Vir still felt that this wasn't enough—this level of effort probably wouldn't be sufficient to get what he truly desired.
That Mane Mane no Mi (Imitation Fruit) was way too useful! He had to obtain it!
With that thought in mind, Vir immediately opened his medical kit!
He grabbed the toilet plunger, which only had a few minor stains, and gave it a quick rinse!
Then, without hesitation, he thrust it towards Bon Clay's mouth.
Poor Bon-chan had barely caught his breath when he saw that thing, now damp and dripping, heading straight for him!
The sheer horror of the moment made him open his mouth wide in a scream.
Which was the perfect opportunity for Vir to shove the plunger in.
The torment continued. At this point, even Bon Clay's legs started twitching involuntarily.
The only sound left on the ship was the rhythmic *thud thud* of Bon-chan's head slamming against the deck.
The entire crew was dead silent.
Tears unknowingly streamed down Bon Clay's face.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have gained 800 Negative Points!]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have acquired the ability: Mimic!]
The system's voice finally rang out!
Only then did Vir stop his actions.
He was genuinely surprised at Bon Clay's mental resilience—this guy actually endured for quite a while.
And the payout was quite generous. Must have been because the flavor of that thing was simply unbearable…
Vir gave the plunger one last yank, tidied up his clothes, and looked at Bon Clay with concern.
"You okay? You were drowning just now and almost died. How are you feeling?"
Hearing that, a hint of life returned to Bon Clay's eyes.
He turned his head to stare at the devil who had just tormented him.
"…You did a great job… Next time—next time, just let me die…"
With that, his eyes rolled back, and he was about to pass out.
Vir's face brightened at the sight. Another patient? More work to do!
He reached for the plunger again.
But as soon as Bon Clay saw that expression, he shot up like a bolt of lightning!
In the blink of an eye, he did several squats, followed by a few push-ups, and then finished with a series of high jumps.
Finally, he exhaled deeply and said with a bright smile, "I'm fine! Thank you, doctor! Really, I'm very grateful! So very grateful!"
His voice was overflowing with joy—so much joy that he was practically floating.
Body: I can't go on anymore!
Brain: No, you must!
Seeing this, Vir didn't bother with him anymore. After all, he had already obtained the ability he wanted.
Besides, he was starting to notice an odd smell whenever Bon Clay spoke.
That toilet plunger wasn't originally from his kit, after all…
He took the plunger back from Chopper and hurried off to his room, eager to test his new ability.
Bon Clay watched him leave and let out a deep sigh of relief. The defensive stance he had unconsciously maintained finally relaxed.
Even the swan behind him drooped slightly.
"Oi~ That swan isn't real, is it…?"
---
Back in his room, Vir wasted no time rushing to the mirror.
He placed his right hand on his face.
In the reflection, his handsome features suddenly shifted.
A deer's head appeared in the mirror.
It worked!
No doubt about it!
With the Mimic ability, he could imitate anyone at will!
Whether it was for infiltration or psychological warfare, this power was incredibly practical.
Not to mention, he was no longer confined to just being a pirate.
He could even create an alternate identity.
That way, he'd have two different personas to handle things.
If the Marines had injured personnel, he could assume his new identity and offer medical assistance!
His alter ego would be a kindhearted healer—a benevolent, Marine-friendly traveling doctor!
It was the perfect plan.
Now, he just needed to pick a face for this alternate identity.
Once he did, he could begin building rapport with the Marines. Instant success!
He knew that in a little while, there would be plenty of opportunities to test this out.
Smoker, for example—soon, he'd have a chance to treat him. Though aside from his Moku Moku no Mi (Smoke-Smoke Fruit), Smoker didn't have much else to offer.
Still, something was better than nothing. If nothing else, it'd be a good way to gain favor with the Marines.
The downside of the Mane Mane no Mi was that he had to physically touch someone to copy their appearance. So, there was no rush—he didn't have many options to imitate just yet.
But eventually, he'd be able to mimic anyone.
Wait a minute!
Vir suddenly had a realization.
He had touched Bon Clay earlier.
And Bon Clay had many different faces.
Which meant—!
Without hesitation, Vir began experimenting.
He pressed his hand to his face repeatedly, and his features kept shifting!
Faces he had never seen before started appearing.
King Cobra…
Nami…
Robin…
Sanji…
He could transform into all of them!
His guess was right!
It actually worked!
He had found a loophole in the ability.
Vir's face lit up with excitement.
With this, his upcoming journey was about to get very interesting…
After thoroughly testing the ability, he changed his face back to his own handsome features.
Satisfied, he nodded and walked out of the room.
The moment he stepped outside, he saw Bon Clay and his crew huddled together, performing some kind of synchronized dance.
Bon-chan still had some strange liquid dripping from his mouth, yet no one seemed to mind.
It had only been a few minutes, and they had already bonded this much?
Was this… their revolutionary camaraderie? Formed so quickly, yet seemingly unbreakable?
Vir didn't understand it, but he was deeply impressed.
Suddenly, a loud shout interrupted the cheerful atmosphere.
"Nami, what's wrong?"
From the ship's bow, Nami was holding up a spyglass, her face serious. "A ship is approaching! It looks like it's heading straight for us! It's shaped like… a swan?!"
Everyone instantly tensed up.
Vivi hurried over, took one look, and immediately recognized it.
"That's Mr. 2's ship!"
She only knew the ship, not the person.
But her words put everyone on high alert.
Back on Little Garden, they had nearly been wiped out by Mr. 3.
Which meant that Mr. 2 would likely be an even tougher opponent.
"Prepare for battle!"
Sanji, now back to his normal face, lit a cigarette and took a battle-ready stance.
Vir turned his gaze toward Bon Clay.
Was this guy really just going to stay here?
Bon-chan, who had been enjoying himself, turned around only to meet Vir's questioning look.
A shiver ran down his spine.
This man was not only 'medically gifted'—he was terrifyingly powerful.
That kick earlier had pinned him down completely, rendering him helpless.
The power gap was clear as day.
No way was he sticking around.
Before anyone could react, Bon Clay leapt onto the ship's railing, facing the tense Straw Hats.
With his signature dramatic flair, he grinned and called out, "It's time to part ways, my friends! I hope we meet again someday—only you guys, though~"
He shot a wary glance at Vir.
Then, before anyone could stop him, he launched himself into the air.
With perfect grace, he landed on the approaching Swan Ship.
And just like that, they sailed away.
Leaving the Straw Hats in utter confusion.
"…Wait. He was Mr. 2?"
After a long silence, Luffy's question broke the tension on the ship.