I, Kizaru, only came to the chat group after I became invincible

Chapter 453 Strange Weather Phenomena
Zoro's face darkened upon hearing these words. "You people..."

“Zorro.” Borsalino stopped him. “Ignore them, focus on helping the old man.”

Sanji quickly returned with a cup of honey water. "This is freshly bought, it's still warm."

"That's great!" Chopper took the water glass and carefully fed it to the old man.

Under Chopper's professional and meticulous treatment, the old man's complexion gradually improved, and his breathing became steady. About ten minutes later, the old man's eyelids twitched a few times, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"He's awake!" Chopper exclaimed happily.

The old man's eyes were initially somewhat unfocused, then slowly sharpened. He noticed the group of strangers around him, and a flicker of wariness crossed his eyes.

“Don’t worry,” Robin said gently. “You fainted just now, and we treated you.”

The old man struggled to sit up, but he was still very weak.

“Please don’t push yourself.” Chopper pressed down on his shoulder. “Your body needs rest.”

"Who are you?" the old man asked in a hoarse voice.

"We're just travelers passing through," Luffy grinned. "We saw you fall, so we came to help."

The old man sized them up, the wariness in his eyes slowly fading, replaced by a complex emotion.

"Thank you," he said softly, his voice trembling slightly. "It's been so long... no one has been willing to help me."

"What's so strange about that?" Luffy asked, puzzled. "If you see someone in need of help, of course you should help!"

“Yes,” Chopper nodded. “A doctor’s duty is to treat patients, no matter who they are.”

The old man's eyes welled up with tears. He looked deeply at the group of young people and said, "You are good people, unlike those on this island."

He didn't finish speaking, but everyone understood what he meant.

"How are you feeling now?" Nami asked with concern.

"Much better." The old man slowly sat up, supported by Luffy. "But I'm still a little dizzy."

“That’s normal,” Chopper explained. “You just had a heart attack, you need to rest now. Where do you live? We’ll take you home.”

“My home…” The old man hesitated for a moment, then pointed towards the end of the night market. “It’s in that alley over there, not far.”

“Then we’ll help you back,” Sanji said.

“But…” the old man looked at the vegetables scattered on the ground. “These are the vegetables I bought.”

“I’ll pick them up!” Usopp immediately squatted down and put the scattered vegetables back into the bag. “They’re all here.”

"Thank you, thank you," the old man said gratefully.

With Luffy and Sanji's help, the old man slowly stood up. Some of the surrounding crowd looked surprised, seemingly not expecting the old man to be so cooperative.

“Let’s go, we’ll take you home,” Luffy said.

The group helped the old man and walked in the direction he pointed. After leaving the bustling area of ​​the night market, they entered a quieter alley. The houses here were quite old, clearly belonging to the old town.

"It's that building over there," the old man said, pointing to a two-story building.

Although the house is old, it is well maintained, with light blue paint on the walls and several potted plants on the windowsill.

"Do you live alone?" Robin asked.

“Yes.” The old man’s voice was tinged with sadness. “My family is all gone.”

“I’m sorry,” Robin said softly.

"It's alright," the old man shook his head. "That happened many years ago."

They helped the old man to the door. The old man took out his key from his pocket, but his hands were still trembling, and he couldn't get it into the lock after several attempts.

"Let me do it." Franky took the key and helped open the door.

The interior of the house was even tidier than the exterior. The first floor consisted of a living room and kitchen, simply but warmly furnished. Some old photos hung on the walls, clearly memories of the elderly man's youth.

"Please sit, please sit." Although the old man was frail, he still tried his best to show courtesy as a host. "Let me pour you some water."

"Please sit down!" Nami quickly pressed him down. "We'll take care of it."

“Yes, you need to rest,” Chopper said. “Let me check on you again.”

The old man finally sat down on the sofa, watching the young people bustling around his home. Nami and Robin were looking for water glasses in the kitchen, Sanji was putting vegetables in the refrigerator, and Chopper was continuing his medical check-up.

