'Whoosh, whoosh...'
In an unknown sea, on a deserted island, the massive Feathered Serpent shrank down, revealing several tall figures. In the air, Prometheus the Sun and the thunderclouds Zeus and Hera floated around.
"We'll rest here for a bit, and then head to Sky Island!" El said with a smile.
"Heh, that move, 'Hakoku Sovereignty', must've really shaken those guys up," Linlin remarked as she pulled out a mirror and called inside, "Barry, get ready to come out!"
"No problem…"
Barry's figure appeared in the mirror, which visibly enlarged as the Snakeneck Tribe member climbed out. "Boss El, this time we hit the jackpot!"
'Shwoosh—'
One after another, various figures emerged from the expanding mirror.
"El! Boss! Sir!" Nef, Rock, Little Oars, and the others greeted, their faces brimming with smiles and confidence. This time, they had pulled off a major heist. The name of the Fallen Angel Pirates was sure to spread across the seas.
"Gulp!"
"He's huge—like a giant!"
"Is that the captain of the Fallen Angel Pirates?"
"A Lunarian… no wonder they call him the Fallen Angel…"
The former slaves they had rescued from the auction house, now following the crew, stared at the towering figure with black wings on his back, radiating an oppressive aura. Their eyes widened as they took in the sight of El, filled with awe and respect.
"Wow!"
As soon as Lillian, a beauty from the Three-Eye Tribe, saw El's towering figure, she couldn't help but shout in excitement, her three eyes gleaming.
"It's really you, Fallen Angel El!"
Her face flushed as she rushed over, her eyes sparkling with overwhelming admiration. "El-sama, I'm Lillian! Like you, I'm from a persecuted race on the brink of extinction—the Three-Eye Tribe… I went out to sea specifically to find you!"
She introduced herself eagerly, like a fangirl. "Eight years ago, when you and the Giants destroyed a Marine stronghold and rebelled against the World Government, you were so cool!"
"Hello, Lillian…"
El looked down at the golden-haired, bright-eyed girl from the Three-Eye Tribe. Gently brushing aside her bangs, he admired the blue, gem-like third eye on her forehead. Smiling, he said, "That's a beautiful eye… From now on, with us, you won't have to hide it anymore."
"On the way here, I heard about you from Linlin. Welcome aboard!"
"I believe our dream of 'All Nations' is getting closer to reality!"
"Yes!" Lillian, thrilled that El didn't mind her third eye, nodded vigorously, her heart filled with joy and anticipation for the future.
"Everyone, have a seat!" El gestured to Rock, Nef, and Moss, then turned to the other rescued slaves—mermaids, humans, members of the cat mink tribe—and smiled warmly. "Welcome to all of you as well. We're all on the same side now, so there's no need to be nervous."
"Yes, El-sama!"
Mermaid girl Ily, Longleg youth Mad, and cat mink Tom, among others who had been anxious, relaxed when they saw how approachable and kind the captain was. Smiles spread across their faces, confirming that they had made the right choice. Several female slaves found themselves captivated by his striking, rugged appearance, unable to look away.
"Boss El, should we unload the treasures now?" Barry asked directly.
"No need, let's keep them in the mirror world for now," El replied, sitting comfortably on the soft thundercloud Zeus. "Bring out the Devil Fruits. Let's see what we got!"
"Yeah! I want to see them too!" Linlin and Lily's eyes lit up with excitement, unable to wait.
"I bet we've got at least one or two good ones," Gerd said with a smile.
"We haven't had a chance to examine them closely yet," Nef added with a laugh.
Without delay, Moss opened the pack he had been carrying, revealing various colored boxes.
"Whoa! Treasure boxes!" Linlin squealed in delight and immediately hugged them. "I love opening treasure chests! You guys better not steal my fun!"
"Linlin, you can't hog them all. I want to open some too!" complained the giantess Lily as she stepped forward, hands on her hips.
"All right, one for you!" Linlin reluctantly pushed one of the boxes toward her, clearly not happy about sharing.
"Two!" Lily bargained.
"Fine, but that's it!"
Watching the two bicker over the treasure, El shook his head with a smile, and the others, including Gerd, Rock, Nef, and Moss, looked on in amusement. Though they knew the Devil Fruits were worth at least hundreds of millions of berries, they couldn't help but be entertained.
"Let's speed it up, Linlin…" El urged as Linlin compromised with Lily.
Amid the group's anticipation, the two eagerly grabbed boxes and opened them, revealing two Devil Fruits of different colors, each labeled with a tag.
"Paramecia – Wash-Wash Fruit?"
"Paramecia – Bean-Bean Fruit?"
"What strange powers…"
"These don't seem too impressive," some commented in disappointment.
However, El raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the Wash-Wash Fruit. It was surprising that he had managed to intercept the fruit that would belong to the future Vice Admiral Tsuru.
"The Bean-Bean Fruit is self-explanatory. It allows its user to transform into various bean-sized forms…"
Then, El added, "But don't underestimate the Wash-Wash Fruit. It can turn people or objects into laundry, wash them clean, and even scrub some of the 'evil' from their hearts."
"Is it really that powerful?"
"You can turn people into laundry just by touching them?"
"It can even cleanse someone's mind? That's incredible…"
The group stared in amazement. They hadn't expected such an unassuming ability to be so remarkable. The power to wash away evil from a person's heart was terrifying.
"Paramecia – Whip-Whip Fruit!"
"Paramecia – Egg-Egg Fruit?"
Next, Linlin and Lily opened another pair of boxes.
"The Whip-Whip Fruit allows you to control anything you whip—definitely a useful power," El explained, glancing at the fruit. "As for the Egg-Egg Fruit, it has several unique evolutionary forms!"
As El introduced the fruits, the crew continued to open more boxes, brimming with curiosity.
"Paramecia – Top-Top Fruit!"
"Zoan – Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Black Cat!"
"Paramecia – Ton-Ton Fruit!"
"Zoan – Sheep-Sheep Fruit, Model: Lamb!"
Soon, all the boxes were opened. Out of twelve Devil Fruits, eight were already labeled, while four remained unknown.
~~~
(Author's Note: Regarding the Egg-Egg Fruit, Oda has not clearly specified whether it's a Paramecia or Zoan type. Based on Baron Tamago's abilities, it leans toward being a Paramecia. If proven otherwise, we'll adjust accordingly.)