“Delicious! Another bowl! Another bowl!”
Luffy gulped down several bowls in a row, each one looking different from the last.
But without exception, they were all downright horrifying.
At this moment, he heard Ace speaking and looked at him in confusion.
“Ace, do you want to try? It’s really good!”
Ace stared at the bowl in Luffy’s hands, still bubbling ominously, his brain struggling to process what he was seeing.
He even reached out and touched Luffy’s forehead to check if he had a fever or something.
“Come on, Ace, you still don’t believe me? I’m not sick! It’s really delicious, I swear! Vir’s stuff just looks scary, but it actually tastes great!”
Luffy swatted Ace’s hand away and spoke with absolute certainty.
Then, without hesitation, he downed the entire bowl of lemonade.
After finishing, he even licked his lips.
“Ah~ So refreshing! Sweet and sour! This is the best! Ahahaha!”
But Ace’s expression at this moment was beyond words, yet easy to read.
‘You little traitor! Trying to poison your big brother?!’
Seeing Ace’s look of pure disbelief, Luffy was instantly displeased.
His own brother actually doubted him?
“I’m serious! Why don’t you believe me? Look!”
Luffy then scooped out a leftover fly from the bowl and popped it into his mouth.
Yet he showed no sign of disgust, only a scrunched-up face from the sourness.
“Tss~ So sour.”
Ace was now even more confused.
What the hell? Why is it sour now?
Could this stuff actually be edible?
Doubt began creeping into his mind.
Meanwhile, Vir had an attitude of unlimited supply, constantly refilling Luffy’s bowl.
This was really shaking Ace’s confidence.
Could it be that it only looks terrifying… but actually tastes good?
Watching Luffy guzzle it down like a madman, Ace hesitated.
The thirst spreading through his body pushed him toward taking a sip.
Vir, noticing Ace’s wavering resolve, grinned inwardly.
This guy was already tempted!
Just one final push and success was guaranteed!
With that in mind, Vir lifted a bowl himself, brought it to his lips, and gulped it down.
In no time, the cold liquid was gone, and Vir let out a satisfied sigh.
Turning to Ace, Vir smiled warmly and asked:
“Want a bowl?”
His face bore an innocent, harmless expression—like a shady vendor trying to lure kids into a trap.
At the same time, he extended a rather unappetizing-looking bowl toward Ace.
But at this moment, Chopper, who had been watching, suddenly shuddered violently.
His eyes were filled with horror.
This! This was…!
That was the potion he helped make with Vir!
There was no need to explain how “potent” this thing was!
What was Vir trying to do?! Was he planning to kill Ace?! That was Luffy’s brother!
Chopper instinctively wanted to stop him, but suddenly, he felt a chilling aura surround him.
Looking up, he met Vir’s smiling eyes.
‘You’d better keep quiet~’
That gaze said it all.
Chopper swallowed his words.
After weighing the risks, he ultimately lowered his head in resignation.
Fine, better him than me.
Vir probably didn’t really want to kill him. At most, he’d just suffer a bit.
Yeah.
Better him than me.
On the other side, seeing Vir himself drink it, Ace finally gave in.
‘Luffy drank so much and is totally fine. I’m way stronger than him—there’s no way this will do anything to me. Besides, Vir drank it too, so it must be fine.’
With that thought, Ace took the bowl from Vir’s hands.
Vir’s face remained unchanged, but inside, he was already celebrating.
Time to sit back and enjoy the show!
As expected, Ace didn’t disappoint.
He first took a small sip.
A tiny bit of the ice-cold liquid slid down his throat, carrying a faint floral fragrance.
Ace’s eyes lit up.
So they weren’t lying!
It really did just look terrifying but actually tasted pretty good.
Lifting the bowl, he stopped hesitating and downed it in one go.
After a series of *gulps*, the full bowl of “potent” medicine was completely consumed.
Vir showed no reaction—he simply continued sipping his own water.
On the surface, nothing seemed unusual.
But inside, he was laughing like crazy.
See? Easy.
The Monkey family is just too gullible.
Yet Ace didn’t feel any discomfort.
On the contrary, he felt full of energy.
Even his mind seemed clearer.
A rush of excitement filled his entire body.
Meanwhile, a fully revived Luffy was already bouncing around excitedly.
Following his lead, the crew continued on their journey.
Ace simply followed along.
Seeing him completely fine, both Vir and Chopper were dumbfounded.
The two of them locked eyes in utter disbelief.
They glanced at each other, then back at Ace.
What the hell?
Why was he completely fine?
Was the medicine not strong enough?
Did they mix up the potion?
Vir double-checked and was absolutely sure he gave Ace the right one.
What Ace drank was the exact potent formula Chopper had concocted—with added stamina boosters!
So what was happening?
Was his body that ridiculously strong?
No worries. Even if he was absurdly tough, it would only delay the inevitable!
The chapter isn’t over yet—just keep reading!
Just wait, he’d be feeling it soon enough.
Yet… thirty minutes passed.
Ace was still perfectly fine.
Now Vir was starting to doubt himself.
Could it really have no effect on him?
Well, it was too late to second-guess now.
The only thing to do was keep observing.
Another half hour passed, and the group reached a rocky terrain.
The large shaded area was perfect for a break, so everyone decided to rest.
They had been walking for an hour—it was exhausting.
Ace and Luffy sat together, chatting happily with no signs of anything unusual.
Vir and Chopper sat across from them, staring intently at Ace without blinking.
It had been an hour.
What the hell was going on?
Was the potency of the stamina booster overrated?
Impossible. Chopper had personally tested it—100% effective.
So why was this happening?
Just as Vir was at a loss, a loud growl echoed from the front.
*Grrrrrr~~~!*
The sound was so loud that everyone turned toward the source.
Seeing all eyes on him, Ace’s face turned slightly red.
This was so embarrassing.
Damn stomach, why did it have to growl so loudly?
“Ace, are you hungry? Your stomach sounded like an explosion—it scared me!” Luffy laughed, teasing him.
Ace scratched his head in embarrassment.
Just as he was about to speak—his face suddenly changed!
His entire expression twisted in agony, his tanned face turning bright red from exertion.
His hands clutched his stomach as his body slowly curled up.
Before long, Ace was hunched over in pain, groaning.
This scared the hell out of Luffy.
Something was definitely wrong!
“Ace! Ace, what’s wrong?!”
“Doctor! No, wait! Vir! Vir! Ace is sick! Help him!”
Luffy finally realized what was happening and shouted toward Vir.
Seeing this unfold, Vir was overjoyed.
He could barely contain his grin.
Luffy reached out to grab Vir, only to find he had missed.
Before he could react, he suddenly felt like he had been hit by a truck and was sent flying.
Meanwhile, Vir crouched beside Ace, rubbing his hands together.
He could not wait to make Ace immune to all poisons!
No other intentions at all—really!
—–
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