In just a few seconds, Vir had already formulated a complete and reliable plan.
He had even figured out the exact steps to execute it.
Robin was the key—Aokiji was after Robin.
So all he needed to do was set something up with Robin, and that old man would be taken down for sure.
The most pressing issue now, though, was that he was short on negative points.
'Soul-Soothing Incense'
Forty-five thousand, just slightly more than all his savings.
He was 2,000 points short.
He could only wait until they reached Long Ring Long Land and earn the remaining two thousand while treating Foxy.
For now, Vir decided to research the composition and effects of the Soul-Soothing Incense.
All this information was available in the shop's item descriptions.
Vir wanted to see if he could replicate it.
If he succeeded, he'd save a whopping forty-five thousand!
Although the shop didn't sell anything that could directly enhance his strength, it was filled with all sorts of abstract items.
If used properly, they could be life-saving.
Negative points were valuable, and he needed to save them whenever possible.
His current level of expertise in potions was quite high.
Maybe, just maybe, he could pull it off.
And so, Vir began pulling out various materials from his medical kit.
He gathered all the herbs with properties similar to the Soul-Soothing Incense and started experimenting with different combinations.
His figure soon became busy with work.
The sky gradually darkened.
The noise outside slowly faded.
The banquet celebrating their safe return from Skypiea had finally come to an end.
Everyone retired to their rooms for the night.
Some walked on their own, some carried others, and some were carried away.
Vir's door was pushed open.
But he was so engrossed in his research that he didn't even notice it.
Chopper and Robin glanced at the now-cold food on the table, exchanged looks, and could only shake their heads.
When Vir got serious, he even forgot to eat.
It was like he had entered a trance.
After reheating the food, the two went back to their respective rooms.
Chopper slept on the bed behind Vir.
Robin, on the other hand, walked into Vir's operating room.
Though it was called Vir's operating room, it had now become Robin's bedroom.
Robin hadn't changed much about the room's layout.
She had simply placed a small bed in the corner.
The first thing she did upon boarding the ship was choose a room.
After wandering around, she still chose Vir's operating room.
One reason was that it was close to Vir, allowing her to assist him when needed.
The other was that this was the quietest place on the ship.
Luffy and the others could be rowdy, but they would never come near this area.
So naturally, this place became the most peaceful spot.
To be honest, Vir hadn't understood it at first.
His operating room was filled with bloodstained drills, industrial saws meant for cutting wood, and hooks used for hanging pigs.
Yet Robin didn't mind at all.
She even slept soundly in there.
He had been completely dumbfounded at the time.
Robin had also made some modifications to Vir and Chopper's rooms, adding some facilities and a bookshelf.
She had practically turned their rooms into her own personal lounge.
Whenever she had free time, she would sit there reading.
While Vir was busy preparing experimental potions, she would sit quietly to the side.
If Vir needed help, she would summon an extra hand to assist him.
She had completely taken over Chopper's job.
Luckily, Chopper had been working hard to improve his own skills lately.
Otherwise, he wouldn't want to give up the chance to assist Vir and learn from him.
And so, time quietly slipped away once again.
Another day passed in the blink of an eye.
After sitting for two full days—only drinking a bit of water and using the restroom twice—Vir finally stood up.
The door to the operating room opened.
Robin walked out with a smile on her face, looking at the newly standing Vir with amusement.
"Don't forget our agreement, Doctor~"
Vir could only nod helplessly at her words.
Seeing his reaction, Robin smiled in satisfaction and left.
On the table lay the new substance Vir had painstakingly created.
But he didn't look too pleased.
Because it hadn't met his expectations.
"Sigh, as expected, it's still not good enough. Well, I guess it makes sense—this stuff is from another world, after all…"
That's right—Vir's attempt to replicate the Soul-Soothing Incense had failed to achieve the same effect.
In fact, it was quite far off.
So, Vir had tossed the first version into the trash.
What was on the table now was the second version.
The first version couldn't even knock out Robin, let alone Aokiji.
Last night, he had sneakily tested his sleeping agent at Robin's door.
He waited until the entire incense stick had burned out before pushing the door open and stepping inside.
Seeing Robin lying still on the bed, Vir approached and gently called out to her.
Vir thought he had succeeded.
Just as he was about to… *cough cough…*
Just as he was about to check her reaction further—
Robin, with her eyes still closed, suddenly snapped them open.
Her gaze was playful as she looked at Vir, who had both hands stretched toward her.
Awkward silence filled the air.
"Uh… I… um… I was just…"
"You… wanted to touch me?"
Seeing Vir's panicked expression, she could barely hold back her laughter.
"No! No! I was just testing the potion!"
Vir frantically waved his hands in denial.
He truly hadn't expected the potion to be this useless.
Robin immediately followed up with another question.
Vir was stunned. Could he really say it out loud?
Wouldn't that just confirm he was a creep?
Wait a minute! He wasn't a creep!
"A sleep aid… I came in to see how well you were sleeping! To check the effects…"
"The effects are different on deer, so I wanted to test it on you."
Hearing this, Robin chuckled.
"Heh, so your so-called sleep aid works by suffocating people with smoke, huh?"
She then looked at Vir mischievously.
Vir could only scratch his nose awkwardly at her teasing.
"Doctor, you wouldn't want others to know you're a pervert, would you?"
Hearing this, Vir immediately knew he was in trouble.
Damn useless potion! Betraying me !
From now on, I'm never experimenting on Robin again!
Wouldn't it have been easier to test on Luffy?
I could just fill the room with smoke, walk in, and slap him twice—much simpler!
Wait… Luffy might not be a good test subject either.
Even two slaps might not wake him up… which has nothing to do with the potion…
"If you don't want that, Doctor, then why don't you teach me how to use Armament Haki~?"
Robin smiled brightly, while Vir looked as if he had swallowed a bitter pill.
Damn it! I really brought this upon myself!!!
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