CHAPTER 261: CHAPTER 261: HUH? A CONQUEROR DEER?

Even Red-Haired Shanks spiritual power maxed out at 17.

Yet in just a few days, Vir’s had risen from 16 to 19.

That was already insane.

No wonder his mind felt sharper lately.

He never expected his spiritual power to grow this rapidly.

When he consulted the system, it provided an answer:

[Residual effects from the last major spiritual power increase.]

Ah. So when it boosted him to 16 last time, it hadn’t finished?

...Was it worried about overloading him?

And here he thought this was just his natural growth rate.

Just then, Vir felt the breeze against his face grow slightly stronger.

He looked up.

Around Golden Lion, dark-red lightning crackled.

The sheer pressure radiating from him distorted the very air!

This guy...

He hadn’t been going all out earlier!

"JIHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHA! NOW THIS IS THE FEELING!"

Shiki roared with laughter, unleashing decades of pent-up frustration and rage!

The hole he’d blasted in the rooftop was growing wider.

His Conqueror’s Haki crashed down on everyone present without holding back.

The sudden surge in pressure made even Rayleigh and the others struggle.

Yamato noticed their distress and was about to release her own Haki to ease the burden—

*Tap*

A hand landed on her shoulder.

"Wait. Not yet."

Vir gazed upward and spoke softly.

Yamato frowned.

Wait? For what?

What was there to wait for?

Everyone was on the verge of collapsing!

And she was right.

Everyone—Chopper, Luffy, Robin, Bonney, even Shiki’s own daughter—was buckling under the pressure.

So what was he waiting for?

Yamato stared at Vir in confusion.

Then—

From Luffy’s direction, another wave of Conqueror’s Haki erupted.

But his was weak.

Compared to Golden Lion’s, it was barely noticeable—a flicker in the storm.

Suppressed too harshly, Luffy’s Haki could only shield himself.

But it was still an awakening.

Under such extreme pressure, the chances of awakening Conqueror’s Haki increased significantly.

That was why Vir had stopped Yamato.

And now, his hunch was proven right.

Just as he was about to interrupt Shiki—

Another new Conqueror’s Haki surge flared.

This one made Vir’s eyes widen in shock.

Because it came from... right beside his feet!

Chopper’s brow was furrowed, his expression fierce.

His lowered head began to rise, inch by inch.

The Conqueror’s Haki inside him pushed outward, slowly forcing Golden Lion’s oppressive Haki back.

In that moment, Chopper had only one thought:

’I. WILL. LIFT. MY. HEAD.’

’Big Bro said it—’

’A doctor can’t just rely on medical skills!’

’Strength is the ultimate license to practice medicine!’

’And the greatest medicine! Is to heal this world!’

’I want to be like Big Bro!’

’Learn to throw a punch, too!!’

’I won’t collapse here... not now!!’

With a furious roar from Chopper—

A surge of Conqueror’s Haki, nearly identical to Luffy’s, exploded out and engulfed Vir as well.

The faint pressure brushed against Vir’s utterly stunned face.

He stood frozen, unable to process what had just happened.

Time seemed to stop.

Only when Golden Lion’s Haki finally receded did Vir snap back to reality.

Chopper, having overexerted himself, collapsed—

But before he hit the ground, an unseen force gently lifted him.

Or rather, his clothes carried him upward, settling him into Vir’s arms.

That burst of Conqueror’s Haki from the little reindeer hadn’t gone unnoticed.

Every eye in the room darted between Luffy, Vir, and Chopper.

"Oi oi oi... This is too much. Even for your disciple..."

Rayleigh’s voice was thick with disbelief.

"It’s the same power as Big Sister! Their crew has two of them?!"

Hancock’s younger sisters gaped in shock.

But Elder Nyon quickly corrected them:

"Two? You really think that guy doesn’t have the qualities of a king?"

She nodded toward Vir.

The others tensed.

Right.

If they counted Vir, this crew had three Conqueror’s Haki users!

How was that even possible?!

"Give the rest of us a chance... Three—no, two monsters with that kind of potential in one crew?!"

Bonney groaned.

She’d almost said "three", but Vir was already far beyond "potential".

He could trade blows with an Admiral.

What kind of absurd crew was this?!

This wasn’t normal...

Meanwhile, Marco cradled a barely conscious Jina, staring blankly at Chopper.

’Bro, seriously?’

’These days... even a damn reindeer can do this?!’

’Why don’t I have Conqueror’s Haki?!’

’Marco’s soul withered in envy.’

But the warmth pressed against his chest quickly distracted him...

Yet the most shocked of all was Vir himself.

He still hadn’t fully processed it.

This kid... just awakened Conqueror’s Haki?

Seriously?!

Since when did Chopper have the disposition of a king?!

His own damn captain hadn’t even awakened it yet!

Pathetic.

He’d been surpassed by his own disciple.

In the realm of Conqueror’s Haki, Chopper had taken the lead.

...Was this the world’s first Conqueror Deer?

He hadn’t even mastered Armament, and now he had Conqueror’s Haki too?!

Vir never saw this coming.

His eyeballs had nearly popped out of his skull.

It was too sudden. Too ridiculous.

No warning at all~

Well... it was still a good thing.

Honestly, under that pressure, Vir might’ve awakened it too—if not for his sky-high spiritual power.

But his mental strength was so overwhelming that he felt zero pressure.

No pressure, no awakening.

A trade-off, he supposed.

This trip had been insanely profitable.

Not only had he cured Hancock and gained a power that boosted his overall combat ability—

He’d also secured the Vibro-Blade.

Now, after treating Shiki, he’d obtained the Float-Float Fruit and a massive haul of negative points—

4,210,000!

Almost catching up to Whitebeard!

As expected of a legend from the old era.

That reputation wasn’t for nothing.

He’d only fallen short by a hundred thousand or so.

Probably because Whitebeard’s situation was more... personal.

His own sons watched him humiliated.

That extra hundred thousand made sense.

Combined with his leftover funds from the Vibro-Blade purchase, Vir now had 4.6 million saved up.

Life was good.

Next up—

Deal with the old monsters in Impel Down.

Beat the crap out of Teach.

And then—

Watch the greatest spectacle of the era:

A peak Whitebeard leading his entire fleet, plus a peak Golden Lion, and Yamato, who’s on par with Marco, storming Marineford in an epic blockbuster.

Sure, the Marine’s been preparing.

But with this lineup?

Good luck holding the line.