"There's something off about that drug..."
Daisy watched from the plaza. After taking the drug, the pirates' strength had gone way up. She had a feeling it wasn't something simple.
"No wonder they dared to start a fight with Jinbe and the others. They really are strong enough now," Nojiko said, her face turning serious.
"And it's all just from their physical power!" Kuina could tell right away how strong Hody and the others had become after taking the pills.
Except for Ryuen, everyone in the Dream Team was shocked. To think they could fight on the same level as a Warlord just by using brute strength and without even learning Armament Haki—that was hard to believe.
While everyone was still trying to figure things out, Hody, now powered up from the pill, got sent flying again by one of Jinbe's Shark Tile Punches.
"Hody, do you get it now? Power that comes from outside sources will never truly be yours!" Jinbe said calmly, getting into a fighting stance after knocking Hody back.
"You think that's all I've got? Don't look down on me!" Hody looked crazy. He grabbed another handful of pills and chewed them like they were the best food in the world.
"You still haven't learned!" Jinbe said angrily.
Jinbe stared at Hody, his heart full of rage.
He knew the pills had horrible side effects, but Hody kept relying on them to gain strength. That wasn't just sad—it made Jinbe furious.
"Gyahahaha... I don't care! As long as I can beat you, any price is worth it!" Hody shouted hoarsely. His laugh became even more twisted, his bloodshot eyes shaking, and his body began to tremble.
Jinbe shook his head. He knew there was no point talking to someone like that.
He decided to show Hody through action that drug-fueled power wasn't real strength.
In a flash, Jinbe appeared right in front of Hody. His fist, filled with force, slammed straight into Hody's chest.
With a loud crash, Hody's body shot back like a cannonball and slammed into the ground.
"Gyahahaha... Come on, Jinbe!"
Hody forced himself to get up, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, but he still had that crazy smile on his face.
The next moment, Jinbe charged at him again without holding back. But Hody popped another handful of pills into his mouth. Instantly, his hair turned white, as if he had aged decades in just one second!
"Fishman Karate—Brutal Tide Strike!"
Jinbe punched Hody Jones hard, but this time, Hody didn't get knocked back. Everyone who noticed was shocked!
"Jinbe, do you see now? This is the true power of the Energy Steroids!"
Hody suddenly grabbed Jinbe's arm. Jinbe's face changed right away. He tried to break free, but the next moment, he felt a huge force hit him!
"Go to hell!" Hody roared, his eyes full of madness.
He grabbed Jinbe tightly and threw his big, round body through the air, slamming him into the ground.
With a loud thud, Jinbe's body hit the hard ground and kicked up a cloud of dust.
The impact sent Jinbe bouncing and rolling across the ground several times before he finally landed in a messy heap.
The force of the hit made blood trickle from the corner of his mouth.
Neptune saw the whole thing, and his face filled with shock and fear.
He knew how strong and important Jinbe was—not just a great fighter, but one of the main pillars of Fishman Island.
Seeing him hurt and on the ground filled him with both worry and anger.
Vista and Namur were just as stunned.
They couldn't believe that after taking those strange pills, the officers of the New Fishman Pirates had become so much stronger—strong enough to go toe-to-toe with top fighters like them.
It was hard to believe, and it made them realize this battle was going to be much tougher than they thought.
"No way... could Jinbe actually lose?" Leah said in shock.
The others looked just as surprised. Even Ryuen frowned a little. Those pills were unbelievable... and this wasn't two years in the future—Jinbe hadn't gotten any stronger yet...
"If this fight keeps going, the New Fishman Pirates are the ones who'll lose!" Daisy suddenly said firmly.
Her voice cut through the tense air and drew everyone's attention.
Nami looked at Daisy with confusion and asked, "Daisy, what do you mean...?"
She clearly didn't understand what Daisy was getting at, but she hoped for a good explanation.
Daisy didn't answer right away. Instead, she looked closely at the New Fishman Pirates' officers.
She studied their faces and bodies, then spoke again: "Look at those officers. After taking those pills a few times, their hair's gone gray, and their faces look way older than they should."
Everyone turned to look and saw the changes too.
Their hair had lost its color and become pale and dry. Their faces were covered in deep wrinkles, as if they had aged years in a short time.
Daisy went on: "If I'm right, these pills bring out a person's hidden strength—but they come with huge side effects. That power won't last long. Once the effects wear off, that's when the New Fishman Pirates will fall."
She spoke with confidence, clearly sure of her theory.
Ryuen nodded in agreement. He trusted Daisy's judgment.
Daisy really knew her stuff when it came to medicine. She had deep knowledge about all kinds of drugs and how they work.
Her guess wasn't just based on what she saw, but also on what she knew from studying medicine.
After hearing Daisy's explanation, the members of the Dream Survey Team suddenly understood. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NovᴇlFirᴇ(.)nᴇt
They all realized that if Daisy was right, then the victory in this battle would go to Ryugu Kingdom.
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