"Pfft... Hahahahaha! Hahahaha...!"
Zoro was the first to lose it, bursting into a loud, mocking laugh.
That laugh made Sanji's fists clench tighter and tighter!
"Hahahaha! Curly-browed pervert cook, what the hell happened to you?! Hahahaha, I'm dying here!"
Zoro was laughing so hard he could barely stand straight, slapping his thigh repeatedly.
Hearing his reaction, the others finally snapped out of their confusion.
That person was Sanji!
They hadn't recognized him at all. Only Zoro had managed to tell at a glance that it was Sanji.
Just a moment ago, they had assumed it was some hideous freak wearing Sanji's clothes.
"Moss-head! Laugh one more time, I dare you!"
Sanji couldn't take it anymore! He launched himself forward in a slide, closing the distance instantly. His right leg shot out in a kick aimed straight at Zoro's face.
Zoro wasn't about to back down either. He drew his swords, clashing with Sanji mid-air.
All the while, he kept making comments about Sanji's face.
Sanji's expression darkened further and further.
Luffy, seeing things escalate, decided to step in.
"Oi, oi! Zoro, Sanji's face looks like that because of the side effects of the doctor's treatment. Quit making fun of him!"
Hearing that, Zoro immediately jumped back, his expression turning into one of shock. He turned to look at Vir, who had one hand casually stuffed into his pocket.
Side effects!?
A doctor's treatment... had side effects like this?!
Zoro suddenly thought of something and his expression became serious.
Usopp's reaction mirrored his—his face also became grim.
"Oi, Luffy, did you just say you were thinking about making him our ship's doctor?"
Zoro glanced at Sanji's face again.
A chill ran down his spine!
This kind of doctor! Has Luffy lost his mind?
"Yeah! He's really interesting! Look, he even patched up my wounds! Did a great job too!"
Zoro looked at Luffy's arms and legs, which were wrapped in several layers of bandages.
Something inside the bandages seemed to be... wriggling!
Zoro's eyes widened instantly!
Usopp outright screamed and quickly backed away from Luffy.
"Oi, Luffy! Something is moving inside your bandages!"
Luffy remained completely unfazed, even going so far as to explain it to them.
"Oh, you mean this? There are little bugs inside. They help with healing!"
As he spoke, Luffy casually unwrapped one of the bandages to show them what was inside.
The moment she saw it, Vivi immediately vomited on the spot, her eyes filled with horror.
"Ughh, ughhh...!"
The other two were also visibly terrified, their stomachs churning.
But they barely managed to hold it in.
"Ahh, now that I unwrapped it, I can't put it back on. I'll have to ask the doctor to bandage it again later. What a hassle~"
Luffy casually mused about having Vir redo the bandages.
Zoro's eyes were practically burning with rage at this point!
"Oi! Are you insane, Luffy?! Look at what's inside those bandages! You might die any second! And you actually want this guy on our crew? Are you trying to shorten our lifespans?!"
"If the enemies don't kill us, we'll end up dying by his hands sooner or later!"
Zoro shouted in frustration, but Luffy remained unfazed.
He continued trying to convince them about Vir's abilities.
"It might seem a little weird, but my wounds really did heal fast! Zoro, you get injured all the time. If we have him, you won't have to worry about that anymore!"
"Look at Sanji and Nami—they've completely recovered. He's an amazing doctor! I'm definitely making him join us!"
Luffy was completely ignoring Zoro's protests. Only he knew just how incredible Vir was.
"And he's really strong too! He's the one who took down that king just now!"
Huh?
Zoro and Usopp turned to look at Vir in disbelief.
That scrawny guy... defeated Wapol?
Isn't he just a doctor? Since when do doctors fight?
The two of them were clearly skeptical.
But behind them, Dalton and his group immediately surrounded them.
"What did you just say? Who defeated Wapol?!"
Dalton's face was filled with urgency. Wapol was someone he had to get rid of no matter what.
As long as Wapol remained, this country would never know peace.
That was why Dalton had rushed over despite his injuries.
Now, hearing that someone had taken down Wapol, of course he was desperate to know who.
"Oh, the doctor did! The one in the white coat! Just now, he took down that so-called king in only two moves. He's super strong, hahaha!"
Upon hearing that, everyone froze in place.
Two moves?
Someone actually took down Wapol...
And did it in just two moves?!
Just how strong was this guy?!
Everyone turned to look at Vir in unison.
The young man in the white coat, standing there lost in thought.
Even Zoro found it hard to believe.
That bizarre doctor... was actually that strong?
Even he couldn't pull something like that off!
Zoro was confident that he could defeat Wapol, but it definitely wouldn't be easy.
Yet that guy had crushed him in just two moves?
For real?
He was skeptical, but this was Luffy saying it. And Luffy wouldn't lie.
That guy... really only needed two moves…
"Oi, Zoro, could you pull that off?"
Usopp, still in shock, turned to ask.
Zoro didn't answer, but his deeply furrowed brows said it all.
No, he couldn't.
Hiss~
Usopp sucked in a sharp breath.
To him, Zoro and Luffy were about the same in strength.
If Zoro couldn't do it, then Luffy probably couldn't either.
If Luffy really recruited him, wouldn't that make Vir the strongest one on the ship?
As they were each lost in thought, Dalton suddenly walked up to Vir.
His expression was filled with emotion.
Standing before Vir, the doctor tilted his head in confusion.
What was this guy up to?
Why did he look so moved?
Just as he was about to ask—
With a loud *thud*, Dalton suddenly dropped to his knees before Vir.
The sight startled Vir.
And it shocked everyone present.
Dude... you're just gonna kneel like that?
However, Doctor Kureha didn't seem surprised at all. She had likely expected this outcome.
This man had dedicated everything to his country. Now that someone had rid him of a problem he couldn't solve on his own, showing gratitude in this way wasn't surprising.
"Thank you... for what you've done for this country!"
As he spoke, Dalton, still gravely injured, lowered his head and bowed deeply to Vir.
"Huh?"
Vir finally registered what was happening but still felt like this was a bit much.
All he did was get rid of Wapol. Wasn't this reaction overkill?
What he didn't realize... was just how much suffering Wapol had inflicted upon this country.
---
(Bonus chapter 1/2)