Wendy calmed her excitement, examined the Devil Fruit in her hand, and bit into it without hesitation, but the disgusting taste still made her vomit.
But she didn't vomit it up. This was something Vic had carefully found for her. She chewed and swallowed it while gagging until she ate the entire Devil Fruit. She didn't want to waste a single bit; it was all Vic's way of showing his love for her.
Wendy was gagging so loudly that no one outside could hear their conversation, but everyone could hear the continuous gagging.
All eyes turned to the cabin, wondering what was wrong with Wendy and what Vic was doing inside.
Fortunately, their minds were still quite simple, and they didn't have any wild thoughts. If Wendy were outside Rebecca were inside, it would be a different story. Her brainstorming session would definitely be a romantic action movie, and she would probably sneak off to change her underwear afterward.
"Try it out yourself first, and then go out when you can almost completely control it!"
Vic said something to Wendy and then left. For someone of Wendy's strength, Devil Fruit rarely cause uncontrollable situations, but this matter was no small one, so he still had to explain.
Vic walked out of the cabin, ignoring the strange looks from the others. He found a place to sit cross-legged and closed his eyes. He couldn't say it outright, but he didn't want to deliberately fabricate lies for these companions. They would find out eventually.
Even if his friends were to reveal their identities in a few years, they wouldn't betray him, so he chose to remain silent. Seeing that they couldn't get an answer from Vic, Rebecca and the others turned their attention to the cabin door, waiting for Wendy to appear. They didn't intend to go inside, perhaps afraid of witnessing something awkward.
They waited and waited, but no one came out. They could only glance at the cabin while preparing the ingredients. It wasn't until an hour later that Wendy finally came out of the cabin.
The first person she looked at after leaving the house was Vic, and she cast a grateful glance at where Vic was sitting cross-legged, though Vic didn't see it. Then Rebecca and Gion put down what they were doing and curiously gathered around, that damned curiosity.
" Wendy! Did you eat something? There's still some milky white liquid left at the corner of your mouth. Let me wipe it off for you."
After saying that, Rebecca took out a piece of paper and wiped away the solidified juice left from Wendy's mouth where she had eaten the Devil Fruit.
After Wendy finished eating the Devil Fruit, she listened to Vic's advice and started to adapt to the fruit's power. She did indeed overlook the juice at the corner of her mouth. Now that Rebecca had wiped it away, she was actually a little embarrassed and her face turned slightly red.
Rebecca and the others were indeed naive and didn't think much of it, but Wendy wasn't so naive. She saw the milky white, solidified liquid on the paper and realized it was from the corner of her mouth, so she overthought things. Another big drama was about to unfold.
" Wendy! What did Vic want from you just now? He came out a while ago, why are you only coming out now?"
Gion, relying on her current relationship with Vic, was very curious about what the two of them had done in the cabin. She felt she had the right to know. After Gion asked this question, Rebecca also looked at Wendy curiously.
"Didn't Vic tell you? Then I can't tell you either. You should wait for Vic to tell you himself; it shouldn't be long!"
Upon hearing this, Wendy knew that Vic had kept the secret very well, so she naturally couldn't let him down. After saying this, she awkwardly escaped from the two men's embrace and went to Bullet's side to help him.
Seeing that Wendy wouldn't say anything, Rebecca and Gion knew it must be important, so they stopped pressing her. They believed Vic would tell them; they were just waiting for the right moment. So, the two of them returned to their previous work location with sullen faces. They were genuinely sullen; they had waited so long only to get nothing in return.
Just as lunch was almost ready, two unexpected people arrived at the seaside cabin. It was Vic Vice Admiral Tsuru, who was resting at the Marine Headquarters. She brought Hina with her.
Hina immediately approached Rebecca and Wendy; the three were very good friends and often hung out together.
She had originally returned to headquarters with Vice Admiral Tsuru, but then had to leave again due to some matters. She only returned to headquarters yesterday. If it hadn't been so late, she would have come to find Rebecca and the others last night. Meanwhile, Vice Admiral Tsuru walked towards Vic with a smile.
" Hina! When did you get back? I asked about you when I went to see Granny Tsuru a few days ago, and she said you went back to headquarters and then went out again."
I didn't know when Vic would lead us away from headquarters, and I was quite disappointed at the time. It's so great to see you now!
Rebecca was really happy to see Hina. She didn't have many friends to begin with, and unlike Vic, she couldn't treat all her seniors like friends, so she cherished these few friends.
" Hina just got back to headquarters last night. She wanted to come find you guys as soon as she found out you were there, but it was too late. Today, when she heard that Vice Admiral Tsuru was coming too, Hina came along for a free meal, hahaha!"
Hina, with her long pink hair, has changed a lot after nearly a year of experience, and looks more mature and capable.
" Hina! How's it feeling to be around my sister?"
Gion joined in, and the four women created a lively scene, chattering away non-stop.
" Vic! Thank you for saving Gion's life. She told me what happened. I thought she was joking, but after asking Garp, I learned how dangerous it was. Thank goodness you were there! Thank you!"
When Vice Admiral Tsuru approached Vic, Vic didn't hesitate to stand up. Vice Admiral Tsuru thanked Vic with gratitude and even tried to bow to Vic, but Vic couldn't accept that and quickly reached out to help Vice Admiral Tsuru back down.
" Granny Tsuru, you're too kind. As colleagues, we can't just stand by and watch someone die. Besides, we're good friends. More importantly, Gion was seriously injured saving me, so healing her is my responsibility. Even if I can't do it myself, I'll find someone to heal her!"
Vic dared not take credit; in fact, he felt guilty, and the cause of the problem lay with him.
"Well, I won't say any more. If you have any difficulties or questions in the future, come to me. Although I may not be as strong as you, I am definitely more knowledgeable and experienced, and I have some influence in the Navy. Don't act rashly; weigh the pros and cons before making a decision!"
Vice Admiral Tsuru did not insist on bowing, but said something with a slightly deeper meaning. Vic just thought it was a thank you from Gion- neechan and didn't take it too seriously. He probably would only remember what Vice Admiral Tsuru said today after experiencing it himself.