Sounds of splashing…
As evening settled over Atlantis—
Everyone was enjoying a delicious dinner when suddenly, several massive sea beasts, known as the Homies, each measuring dozens or even hundreds of meters, leapt up from the depths of the sea, sending huge sprays of water into the air.
They slid down the cloud slide leading to Atlantis's inner lake, plunging into its vast waters.
"Last time, Rufe got lucky and gained the Paramecia-type Gomu Gomu no Mi..."
After dinner, El called over the newest members of the Fallen Angel Pirates—all the new recruits from various races, except for Lillian.
Seeing these new recruits, many of whom couldn't hide their excitement and joy, El smiled slightly. "Though Rufe's good fortune got him that fruit, I won't leave you all out. I'll give each of you a chance as well!"
Originally, these newly joined recruits wouldn't have qualified for Devil Fruits. However, this time's massive haul had put El in a good mood, so he didn't mind granting a few.
In particular, as slaves selected for the Black Flag Trading Company's grand auction held every three years, he'd noticed a few promising individuals among them.
Both the Longleg Tribe youth, Mad, and the Cat Mink Tribe youth, Tom, had shown impressive potential during recent training, on par with "Griffon" Moss and worth investing in.
Surprisingly, it wasn't only Rufe, who had gained the Gomu Gomu no Mi, but another human male slave, Sak, who also had notable talent. He was quite strong, apparently a former pirate captain. Though he might not match the unique strengths of the special races, he showed promise for a bright future if he trained hard.
Considering the Paramecia-type Wax-Wax Fruit, with its crafting ability to produce creations as tough as steel, though vulnerable to fire, El saw potential in developing a Wax-Wax Fruit user who could assist Gerd in creating an army of Wax Homies.
"This is a lucky break for you..." Nef crossed her arms with a smile, adding, "Don't forget who made all this possible for you!"
"Of course!"
"Thank you, El-sama!!!"
The group of new recruits couldn't hide their joy, thrilled beyond words.
They didn't dare hope for the strongest Devil Fruits but knew that any fruit would still be life-changing.
The Longleg Tribe youth, Mad, received the Paramecia Egg-Egg Fruit;
The Cat Mink Tribe youth, Tom, received the Paramecia Speed-Speed Fruit;
The human male, Sak, received the Paramecia Wax-Wax Fruit.
And, perhaps reflecting El's playful side—
Of the three human women rescued from Sabaody Archipelago who chose to join the Fallen Angel Pirates, the curvaceous dancer Baka received the Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: Black Mamba;
The other two, twin sisters with sweet faces and alluring charm—eighteen-year-old Rena and Luna—were each granted a Zoan fruit: Rena with the Neko Neko no Mi, Model: Black Cat, and Luna with the Neko Neko no Mi, Model: Ocelot.
Each of them, brimming with excitement, held back their nausea to eat their respective Devil Fruits.
"What about me, sir?"
Seeing everyone else gain Devil Fruit abilities, the young mermaid Ily, realizing she hadn't received one, widened her eyes in worry. Clenching her small pink fists, she mustered the courage to approach.
"I want to be a user, too!" she pleaded, looking at El with tearful eyes. Her sapphire-like eyes sparkled with pure innocence, filled with sincerity and a touch of vulnerability.
Utterly adorable.
"What?"
Before El could respond, Jien the Sea Tiger had already asked in disbelief, "You're a mermaid—why would you need a Devil Fruit power?"
Jien, a tiger shark Fish-man, had no desire to become a Devil Fruit user; he didn't want to be rejected by the sea. To keep up with Devil Fruit users like Rock and Moss, he had doubled his training efforts. After mastering the Six Powers, he even returned to Fish-men Island to study Fish-men Karate and Jujitsu from the masters there.
Under El's guidance in recent days, he had successfully integrated Fish-men Karate, Jujitsu, and the Six Powers into a unique fighting style. His strength had improved significantly, earning him the title of "Sea Tiger" in Sabaody Archipelago.
"Aren't mermaids only fast in the water?"
"I heard your tails only split into legs when you turn thirty, right?"
"If you become a Devil Fruit user, you'd be helpless on land!"
Tsuru, Linlin, Gerd, and the others were all stunned, giving the mermaid girl a speechless look. They weren't sure whether to call her adorably naive or just plain clueless.
Otherwise, after being rescued, she would have returned to Fish-men Island instead of boldly choosing to stay with the Fallen Angel Pirates.
"But I can summon fish to carry me while I swim..."
Blushing, Illy clenched her small pink fists and protested, "Even though Devil Fruit users are powerless in the water, I can still breathe underwater, so I won't drown! And with Gerd-sama's Bubble Homies and those sea beasts, I don't need to rescue anyone at sea!"
"I want to fight alongside everyone else too. I want to be useful and not just a burden..." Saying this, she lowered her head in shame, her face almost hidden behind her ample chest.
"But I'm so clumsy that I can't learn Fish-men Karate no matter how hard I try..."
"Your talent in that area is definitely lacking..." Jien sighed, rubbing his forehead in frustration. He had been giving her his all in training sessions, but the mermaid girl showed absolutely no skill in it. On this ship, she was likely best suited as a mascot rather than a fighter.
Still, it wasn't a big deal.
Atlantis was more than large enough for her, and no one had ever considered "expelling" her or sending her back to Fish-men Island.
"Alright, if you're really interested, I'll give you this Bubble-Bubble Fruit."
Seeing the hopeful and eager look on the mermaid girl's face, El couldn't help but smile. He gently patted her head and casually tossed her the Paramecia Bubble-Bubble Fruit. "With Bubble Homies around, you'll be able to fly and dive underwater freely, so there's no need for you to be a lifeguard!"
He didn't mind having a "decorative" crew member, especially one as captivating as this beautiful mermaid. And the Bubble-Bubble Fruit had excellent cleaning abilities. She could handle the upkeep of Atlantis, keeping it sparkling clean. Plus, with her occasionally visiting Fish-men Island, she might even help recruit more fish-men and mermaids.
The Bubble-Bubble Fruit's power wasn't exactly strong or weak—it all depended on the user. If she wanted to develop it, she could potentially use the branches of the Yarukiman Mangrove to create defensive bubbles or other means of attack.
A "Bubble Princess" mermaid? That sounded like a fun idea.
"Yes—!"
Cradling the Bubble-Bubble Fruit as if it were a treasure, Ily's face lit up with joy. She hugged El's leg and exclaimed, "Thank you, El-sama! I'll work hard!"
~~~
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