One Piece: The Fourth Brother Chapter 93 93: Dean D. Locke

"Are you all okay? Uh..." As soon as Drake landed on the Magic Protector, he froze in surprise.

Standing before him was a lean, well-built man with a rather handso face. The problem was, Drake didn't recognize him at all.

"And you are?"

Suppressing his confusion, Drake scanned the deck. His eyes quickly locked onto a figure tied up like a festive ham: the man wearing a helt topped with a long red feather. Who else could it be but the "Ship-Cutter," Navy Captain T-Bone?

However, T-Bone was currently bound so tightly he couldn't twitch a finger.

"Drake-san! How are you? Are you alright?" Bell ran over, his face etched with worry.

Drake looked like a nightmare; there wasn't a single patch of skin left unmarred. Blood was still seeping from several wounds. Yet, Drake just looked blankly at the tied-up Captain and pointed. "Did you do that?"

"No, it was Locke-san," Bell said, shaking his head and pointing to the man Drake had first noticed.

"Hmm?" Drake took a proper look at the stranger.

When he first landed, he assud the man was part of the boarding party. Now it was clear he wasn't. So how did he get here?

Before Drake could process it, Ann rushed forward. "How did you get hurt this badly? Let see." She moved to his side and began an imdiate assessnt.

Seeing that the Marines on the Magic Protector had either been dealt with or disappeared, Drake finally relaxed and allowed her to work.

"Kenshin, you're okay?" Drake blinked, looking at his swordsman.

Kenshin didn't look like a man who had been on the verge of death minutes ago. Aside from his tattered clothes, he looked perfectly fine.

"Yeah. Ann's ability is extraordinary. She healed my injuries in no ti. I believe she can do the sa for you."

"Ours?" Drake caught the plural.

"He ans ." The handso man Drake had seen earlier stepped forward. "Hello. My na is Dean D. Locke. You can just call Locke."

"Thank you for saving Ann and ." Locke bowed deeply to Dragon Soul, his gratitude sincere.

"It's you!" Drake had an epiphany. He rembered there were two people on that small boat. The man he had seen unconscious earlier was this Locke.

A blue light gathered in Ann's palms, draping over Drake's body. His expression shifted instantly.

So comfortable.

It felt as though every fiber of his being was being soaked in a warm, dicinal bath. He could literally feel his cells knitting back together.

"Ann, what is your ability? It's incredible," Drake asked, opening his eyes as the pain began to recede.

"Hah... hah..." Ann didn't answer imdiately; she was panting heavily from the exertion.

"Ann's ability is the Sea Spirit," Locke explained, his eyes full of concern for her. "It possesses a miraculous power to accelerate healing, but it is extrely taxing on her stamina. Usually, treating two people in a row is her absolute limit."

Locke gave Drake a small smile. "Moreover, her power has limitations. It can heal wounds, but it cannot restore stamina."

"It's alright," Ann said, shaking her head and forcing a smile. "They are our saviors. It's the least I can do."

Drake felt like a bit of a third wheel; the bond between these two was clearly special.

"So, why were you out here in the New World on such a small boat?" Drake asked. Kenshin and Bell leaned in, equally curious. It was a suicide mission for most.

Locke and Ann exchanged a look of shared resignation. "We were escaping from pursuers."

Locke chose not to hide anything. It wouldn't be fair to their rescuers. He told them their story: They were originally residents of a peaceful area in the New World, looking for a quiet place to live. But their ho was destroyed by pirates, and they were forced to flee.

The turning point ca when they unknowingly sought refuge in a country that appeared peaceful and prosperous on the surface but hid a terrifying darkness beneath. The high-ranking officials of that country discovered them and, more importantly, discovered Ann's healing ability.

They tried to capture them to turn them into tools for the state. Locke, possessing significant combat skill, managed to fight his way out with Ann, but he was gravely injured in the process. After days of fleeing, his stamina gave out, and he collapsed on the dinghy. Even with Ann's power, they were at the rcy of the sea for days without food or water. Drake's appearance was their final lifeline.

"Doflamingo..." Drake's eyes flickered.

Based on Locke's description, he knew exactly which "peaceful" country they were talking about. Dressrosa, the kingdom ruled by the Warlord Donquixote Doflamingo. A land where human nature was toys for the elite, and where a "perfect King" hid a spiderweb of underground horror.

"Do you want to join my crew?"

While Locke and Ann were nervously waiting to see if Drake would kick them off the ship to avoid trouble, Drake threw them a curveball. He didn't care about their baggage; he saw talent.

"Are you serious?" Locke asked, his expression solemn.

"Of course!" Drake grinned. "We don't have a doctor yet, and I'm sure Ann will be great at it."

Locke stared into Drake's eyes for a long mont, then he finally laughed. "If you aren't afraid of being hunted by our enemies, we certainly won't refuse."

"Ann feels the sa way," the girl added softly.

"Then, welco aboard." Drake stood up, his wounds fully closed. Ann, however, looked weak. It was clear such a powerful ability ca at a high cost.

"So, you took him down?" Drake asked, looking at the bound T-Bone.

"Locke-san did! He's so strong," Bell said excitedly. "It's great! Locke-san and Ann-san are our comrades now!"

Then Bell's face fell slightly. "I'm the only useless one..."

Drake walked over and clapped a hand on Bell's shoulder. "You have a power hidden inside you that will one day shake the world. You just don't know it yet."

"Believe , it won't be long before that power is unleashed. When it is, you'll be the strongest backbone this crew has!"

"Really!?"

"I guarantee it! The power in your body will even scare you one day."

"Mmm!" Bell nodded firmly, his eyes shining with newfound resolve.

The Dragon Flag Pirates have gained two powerful new mbers: the "Sea Spirit" doctor Ann and the mysterious fighter Locke! But with Dressrosa's shadow looming over them, will your next move be to challenge a Warlord or continue toward Bell's sister?