Even Enel was a bit confused.
What the hell is this guy planning to do with that thing?
Did he used to be a welder or something?
But there’s no metal here for him to weld.
So what’s he trying to do?
Just as Enel was puzzled—
The rib that Vir was gripping suddenly took on an iron-like color!
It was as if…
It had turned into steel…
Crap!!
Enel instantly realized what was happening!
This guy… he must be a Devil Fruit user!
He can turn whatever he touches into steel!
I’m so screwed!!
Someone, help me!
I just wanna die right now!
But with his body half-paralyzed from getting smacked by that brick, all he could do was twitch his fingers a couple of times.
Resistance? Pointless.
Yeah, this was exactly Vir’s plan.
Turn broken bones or open wounds into steel, then use his welding skills to repair them.
Before he became a veterinarian in his past life, he worked as a welder.
His technique was top-notch.
To be honest, his steel transformation ability had quite a few limitations.
Turning inanimate objects into steel? Easy.
But when it came to living beings… if they were weak, sure, no problem.
But if they had Armament Haki, his ability wouldn’t work at all.
Haki completely nullified it.
And if they were weak, turning their body into steel might even make them stronger.
This power was only useful against those with absurd physical durability.
Your body’s tougher than diamond? Fine, I’ll turn you into steel!
But strong fighters all had Haki.
So Vir never really considered using this ability in battle.
But for medical treatment? Combined with welding? Now that was something!
People knocked out by his bricks wouldn’t be using Haki, right?
Perfect!
From now on, he wouldn’t need to do any stitching.
Everything could be welded!
Thinking this, Vir didn’t hesitate anymore!
He pressed his hand against Enel’s broken rib!
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the shattered bone actually transformed into steel!
“Ahh! We’re done for! We’re absolutely done for, Nami!”
Usopp screamed in terror, his voice filled with panic.
“Calm down!”
But Nami immediately cut him off before he could go any further.
“Maybe it doesn’t hurt at all… Let’s wait and see…”
Even she didn’t sound convinced.
Hearing this, the others refocused on what was happening in the center.
Not hurt?
Vir let out a chuckle.
What a joke.
The item description was crystal clear.
No one could withstand its heat.
If you got welded by this thing, consider yourself lucky.
Vir picked up the bundle of black wires attached to the welding machine and found the starting point.
There, three electrical wires were waiting to be connected.
Nice.
Three-phase power.
This thing could work anywhere… except without electricity.
But wasn’t there a literal Thunder God right here?
Vir grabbed the exposed copper wires and wrapped them directly around Enel’s arm.
With that set up, he walked over to the welding machine and flipped the switch.
*Buzzzzzz—*
The welding machine hummed to life.
Great. It had power. It was ready to go.
“Chopper!”
Now powered up, Vir called Chopper over and handed him the ground wire.
“Hold onto this. Wherever I turn something into steel, press this end against it. Otherwise, it won’t spark. Got it?”
“Mhm Mhm!”
Chopper nodded seriously, his face full of concentration.
Vir then picked up the welding torch, pulled out a welding rod from the pack sent by the system, and fitted it in.
Next, he reached into his medical kit and pulled out a pair of dark welding goggles.
He put them on himself.
Then took out a smaller pair and fitted them onto Chopper.
No need to cover his face—he was still wearing a hood.
And Chopper’s thick fur would protect him.
Otherwise, that intense light could scorch their skin.
Vir’s movements were practiced and natural, just like an experienced site worker.
Nami and the others were dumbfounded.
Vir actually knew how to weld?
And at such a professional level?
Great, just great. Now they had to acknowledge—
Vir had gained yet another skill!
At this rate, one day, this guy alone would be an entire pirate crew!
How was that fair?!
Even Robin was surprised as she observed Vir.
In the world of pirates, welding was a rare skill.
It was practically a trade job.
After all, most pirate ships were wooden.
Even the best ones just had superior craftsmanship and materials.
To her, Vir now carried an extra layer of mystery.
Just how many abilities did this man have hidden?
With everything ready, Vir finally got to work!
His movements were quick, precise, and firm.
The welding rod struck the fractured rib—
A blinding light burst forth!
The glare made everyone squint involuntarily.
Only Robin looked away…
And she didn’t warn the others.
The dazzling flashes continued as Enel’s wound softened, then melted, before fusing back together on its own.
Thick smoke billowed from the “repair” site.
Chopper even started coughing.
From a distance, anyone would think they were barbecuing something over here.
Before long, the broken rib was fully reattached.
Vir removed his goggles and inspected the weld.
Satisfied, he nodded.
The joint was smooth and seamless.
Unless someone looked closely, they wouldn’t even notice it had been welded.
It had been a while since he last welded anything, yet his skills were still top-notch.
Who knew he was still this good?
Just then, the steel transformation wore off!
The rib gradually returned to its original ivory-white state.
Chopper’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Big Bro! It’s really—really fixed! And you can’t even see any flaws!”
He knocked on the rib as a test.
“Whoa! It’s super sturdy! Just like it was never broken! This is amazing!”
Enel: ‘ARIGATO!!’
Once again, Enel had contributed tens of thousands of negative points to Vir.
The feeling of being welded? It was agony that seeped into his bones.
Literally!
The searing pain nearly killed him!
He never imagined that getting burned could hurt this much!
Maybe it was because the burn was inside his body?
Either way, it was pure hell!
Enel had cursed Vir’s entire ancestry in his heart.
His so-called divine pride had long been tossed aside.
He just wanted this nightmare to end.
This place was way too dangerous!
He never wanted to be here again!
But his wails were useless.
Vir resumed welding.
The flashes continued.
Negative points flooded in nonstop.
The entire process took about twenty minutes.
At last, the thick smoke settled.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have acquired the ability: Thunder Control!]
[Thunder Control: You can generate and manipulate lightning!]
Tsk!
It finally happened!
All that effort wasn’t for nothing!
He had worked so hard—just for this!
“Hey, Nami! It was too bright earlier, I couldn’t see. Did it hurt?”
Usopp asked Nami, who was standing nearby.
“Uh… if it’s normal for an unconscious person to twitch constantly… then I guess it didn’t hurt…”
Nami replied, her voice trembling.
