Meanwhile, atop the Cloud Peak Manor in Skypiea.
On the table in Rosinante's living room lay two swords and a Devil Fruit.
These two swords were Golden Lion's famous blades, Sakura-jū and Mokugare, which Bins had retrieved after they had fallen.
But looking at the two swords and the lone Devil Fruit, Rosinante's expression was grim.
After all that effort, they still hadn't obtained the Float-Float Fruit.
After Enel had brought back Golden Lion, aside from handling a few matters, Rosinante and his team immediately returned to Skypiea Cloud Peak, placing Golden Lion in a Sea-Prism Stone containment chamber and delivering a finishing strike.
When they later opened the chamber, Golden Lion was already dead.
Yet the anticipated Float-Float Fruit did not appear.
Rosinante searched thoroughly, both inside and outside, even combing all of Skypiea—but still found no trace of the fruit.
Doflamingo's expression darkened as well. This experiment had been his idea, and he had confidently claimed an eighty percent success rate, which had convinced Rosinante to spare Golden Lion's life during the battle.
It's worth noting that for a fighter of Rosinante's level, the difference between fighting with intent to kill and without is enormous.
Still, they were not left empty-handed. They had successfully obtained the Sky Pirates' Crocodile Fruit, which improved Rosinante and Doflamingo's moods considerably.
"Actually, acquiring a Crocodile Fruit isn't bad at all. It's an Ancient Zoan, and if properly developed, it will add significant strength to the Grey Kingdom," Railman remarked.
"Captain, what are you planning to do with this Crocodile Fruit?" Jack asked.
"What do you all think?" Rosinante asked.
"Not me. I have no desire to become a Devil Fruit user, especially a big Zoan like a Crocodile. Personally, I'd rather have those two swords," Hermi said.
Among the group, Hermi was the only non-Devil Fruit user, so all eyes turned to him.
Originally, if they had obtained the Float-Float Fruit, Hermi might have tried for it—but as an Animal-type fruit, it wasn't worth his effort compared to the allure of Sakura-jū and Mokugare. These weren't just large swords—they had belonged to Golden Lion himself, making them extremely desirable to him.
"Then we'll leave it to the Captain to decide," the others said.
"Although Burs has died and the Third Squadron has been partially destroyed, Skypiea still needs the Third Squadron's protection. We can't just leave them leaderless," Rosinante said, shifting the conversation from the Devil Fruit to the Third Squadron.
Hearing this, all the squad captains nodded eagerly.
They were eager to make their mark in the Blue Sea and didn't want to be stuck idle on Skypiea.
"So, who will command the Third Squadron?" Raelman asked.
All eyes turned to Rosinante. As an upper squad, the Third Squadron's leadership was of particular concern.
"Bins, go fetch Winter!" Rosinante said.
Hearing this, everyone seemed unsurprised.
Within the Grey Kingdom, the only ones qualified to lead the Third Squadron were Deputy Captain Ryan of the BloodSworn Guard or Winter of the Third Seat.
Ryan was busy assisting Bins in managing the BloodSworn Guard, so the only candidate left was Winter.
Winter was an experienced member of the Grey Kingdom, having fought in the battle of Joromia Kingdom. Though slightly weaker in combat, he was respected by the squad captains.
Better to have him lead than a new recruit like Moria or the Demon Samurai.
Soon, Bins returned with Winter.
"Your Majesty!" Winter saluted.
"Winter, the Third Squadron was badly damaged. You're to take charge of it," Rosinante said with a smile.
"Yes! I will defend Your Majesty's honor with my life!" Winter replied.
Bins had already explained the situation to Winter beforehand, so he was not surprised.
As an upper squad of the Grey Kingdom, the Third Squadron held significant status, so there was no opposition.
"Here's the capital to rebuild the Third Squadron!" Rosinante said, picking up the Devil Fruit.
"This…?" Winter asked, puzzled.
"The Ancient Zoan Crocodile Fruit. Not a bad prize," Rosinante explained.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Winter saluted again.
"Go now, and rebuild the Third Squadron properly!" Rosinante said.
"Yes!" Winter saluted once more and left to manage the Third Squadron's affairs.