"Damn the World Government…"
"Those scum, they're terrible!"
"Little Oars' parents didn't do anything wrong, yet they were still taken!"
Before long—
At Little Oars' invitation, the group arrived at the cave where he lived. As they spent more time together, they grew familiar with one another and learned the full story of how Little Oars had ended up living alone on this island.
While El already knew the details, Linlin, Gerd, and Hajrudin were filled with anger and resentment toward the World Government, clenching their teeth in fury. Even Streusen, regardless of his true feelings, outwardly expressed his "anger" over the situation.
"The World Government is truly despicable… Now I understand, no wonder they disappeared!" Streusen exclaimed, realizing what had happened. When he first stumbled upon the island, he had encountered Little Oars' parents but had fled out of fear before they noticed him.
"Oars, why don't you come with us…" Gerd, moved by Little Oars' tragic story, couldn't bear to see him alone any longer. She called out, "Instead of staying here by yourself, come with us and go on adventures! We have lots of companions!"
"Huh? Leave with you?"
Little Oars was surprised, but at the same time, he felt tempted. It was incredibly boring and lonely living alone on the island.
"Oars, we've all been persecuted by the World Government, but we can't give up hope…" El, looking at Little Oars—who, despite being younger than Gerd, already stood over fourteen or fifteen meters tall—spread his arms and smiled. "One day, I will overthrow the cruel World Government and create a nation where all races can live together in happiness!"
"Join us!"
"Overthrow the World Government?"
Little Oars bit his large fingers and blinked his fierce eyes, staring blankly at El, who, though physically smaller, seemed towering and grand in his mind. "A nation where all races live happily together… Is that really possible?"
"Of course—"
El confidently nodded, extending his right hand with a smile. "Will you join us?"
"Yeah, I'll go with you, El…"
Overjoyed, Little Oars nodded vigorously, his giant hand firmly gripping El's "tiny" hand.
"Great…"
"From today, we're companions, Oars!"
"Welcome aboard, Oars!" Linlin, Gerd, Hajrudin, and the others cheered, happy to have him join their ranks.
"What a pleasant surprise!" Streusen couldn't help but smile. Whether or not El could overthrow the World Government, he was sure El would one day dominate the seas like a king. Creating a nation where all races could live together didn't seem so far-fetched either.
"This is a gift for you!"
El, satisfied, took out the Paramecia-type Mini Mini Fruit and handed it to Little Oars. "Eat this, Oars!"
Although Little Oars was still a young Ancient Giant, his simple and honest nature shone through. His strength might not yet be refined, but with proper training, El was confident that Little Oars' potential could be fully realized, making him an even more formidable force in the future.
"What's this?"
Little Oars curiously examined the fruit, which seemed comically small compared to his giant hands.
"This is a legendary Devil Fruit from the Grand Line…"
El explained with a smile. "It will allow you to freely change your size. That way, you won't have to worry about your body growing too big anymore!"
"And you'll be able to fit on ships without breaking them!"
"Change my size? That sounds amazing!"
Little Oars' eyes lit up, and without hesitation, he tossed the fruit into his mouth. He grinned happily as he chewed. "Thank you so much, El!"
"You'll see the wonders of the Mini Mini Fruit soon enough…"
El stood up, smiling as he announced to everyone, "Everyone… let's celebrate Oars joining us with a feast!"
"Awesome—"
"Feast, feast!"
Linlin, Gerd, and Hajrudin beamed with excitement. A feast meant lots of delicious food, something they eagerly anticipated.
"El-sama, I'll get everything ready right away!"
Streusen patted his chest with a grin. As a Paramecia-type Cook-Cook Fruit user, preparing a feast was no trouble for him at all.
"Thanks for handling it!" El nodded. The power of the Cook-Cook Fruit was certainly convenient, allowing Streusen to "gather ingredients" from whatever was available around them, at no cost.
"Hehe, we'll help too…"
"I'll take care of the ingredients!" Hajrudin laughed, eager to contribute.
Linlin, Gerd, and Hajrudin, already familiar with Streusen's powers, eagerly rushed out of the cave to gather "ingredients."
"Huh? What's this…?"
Little Oars watched in awe as Linlin, Hajrudin, and the others carried large stones and logs into the cave. Streusen drew his short sword and effortlessly sliced through them as if cutting tofu. In the blink of an eye, the stone and wood were transformed into delicious-looking meat slices and cakes, leaving Little Oars' mouth watering.
"Don't be surprised…"
Seeing Little Oars' amazed and somewhat goofy expression, El laughed and explained, "Streusen is a Paramecia-type Cook-Cook Fruit user. He can turn any non-living material into fresh ingredients, and with his cooking skills, they become delicious meals!"
"Wow, that's incredible!"
Little Oars exclaimed in admiration. He was just about to step forward to help when suddenly, his body began to shrink. In the blink of an eye, he was no larger than a fingernail. If you didn't look closely, you could barely see him.
"Huh?"
"Oars shrank!"
"So this is the power of the Mini Mini Fruit?"
Everyone was stunned as they watched the now-miniature Oars, no more than a few millimeters tall, barely visible. They all gathered around in curiosity to examine him.
"Whoosh!"
In the next moment, Oars began growing again, this time to the size of a person's knee.
"This is amazing… I've really shrunk!"
Looking up at El, Linlin, Gerd, and the others, Oars was filled with wonder and excitement. He found the whole experience thrilling.
"Whoosh…"
Oars then grew again, reaching about five or six meters tall, now about the same height as El, Linlin, and the others.
"Now I'm the same size as everyone else…" He scratched his head with a big grin.
"You can shrink down to just a few millimeters, or grow to several meters…"
El nodded in satisfaction, observing Oars, now the same height as himself. "It seems the shrinking isn't fixed. It can change freely based on the user's will."
"Everyone…"
Soon after, Streusen, having finished his preparations, called out to the group. "Everything's ready, the feast can begin!"
"Is it ready? Awesome!"
"Streusen, I want durian pizza!"
"Durian's terrible, beef pizza is the best!"
The group excitedly ran over to the feast. As they gazed at the dazzling array of delicious, crystal-clear dishes, even El felt his appetite growing. As for the others—still children, after all—like Linlin, Gerd, Hajrudin, and Little Oars, their eyes sparkled with excitement, and they could hardly stop themselves from drooling.
"Everyone, dig in. Once we're done, we'll head back to Dreamland!"
"Yeah—Yeah—"