

"That's exactly the problem," Eto's voice shot back, the bitterness seeping through. "You're trying to combine your naive, childish nature with the cold precision of an assassin. That's why you're struggling."

"I don't care what you think," Goku thought sharply. "Something's wrong with Nami, and I need to figure out what it is."

There was a moment of silence, and then Eto's voice returned, this time quieter, but still biting. "You know what it is. It's obvious. That bite she received… She must've been bitten in the jungles of Little Garden. You saw the insects there—venomous, dangerous. That's what's causing this. It's a bug bite, but whatever poison's inside her, it's taking its toll."

Goku's heart sank. Eto was right. "But how do we deal with it?" Goku thought, his mind racing with urgency. "Alabasta's still a week away. That's too far, isn't it?"

Eto's voice sneered in agreement. "Of course it's too far. You're wasting precious time. You need to find a closer island, one with a doctor. Otherwise, she might not make it. Nami doesn't have the luxury of waiting around."

---

Goku clenched his fists, his mind snapping back to the present. He couldn't afford to waste time. Not now.

"I'm going to find a doctor," Goku said aloud, his voice firm and resolute. "We need to find an island nearby. Alabasta's still too far. We can't risk it."

Vivi, still standing by Nami's side, nodded slowly, though the concern in her eyes was clear. "But… where do we go? We're out in the middle of the sea, and it's not easy to find a nearby island in these waters."

"We'll search," Goku replied, his tone grim. "I'll get everyone ready. We can't wait any longer. We need to find somewhere with a doctor—someone who can help her before it gets worse."

Vivi looked at Nami one last time, her face pale with worry. "Please, Goku, be quick. I don't want to lose her."

"I won't let that happen," Goku assured her, his voice low but filled with determination. "We're a team. And we're not going to lose anyone—not on my watch."

With that, Goku stepped out of the room, his mind still churning with the weight of the situation. He wasn't just the captain of the crew anymore. He was their protector. He had to be. And if it meant facing whatever challenges lay ahead, he would do it without hesitation.

As he made his way back to the deck, the crew was already waiting, unaware of the severity of the situation. But Goku knew—time was running out, and they needed to move quickly.

Goku stood tall in the middle of the Going Merry's deck, his eyes closed, his posture tense, his body rooted firmly to the wooden boards beneath his feet. The sea around them was as calm as it could be—its serene, glassy surface reflecting the bright midday sun. Yet despite the tranquil surroundings, a deep sense of urgency simmered within him. Nami's condition, her fever, and the unknown infection that had taken hold of her, gnawed at him relentlessly.

He had no time to waste. He needed to find help. He needed to find an island.

"Zoro! Sanji! Gin! Usopp! Nami!" he called out, his voice carrying across the deck with force. "I need you all to look out for any signs of land. Anything that looks like a civilization, an island, anything!"

Zoro, still recovering from the training session earlier, snapped his head up and glanced over at Goku, narrowing his eyes in concentration. Sanji was wiping the sweat from his brow, while Usopp and Gin were already scanning the horizon, their eyes darting back and forth across the endless blue. Vivi, standing near Nami's bed below deck, looked on with hope, but her gaze flickered nervously between Goku and the horizon.

Goku nodded to them all before his focus returned to the task at hand. Slowly, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes once more, attempting to block out the world around him. He could feel the steady pulse of the Going Merry beneath him, the creaks of its wooden frame, the flutter of the sails, and the faraway hum of the wind. But none of that mattered. He was trying to sense something deeper, something beyond the physical world—a cluster of life.

He focused all of his energy into his senses, extending his awareness far beyond the ship. He felt the gentle swells of the sea around him, and the occasional bird flapping its wings as it soared above the ship. But he didn't feel the presence of any humans. No signs of civilization. Nothing that could help them. His brow furrowed, and he concentrated harder, letting his energy flow through his body, expanding outward, searching for anything, anyone.

Minutes stretched into half an hour. And still, nothing. The sea seemed endless, devoid of any landmarks or signs of land. Goku's frustration mounted with each passing second. "Where are they? There has to be something…" he thought, his mind racing with worry.

