This white pear-shaped fruit was like a heavy bomb, throwing Doflamingo and the others into a state of panic.
Doflamingo sat up in shock, whispering in a trembling voice, "This...this is my String-String Fruit!"
Vergo and the other two were stunned, their ability to speak gone. No wonder they were in such a state, the sight of Carl extracting a Devil Fruit from the body of a living user shattered everything they knew about the fruits.
Doflamingo subconsciously hooked his finger, but he couldn't make any string. He had completely lost the ability of the String-String Fruit.
In Doflamingo's dull gaze, Carl placed the Float-Float Fruit and the String-String Fruit before him. Yet now, the String-String Fruit seemed almost insignificant beside the Float-Float Fruit, like a simple pistol beside a powerful weapon.
To thirteen-year-old Doflamingo, Carl under the sunlight looked god-like.
Trembling, Doflamingo reached out, pressing his hand on the Float-Float Fruit. Its touch felt surreal. After a moment's hesitation, he opened his mouth and took a bite.
Just then, Trebol stirred awake, and seeing Doflamingo devouring a Devil Fruit, he gasped in horror,
"Doffy! You…!" His protest was silenced as Vergo stepped in, covering his mouth and motioning for silence.
"Don't disturb Doffy," Vergo whispered, his grip so firm that Trebol nearly suffocated.
Doflamingo consumed the Float-Float Fruit, down to the stalk. Despite his slightly blue face, his expression remained steady—he was resilient, almost wolf-like in his determination.
Afterward, Doflamingo tested his new ability. With a thought, he floated steadily above the ground, a touch of excitement on his face as he tasted the powers of this remarkable Devil Fruit. The freedom of flight it granted him was enough to make most Devil Fruit users envious.
He had yet to develop his skills fully, unlike the intricate "airway" he'd once used with the String-String Fruit to pull on clouds for aerial movement. Even if he perfected that, it would pale in comparison to the effortless flying the Float-Float Fruit allowed.
Testing his control, Doflamingo lifted a chunk of the ground, holding it aloft. At that moment, he resembled a younger Golden Lion.
Trebol watched in shock. Vergo, meanwhile, observed in silence, his brows furrowed as he noticed some snot clinging to his fingers. With a grimace, he quickly wiped his hand clean.
Caught up in his new powers, Doflamingo momentarily forgot his injuries, stumbling mid-air and plummeting to the ground. Carl stepped forward, catching him with a calm smile.
"It seems you're quite pleased with this ability," Carl said.
Doflamingo, rare in his embarrassment, replied softly, "Yes, I am…Saint Carl."
Back on solid ground, Carl nodded toward the String-String Fruit left behind.
"Don't waste it. Put the String-String Fruit away."
Doflamingo moved to retrieve it, but Vergo spoke up, "Saint Carl, could I have the String-String Fruit?"
Carl looked at him with interest. "Oh? You want the String-String Fruit? I can give it to you, but are you certain? There may be better opportunities in the future."
Vergo glanced at Doflamingo before replying steadily, "No, Saint Carl, I only want the String-String Fruit."
Among the family's loyal, capable cadres, Vergo was the most dedicated. The String-String Fruit held special significance to him as it had once belonged to Doflamingo.
Carl observed Vergo thoughtfully, then looked at Doflamingo, smiling. "Doffy, you have a remarkable family."
Doflamingo nodded in agreement. Among his loyal family, Vergo was one of his most trusted.
Carl gestured, and the String-String Fruit floated toward him. Vergo approached, lowering to one knee. Carl leaned forward, handing him the fruit.
Under Doflamingo's watchful eye, Vergo took two bites of the String-String Fruit. White threads immediately extended from his fingers, weaving into a white bamboo. Despite now being a Devil Fruit user, Vergo's preferred weapon was still bamboo.
Setting the bamboo aside, Vergo dropped to both knees and respectfully bowed to Carl, declaring, "Thank you for your gift, Saint Carl!"
Carl waved him off, smiling. "Rise, Vergo. You've done well."
At that moment, Doflamingo suddenly staggered. Carl steadied him, examining his wounds. Even with Doflamingo's resilient physique, these injuries were severe, and if not for Carl's intervention, he would have collapsed long ago.
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+115 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg