Shirahoshi heard Vir's shout, and her small mouth curled down in grievance.
Wasn't it Vir-sama who told her to call him that...? What did she do wrong?
Though she felt like crying, Shirahoshi had grown stronger compared to before.
She held back her tears and instead raised half of her pocket money toward the sky.
The News Coo above immediately descended upon seeing this, snatching the Berries from her hand before dropping a newspaper in return.
*Plop!*
The newspaper landed right on Shirahoshi's head. She had tried to catch it but failed...
Holding the newspaper, she opened it and immediately saw Whitebeard's photo at the top.
She recognized him—after all, he was the captain of the pirate crew that protected Fish-Man Island.
King Neptune had shown her his picture before.
That iconic white mustache made him unmistakable.
But she didn't understand what the rest of the article meant.
What's a bounty poster? And why is the bounty so high?
Clueless, she clutched the newspaper and pitifully shuffled back toward Vir.
She had spent half her precious pocket money on this, after all.
Vir only gave her an allowance once a month.
Holding the newspaper with utmost care, Shirahoshi timidly spoke up.
"V-Vir-sa—"
But before she could finish, Vir's sharp glare cut her off.
Shirahoshi froze, flustered, gripping the newspaper even tighter.
"B-Big Bro... V-Vir... What does this newspaper mean?"
After a moment of hesitation, she finally managed to correct herself.
This time, Vir finally smiled.
Good, good. No more "-sama" nonsense. She learns fast.
Still grinning, he took the newspaper from her hands and skimmed through it.
The reports about him and the numerous bounty posters didn't surprise him.
Whitebeard's bounty was honestly low.
Ace had risen up as well.
His own bounty, though... that had skyrocketed a bit too much. He was now firmly the strongest man under the Four Emperors.
Did the Marines really need to set it that high?
Vir was mildly speechless.
He sighed internally before explaining Whitebeard's bounty poster to Shirahoshi.
She wasn't ignorant—she just didn't understand the concept of bounties.
Vir briefly explained Whitebeard, the Four Emperors, and even Roger.
Before long, Shirahoshi grasped the significance. Her eyes widened slightly in awe.
5.5 billion Berries... the second-highest bounty in the world.
The Strongest Man in the World.
So this old man was that powerful?!
No wonder he can protect Fish-Man Island. Just his flag alone scares off most pirates!
He's amazing!
Her eyes sparkled as she clutched the newspaper and bounty posters, retreating to the deck to examine them closely.
This was the first thing she had ever bought with her own money.
After reading the article about Vir, Shirahoshi, as someone involved, was startled.
It said people had lost their memories of them. She certainly didn't have that power—meaning only one person could have done it.
Big Bro Vir can erase memories too?! That's terrifying! He can control fire, teleport, and even alter memories?!
He's incredible!
She peeked at Vir, who was lost in thought.
Wait... Big Bro Vir is a pirate too. What's his bounty?
Flipping through the bounty posters, she quickly found the one she was looking for.
And the moment she saw it, her eyes nearly popped out of her head.
Her hands flew to her mouth in shock as she whispered in disbelief.
"Th... Three billion?!"
Shirahoshi's gaze darted between Vir and the poster, as if double-checking if it was really him.
But everything matched—his handsome face, his name, all of it.
"The Deceptive Doctor" – Vir.
His bounty was actually 3 billion Berries.
She couldn't believe it.
He's a doctor! Why would the Marines put such a high bounty on a doctor?! Big Bro Vir is such a kind person... The Marines are the real villains here!
And this nickname... "The Deceptive Doctor"? That doesn't suit him at all! He's so gentle! Why give him such a creepy title?!
But... no wonder he can do all these impossible things. Three billion...
He might not be as strong as that old man yet, but Big Bro Vir is still young. He'll surpass him one day!
Her eyes now shimmered with admiration.
She had always seen Vir as just a doctor, but now she realized—he was also an incredibly powerful pirate.
No wonder he said he could protect her.
There probably aren't many people in the world who can stand against him.
Yes... since Big Bro Vir worked so hard for her, she had to repay him!
And luckily, there were still some vegetables in the fridge. Tonight she'd stir-fry green beans for him!
Shirahoshi happily made up her mind.
Meanwhile, Vir remained blissfully unaware of the impending culinary danger.
He was too busy planning his next moves.
According to the newspaper, Kid had been nearly killed by a single punch from Whitebeard, though the details were vague.
Still, at Kid's current level, taking a punch from Whitebeard would wreck him.
Not that it matters. Kid was not that strong yet—fixing him won't be hard.
And once he was healed, there was a good chance Vir could gain his Devil Fruit powers. The Magnet-Magnet Fruit. No idea what kind of ability the system would grant, but its potential was undeniable.
But no matter what, it's guaranteed to be strong. Instant power-up.
Satisfied, Vir leaned back, letting the sea breeze wash over him as he closed his eyes.
For now, he'd enjoy this rare moment of peace.
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