Starting with helping Zhao Kai ascend the throne in the snow

After obtaining the aura of the Gu worm, Poison Q immediately began to use his Devil Fruit ability to try to create an aura that the Gu worm would like. However, after changing to hundreds of different auras, the Gu worm in Shen Qing's body did not change at all.

Half a day has passed in the blink of an eye. It seems that this conservative treatment plan will require a lot of time and repeated trials.

During this time, Teach and Doflamingo reached an agreement on the weapons deal. The two came together to check on the progress of Shen Qing's treatment, and after confirming that there was no specific time, they left together.

After seeing that Poison Q had failed again, Shen Qing had a sudden inspiration and said, "Mr. Poison Doctor, may I ask you a question?"

"What's the problem?" Despite failing hundreds of times, Doc Q remained remarkably calm, proving himself to be a master of scientific research.

"The stones from other mountains can be used to polish jade." At this moment, Doc Q's thinking has fallen into a blind spot, so it's a good time to listen to Shen Qing's opinion; perhaps he can find a different kind of inspiration.

"Do you know about the Hormone Fruit?" Shen Qing asked.

"The Hormone Fruit of Ivankov, the Okama King?" Doc Q immediately gave his answer. As a Revolutionary Army cadre wanted by the World Government, he had naturally heard of Ivankov's name.

"Since you know about the Hormone Fruit, Mr. Poison Doctor, you must know its effects. I wonder if your Disease Fruit can simulate the aura of the Hormone Fruit. As the saying goes, spring has arrived, and it is the season of rejuvenation for all things. No matter what kind of animal it is, it cannot resist the temptation of the opposite sex..." Shen Qing spoke eloquently, explaining his ideas to Poison Q. In simple terms, it was about simulating the aura of the opposite sex of the Gu worms to lure them out.

“That’s a brilliant idea! This method is sure to work. Mr. Shen, it seems you are a lucky man favored by fate.” Doc Q said with delight upon hearing this.

"Since the method is fine, I wonder if Mr. Poison Doctor's Disease Fruit can achieve the same result?" Shen Qing asked again.

Upon hearing this, Poison Q chuckled sinisterly, then calmly stated, "My Disease-Disease Fruit is a superior version of the Hormone-Hormone Fruit."

"How is this possible?" Shen Qing looked at Doc Q in disbelief.

Although Devil Fruits come in all shapes and sizes, some fruits have very similar abilities, which creates a hierarchy.

For example, Monet's Snow-Snow Fruit is a lower-ranking Devil Fruit than Aokiji's Ice-Ice Fruit, and Ace's Flame-Flame Fruit is a lower-ranking Devil Fruit than Akainu's Magma-Magma Fruit, and so on.

Superior Devil Fruits not only possess all the abilities of inferior Devil Fruits, but also maintain a restraint over them. For example, Monet's Snow-Snow Fruit can only control the form of snow, and snow is only one of the abilities of the Ice-Ice Fruit. Similarly, the Flame-Flame Fruit only has the temperature of flames, having form but no substance, while the Magma-Magma Fruit actually has both the form of lava and substance.

Seeing Shen Qing's shocked expression, Doc Q said calmly, "Hormonal problems are ultimately just a type of hormonal disorder."

Upon hearing Doc Q's description, Shen Qing pondered for a moment and nodded. It seemed that Doc Q wasn't exaggerating; it was true. The Disease-Disease Fruit was indeed a superior version of the Hormone Fruit.

Of course, for top-tier fighters, the strength of their Devil Fruit abilities may have an impact, but it is not the real deciding factor. The upper limit of a person's overall strength lies in the combination of Haki, physical skills, and other comprehensive abilities.

With Shen Qing's new idea, Poison Q used the Disease Fruit to simulate the hormonal aura of various poisonous insects, and the effect was immediate. Before long, the Gu worm in Shen Qing's heart began to stir, and Shen Qing experienced what it meant to be itchy and restless.

