"Evolution Potion? What is this? How come I've never heard of it?"
Teach sat up straight, becoming somewhat interested.
He gestured for Diamante to come closer.
Diamante hurriedly approached respectfully, presenting the glass test tube with both hands.
Teach gently picked up the transparent glass test tube and examined it carefully.
Under the candlelight, the liquid inside reflected a mesmerizing glow, appearing very viscous.
He gave it a gentle shake.
The thick liquid inside immediately began to flow, and with a crack, a fine fissure appeared on the inner wall of the test tube.
"So heavy. What kind of liquid is this inside? How is its weight almost comparable to the same volume of steel?"
Teach looked curiously at Diamante.
Diamante spread his hands: "Sorry, I don't know its raw materials either. If you want to know, I can..."
Teach waved his hand.
"No need. If this potion can truly multiply physical constitution several times, its formula would probably be priceless. Not to mention you, even Doflamingo might not be able to obtain its formula. Hmm, is this thing really reliable?"
Teach fell into deep thought.
"Cough cough... Teach, let me see." Doc Q always looked terminally ill, as if he might kick the bucket at any moment.
He gasped a few times, then reached out toward Teach.
Doc Q carefully took the cracked test tube, poured out a drop of the colorful viscous liquid, and directly inserted it into the cheek of the white horse beside him that was coughing up blood.
"Hey hey! That's too reckless, Wehahaha! What if it's poison? Isn't this the beloved horse that's been with you your whole life?"
Burgess twitched at the corner of his mouth.
Immediately, everyone in the hall focused their attention on the white horse.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
The hall became terrifyingly quiet.
Diamante didn't dare to breathe heavily, his face full of nervous tension.
"Why is there no reaction at all? Diamante, how dare you deceive me?"
Teach flew into a rage, black smoke faintly emanating from his body, scaring Diamante out of his wits.
His legs went weak and he fell to his knees with a thud.
He was about to explain when he heard Teach let out a pained cry and hurriedly turned to look.
Everyone's eyes went wide.
The originally listless white horse, which had been coughing up blood with its tongue hanging out as if on the verge of death, now had its withered body swelling up like an inflating balloon, shoving Teach aside and causing him to stumble to the ground, nearly dropping the test tube in his hand.
The white horse let out a dragon-like whinny.
On its four stick-thin legs, thick muscles bulged, growing thicker than buckets, as if carved from marble, brimming with immense strength!
Across the horse's body, countless muscles rippled and expanded beneath its skin, while its bones emitted a grating, teeth-chattering sound as they continuously grew.
"Awooo!!"
The white horse opened its mouth wide, revealing sharp fangs that had replaced its original teeth.
Its once lethargic eyes now burned with savagery, as if it were on the brink of a rampage.
Gulp.
Everyone stared in stunned silence as the once emaciated old horse transformed into a beast rivaling an elephant in size in less than a minute.
Its sharp fangs and the countless bulging tendons covering its body made it appear even more terrifying than a dinosaur.
Van Augur's wineglass slipped from his hand, shattering on the ground with a crash, splattering red wine everywhere.
Hearing the noise, the white horse turned its savage gaze toward Van Augur.
Van Augur instantly felt a chill run down his spine, as if needles were pricking his back.
Teach stood up, completely ignoring the horse's ferocious glare, and walked straight up to it, reaching out to stroke its body.
"Awooo!"
The white horse bared its fangs, thick drool dripping from between its teeth.
Teach narrowed his eyes, and faint black currents began to emanate from his body.
The next moment, the horse whimpered, its massive frame trembling as it obediently lay down on the ground like a tame kitten.
Teach stroked the bulging muscles on its body, feeling the pulsing vitality beneath, and couldn't help but marvel.
"Zehahaha! How was this achieved? Evolution Potion, Evolution Potion—what a remarkable thing!"
As he spoke, he walked over to Teach, took the test tube from his hand, and raised it.
"Which of you wants to give it a try?" Teach waved the test tube.
"You drink it, Teach," Burgess chuckled.
Teach shook his head, frowning slightly.
"For some reason, I feel like this thing probably won't have much effect on me. Why is that?"
He frowned, lost in thought.
Had he consumed something similar before? That didn't make sense.
Van Augur glanced at the heavily muscled white horse, his lips twitching, and decisively shook his head.
"Count me out. I'm a sniper. I don't want arms so thick I can't even hold them together—I wouldn't be able to aim my gun."
"Doc Q, what about you? Drink it—maybe it'll cure your strange illness?"
Teach turned to the reaper doctor, who was struggling to get up from the ground.
Doc Q shook his head. "No need. I'm not a brute—I don't need a body full of muscles. Since you're not using it yourself, just give it to Burgess. This guy's brain is nothing but muscle anyway—it suits him perfectly."
"Who are you calling a muscle-brain, you bastard!" Burgess roared in anger.
Then he saw a glass test tube flying toward him and hurriedly caught it with care.
Crack.
The liquid inside sloshed, and fine cracks appeared on the walls of the test tube.
Burgess hurriedly poured the Evolution Potion into his mouth.
"Hmm? This feeling!"
Burgess's eyes bulged, wide and round.
It was as if he had swallowed a red-hot iron ingot.
After the potion entered his stomach, it transformed into a massive torrent of heat.
Like a volcanic eruption, it ignited his body in an instant!
"Urgh... Aaaah!!"
Burgess clenched his fists tightly, his already burly frame arching violently as his clothes tore apart inch by inch.
His body swelled rapidly, countless muscles surging like writhing pythons beneath his skin.
His originally three-to-four-meter-tall body expanded explosively in just over ten seconds, reaching nearly seven meters in height!
Burgess gasped heavily, stretching out his now enormous and broad hands, clenching them slightly.
Feeling the ceaseless surge of power within, his body trembled uncontrollably, and he let out a neurotic, foolish laugh.
"Weeeehahaha, amazing! This feeling is just... so exhilarating!!"
Unable to contain himself, he roared skyward, the tremendous sound wave echoing through the hall like thunder, making everyone's eardrums buzz.
Diamante watched the drastically transformed Burgess, his heart bleeding with regret for giving away the Evolution Potion that was originally his.
Teach's eyes gleamed sharply as he fixed his gaze on Diamante and speak in a low voice.
"Excellent! If you can provide me with more Evolution Potions, collaborating with you is not out of the question. If we succeed, I'll make you a captain under my command."
"Y-yes!"
Diamante finally revealed a trace of ecstatic joy.
The reason he had betrayed was that he didn't want a crowd of people above him.
Just as he had willingly submitted to Doflamingo back in the day, he only wished to have, at most, one boss above him.
Back in the Donquixote Family, he had been a high-ranking executive, second only to Doffy.
Unlike now in the Beast God Pirates, where someone of his caliber couldn't even squeeze into the second tier.