“You do have some heart problems,” Chopper said after the examination. “You need to take medication regularly and avoid overexertion.”

“I know,” the old man said with a wry smile. “The doctor told me long ago. But…”

"But what?" Luffy asked curiously.

“But the medicine is too expensive,” the old man said softly. “I don’t have much savings; I can only afford to buy medicine occasionally.”

"This won't do!" Chopper said anxiously. "Heart disease requires continuous medication!"

“I know,” the old man said helplessly. “But there’s nothing I can do. I’m too old to find work, and I can only live on a meager pension.”

Everyone felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this. This elderly man was not only in poor health and financially strapped, but also ostracized and neglected by those around him.

“Okay then.” Chopper took a large bottle of medicine from his medical kit. “This is for heart disease; I have plenty more here. Please use these first.”

"This...this won't do!" The old man looked at the bottle of medicine in surprise. "It must be very expensive, right?"

“It’s not expensive at all,” Chopper waved his hand. “Besides, it’s only right for doctors to prescribe medication to patients.”

"But I don't have the money to pay you," the old man said with difficulty.

"We don't need money!" Luffy shouted. "We're helping you not for money!"

“Yes,” Nami nodded. “Just think of it as mutual help between friends.”

Looking into the sincere eyes of these young people, the old man finally couldn't hold back his tears.

“Thank you. Thank you so much,” he said, his voice choked with emotion. “I haven’t felt this kind of kindness in a long time.”

“Why are you ostracized by the people on the island?” Brooke asked curiously, then realized the question might be impolite. “Ah, if you don’t want to say.”

"It's alright," the old man said, wiping away his tears. "There's nothing I can't tell you."

He took a deep breath and began to recount his experience.

“My name is Victor, and I used to be a merchant on this island,” the old man recalled. “When I was young, my business was very successful, and I had dealings with many people.” “And then?” Luffy asked.

“Then an accident happened.” Victor’s voice turned somber. “Thirty years ago, I entrusted a friend to transport a shipment for me. But the shipment was attacked by pirates en route and was completely lost.”

"And then?" Nami pressed.

“That shipment wasn’t just mine; it also represented investments from many other businessmen,” Victor continued. “The losses were enormous; I couldn’t compensate them, and many people went bankrupt because of it.”

“But that wasn’t your fault!” Chopper said. “It was a pirate robbery!”

“Yes, but that’s not what people think,” Viktor said with a wry smile. “They think I chose the wrong shipping route, the wrong partners. They put all the blame on me.”

“From then on, the people on the island began to distance themselves from me and ostracize me.” His voice was filled with helplessness. “My business plummeted, and I eventually went bankrupt. My friends all left me, even my family…”

He paused and didn't continue.

"That's outrageous!" Luffy exclaimed angrily. "It's clearly not your fault!"

“That’s just how human nature is,” Borsalino said slowly. “In good times, everyone flocks to you; in bad times, they avoid you like the plague.”

“For thirty years, I’ve lived here alone, surviving on a meager income,” Victor continued. “The people on the island treat me like a jinx, avoiding me whenever they see me. If it weren’t for you today, I might…”

He didn't finish speaking, but everyone understood what he meant.

“You need to take better care of yourself from now on,” Chopper said earnestly. “Take your medicine on time, don’t overwork yourself, and rest immediately if you feel unwell.”

“I will.” Victor nodded gratefully. “Thank you so much.”

“Oh, right.” Robin suddenly noticed a display case in the corner of the living room. “What are those?”

The display case contained all sorts of strange and unusual items, including seashells, minerals, old coins, and some small ornaments whose purpose was unclear.

“Oh, those.” Viktor glanced at the display case, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. “Those are souvenirs I collected during my youthful voyages.”

"You've sailed the seas?" Franky asked, intrigued.

