This remark made Laffitte frown even deeper.
As the strategist of the Blackbeard Pirates, he knew arrogance was a dangerous thing.
That guy was a pirate with a 1.9 billion bounty, after all.
No matter how you looked at it, his strength was absolutely top-tier.
Underestimating him like this would not end well.
But Blackbeard's next words dispelled his concerns.
"That guy's only strong because of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit! Without his lightning, he's nothing!"
"But with me here! Devil Fruit powers are completely useless! Zehahahaha!"
Blackbeard laughed wildly, his face twisted with madness.
This stunned Laffitte for a moment.
But upon reflection, most of Vir's abilities did seem to come from lightning.
If they could neutralize his lightning, with so many of them against one, dealing with him should be a breeze.
"Wait! We can't kill him just yet!"
"That brat's supposed to be a great doctor, right? Let's make him fix this double-pain curse of mine!"
"If he refuses… or can't do it… well, then don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Blackbeard grinned so wide it looked like his front teeth might fly off.
He couldn't help but admire his own idea.
Wasn't this just maximizing their gains?
This side effect had been driving him insane!
If he could get rid of it, that guy's life wouldn't have been wasted!
"Captain, you're brilliant! We'll definitely capture him!"
Burgess chimed in, wearing an obsequious smile.
"Wonder if he can fix this sickly body of mine too~"
Doc Q joked from the side.
"You? Forget it! Zehahahaha!"
The whole crew laughed and chatted, their eyes filled with dreams of a better life.
---
Meanwhile, in the depths of Impel Down.
Bullet, who had just been doing push-ups, suddenly stopped.
He sat on the ground, a faint smile on his lips.
"Well, well… what an interesting gaze!"
Bullet muttered to himself.
A red glint flickered in his eyes.
He wasn't talking about Hancock.
He was talking about that snake.
Kahahaha!
To think he'd seen the eyes of a hunter staring at its prey… in a snake!
At first, he hadn't realized it.
Only now did it dawn on him—that might not have been a snake at all.
But what did it matter to him?
He didn't even know how long it'd been.
Judging by how old Garp looked now, it must've been a while.
Who knew how much longer he'd be stuck in this hellhole…
But just then—
Bullet's expression suddenly changed!
Two seconds later…
"Cough!!"
He couldn't hold back a cough.
His internal injuries had flared up again.
The cough aggravated the wounds on his chest, sending a sharp wave of pain through him.
Bullet grimaced but made no further sound.
Silently, he cursed the Marines for being such bastards.
They'd captured him but refused to treat his injuries.
Just tossed him in here, half-dead.
They knew those wounds wouldn't kill him.
The meager rations they gave him daily ensured his body couldn't heal such severe damage on its own.
Over time, it had become a chronic condition.
If he ever got out, he wasn't sure if it could be fixed—or if his strength would ever be the same.
That was all he cared about.
But the Marines weren't wrong to do this.
Who would want a monster with such terrifying potential to grow unchecked?
A chronic condition? Weakened strength?
Perfect!
That was exactly what the Marines wanted.
"Twenty years of this damn pain… Can anyone even fix it now? Or is my strength doomed to fade?"
Bullet thought bitterly.
But soon, a name surfaced in his mind.
Whitebeard!
Not long ago, Garp mentioned that someone had healed him.
If even Whitebeard could be cured, then his own condition shouldn't be a problem, right?
What was that guy's name again?
He'd even thought about smashing his skull in… but if he could heal him, then maybe… he'd let it slide!
---
On the Marine warship.
Hancock gazed at Vir, her face full of reluctance.
"Alright, then! I'm heading out!"
Vir said, opening a spatial door.
Though Hancock was clearly unwilling to part, she knew Vir still had matters to attend to.
She absolutely couldn't get in his way.
"Mmm~ This Empress… will wait for you in Marineford…"
Hancock murmured, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Yeah! Thanks for your help! See you later, Hancock!"
With that, Vir stepped through the portal and vanished.
The moment he left, Hancock collapsed to the floor.
He… he called her by her name again.
She didn't want him to leave!
How was she supposed to survive these next few hours without him?
It hurt… her heart ached so much!
---
Meanwhile, in Impel Down's third level, the Blazing Hell.
The scorching heat made all the prisoners reluctant to speak.
Except for one cell.
"Spin, spin~ Let's all spin together~ This little heat's nothing!" A slender man chirped in a flamboyant tone.
Behind him, several figures had already passed out from the heat.
But that didn't dampen his mood.
He continued dancing on tiptoe, performing a ballet.
Just then, a figure abruptly appeared behind him.
Bon Clay, who had been spinning, immediately noticed the newcomer.
He stopped dead in his tracks.
This was a prison.
People suddenly appearing out of nowhere was… unusual.
Disappearing, sure—but appearing? What the hell?
When Bon Clay got a clear look, he nearly jumped out of his skin.
"It's you! Aren't you one of Straw Hat's crew?! Why are you here?! Don't tell me you've come to kill me?!"
Bon Clay shrieked, his face pale with fear.
After all, Vir was the one who had defeated his former boss, Crocodile.
His strength was monstrous.
If he was here now, Bon Clay could only assume it was for revenge.
But Vir ignored him.
He casually pulled out a chair and plopped down.
Kill him?
Did he look that bored, coming to a lifelong prison to off someone?
As for why he was here instead of going straight to Magellan—
The reason was simple.
Garp hadn't left yet.
He'd wait until Garp left.
By then, Magellan would probably have made his way here anyway.
No need to go looking.
Since he didn't mind Bon Clay, Vir decided to wait in this cell.
With a wave of his hand, another chair appeared beside him.
"Sit."
Vir said casually.
-----
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