Chapter 182 The Fallen Archaeologist
Day after day.
A week passed in the blink of an eye.
"Captain, the brand on Hancock's back isn't a simple burn; a special chemical was mixed in, making it incredibly difficult to remove."
"However, Doctorine once developed a medicine specifically for removing this type of special brand-burn, so I just need a few days to prepare it."
Hancock, wearing a backless dress, lay prone on the edge of the bed. After a careful examination, Chopper turned to Zane, who was standing nearby.
"As expected of my chief doctor. Chopper, I knew you could do it!" Zane praised, rubbing the little guy's head upon hearing the diagnosis.
"Hehehe... Captain, even if you praise me like that, it won't make me happy!"
Chopper grinned, his small face scrunched up with joy and his body twisting like a noodle, yet he desperately tried to look like he didn't care.
"Mr. Zane!!"
Lying on the bed, Hancock had clearly heard Chopper's words. Realizing the brand on her back could truly be removed, she looked up at Zane in excitement.
Regarding the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon on her back, Hancock had naturally tried to find ways to remove it.
Even if she didn't want to expose it herself, her two sisters—whether for their own sake or hers—would never give up on erasing that hideous mark.
But unfortunately...
Whether it was the doctors of Amazon Lily or the so-called famous doctors they sought overseas, all were helpless against it.
Some overseas doctors, upon seeing the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon, had even recognized it and attempted to report her.
Hancock was already overjoyed that Zane didn't despise her because of the brand.
Now, learning there was a way to remove the mark, she was absolutely ecstatic.
"See? I told you my chief ship doctor is amazing. You can rest easy and wait for Chopper to help you and your sisters remove the marks," Zane said with a smile, playfully grazing her nose with his finger.
"Mm!" Hancock nodded repeatedly, letting out a soft, sweet hum.
Looking at her acting so docile, Zane felt a stir in his heart.
Hancock, the world's most beautiful woman, was truly a peerless temptress.
Beyond her external beauty and charm, her inner allure was even more intoxicating.
Even though they had been intimate for an entire week, every single one of her movements could easily spark his desire.
It was even more so during their moments of pleasure.
Whatever request he had, she would satisfy it. Later, she even instinctively learned how to give him a taste of paradise.
It was a good thing his constitution was tough; otherwise, he'd probably be asking Chopper for tonic medicine by now.
Having received his praise, Chopper couldn't wait to go and prepare the medicine.
On Zane's side...
Well...
Although Hancock was incredibly tempting, Zane knew he needed to maintain balance in his household. Thus, under Hancock's reluctant gaze, he resolutely bid her farewell and departed.
Fortunately...
After expressing his feelings and having multiple "deep conversations," Hancock's Lovesickness had been cured without further treatment.
A temporary separation would not affect her health.
After leaving Amazon Lily, Zane naturally returned to Rusukaina immediately.
Then, it was firing one salvo after another...
It wasn't that Zane wanted to be a "Cannon King," but Nico Robin and Baby 5 had pushed him into the role.
There was no choice.
He had been gone for over a week.
Even though they had stayed in touch, the sense of crisis brought by Hancock made the two women exceptionally nervous.
So, to determine whether Zane had been monopolized, the two women tacitly adopted a direct method of testing.
The result was naturally a happy ending for everyone.
The firepower Zane displayed left Nico Robin and Baby 5 feeling greatly relieved.
The passion shown by Nico Robin and Baby 5 also made Zane thoroughly enjoy himself.
To make up for the lost week, Nico Robin and Baby 5 kept Zane entangled with them for several days.
"By the way, Robin, you're coming with me to Alabasta next. Don't you want the Poneglyph there?"
Lying flat with his hands behind his head, Zane suddenly thought of something. He tilted his head slightly and looked down at the busy Nico Robin.
"Mmph... oh, right!"
Our brilliant archaeologist, Miss Nico Robin, looked up with a blank expression before it finally clicked after a moment.
She looked down, thought back to her recent daze, and her face instantly flushed red. She felt she had truly fallen from grace.
As an archaeologist, she had actually managed to forget something as important as the Poneglyph.
"It's all your fault, Captain!" Nico Robin bit her lip and grabbed the Second Captain, who was still swaying about, giving Zane a playful, resentful glare.
'Damn this man for using his charms to confuse my brilliant mind.'
'No, I can't keep falling like this. Starting today, I'm going to abstain... forget it, let's do five days on and two days off. That sounds like a perfectly reasonable schedule.'
"Hey, take it easy. If you don't use it, others still need to."
Baby 5, who had just woken up from a slumber, saw the Second Captain being mistreated. She immediately pushed Nico Robin aside in indignation and began to tenderly care for him.
"Baby 5, don't cut the line. It's my turn."
"..."
Nico Robin, who had been thinking about the five-on-two-off schedule just a second ago, immediately displayed the powerful aura of a mature woman. She used her full bosom to nudge Baby 5 back, reclaiming control over the Second Captain.
She didn't even give Baby 5 a chance to argue, immediately straddling him and transforming into a spirited female knight.
'It's a good thing I used the Munch-Munch Fruit to adjust my reproductive system. Otherwise, at this rate, I'd probably be surrounded by children before I even get the chance to take down Imu.'
Zane lay back silently, comfortably savoring Nico Robin's increasingly refined horsemanship.
*
The next day.
A nourished and radiant Nico Robin showed none of the fatigue from the previous night. As soon as she woke, she returned to her role as the archaeology-loving, slightly dark-bellied mature woman, taking the initiative to suggest they head to Alabasta.
Zane, naturally, would not refuse.
The two of them soon departed while Baby 5 pouted.
Ever since developing the Warp Door, Zane made a point of leaving spatial coordinates in places he had visited to facilitate future travel.
Places like Whiskey Peak, for instance.
As the famous site where Crocodile was defeated, it naturally wouldn't be missed.
Using the Door-Door Fruit to travel...
Zane and Nico Robin, having left Rusukaina, stepped through a door and appeared directly at Whiskey Peak.
The battle back then had left the town of Whiskey Peak in near ruins.
But as the first stop on one of the seven main routes in the first half of the Grand Line, Whiskey Peak obviously couldn't remain abandoned.
When Zane and Nico Robin appeared at the harbor, a quick scan revealed that Whiskey Peak had already been rebuilt and had returned to its former bustling state.
Ignoring the startled glances of the nearby people caused by their sudden appearance...
Zane picked up Nico Robin in a bridal carry.