"El-sama!"
"Boss El!"
"Gerd!"
Soon, the massive homie cloud drifted close to the deserted island, settling gently on the water's surface. Rock, Moss, and Nef looked on with calm interest, while Linlin, Lily, and the Three-Eyed Tribe girl, Lillian, eagerly ran up to greet them.
"Tsuru the Strategist."
El acknowledged Linlin and the others with a nod as he approached Tsuru, who stood tensely. His unwavering gaze bore down on the aged former "Navy's Flower."
"Fallen Angel… El."
El's towering presence was intimidating; even for someone of Tsuru's caliber, it invoked a sense of undeniable pressure.
"Though we had our differences, resulting in some unpleasant events, it seems you've managed to hold onto your life. I suggest you treasure it."
El's tone was surprisingly cordial, almost dismissive. "If the Navy and the World Government knew you were still alive, they'd come after you without hesitation. So why not stay with us for now? You might even find a new perspective."
Without waiting for her response, he turned and motioned to Linlin, who was energetically bouncing across the cloud, gleefully hopping alongside Lily and Lillian.
"Linlin, return her youth to her."
"Got it!"
Linlin transformed into a giant bat and flew over to Tsuru, who looked on with barely concealed excitement.
"Consider yourself lucky!"
Linlin reverted to human form, placed her hand on Tsuru, and without needing to fully transform, activated her Bat-Bat Fruit powers to restore Tsuru's stolen years.
In a flash, Tsuru's white hair regained its deep blue luster. Her aged appearance vanished, replaced by the vitality of her youth. Her once-wrinkled skin became smooth and radiant again, restoring her former aura as the fierce and dignified "Navy's Flower."
"I'm… back to normal."
Tsuru inspected her restored body in amazement, overwhelmed by a mix of relief and disbelief. Yet her feelings toward Linlin remained unyielding; she had no gratitude to offer.
"Don't expect me to thank you."
Her words were sharp, laced with lingering resentment. If not for Linlin, she would never have ended up in such a state—her career and life as a Navy officer destroyed beyond recovery.
"Mamamama, I don't need your thanks. I only did it because El-onichan told me to."
Linlin smirked, her tone dismissive as she towered over Tsuru. Her eyes narrowed menacingly. "Whether or not you join us, just know that if you try anything against us, you won't just lose your youth next time."
Her voice held a chilling threat, her expression dark, exuding a demonic glee that left little room for doubt.
Without waiting for a response, Linlin's demeanor transformed back to her usual cheerful self. She clung to El's arm, excitedly pointing to the giant homie cloud. "El-onichan! Let's turn this place into a paradise, like the Sabaody Archipelago. Sally already had Moss bring back seeds for Yarukiman Mangroves and other trees!"
Tsuru's eyes widened at the mention of the famed mangroves.
"Absolutely. Whatever you want." El smiled, nodding in agreement. The seeds were something he had arranged with Sally, his intelligence officer, to be ready for Atlantis's transformation.
"Here are the seeds!" Lily bounded over, holding a tiny pouch in her giant hands.
"Oars," El turned to the massive figure perched on Fish-man Jien's head. "I'll need your help moving this forest to the cloud."
"No problem!" Little Oars jumped onto the open ground, much to Tsuru's shock.
As the others looked on in amazement, Oars's body expanded, rapidly growing until he stood over 30 meters tall—a hulking, monstrous figure. His powerful presence sent chills down Tsuru's spine, even as the crew looked on with awe.
"So that's… Oars's true form?"
"He's even bigger than a Giant!"
"An Ancient Giant… Incredible!"
Tsuru felt a chill as she realized, "So, he's an Ancient Giant… no wonder he's powerful enough to stand against Garp!"
"That's right. Little Oars Jr. here is the descendant of Devil Oars, a notorious villain from the North Blue," El explained, his tone casual but proud. "He's not even fully grown yet. Someday, he'll be bigger and stronger than even his infamous ancestor."
The tale of the original Oars, a giant capable of moving entire islands, was infamous throughout the seas, striking fear even into the World Government.
"Devil Oars…?" Tsuru felt a shiver of recognition; the legendary Devil Oars, the "Continent-Puller," was the stuff of legend. Her jaw clenched as El's words sank in.
El raised his sword, looking up at the forest. "Oars, I'll cut the forest into sections. It's your job to move them."
"Got it, El!"
With his instructions given, El shot into the air. In an instant, his sword began slicing through the air, sending waves of massive, gleaming strikes toward the forest below.
Each blow from El created perfectly carved sections within the forest, as if dividing it into puzzle pieces. Oars's towering form approached with determination, gripping the earth in his massive fingers and lifting it with a mighty roar, the ground beneath him splitting under the sheer weight of his strength.
As his comrades looked on, awe etched on their faces, Tsuru felt an odd sense of disbelief. El and his crew had resurrected the legendary power to carry entire islands—a feat beyond even the Navy's might.
~~~
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