[Discontinued] Two Birds, a Crocodile, and a Little Bit of Everyone

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen: Finally Out of Loguetown

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"Explain." Sage's eyes flickered up from the book that he was reading. The Red-haired pirates along with himself were currently inside the abandoned castle, watching over the man who had appeared last night. Sage rested his right hand on his cheek, amusement dancing in his eyes as he watched the yonko.

"What is there to explain when I already told you everything?" he asked with a smile. Shanks sighed, sitting down on a chair beside the mysterious man's sleeping body on the bed.

"Who is he? What did you mean that Euphoria is known as the bridge worlds?" Sage snapped his book shut with a sigh, placing it over on the table beside him.

"Red-haired Shanks, you're pretty intelligent. I'm sure you can figure things out yourself." Standing up, the dragon rolled his shoulders, making his way towards the man on the bed. Brushing past Shanks, Sage placed a hand over the sleeping man's forehead.

No fever... that's good.

"Are you implying that that structure was a gateway, Sage?" The dragon didn't respond, shuffling through the bedside table, searching for something.

"Have you ever wondered what persists after death?" he spoke, pulling out a small pocket knife. It had strange symbols engraved on the side that seemed to glow. Sage twirled it in his hands nimbly, a soft smile on his lips. "I'm sure you humans do. How about this, I'll let you in on a little secret."

Shanks listened intently as Sage leaned into his ear, whispering, his next words carefully.

"Death has been speculated to be a period eternal of nothingness, but that theory is simply too far from the truth." Leaning back, Sage suddenly stabbed Shanks in the shoulder. Eyes widening at how fast that movement was, Shanks jumped away, his left arm clutching his wound on his right shoulder.

He didn't even sense that coming!

Clutching his wound tighter, Shanks knew it should hurt but...

"Relax, you aren't going to die. I'm sure you can already tell that your wound doesn't hurt." Pulling a handkerchief out of nowhere, Sage cleaned his blade before setting it back down on the nightstand. "Sorry, I didn't mean for that to be out of nowhere, but I'm trying to prove a point. Why don't you take a look at that wound?"

Looking down, Shanks realized that there was no longer blood on his shirt. His wound... it was gone.

"I suppose I should explain a few things... ugh, how annoying," Sage grumbled a little under his breath.

"Ever since the last Ancient One had died along with everyone else on this island over 800 years ago, this place has been blessed with eternal life." Sage shook his head, sinking onto the bed. "Rather ironic isn't it? I know that you deduced what had transpired here centuries ago. You are quite observant. That, and the bloodstains are rather prominent. This place doesn't get much rain after all."

"Haha, thanks. But you didn't have to stab me to do that, did you?" Shanks laughed. "I bet you just wanted an excuse to stab me."

"Hmmm maybe." Sage gave Shanks a mischievous grin, before turning his attention back to the large ass man on the bed, leaving unanswered questions in the air. The blond stirred, opening his eyes blearily.

The light was bright in his eyes, and he squinted to see what was happening around him. When his eyes adjusted, he realized that he was in a bed that was located in a room with two of the weirdos from last night. Was it even last night? How long had he slept for?