"Wow! So beautiful—"
"Incredible, so many bubbles…"
On the 12th grove of the Sabaody Archipelago, a thundercloud descended from the sky. It was none other than Hera, a high-ranking Homie. Riding atop her were Charlotte Linlin, Moss from the Mink Tribe, Rock from the Longleg Tribe, Jien from the Fish-men Tribe, and others.
As they landed on the soft ground, many of them, visiting the Sabaody Archipelago for the first time, couldn't help but brighten with amazement.
Of course, they were already familiar with the island from information gathered by the Hell Trading Company, including photos sent back from the area.
This was the final stop before reaching Fish-men Island, one of the seven converging routes on the Grand Line. Due to its proximity to the Holy Land of Mariejois on the Red Line, the island was always bustling with nobles and traders awaiting government paperwork, making it a vibrant, lively place.
"Linlin, everyone, long time no see…"
A tall, slender figure dressed in plain clothes approached them with a welcoming smile. Oddly enough, although the person appeared male, they spoke with a female voice.
"Sally—"
"That face, you can't even tell it's fake!"
"Tsk, tsk, I've almost forgotten what you originally looked like!"
The group studied the ordinary-looking youth, astonished. This wasn't Sally's real face, but a disguise to conceal her identity. She was the intelligence chief of the Fallen Angel Pirates—known as the "Shapeshifting Witch," Sally.
At 23 years old, Sally was a few years older than Rock and Moss. She had been rescued from a slave market by the Hell Trading Company eight years ago and brought to Dreamland. Back then, she had just turned 15.
During her training, she displayed exceptional talent, quickly becoming a key member under El's mentorship.
Having experienced the darkness and powerlessness of slavery, Sally was determined to grow stronger and control her destiny. Her efforts paid off. In a short time, she mastered all six techniques and became proficient in two forms of Haki. Her skills in intelligence work were even more remarkable.
Two years ago, El assigned her to manage and expand the Fallen Angel Pirates' intelligence network. With the power of the Paramecia-type Dough-Dough Fruit, Sally could alter her appearance like dough, reshaping her face and body. She could also create lifelike masks for others, allowing her to blend in seamlessly, and even those within the Hell Trading Company had no idea of her true identity.
"Haha, I'm not as capable in combat as you all… I just try to contribute where I can in intelligence work, repaying El-sama for saving me!" Sally smiled warmly. Like everyone from Dreamland, she was deeply grateful to El, who had given them all a new life. They admired his strength and ambition, swearing their loyalty to him.
Rock: "…"
Though Sally was a woman, not of a special race, and not a natural-born monster like Linlin, she was known in Dreamland as the "Lunatic." Her effort far surpassed that of other members, and her talent was comparable to Moss, the lion Mink. At 18, she had already mastered all six techniques, earning El's recognition. Even now, Rock wasn't confident he could force Sally, the Witch, to use her Devil Fruit abilities. Could she really claim to be bad at fighting?
Her Dough-Dough Fruit might sound simple, but it allowed her to reshape her body and create objects, making it a superior Paramecia-type ability, rumored to be a higher form of the Mochi-Mochi Fruit.
"Is this really the Sabaody Archipelago? So beautiful!" Linlin gleefully played with the bubbles floating up from the ground.
"This is amazing!" A tiny green figure, Little Oz, a Mini-Mini Fruit user, jumped from bubble to bubble, excitement written across his face. Over the past eight years, Little Oz had matured, his features more defined. Despite his tiny stature now, as an Ancient Giant, his body had grown beyond 30 meters tall through intense training and abundant food. It was likely that when he fully matured, he might even surpass his father, the legendary Oars.
"Mama-mama~ it's great…" Linlin laughed as she popped a bubble with her finger, her childlike joy evident. Turning to Sally, she said, "Sally, help me collect some Yarukiman Mangrove seeds. I want to take them back!"
She envisioned using the seeds to build a bubble park in the air fortress that Gerd was constructing, much like the Sabaody Archipelago's famous bubble islands.
"Sure, no problem!" Sally agreed with a smile. As a former member of Dreamland, she knew how remarkable El's powers were. He could cultivate rare, precious trees, and their quality rivaled that of the thousand-year-old Treasure Trees Adam, so growing Yarukiman Mangroves would be no issue.
"Anyway, enough about that for now. The auction hasn't finished yet, has it?" Rock reminded the group of their primary objective.
"By my estimate, it should be about halfway through," Sally replied after checking her watch, handing Linlin a Vivre Card to guide her to the auction house. "But do you really have to cause such a big scene? If the Celestial Dragons are attacked, the Navy Admirals will be deployed... We might face a full-on naval siege!"
Sally understood why El had ordered this course of action. For anyone else, such a move would be reckless, with the risks far outweighing the benefits. But for El, there was little concern. He had no fear of a naval siege.
"It's El's orders. There's no point in competing for the Devil Fruit or the Three-Eyed Tribe slave. The Celestial Dragons will definitely outbid us, so why waste money? Besides, if we capture a Celestial Dragon, we can extort a hefty ransom from the World Government. They have plenty of valuable treasures!" Moss said, unconcerned.
The group of former orphans, abandoned by the world, owed their lives to El. Whatever he commanded, even if it meant storming Marineford or the Holy Land of Mariejois, Moss would follow without hesitation.
"Mama-mama, even the texture feels real! This fruit suits you perfectly, Sally!" Linlin, her curiosity piqued, reached out to pinch Sally's male disguise, marveling at how lifelike it was.
"Linlin, stop it…" Sally retreated a few steps, helpless against Linlin's curiosity.
"Mama-mama, sorry, I was curious…" Linlin giggled. "Since we're going to cause trouble, we'll make it big! You don't need to worry about that, Sally."
"You should leave to avoid being recognized. After all, you're the intelligence chief."
"Of course. I'll carry out El-sama's orders to the letter. Who knows, I might even take on a new identity soon!" Sally joked as she pressed on her face, transforming into a bulky figure with a rough, brutish appearance. Her clothes stretched tightly against her newly expanded form. She then pulled out a gray coat from her bag, slipping it on and zipping it up.
"Alright, I'm off!" She waved without looking back, her voice now deep and masculine. With the storm about to break on the Sabaody Archipelago, Sally, the intelligence chief of the Fallen Angel Pirates, had to ensure that her network of spies was withdrawn in time to avoid being compromised by the Cipher Pol (CP) agents, who would no doubt investigate the chaos.