[Thunder Bagua: Upon activation, your next attack gains a significant attack speed boost, deals 200% of your base damage as blunt force, and 80% of it as lightning damage! Additionally, enemies struck will be stunned for a short time!]
[Stun duration varies depending on the strength of the target.]
[This technique can only be used with club-type weapons.]
Vir stared wide-eyed at the line of text in front of him.
His mouth hung slightly open.
He honestly hadn’t expected this.
He’d actually unlocked Teacher Kaido’s signature move!
And the effect wasn’t half bad either!
Yamato, that girl…
Not bad at all!
To think she’d learned Teacher Kaido’s signature move so early.
And it just happened to land in my hands now.
Only issue? That requirement kinda sucks…
You need a club-type weapon.
And he doesn’t even have a club right now.
He wondered if forming a kanabo out of lightning would count.
Should be fine, right?
That would literally make it a “Thunder” Bagua, wouldn’t it?
At that point, he could even wave it around and yell at Kaido for copying him!
“You just got a little thunder on yours. Mine’s made of pure lightning! You’re totally ripping me off!”
With this ability, combined with his triple-damage charge attack…
Oh boy.
Who wouldn’t get wrecked by that?
But looking at the skill’s description, it didn’t seem like it should be enough to knock out Luffy in one hit, right?
Maybe Yamato’s version was self-taught? Still unrefined?
Could be!
Let’s ask the system!
[Ding! Kaido’s skill is: Thunder Bagua – Pinnacle Level!]
The moment Vir heard the system’s reply, it all clicked.
Ohhh.
So Teacher Kaido had already leveled this skill up?
No wonder he’s the teacher. This was what you called professionalism.
Vir glanced at the 2.4 million negative points in his pocket.
He couldn’t help but grin.
Now this is enough.
After upgrading the Merry, he’d still have 900,000 left.
Sweet.
Yamato alone contributed 1.05 million negative points.
An extremely efficient girl.
For now, Vir first asked Marco to stop the ship because Yamato needed to soak in the sea a little longer – to make her reflect and learn that you don’t mess with a doctor.
After Marco anchored the ship, he walked over to Vir, sighing.
“Where’d you dump the poor girl this time?”
Honestly, Marco was starting to feel bad for Yamato.
She’d just gotten here, and already gone through so much.
And she volunteered for this.
Marco didn’t even know what to say anymore.
“I just let her cool her head in the sea a bit. Nothing big. Kids these days are rebellious—gotta discipline ’em.”
Vir replied casually, and then opened his half-latched medical kit.
From it, he pulled out the Mini Merry.
Marco found the explanation odd, but didn’t press further.
Then, seeing Vir take out an exquisitely crafted ship model, even the forty-something-year-old Marco couldn’t help but be impressed.
“Whoa, didn’t peg you for a model guy. This one’s crazy detailed—even the tangerine tree looks real, the fruits swaying in the wind. Damn. Oh! Hey, there’s a little person sitting up there too.”
Marco couldn’t help but compliment it.
He pointed to the tiny figure perched on the mast, gazing up at Vir.
“Vir~ Your treatments are so scary~ That old man turned all red~ And that sister got so mad she tried to hit you~ You’re so mean~ Heehee~”
Merry giggled as soon as she was taken out, telepathically chatting with Vir.
She had witnessed all of Vir’s treatments.
The patients were miserable—far worse than what Luffy and the others had gone through.
Where Vir had gotten all those weird things, she had no idea; he hadn’t had them when treating the Straw Hats.
And that smell…
Even the ship spirit could smell it.
Yep. A ship spirit had gotten nauseated.
That’s how potent the thing was.
“This pineapple-headed uncle’s kind of funny too~ He’s pointing at me~”
Merry found Marco’s bewildered expression amusing.
“Don’t mind him. He’s a good guy. Oh, and you can just speak normally now. No need to use telepathy from now on.”
As Vir spoke, he carefully set Mini Merry down.
“Who are you talking to—”
Marco’s voice was laced with confusion, but before he could finish—
*BOOM!*
The entire ship suddenly lurched downward!
It sank several meters in an instant!
Marco was momentarily airborne!
After landing back on his feet, he blinked in confusion.
What the hell just happened?!
Why did it suddenly feel like another ship got added on top?
Was it because Vir took out that model?
Was it that heavy?!
Wait… was that thing… an actual ship?!
But it was way too small!
No way it was real!
“Ah~ but now people will know I exist~ Isn’t that kind of bad~?”
Suddenly, a ghostly, ethereal voice echoed in Marco’s ears!
His eyes widened instantly!
He locked eyes on the little figure on the mast.
That voice.
That voice!!
It’s a ship spirit!
No doubt about it!
It was that little thing speaking!
He’d heard a voice just like it back on the Moby Dick!
Marco stared at Vir, utterly bewildered.
“This… this is a real ship?! And it has a klabautermann?!”
His pineapple-shaped hair practically bristled as he shouted.
“Who told you it was a model?”
Vir looked at him with a deadpan face.
“This ship is my partner. Its name is the Going Merry—and its spirit is named Merry.”
With that, Vir ignored Marco’s gaping jaw and turned back to Merry.
“Ready? We’re starting.”
“Mhm~”
Vir had already explained the enchantment process to Merry, and she had agreed happily.
Being able to help Vir fight~ Not being useless~ Sailing the seas in a new way~
That was Merry’s dream.
Simple and sincere.
She just wanted to see more of the world.
As Vir pressed the enchantment button, a gleam of light shot from his chest.
It landed on the Mini Merry.
Then something strange began to happen.
The already small ship began to shrink even further.
But Merry, the spirit, didn’t shrink with it.
She actually grew larger!
In just a few moments, she returned to her full form—
Roughly the height of Vir’s leg.
And then the ship itself slowly melted into Merry’s body…
Becoming one with her.
Even Vir was stunned by the sight.
The ship… fused with the ship spirit?
Reverse possession?!
At the same time, the system chimed in:
[Ding! Congratulations, host! Enchantment of the Going Merry successful! Merry has gained the following abilities:]
[After merging with the ship, Merry can now freely traverse anywhere in the world! Due to the fusion, her speed has greatly increased!]
[Host has gained the ability: Position Swap!]
[Position Swap: Instantly switch places with Merry! (Cooldown: 10 minutes)]
[Note: Merry possesses no combat ability, but she is immune to all forms of damage.]
—–
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