One Piece: Peace Shattered By Roger (Completed)

"Where... am I? Is this... hell?"

Kaizen slowly opened his eyes, the soft sunlight filtering through the window. The gentle warmth of the breeze carried the scent of fresh herbs, an unfamiliar sensation compared to the harsh battlefields he had known.

"You're awake!"

A woman's voice, filled with relief, caught his attention.

Kaizen turned his head toward the source, and his vision cleared. Before him stood a young woman with a delicate face and warm eyes brimming with concern.

"No... I must be mistaken. This must be heaven," Kaizen murmured, his dry lips forming a faint smile.

"What are you mumbling about?" the woman asked, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

Kaizen blinked, embarrassed. "Ah, no... nothing. Just talking nonsense."

The woman smiled kindly and began to explain, "You were critically injured. It was Bentham-san who carried you here. This is my first time performing surgery as the lead doctor, and I was worried it might fail."

Kaizen instinctively touched his chest where the blade had once pierced. Though the wound was now closed, a dull ache lingered.

"Thank you," he said earnestly.

"There's no need for thanks," she replied, shaking her head. "I'm a doctor. It's my duty to save lives."

Her gentle tone and sincerity eased the tension in the room.

"Wait, you said Bentham? Is that the man who brought me here?" Kaizen asked, his memory of the events leading to his injury foggy.

"Yes, that's right. If he hadn't carried you here when he did, you might not have made it," she replied.

Kaizen frowned as fragments of his memory began to return. The name Bentham rang familiar, and he could now picture the flamboyant, eccentric man who fought with both strength and flair.

"Where is he now?"

"He's outside, doing chores in the courtyard," the woman answered, covering her mouth to stifle a laugh.

"Chores?" Kaizen raised an eyebrow.

The woman, introducing herself as Feline—Federman-sensei's daughter—explained that her father had demanded payment for the treatment. Since Bentham had no money, he had volunteered to work off the debt by helping around the house.

Kaizen let out a faint chuckle. "I see. That sounds like him."

Determined to repay his gratitude, Kaizen swung his legs off the bed, ignoring the sharp pain that shot through his chest.

"What are you doing?" Feline exclaimed, rushing to his side. "You shouldn't be moving yet. You just had major surgery!"

"I'll be fine," Kaizen reassured her, though his pale complexion betrayed his words.

As he tried to steady himself, his hand brushed against a familiar object. It clattered to the ground—a sheathed sword. Kaizen's eyes widened as he recognized Wado Ichimonji, the prized blade of Kuina and later her friend Roronoa Zoro.

"Why is it sheathed?" Kaizen asked, puzzled. He distinctly remembered the unsheathed blade piercing him.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Feline said quickly. "When I removed it from your wound, I was afraid it might cut something or someone again, so I put it back in its scabbard. I didn't mean any offense."

Kaizen shook his head. "Not at all. Thank you for taking care of it."

Using the sword as a makeshift crutch, Kaizen made his way to the courtyard with Feline's assistance. There, he found Bentham hunched over a basin, scrubbing an enormous pile of clothes.

"You pervert! Scrub those properly, or I'll make you lick them clean!"

The voice belonged to Federman-sensei, Feline's father, who was watching Bentham's every move with a critical eye.

"Old man! You're such a miser!" Bentham snapped back without looking up, scrubbing furiously at the fabric in his hands.

"Father, that's enough!" Feline interrupted, clearly embarrassed. "You're treating Bentham-san unfairly. He's already working so hard."

"Feline-chan, you don't understand. Perverts like him need discipline! If we don't show him who's boss, he'll think he can get away with anything," Federman declared with a huff.

Bentham rolled his eyes but continued his work, muttering under his breath.

Kaizen couldn't help but smile faintly at the absurd scene.

"Bentham-san," Kaizen called out.

Bentham looked up, his face lighting up with joy. "Kaizen-kun! You're awake!"

Before Kaizen could respond, Bentham dashed over and enveloped him in a tight embrace, lifting him off the ground.

"Ow, ow, ow! Easy, Bentham-san!" Kaizen gasped, the pain in his chest flaring.

Realizing his mistake, Bentham set Kaizen down and held him by the shoulders, his expression suddenly serious.

"Kaizen-kun, I need to ask you something important," Bentham said, his voice trembling.

Kaizen nodded, confused by the change in tone.

"When you called me your friend before you passed out... did you mean it?" Bentham asked, his eyes searching Kaizen's face.

For a moment, Kaizen was taken aback. Such a simple question, yet spoken with such gravity.

"Of course I meant it," Kaizen said firmly. "You risked everything to help me. You're more than a friend—you're family."

Bentham's eyes welled up with tears, and his lips quivered as he tried to hold back a sob.

"Kaizen-kun!" he cried, throwing his arms around him once more.

Though the pain returned, Kaizen couldn't help but laugh softly. In a world filled with enemies and uncertainty, finding someone like Bentham—a true friend—was a rare and precious thing.

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TO BE CONTINUED...