"Can you cure the poison?" Birch asked hurriedly. Although he didn’t particularly like Renko’s ways, through Captain Baro’s teachings, he understood Renko’s significance and irreplaceability. Moreover, their strength was weak; if they were found, only Renko could handle the pursuers.
"Yes, little flea, can you cure the poison?" Baro also rushed over anxiously.
The little flea was silent for a moment and shook his head, "Without being able to identify the type of poison, I can’t detoxify it. And even if I knew the type of poison, without the necessary antidote herbs and experimental tools, it’s impossible."
"So, Mr. Renko... is beyond help?"
The little flea looked at Renko’s pale face and fell silent.
Renko: "You... you’re Little Flea, right? Can I also call you Little Flea? Just tell me the answer, if... if I’m going to die, at least I have time to leave some last words."
The little flea didn’t speak but pondered for a moment, then took out a stethoscope he carried with him, leaned on Renko’s chest, and carefully listened to his heartbeat.
After a long while, the little flea said, "The sound flowing through the veins is as loud as a torrent. Perhaps there is still hope."
Birch’s eyes lit up: "Really?"
The little flea nodded, "Mr. Renko’s physique is quite strong, even with poison, it takes some time to completely invade. During this time, if the corresponding poison can be identified, I have ways to concoct an antidote. However..."
At this point, the little flea paused, lowered his head, and suddenly stopped speaking.
Birch anxiously asked, "But what?"
Baro patted Birch’s shoulder, "What Little Flea means is that to save Renko, we must find a way to find the person who poisoned him and then have the appropriate medical equipment. That is to say—"
"We need to fight our way back to Dock 1."
Fight back... Birch was stunned. They had just escaped from Dock 1, and now they had to fight back? With just a few of them, and Baro was injured, Renko was poisoned, how would they fight back?
Baro clearly understood Birch, and seeing his confused expression, knew what he was thinking.
"It’s definitely impossible to fight back now. The only way is to wait... wait for them to leave here, and then quickly return to the Moon Glow Ship. There are some medical facilities onboard that might hold Renko’s injuries at bay. Then we lead others to fight back to Dock 1!"
Birch: "Is that the only way?"
Baro nodded, "There’s no other way. With just the few of us, we can’t storm Dock 1."
Birch: "But can we really defeat Master Man?"
Baro: "Even if we can’t defeat him, we have to fight. It’s the only way. More importantly, the primary concern now isn’t whether we can defeat Master Man, but whether Mr. Renko can last that long."
Everyone looked at Renko.
Renko: "I don’t want to die. I’ll try to hold on..."
Baro looked deeply at Renko for a long time before sighing, "You, why did you decide to follow us today? If you hadn’t come..."
Birch interjected: "If Mr. Renko hadn’t come, we’d be the ones dead."
"Thanks to Mr. Renko this time. Just never thought the people on the Broken Blood were so treacherous to use poison." Birch showed a look of indignation.
Just before, when they went to see that woman, they were accidentally discovered. Five or six of the people from the Broken Blood came out, and it was just Birch and Baro, surrounded by the people from the Broken Blood. Birch was almost scared to the point of wetting himself, thinking they’d definitely be leaving in body bags today. At this critical moment of life and death, Renko descended like a hero, directly fighting against a hundred people, saving them.
Originally, they thought they could escape without worry, but unexpectedly, such an accident happened.
Renko turned to Birch: "If you’re grateful to me, remember what I’m about to say..."
Birch dumbfounded: "Huh?"
Renko’s pale lips slightly curved: "Last words."
"If I die, I hope you remember my words and do something for me. If I don’t die, then forget it."
Without waiting for Birch to agree, Renko began to speak his final words in a trembling and faint voice.
Renko’s last words didn’t contain any intense content, just a simple recount of his life and the dreams he might never fulfill. Finally, he made a simple request to Birch: if Birch ever had the chance to leave Ghost Ship Dock Island, to deliver news of his death to his distant family.
Everyone heard Renko’s last words, but no one spoke.
The air was heavy, uncertain whether it was due to the stagnant airflow inside the stone or the group’s pent-up emotions.
Renko then smiled and turned to Baro, "Captain Baro, I haven’t asked you, why did you come to Dock 1 this time?"
In truth, Renko didn’t care about the answer; he asked just to lighten the atmosphere.
"To see a woman." Birch lowered his head, blaming himself, "It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have egged the captain on."
Renko: "Was it the woman the captain was carrying earlier? Oh, I was just curious, who exactly is that woman? The captain seems to have something unusual for her?"
Both Birch and the little flea looked over; just moments ago, when they urged Captain Baro to abandon the woman, he refused without hesitation, showing he definitely had abnormal feelings for her.
Baro’s throat moved: "Still, you should keep quiet, don’t talk, lest the poison spreads faster."
Renko, with his pale face, bore nearly the same smile as ever, "Even if I die, let me die knowing a bit more, please?"
Baro was silent for a moment, then sighed softly, nodding gently, "Alright, I’ll tell you who she is."
Baro turned to look at the unconscious woman behind him, his eyes inadvertently flashing a hint of fanaticism and admiration, "You all know, before I joined the Moon Glow Ship, I was a Pirate. But you may not know why I became a Pirate."
Birch played along: "Why?"
Baro: "It was to follow her. Not just becoming a Pirate, but I left the Pirates because of her as well."
The little flea also became curious about the woman’s identity: "Who on earth is she?"
Baro: "You may have heard her name; she is the Crownless King of the Blackberry Sea Area, Asberu."
"Asberu?" Renko chewed on the name, "It feels like I’ve heard it somewhere before."