He finally opened his eyes, and for a moment, just stood there in silence, the tension building within him. He glanced up at the sky above, noticing the clouds drifting lazily in the wind. He wasn't going to give up.

Without warning, Goku's resolve hardened. He wasn't going to stand here any longer, waiting for a sign that might never come. He had to take matters into his own hands.

"I'm gonna fly up," he declared, more to himself than to anyone else. "If I can't sense anyone on the ground, maybe I can spot something from the air."

He didn't wait for anyone's response. With a burst of energy, Goku jumped up into the air, his body soaring gracefully into the sky like an arrow released from a bow. The wind rushed past him, and he quickly ascended, the Going Merry growing smaller and smaller beneath him as he flew higher into the heavens. He could feel the coolness of the air as he broke through the lower clouds, pushing his senses to their limits as he climbed higher, higher still, until the world below him was nothing but a vast sea.

Minutes passed as Goku soared, his keen eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of land. The vast expanse of the ocean stretched endlessly in every direction, the surface glistening under the bright sunlight. He didn't see anything at first—just the endless blue, the horizon disappearing into the distance. But as he continued to rise, a glimmer of white caught his eye. A slight glint, barely perceptible, but it was enough to make his heart race.

There!

Far in the distance, snow-capped mountains rose from the ocean like jagged teeth, their snowy peaks gleaming in the light. As Goku continued to climb, his gaze locked on the landmass, and he could see more of it now—an island, a large one, covered in snow and jagged peaks that looked like the drumsticks of a giant drum.

The sight was unlike anything he had seen before. The mountains seemed to form an imposing ridge, their sharp, craggy slopes rising against the sky. Snow cascaded down their sides, and from this height, Goku could see clouds swirling above the peaks, as if the land itself was shrouded in mystery.

He couldn't believe It. An island, finally!

Goku grinned, his heart pounding with excitement. This was the island they needed. This was where they would find a doctor.

He began to descend, rapidly closing the distance between himself and the Going Merry below. His speed increased as he dropped toward the ship, the wind rushing past him like a wild beast, and in moments, he was back on the deck, landing with a light thud. The crew members on board were already looking up at him, their eyes wide with anticipation.

"I found an island!" Goku announced, his voice full of energy. "It's to the northeast, covered in snow. Snowy peaks, jagged mountains, looks like giant drums. It's perfect! We're going there."

The crew's faces lit up with relief and hope, but there was no time to waste. Goku quickly turned to Gin, who was near the rudder, his hands gripping it firmly as he looked up at Goku with a question in his eyes.

"Gin! We need to change course! Starboard!" Goku barked, pointing to the direction they would need to head. "We've got to reach that island as quickly as we can!"

Gin didn't hesitate. He immediately shifted the rudder, his muscles straining as he pushed it to starboard, changing the ship's course to head toward the northeast. The crew sprang into action, moving swiftly to adjust the sails and help steer the ship in the new direction. Zoro and Sanji worked together to ensure the sails were fully open, the wind catching them perfectly to propel the Going Merry forward. Usopp was in his usual spot, already rigging the ship to make the most of the wind, adjusting the various ropes and pulleys.

"Full speed ahead!" Goku shouted, his voice booming across the deck.

The Going Merry groaned as it began to change direction, and the crew worked together with determination. Every hand on deck pulled their weight, from Usopp to Sanji to Gin, each one doing their part to make the ship move as fast as possible. The wind howled through the rigging, filling the sails as they caught the breeze, pushing them forward with a burst of speed.

Goku stood at the bow of the ship, his eyes fixed on the horizon as they headed toward the snowy peaks. He could see the island in the distance now, and it filled him with hope—this was the help they needed. He couldn't afford to let Nami down. He wouldn't.

As the crew worked with everything they had to make the ship move faster, Goku's mind remained focused, his gaze unyielding. They were heading to the island, and nothing was going to stop them.

[A/N: Can't wait to see what happens next? Get exclusive early access on patreon.com/saiyanprincenovels. If you enjoyed this chapter and want to see more, don't forget to drop a power stone! Your support helps this story reach more readers!]