Just then, Doc Q pulled out his scalpel again and slashed at Shen Qing's chest, but the old swordsman stopped him, saying, "What do you think you're doing? Do you really think I don't exist?"

"Old Sword God, wait a minute. I believe the Poison Doctor meant no harm," Shen Qing said, enduring the discomfort in his chest, and stopped Li Chungang.

Upon hearing Shen Qing's words, Poison Q's expression softened somewhat. He then said irritably, "Although I simulated the aura of the opposite sex of the Gu worm, luring it from the heart all the way to the throat is not only a long distance, but the throat is also close to the head. If anything goes wrong, it could be even more fatal. Therefore, the best way is to make a small hole near his heart, so that the Gu worm can crawl out directly from there, greatly reducing its threat."

Upon hearing Doc Q's explanation, Li Chungang immediately stepped aside and stopped interfering. Shen Qing gave a wry smile, realizing that this stab was inevitable, and nodded in agreement.

The next second, Doc Q used a scalpel to make a small incision near Shen Qing's heart, about an inch wide. Then, using his Devil Fruit ability, he simulated the hormonal scent that Gu worms loved. Soon, tiny white Gu worms, smaller than sesame seeds, scurried out of the wound and fell into Doc Q's hand. Only after the last Gu worm appeared and three minutes had passed without any more emerging did Doc Q finally heal Shen Qing's wound with satisfaction. He then happily collected all the Gu worms into a glass bottle and stored them away.

"Mr. Shen, my work is done. All the Gu worms in your body have been removed." Poison Q greeted Shen Qing, then left the side hall with the Gu worms as if they were precious treasures.

"Young Shen, let this old man check again." After Doc Q left, Li Chungang immediately placed his hand on Shen Qing's chest and used his internal energy to sense the condition of Shen Qing's heart. After a moment, he nodded and said, "It's really healed."

Only after receiving confirmation from the old sword god did Shen Qing burst into excited laughter, "I, Hu Hansan, have come back to life..."

On the dock, after Doc Q received his treatment, the Blackbeard Pirates departed satisfied with the shipload of weapons gifted to them by Doflamingo. This trip to Dressrosa was incredibly fruitful; Blackbeard not only acquired a large amount of weaponry without spending a penny, but also gained access to a long-term trading channel with the Donquixote Family.

On the deck, Van Augur wiped his sniper rifle with a clean handkerchief, Doc Q studied the bottle containing the venomous insects, Shiryu of the Rain smoked a cigar and stroked his sword hilt while gazing into the distance, and Burgess steered the ship.

The Blackbeard crew members were all busy with their own things, except for Lafayette, who approached Blackbeard and, seeing Teach still gazing in the direction of Dressrosa, asked, "What is the captain thinking about?"

Lafayette was not only the navigator of the Black Ships, but also one of the few strategists on board, serving as Blackbeard's brain trust.

"I'm wondering, what is the background of that young man named Shen Qing? Why does Doflamingo value him so much?" Teach's eyes were filled with some puzzlement. He was very curious about the reason, and he had a premonition that they would meet again in the future.

"Captain, what you need to know will naturally come to you, and what you shouldn't know, you won't find out no matter how hard you try. I think instead of thinking about a character who has nothing to do with us, we should consider how to strengthen the Blackbeard Pirates. After all, we still have quite a few enemies to face." Laffitte gently twirled his cane, offering his opinion.

"Lafayette, you're right. I was just too curious. Now that we've acquired a large quantity of weapons and established stable trading channels, it's time to expand the Black Ships. In the future, each of you will be the captain of a ship, or even the admiral of a fleet." Blackbeard, reminded by Lafayette, immediately came to his senses and spoke boldly to the group, eliciting loud cheers from the Black Ships members.

That's true. Regardless of who Shen Qing is, or what relationship he has with Blackbeard, what he needs to do right now is to join the ranks of the Four Emperors, find the One Piece, and become the Pirate King.