Vir’s words instantly extinguished the excitement on the faces of the trio.
Tch~
So that’s all it was?
They got their hopes up for nothing.
Disappointment was written all over their faces.
But Marco, after a moment’s thought, reconsidered. If Vir was so confident he could escape without a hitch, maybe giving it a shot wasn’t such a bad idea.
After all, there was no real danger.
If they tried and it worked, great! The Whitebeard Pirates could just wait for Vir’s signal.
If it failed, no harm done—they’d go back to planning the rescue.
But if it worked, they could skip this whole war altogether.
It was definitely worth a try.
And it seemed like Vir was pretty eager to give it a go himself.
No flaws in that logic. He’d be safe, so why not treat it like a little adventure?
With that in mind, Marco looked at Vir with a serious expression and said, “If you’re sure you can stay safe, then I won’t stop you. We’re brothers for life. In the future, if anyone I know needs a doctor, I’ll definitely send them your way.”
Vir had been listening casually, but when he heard that last line, he could barely keep the grin off his face.
Good brother, you get me.
He was just about to give Marco a bear hug when—
“Esteemed guests, dinner is ready. Hebihime-sama has asked me to invite you all to dine.”
The same girl who had guided them earlier reappeared, though this time, her gaze lingered on Vir with a different expression.
At her words, Vir abandoned the bear hug idea.
“Alright, enough talk. Let’s eat. I’ve got a plan—we’ll discuss it at the table.”
With that, Vir headed toward the main hall.
The others followed suit.
The girl brushed past them to fetch Robin and the others, though her expression turned slightly odd when she noticed the door lying sideways…
Inside the grand hall, a massive long table stood at the center, laden with all sorts of dishes.
The spread was bountiful, the aroma wafting through the air.
It looked absolutely mouthwatering.
Hancock stood near the table, her brow furrowed as she mulled something over.
Behind her were her two younger sisters.
They had already woken up—Rayleigh hadn’t gone too hard on them.
But when they learned that the scar on their sister’s back had vanished, their shock was palpable.
Their widened eyes, their stunned expressions—everything about them screamed disbelief.
It was gone?
Their sister’s scar—the one that should have been impossible to erase—was gone?
How?!
When they first heard the news, they flat-out refused to believe it.
At first, they refused to believe it, even suspecting Elder Nyon of lying.
In their minds, those scars were something that could never be erased.
Yet now, standing behind Hancock and seeing her flawless, smooth back—
They froze.
They were dumbstruck.
Their entire understanding of the world was shaken.
It was really gone…
Their sister’s back was truly healed.
What kind of doctor could fix something that was supposed to be impossible?
What kind of medical skill could achieve this?
They stood there, frozen, unable to utter a single word.
Elder Nyon, watching them, gave a knowing look, as if she’d expected this reaction.
She’d been far more shocked than they were when she first saw it.
Even now, it felt unreal.
This was the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon, after all.
Not some simple burn—this was something practically etched into the bone.
Yet that man had erased it like it was nothing.
It was hard to fathom just how absurd his medical skills were.
To wipe away a scar carved into someone’s very essence?
’I must be getting old…’
’Young people these days are just incomprehensible.’
With a sigh, Elder Nyon shook her head, feeling her age.
But when her eyes fell on Hancock, still lost in thought, she sighed again.
Hancock’s condition was obvious to her.
After all, the last few Empresses of Amazon Lily had all succumbed to the same fate.
They fell in love with a man.
Caught lovesickness.
And withered away.
Hancock was clearly heading down the same path—maybe even worse.
She could only hope the girl would be alright.
“Hancock, how are you feeling? Any discomfort?” Elder Nyon asked, a touch of worry in her voice.
She couldn’t help but wonder if Hancock was already showing symptoms, with that troubled look on her face.
Hancock snapped out of her thoughts.
Feeling? Discomfort?
If anything, she felt… stronger.
Earlier, when she’d kicked Elder Nyon, she’d sensed something off.
Now, focusing inward, she was even more puzzled.
She had gotten stronger.
And she had no idea why.
She’d been standing there, racking her brain, but couldn’t figure it out.
She hadn’t done anything.
Aside from being treated by Vir, she hadn’t done a single thing.
So why was she so much stronger?
Could it be… Vir’s treatment had this kind of effect?
Could it make someone more powerful?
It had to be!
He must have used some rare, strength-enhancing herb on her.
Something like that had to be incredibly valuable.
And he’d used it on her without a second thought.
How could he be so reckless? Why didn’t he use something like that on himself?
He was too good to her. How was she supposed to repay him?
Maybe…
Pledge herself to him?
Aaah! What was she thinking?
Sure, she wanted to marry him, but Vir clearly had important things to take care of.
How could she think about marriage at a time like this?
No, absolutely not.
She had to spend more time with him, get to know him better.
And when his business was done…
Then she’d…
Yes, that’s the plan.
Her face flushed crimson at the thought.
She pressed her hands to her cheeks, stars shimmering in her eyes as her imagination ran wild.
Her mind was filled with images of their wedding—what she’d wear, how Vir would look, what he’d say, the moment he’d kiss her.
The more she thought, the shyer she became.
Elder Nyon, watching Hancock’s dreamy expression, could only sigh helplessly.
Alright, Hancock’s case is definitely worse than the previous empresses.
Way, way worse…
—–
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