“Yes,” Victor nodded. “Before becoming a merchant, I worked on merchant ships for many years and traveled to many places. These are all souvenirs I brought back from various islands.”

"Wow!" Luffy walked up to the display case, looking at the items with curiosity. "Every single one of them must have a story, right?"

“Yes.” Viktor slowly stood up and walked to the display case. Although he was still weak, his eyes brightened considerably when he recalled these memories.

“This seashell was brought back from a small island in the East China Sea,” he said, pointing to a large, spiral-shaped seashell. “The beaches there are full of these beautiful seashells.”

“This coin is the currency of an ancient kingdom in the South China Sea.” He pointed to a rusty coin. “That kingdom no longer exists.”

Everyone listened with great interest as Viktor recounted the stories behind each item. Although they were all simple souvenirs, each one carried memories of his youth.

“And this?” Zoro pointed to a black stone on the top shelf of the display case. “It looks quite special.”

The stone was about the size of a fist, irregularly shaped, and had peculiar textures on its surface. Under the light, it faintly emitted a dim luster.

“This one?” Victor’s gaze grew even more distant. “It’s the most peculiar piece in my entire collection.”

"What's so strange about it?" Luffy asked curiously.

“This stone has almost no weight,” Victor stated, revealing a surprising fact. “When I first picked it up, I almost thought it was air.”

"No weight?" Franky exclaimed in shock. "How is that possible?"

“I find it incredible too.” Viktor carefully took the stone from the display case. “Look.”

He placed the stone in his palm and then released it. To everyone's surprise, the stone did not fall immediately, but floated slowly, as light as a feather.

"This...this is...!" Robin's eyes widened, his voice trembling slightly. "Light Stone?!"

“Pumice?” Victor looked at her questioningly. “Is this stone called pumice?”

"Can I see it?" Robin excitedly stretched out his hand.

“Of course.” Victor handed the stone to Robin.

Robin carefully took the stone and examined every detail. The texture, color, and quality of its surface matched the description of the black stones in the underwater temple perfectly.

"This is pumice!" Robin confirmed excitedly. "It's a mineral unique to Lavala Island!"

“Lavara?” Victor repeated the name. “What kind of place is that?”

“It’s a legendary ancient island,” Robin explained quickly. “This stone is a specialty of that island! Where did you find it?”

“Let me think,” Victor said, trying to recall. “It must have been over forty years ago. I was working on a merchant ship, and we were passing through a sea area that few ships used.”

"And then?" Everyone crowded around, eager to hear.

“We encountered strange weather phenomena in that area,” Viktor recalled. “The clouds were unusually low and had strange shapes.”

"What shape?" Nami asked.

“It looked like the outline of an island,” Victor said. “The captain said it was just a coincidence of the clouds, but I always felt something was off.”

“The outline of an island in the sky.” Borsalino and Robin exchanged a glance.

"And then?" Luffy asked impatiently.

“Then suddenly some things fell from the sky,” Victor continued. “Most of them landed directly in the sea, but a few pieces landed on our deck.”

"Is this the stone?" Franky pointed to the pumice.

“Yes,” Victor nodded. “I picked one up and found it incredibly light. The other sailors thought it was unlucky and threw it back into the sea. But I found it interesting and kept it.”

"Do you remember the location of that place?" Nami asked excitedly.

Victor pondered for a long time. "It's been too long, I don't remember clearly. But it was somewhere in the southwest, a long way off from here, in the sea."

"Southwest!" Luffy jumped up excitedly. "That's the same direction Oliver said!"

“Could you recall it in more detail?” Nami asked, pulling out the sea chart. “Any detail might be helpful.”

Viktor carefully examined the nautical chart, trying to recall the voyage more than forty years ago.

“I remember that area often had strong winds,” he said slowly. “And the water was a darker color than the surrounding area.”

"Anything else?" Robin pressed.

“There were lots of floating debris on the sea,” Victor continued, recalling. “There was wood, and some things that looked like building wreckage.”

(End of this chapter)