A-Da bit into his Devil Fruit.
Every single person who'd ever eaten one made the same face:
"Disgusting!"
Soon, a Pteranodon appeared on deck.
Its body length was about five meters, with a long neck and a sharp beak—towering and imposing.
"Kyuu—!" A-Da took a running start and spread his wings, shooting into the sky.
"I'm so jealous of flying Zoans… and an Ancient Type at that," Brook murmured, then looked at Señor Pink.
"What?" Señor Pink asked, noticing Brook's stare.
"I'm jealous of your swimming ability," Brook said, then somehow got a nosebleed.
Everyone immediately rolled their eyes.
Given this skeleton's habits… they all knew what he was actually thinking.
Even though he didn't have the equipment for crimes like that.
Gordon leaned over and whispered.
"Brook… didn't you say you mastered that move?"
Brook's eyes went dim.
"Gordon… you know the situation on this ship. Can I really use that move?"
Gordon glanced around and nodded.
"…Fair. Then use it during a concert."
"Isn't that… bad?" Brook hesitated, clearly tempted.
Gordon grinned.
"Hehehe. No one will know. Right?"
"True…" The two quiet perverts started laughing under their breath.
The others didn't really understand. They could hear them, but only knew Brook had invented a new technique—nothing more.
A-Da glided in the air for a while, then glanced at Kuro in the doorway of the helm.
His lips curled.
Kuro looked up from his coffee. Observation Haki told him he'd been locked onto.
He calmly set his cup down.
Wings spread behind him.
With a flash, he shot into the sky.
A-Da had just been about to dive and peck him—
and now Kuro was already flying toward him.
A-Da didn't think. He jabbed his sharp beak straight at Kuro.
Kuro didn't indulge him. He accelerated, dodged, and reached a position above A-Da.
"Reverse Hanging Hook—"
BANG!
"Ugh—!" A-Da's vision went black. He fell while shrinking back, returning to normal.
Two idiots.
That was everyone's silent verdict on the brothers.
Sure—Ancient Zoans were incredible.
But did they forget?
Jango and Kuro were also Ancient Zoans—and had been for years.
Their Haki and physique… were on a completely different level.
White Ghost thought for a moment, then looked at Wyper and Bai Hezi.
"Wyper—come here. Your turn."
Wyper froze.
I… I get one too?
He walked up excitedly and dropped to one knee.
"God!"
White Ghost pulled out a fruit and introduced it.
"Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Ancient Type: Microraptor."
"It can fly. The strength boost isn't huge, but it's extremely fast."
Arthur's eyelid twitched.
Another Ancient Zoan… how many does Boss even have? Is this something important enough to report?
Wyper accepted the fruit with both hands.
"I obey your guidance, God!"
He bit into the pineapple-shaped fruit.
First reaction: disgusting.
Most disgusting food in the world.
He forced himself through it, swallowing mouthful after mouthful until it was finished.
Uta's mouth twitched—she remembered that taste vividly. Seeing three people force it down in a row, she genuinely respected them.
Pedro smoked and watched Wyper's body begin to change.
"Looks like our ship's strength just went up again."
"Yeah," Señor Pink agreed. "I can't even imagine what they'll look like once they fully grow."
"Almost everyone's going to be Ancient Zoan or Paramecia… all dangerous."
Then Señor Pink glanced at Uta and toward White Ghost.
One of their fruits was terrifying because you could never drop your guard—constant Haki defense.
And the other was a Mythical Zoan plus Great Swordsman… even worse.
Once they entered the New World, this lineup might even surpass Doflamingo's old crew.
Even without "fodder," Señor Pink didn't doubt they could clash head-on with an Emperor-level force.
ROAR—!
Wyper fully transformed into a Microraptor.
Not as huge as the other two—around three meters long.
Its body had feather-like fuzz, and on its forelimbs, hind limbs, and the rear of its tail grew long fan-shaped flight feathers.
The distribution resembled modern birds: about 12 primary feathers and 18 secondary feathers.
After adapting to the power a bit, Wyper flapped and took a running start from the ship—
and flew into the sky as well.
Seeing Urouge's envious gaze, White Ghost said:
"Don't worry. I have more like these."
"You like head-on fighting, right? If we can't find those two fruits you want, I'll give you one."
"I'm not in a hurry, my lord," Urouge scratched his head.
"I'll keep training physique and Haki like you said."
"Besides… I'm not weak anymore."
White Ghost looked at Bai Hezi next.
"Bai Hezi. Your turn."
Bai Hezi stared, not daring to believe it.
"Me…? Really me?"
She already felt she'd benefited massively.
White Ghost had taken her out of dangerous Wano, returned Ame no Habakiri to her hands, taught her swordsmanship—she was already satisfied.
"Yes. You," White Ghost said firmly.
He took out a Devil Fruit even Kuro and the others hadn't seen before.
It looked like an apple, but the patterns across it were a strange, eerie black.
Bai Hezi hesitated.
"White-bro… I don't want to become like them…"
She was thinking of the three beast forms and felt a bit resistant—though she wouldn't refuse him.
White Ghost flicked her forehead.
"Stop imagining things."
"Ow!" Bai Hezi laughed, rubbing her brow.
"You've been with me for four years. You train hard, you do."
"But you know this too—women, physically, often have a harder time on the same path."
"Consider this… compensation for something I took from your family's legacy."
Then he pressed the fruit into her hand.
"Eat it. After this… things won't be a problem."
Uta wrapped an arm around her best friend.
"Hehe. Bai Hezi, eat it. Don't waste White-bro's effort."
She leaned close and whispered something into Bai Hezi's ear.
No one else heard it—only Bai Hezi's face turned red. She stole a glance at White Ghost, then bit into the apple.
Her expression matched everyone else's.
Disgusting.
But she forced herself to finish it.
Everyone watched quietly.
What power would this be?
If the captain brought it out, it wouldn't be ordinary.
Bai Hezi closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, her pupils had a faint golden-red sheen—eerily beautiful.
Whoosh—
A pair of black wings erupted from her back.
Two small demon-like horns grew from her head.
A tail swayed slowly behind her.
Black flames licked across her body.
She looked… unsettling—especially those eyes.
Anyone who met her gaze felt their mind jolt and instinctively looked away.
Because those strange eyes carried a hypnotic pull, the kind that could make you lose focus.
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