Leo's show of concern warmed Kaya's heart, and she nodded obediently, her trust in him absolute.
"Now, let's test limb regeneration," Leo announced.
In one fluid motion, his hand flashed, and a knife cleanly severed one of the chicken's legs. After two seconds of stunned numbness, the bird's pained squawks filled the kitchen once more.
Kaya didn't hesitate this time. A soft white light, more intense than before, blossomed from her small hands, enveloping the bloody stump where the leg had been.
Nami and Makino, who had just managed to close their mouths from the last miracle, found them dropping open again, their eyes wide with sheer, unadulterated astonishment.
Before them, the muscles and tissue at the base of the stump began to writhe and pulse as if possessed of their own life. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, new flesh, sinew, and bone began to form and extend. It was a grotesque yet mesmerizing sight.
As time passed, Kaya's face flushed a deep red from exertion, and a fine sheen of sweat dotted her forehead. Clearly, regenerating an entire limb was vastly different from healing a simple cut; the drain on her stamina was immense.
The process lasted a full two minutes before a new, slightly paler chicken leg was fully formed, perfect and complete.
The rooster, now whole again, hopped around, seemingly confused. It cast a terrified glance at Leo, let out a final, fearful cluck, and flapped its wings frantically, scrambling to get as far away from the "devil" as possible.
"It's… it's done, Leo," Kaya breathed, her voice weak and drained. She swayed slightly on her feet, her energy completely spent.
Leo quickly moved to support her, his arm around her waist holding her steady. "You did excellently. You need to rest now," he said, his voice full of genuine praise. Pleased with the successful test, he began to guide her back to her room.
But then he stopped.
A sudden, brilliant thought struck him.
According to the system's description, the Heal-Heal Fruit could cure all diseases, regenerate limbs, and… remove negative status effects.
Could fatigue be considered a 'negative status effect'?
Curiosity piqued, he decided to experiment. A soft white light, noticeably broader and more potent than the one Kaya had produced, emanated from his own palm, enveloping her completely.
Kaya looked up at him, confused. But within moments, her confusion was replaced by wide-eyed shock. She could feel the deep, bone-weary exhaustion vanishing from her body as if it had never been there. In the span of a few breaths, her strength returned to its peak. Though sweat still glistened on her brow, she felt no trace of fatigue.
"How do you feel?" Leo asked, his voice tinged with excitement.
"It's incredible… my stamina is completely restored!" Kaya exclaimed, unable to believe it.
Just as I thought! Leo's mind raced with elation.
If this was true, the possibilities were staggering. It was like finding an infinite cheat code! Any negative effect, instantly wiped away, allowing for endless repetition.
A human perpetual motion machine?
And then a different, more tantalizing thought occurred to him.
If it could eliminate physical fatigue… what about after his long, intensive "navigation lessons" with the others? The ones that always left his partners utterly exhausted and forced him to call an end to the proceedings, even when he himself was still eager to continue?
If his theory held, he could simply use the fruit's power to erase their fatigue afterward… and then begin again?
As many times as he wanted?
Until he was truly, completely satisfied?
The idea was… profoundly appealing. He felt his mouth go dry. His gaze, now heated and intense, settled on Kaya. He had to test this. Now.
Ahem. His mind worked quickly, formulating a plan.
"Leo, is something wrong?" Kaya asked, noticing his intense stare.
Leo looked at her with utter seriousness. "Kaya, do you trust me?"
"Of course I do!" she replied without a second's hesitation.
"And if your Leo needed your help with something, would you refuse?" he pressed on.
This time, Kaya shook her head just as decisively. "Never. I would help Leo with anything he needs." He had saved her from Kuro and sacrificed five years of his life to cure her. In her eyes, his debt to her was immeasurable.
From the side, Nami and Makino exchanged another knowing glance. They could both see exactly where this was heading. This time, they were certain it was the real deal. They stayed silent, a (tacit understanding) passing between them. No woman Leo had set his sights on had ever escaped. Interfering would only bring his playful wrath down on them later.
Seeing Kaya's eager agreement, Leo's heart leapt. Anything? With Nami and Makino as witnesses, she had said it herself.
"But… what is it you need, Leo?" Kaya asked, still innocent of his intentions.
Leo immediately adopted a pained expression. "Kaya, my leg… it's feeling very sore and swollen. Could you help me back to your room and use your power to treat it?"
Seeing his apparently agonized expression, Kaya believed him completely, utterly forgetting that Leo himself possessed the exact same healing abilities.
After a quick word to Nami and Makino, she dutifully helped the "limping" Leo back to the sanctuary of her pink bedroom.
"That Captain of ours is truly something else," Makino sighed with fond exasperation as they watched them leave. "His legs are perfectly fine. He's so good at tricking girls."
Nami snorted. "He didn't technically lie," she pointed out with a smirk. "He never specified which leg was hurting."
Makino paused, then blushed as the implication hit her. She shot a mock-annoyed look at Nami. How did someone younger than her know so much about these things?
...
...
Back in Kaya's bedroom, the demon finally revealed his fangs.
Kaya was flustered and nervous, but her deep trust and gratitude ultimately led her to accept Leo's… unique request.
After some gentle, reassuring introductions to this new form of "lesson," Leo began his tutelage in "nautical techniques."
Unlike the demanding, high-intensity curriculum he used with the more resilient Nami, this was a gentler, more patient form of instruction. Though cured, Kaya's foundational health was still delicate, unable to withstand his usual vigorous teaching methods. Leo carefully adjusted his pace and frequency, keeping it within her comfort zone.
Beyond the goal of adding her to his crew, this session was primarily an experiment to test his fascinating new theory.
An hour later, the first round of instruction concluded. Just as Kaya, breathless and overwhelmed, was about to suggest a break, a familiar white light enveloped her body once more. Her spent energy flooded back in an instant.
Kaya's eyes widened in dawning, flustered horror. She was beginning to understand the true nature of his "experiment." And she was visibly, adorably panicked.
...
...
By evening, when Kaya emerged from her room, now clinging to Leo's arm with a new, intimate familiarity, Nami shot her Captain a look of pure, unadulterated (admiration) and gave him a thumbs-up. The meaning was clear.
Makino smiled warmly and teased, "Your voice is quite melodious."
Kaya's blush instantly spread to the very tips of her ears. If a hole had opened in the floor at that moment, she would have gladly jumped in. Some reactions, she had discovered, were simply beyond her control.
Helpless, she could only keep her head down, too embarrassed to meet the other women's knowing eyes.
Leo immediately came to her defense. "Ahem… We're all family now. Don't pick on Kaya."
Nami rolled her eyes playfully. "We're barely able to handle things ourselves; how would we dare to pick on her?"
This story is rewritten version of a famous fanfic so if you find any similarities please dont mind . Thank you .
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T/N :
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