Facing Jinbe's puzzled expression, Jerry quickly stepped forward, patted the former Warlord's arm several times, and said excitedly, "Thank you so much! I knew you were a real treasure, blue guy!"
"I prefer 'robust,'" Jinbe blinked and responded seriously.
Jerry paused, looked at Jinbe's earnest expression, and nodded vigorously. "Right, of course! Anyway, thank you very much!"
"Well, although I'm not sure what just happened, I'm glad I could help you somehow," Jinbe smiled, revealing his characteristic sharp teeth.
He turned to look at Ace and the others who had gathered after hearing the commotion. "I should head back to Fishman Island now, so I'll say my farewells."
After bidding goodbye to everyone, Jinbe slowly turned and walked away with his measured, dignified pace.
Deuce and the rest of the crew watched Jinbe's figure grow more distant, then turned to observe Jerry, who seemed lost in his own world with a foolish grin plastered across his face. They shook their heads collectively and dispersed back to their activities.
The moment Jinbe had burst the water sphere and begun talking, Jerry's system had chimed with a notification.
Jerry saw one of the dark grooves in the lotus-shaped interface flash with brilliant light, accompanied by a text prompt.
[Ding! It has been detected that you used relevant skills in combat against Jinbe, the world's foremost master of Fishman Karate and Fishman Jujutsu, and gained his recognition. Breakthrough and fusion limits for related skills have been unlocked.]
Jerry noticed that the illuminated groove no longer rejected objects like the other dark grooves beside it. When he mentally guided the Wall-breaking Bead closer, he could actually feel a faint suction force drawing it in.
"Hahaha! I finally cracked the code! What kind of system limitation was that? It just needed proper recognition from a master!"
Laughing wildly internally, Jerry was delighted that he had finally figured out the mechanism behind the new function. He carefully placed the Wall-breaking Bead into the glowing groove.
[Ding! Compatible skills detected. Do you confirm fusion of Complete Fishman Karate, Complete Fishman Jujutsu, and Spirit of the Sea abilities?]
Seeing this prompt, Jerry was surprised. "Huh? So this is basically a skill combination system?"
Without hesitation, Jerry selected confirmation from the options that appeared.
The next second, Jerry felt severe dizziness wash over him, followed by the power within his body surging wildly in all directions. The pain was mixed with an uncomfortable tingling sensation that made his muscles spasm.
"Could you maybe give me some advance warning next time?" Jerry staggered involuntarily, muttering through gritted teeth.
Fortunately, Deuce and the others had already dispersed to handle their own business. Otherwise, they would have witnessed Jerry with bulging veins and a contorted expression that made him look like he was being cooked alive.
Jerry struggled to maintain control over his internal energy and bodily balance.
His body felt like it was burning from the inside out, and he had the absurd thought of whether he should grab an egg or some shrimp and press them against his skin to see if they would cook instantly.
When the pain and strange sensations became somewhat manageable, his mind habitually began wandering to all sorts of random thoughts—a coping mechanism he'd developed over the years.
This uncomfortable state finally subsided after Jerry had sweated profusely for what felt like an eternity.
[Ding! Congratulations! Skill fusion successful!]
The system delivered this announcement in its typically bland manner, which almost made Jerry lose his temper entirely.
"Phew..." Jerry breathed heavily, feeling his physical condition recovering at an astonishing rate.
He clenched his fist experimentally, then slowly released it, unable to suppress his amazement. "Is this an illusion? Is this recovery speed due to system compensation after the upgrade, or something else entirely?"
His attention then shifted to the system interface, where the groove inside the lotus pod had returned to black.
The difference from before was that there was now a small black bead resting within the groove.
Unable to determine anything else from visual inspection, Jerry navigated the interface to his skill section.
The change was immediately apparent.
His three previous skills had vanished, replaced by a completely new ability that had never appeared in his system before.
"A fusion skill? Let me see what we've got here."
[Function 1: Sovereign of Water; Note: Complete mastery over water elements.]
[Function 2: Healing Spring; Note: Greatly enhances personal recovery and injury healing; can summon healing springs to treat others' injuries at the cost of stamina.]
[Function 3: Hydro Animation; Note: Grants temporary life to water constructs; duration depends on user's stamina investment.]
Jerry studied the new combined skill and nodded with satisfaction.
"Wow! This looks incredible, but I wonder what the practical applications are..."
Without further delay, Jerry turned and walked toward the waterfront, found a suitable riverside location, and began testing the various parameters of his new ability while maintaining his fishing routine.
Several Days Later
The midday sun shone directly through the towering Yarukiman Mangroves onto the ground below.
Jerry stood on the shoreline, gently stroking his chin as he mentally reviewed his discoveries from the past few days of experimentation.
Through repeated testing and practice, he had developed a relatively comprehensive understanding of his newfound abilities.
As expected, practical application was the only true measure of any skill's value.
The primary improvement was that his control over water elements had become significantly more refined, and objects shaped from water could now maintain their form for extended periods even outside his direct control.
For example, the water dragons or water spheres he frequently employed could continue holding their shape for considerable time after being created, even when his attention was focused elsewhere.
"This upgraded function doesn't seem particularly revolutionary," Jerry muttered to himself. "What am I supposed to do, create a water-based apartment complex and rent it out by the hour?"
Shaking his head at his own ridiculous thoughts, he continued his assessment:
"The recovery ability has definitely improved dramatically, but the healing function..."
"I can't even heal a simple knife wound on a small fish without feeling like I'm draining my own life force to restore someone else's health bar."
Sighing, Jerry moved on to the final aspect: "And the water animation ability..."
He raised his left hand, and a stream of water gradually condensed and took shape in the open space before him.
Within moments, a water construct resembling Deuce stood before him, complete but wearing a vacant, somewhat mentally deficient expression. The water-Deuce tilted its head at an odd angle and gave everyone around it a disturbingly empty smile.
"Well," Jerry observed with scientific detachment, "that's definitely unsettling. I can see this ability having some very specific applications, though none of them involve looking normal or intelligent."