Very obviously.
Rayleigh rejected Vir’s absolutely ridiculous idea.
If they went along with that logic…
Then someone could just sit on his butt too.
Have that person carry a toolbox while at it.
Or, better yet—
Just strap a whole three-bedroom apartment on there.
That way, Old Ray could double as a mobile suite.
After giving Vir a look that told him to think it through himself, Rayleigh asked Marco for a map.
He started looking for an island suitable for lazing around for a month.
If this whole “butt situation” could secure him a month of peaceful vacation, then maybe it wasn’t so bad.
He had to pick an island with a killer view.
A month was the perfect amount of time.
Afterward, he could help that brat wearing Roger’s straw hat to power up a little.
The kid was just too weak.
Although Rayleigh did think that right now, Vir might actually have a better shot at changing the world’s balance than Luffy…
But—
What could he even teach Vir?
Absolutely nothing!
Vir was practically as strong as he was already.
It’d be like if Whitebeard suddenly said to Roger: “I’m taking you in as my son! Come to Daddy’s embrace!”
That’s just plain insulting.
So Rayleigh decided to stick with training Luffy.
In case—just in case—Vir got himself killed from goofing around.
Which, realistically speaking, was pretty likely.
Who knew, maybe one day the Marines, Pirates, and Revolutionary Army would all gang up on him.
After all, anyone who’s ever “benefited” from him doesn’t exactly have fond memories of the experience.
Imagine how those who underwent forced treatment felt.
Huh? Wait a second—
This guy—
Wasn’t he the Straw Hat crew’s doctor?!
Rayleigh suddenly realized.
Then, his gaze toward Robin and Chopper changed.
It was the kind of respect a warrior had for the enemy’s support unit after battle.
“You… Though your strength may not be overwhelming…”
“Your willpower… I salute you.”
That’s right.
Anyone who’s gone through Vir’s treatment…
Let’s just say their willpower was off the charts.
Whenever they faced hardship, they’d just ask themselves:
“Is this worse than Vir’s treatment?”
“Are you kidding?”
“This doesn’t even come CLOSE!”
Breakdown? Impossible.
Their pain tolerance had leveled way up.
When they fought, it was like they didn’t even know what pain was.
The Thriller Bark crew got steamrolled by Luffy’s group.
That invisible fruit user? Sanji kicked him so hard he turned into a whimpering kitten.
Dude got reshaped across species boundaries.
Luffy, meanwhile, was an unstoppable force.
Gecko Moria? Absolutely wrecked.
Luffy didn’t just beat him—he beat him so badly the guy didn’t know which way was up anymore.
But the one who had it worst was Perona.
Her Negative Hollows had absolutely no effect on the Straw Hats.
“Negative?”
“You wanna make us feel NEGATIVE?”
“Do you have ANY idea how ‘negative’ we felt lying on that cold operating table, watching the smiling doctor walk toward us with a CHAINSAW?!”
“Do you know how ‘negative’ it is when your arm gets RIPPED OFF?!”
“Do you know what it feels like to have your chest opened up and watch your still-beating heart get pulled out?”
“And you think your little ghost can make us feel ‘negative’?”
“Don’t kid yourself.”
“We’ve already started to get used to Vir’s treatment.”
“You?”
“Please.”
Hell, even when Kuma hit them with his Ursus Shock, none of them passed out.
They were all still standing, ready to fight.
Kuma was genuinely surprised.
He’d expected to knock them all out in one shot.
But not a single one dropped.
In the end, Kuma had to put in some real effort to take them down.
And, as expected, Zoro stepped up.
After some back-and-forth, all of Luffy’s pain and exhaustion was transferred to him.
But when Kuma saw—
Zoro walking calmly into that giant red sphere, his expression shifted again.
And what shocked him even more was when the pain fully entered Zoro’s body, causing blood to erupt from his wounds…
Yet his face didn’t change at all.
Just how strong was his will?!
That pain should’ve been unimaginable.
But he didn’t even flinch.
He even looked Kuma straight in the eye, and with a hoarse voice asked, “This… is enough, right?”
Kuma was stunned.
Not just Zoro. The rest of the crew only collapsed when their bodies hit their absolute limit and shut down.
They were like robots who didn’t even register pain.
Absolutely insane.
If Rayleigh knew about this, he’d just nod and say “Of course.”
With a ship doctor like that, how could they not be monstrously strong?
Even Rayleigh himself felt like his willpower had improved a little after treatment.
So what about those who had been under Vir’s care the whole time?
Meanwhile, Vir was staring at the 2.1 million Negative Points in his pocket, calculating how to spend them.
Jackpot this time.
Rayleigh had really come through.
In terms of Negative Points, he was almost on par with Whitebeard.
Plus, Vir gained a solid combat ability.
Total win.
As for what to do next, well—
That was obvious.
First, he had to make a copy of Kuma.
Which meant buying the “Research Materials USB Drive” for him.
After copying Kuma’s memory, he’d either return here or wait for Shiki at Sabaody.
Whitebeard didn’t leave Shiki’s number or anything.
So annoying.
That guy had told Whitebeard he’d definitely arrive at the Sabaody Archipelago today.
Now it was just a matter of luck.
If they missed each other, then it just wasn’t meant to be.
Shiki would have to track him down instead.
Not much else he could do.
He’d just tell Whitebeard his destination and let Shiki call him later.
After all, this was a big client.
And one who came to him.
Gotta treat him right.
And lastly—there was the Pirate Empress.
Once he fixed the scar on her back, that should be it.
Then, the Summit War.
Or rather, cruising through the Summit War.
That battle was gonna be insane.
And after a war, what’s the most abundant resource?
Corpses.
And right after that?
Wounded.
He’d save them from their suffering, and they’d repay him with a glorious future.
A win-win!
This was the perfect chance to grow stronger.
If he played his cards right, it could be a huge boost to his power.
But for now—
700,000 points.
Swipe the card!
Shing—
[Ding~ Research Materials USB Drive has been delivered to your medkit.]
‘Research Materials USB Drive’
Function: Insert into the brain to instantly copy all stored memories. Reinsert to restore the copied data.
Note: Pre-existing “research materials” in the USB will also be transferred. Use with caution~
Price: 700,000 points
Review: Oh~ This USB’s got a bit of a ‘naughty’ side~ Sure you don’t wanna peek first, Host?
[Effective on all living beings.]
That review from the system…
Definitely a little suspicious.
You think someone like me would look at such stuff?