“Luffy, you guys wait a bit! I’ll heal you all in a moment!”
Vir shouted toward the injured crew members.
That one shout instantly drained the excitement from the group, who had just been celebrating their victory.
They had initially considered asking Chopper to handle their treatment. Though his healing took longer, the experience was far more pleasant.
But now that even Chopper was among the injured, what were they supposed to do?
Well, damn.
After speaking, Vir carried Chopper over to Aokiji and handed him to the relatively unscathed Robin.
Robin took Chopper in her arms.
“Our MVP is in your hands, Robin.”
With that, Vir crouched down to assess Aokiji’s injuries.
Robin, holding Chopper, who was still frowning in sleep, watched Vir’s back.
She finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
She had deliberately said those words earlier because she had a hunch.
Just before Chopper was frozen, she had sensed the increasingly violent aura emanating from Vir. Being so close, she could tell—Vir could break free from the ice at any time.
So why didn’t he?
There was only one possibility: he was waiting for something.
Waiting for an opportunity.
And what was that opportunity?
Other than the cat ears he had given her, Robin couldn’t think of anything else that could break the deadlock.
She thought long and hard, but that was the only plausible answer.
But if the cat ears were the key to their escape, why did Vir give it to her?
There had to be a reason.
The cat ears must have some limitation, and that limitation was most likely… distance!
That’s why she had said those words to Aokiji, hoping to increase the chances that he would freeze her in an embrace.
When the cat ears on her head exploded, Robin’s tense heart finally relaxed.
Because Vir had already appeared in front of her…
Vir was now stepping on Aokiji’s forehead with one foot, gripping the brick on his face with both hands, and using all his strength to pull it out, his face turning red from the effort.
*Pop!*
With a strange sound, the solid brick was finally yanked free.
“Damn, that’s ridiculous. It was practically embedded in there.”
Vir muttered in disbelief.
But Aokiji was even more devastated.
‘Arara~ My handsome face is ruined.’
This was bad.
He had no idea what he looked like now.
Hopefully, Vir would be kind enough to restore his face.
He had heard that Vir’s medical skills were top-notch…
Just as Aokiji thought Vir would put the brick away, Vir suddenly started hammering it against his head again. *Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Feeling the constant pain from his forehead, Aokiji was on the verge of breaking down.
‘Come on, I already lost. What more do you want?’
‘Do you really have to smash my head into the ground to feel satisfied?’
At this point, he had accepted his fate.
No use arguing—he lost, fair and square.
A man should own up to his mistakes and take his punishment like a pro.
Aokiji, the prime example of a socially responsible youth, accepted reality quickly.
Though he was shocked by Vir’s methods, he wasn’t one to complain.
Do whatever you want. A loss is a loss.
Feeling the pain from his head, Aokiji didn’t think it was unbearable, but he was certain of one thing—Vir was an absolute lunatic.
This Haki-infused brick might not deal much damage, but damn, is it humiliating.
Hopefully, he’ll stop after a few more hits.
If this keeps up, Aokiji will lose all dignity as an Admiral.
At long last, Vir stopped.
He was gasping for breath.
That was exhausting.
His stamina was nearly drained.
Using Armament Haki so frequently took a toll on him.
He had done all this to make sure Aokiji didn’t wake up midway through.
That would’ve been a disaster.
Then, Vir took out the Seastone handcuffs that Aokiji had put on him earlier and snapped them onto the Admiral’s wrists.
“Here you go~”
Aokiji stared at the Seastone cuffs that Fleet Admiral Sengoku had specially prepared for him.
His emotions were mixed.
‘Fleet Admiral, you really screwed me over.’
As soon as the Seastone cuffs locked onto him, Aokiji’s body went limp.
For the first time, the Ice-Ice Fruit user experienced true helplessness.
‘No big deal—I have the key. Once I recover, I can unlock myself.’
“Oh, look, here’s the key! Off you go!”
Vir casually tossed the key into the ocean.
Aokiji: …
“Alright, Admiral Aokiji, we have no personal grudge—just different positions. You injured my crew, but I don’t blame you.”
“After all, it’s your job. Besides, you held back, and for that, I’m grateful.”
“As for how I messed up your face, I sincerely apologize. So I’ll fix it up for you. Once I’m done, we’ll leave. I hope that next time we meet, you’ll go easy on us again.”
Vir spoke casually.
Hearing this, Aokiji mentally awarded Vir a “Model Citizen” certificate.
A true gentleman!
He was an Admiral, lying there completely helpless.
Any other pirate would’ve just killed him and taken the glory.
But this guy? Not only did he thank him, but he even offered to heal the injuries he inflicted!
If that’s not a good guy, then what is?
Aokiji secretly made up his mind—next time he encountered Vir, he’d hold back a little.
Pirates like him were a rare breed.
Just as Aokiji was getting emotional, a loud buzzing sound filled the air.
Looking up, he saw Vir walking toward him, holding a chainsaw.
‘Huh?’
Aokiji’s mind blanked for a second.
‘Wait, didn’t he just say he was going to heal me? I… I didn’t mishear that, did I?’
“Relax, old man, let me explain.”
“This is a tool to cut away your skin and remove damaged organs like your eyes. Your facial bones are completely shattered. Once I fix the bones, I’ll reattach your handsome face.”
Vir’s reassuring voice rang out.
But Aokiji felt zero reassurance.
A chainsaw?
Can such delicate work even be done with a chainsaw?
“Robin, put the MVP down for a moment and come help me.”
Vir called out to Robin.
Robin gently placed Chopper on the ground and stepped over to Aokiji, crouching beside him.
Seeing the deep indentations on Aokiji’s face, she was slightly moved.
‘Could such injuries really be repaired? Wait, why did I say “repaired”?’
Just as Vir was about to instruct Robin, he suddenly froze.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You’ve earned 80,000 negative points!]
…What???
How many???
Vir stared at the system interface, repeatedly checking the number of zeros.
At last, he confirmed it was real.
Eighty thousand!
EIGHTY THOUSAND!
He had been sailing for months and had never earned that much in total!
And now, this old man just casually gifted him this massive windfall?!
Wait, hold on—
This whole time, Aokiji hadn’t said a word.
But the moment Robin sat next to him, he immediately lost his mind???!