Chapter 26: Chapter 26: The Realm of Comprehension!
In Kaya's room...
Kaya was in tears, resting in Ace's arms. He gently stroked her golden hair, constantly soothing her emotions.
Another housekeeper, Merry, was also in the room.
Earlier, Kuro had slipped some sleeping pills into Merry's drink, but he eventually woke up. Now, Merry was expressing his deep gratitude to Ace and Nami.
As for Kuro, Butchie, and Sham, Ace had taken care of them and tossed them into the sea.
Jango's life, on the other hand, was spared as per Ace's promise. A minor figure like him wasn't worth Ace breaking his word, especially in front of Nami and Kaya.
"Thank you so much! Klahadore—no, I should say Kuro. He turned out to be a vicious pirate who killed the master and mistress. If it weren't for you, the young lady would have surely fallen victim to him," Merry said, full of gratitude.
"Thank you, Ace," Kaya added, her mood much calmer now. She blushed as she withdrew from Ace's embrace.
"You're destined to be my ship's doctor. How could I ever let Kuro harm you?" Ace said with a smile, running his fingers through Kaya's long golden hair.
"What?!" Merry exclaimed, shocked.
What does he mean? Is this young man planning to take the young miss to sea?!
"I've always wanted to explore the world," Kaya began softly. "But my body is so frail. I can hardly take a walk, let alone sail the seas. And calling myself a doctor would be an exaggeration—I've only read a few medical books. But if you ever get injured, you can always come back here, and I'll do my best to study medicine and heal you."
Ace's smile grew as he gently placed his hands on Kaya's shoulders. "You don't have to worry about that. I told you, you're destined to be my ship's doctor. I have a way to fix everything."
"I just have one question, Kaya," Ace said with a soft smile, gazing into her eyes. "Will you be my ship's doctor?"
Kaya's face flushed red as she looked up into his serious eyes. Unable to resist, she nodded.
"Hahaha!" Ace laughed, delighted.
Nami, watching from the side, rolled her eyes. This guy sure knows how to charm girls, she thought. But Kaya's frail body made her wonder—how could she possibly survive on the seas?
Ace noticed Nami's concern but remained confident. "For now, rest. When night falls, I'll address the problem you mentioned."
"Okay," Kaya replied, smiling as she nodded, trusting in Ace's confidence.
After leaving Kaya's room, Merry hesitated before nervously speaking up. "Lord Ace..."
"Hm? What is it, Mr. Merry?" Ace asked politely.
"Do you really have a way to solve Miss Kaya's health issues? Life at sea is no easy matter..." Merry's voice was filled with concern.
"You'll see soon enough," Ace replied with a smile. "Oh, and Mr. Merry, could you prepare rooms for Nami and me?"
"Of course, right away!" Merry said quickly.
——
Before long, dawn had arrived. Kaya, Ace, and Nami, all feeling refreshed after a good night's rest, enjoyed breakfast together before heading to the beach.
"It's beautiful, isn't it, Kaya?" Ace said, pointing toward the sea, the breeze tousling Kaya's hair.
"Yes, it really is," Kaya replied, her voice tinged with longing as she gazed out at the sea.
Since childhood, Kaya had always been weak and sickly. Just walking a few steps was exhausting for her, let alone sailing across the ocean.
"Well, it's time to fulfill my promise. As I said, I have special abilities, and you, Kaya, are my destined ship's doctor," Ace declared as he extended his hand.
A mysterious energy began to radiate from him.
"The Realm of Comprehension!"
A sudden wave of energy enveloped Kaya. This power—the Realm of Comprehension—was an ability Ace had awakened just before setting out to sea.
On that day, Ace beat Luffy for a whole day with the idea of draining all Luffy's potential to obtain the final improvement of his Conqueror's Haki.
As a result, my heaven-defying understanding actually brought him an unexpected surprise.
"Your comprehension is exceptional! Through the counterforce of continuously clashing with 'Nika', you have gained insight into the exclusive abilities of 'Nika!'"
"Your comprehension is otherworldly! By fusing this insight with your own abilities, you have unlocked a new power: the Realm of Comprehension!"
Those words had echoed in Ace's mind that day. After thoroughly studying this newfound ability, Ace was thrilled to discover that the Realm of Comprehension could temporarily elevate anyone's comprehension to extraordinary heights.
While the effects only lasted as long as the realm was active, Ace was nonetheless overjoyed. With his own heaven-defying comprehension, Ace no longer had any doubts about his strength. By his own estimates, he was already comparable to a Vice Admiral of the Navy.
Combined with his Conqueror's Haki, Ace could even stand toe-to-toe with the strongest Vice Admirals. And with his deadly skill, Flame Sword Burial, not even an Admiral could easily defeat him if caught off guard.
But what Ace valued even more was his crew.
With the Realm of Comprehension, Ace's options for crewmates had expanded significantly. Take Kaya, for instance. Without this power, her frail body wouldn't survive at sea, and her budding medical skills wouldn't be enough to make her a ship's doctor.
But now, all those issues were a thing of the past!