High above in the sky, a massive pink hot air balloon slowly drifted down from the clouds, carrying the Freewill.
The tentacles of the Octopus Balloon wrapped around the Freewill from all directions, its suckers firmly attaching to the hull.
"So gross..."
On the balcony, Nami looked up at the Octopus Balloon. The dense cluster of suckers on its tentacles triggered her trypophobia.
This was one of the creatures of the sky islands, living in the sea of clouds. Its body could expand tens of thousands of times its original size, making it the primary method for descending from the sky islands back to the Blue Sea.
Robin stood by the edge of the ship, leaning over to look at the endless azure ocean below, and said, "Aren't you afraid it might get upset and drop the ship if you say things like that? We are ten thousand meters in the air. Even if we fall into the sea, we'd be smashed to pieces."
"..."
Hearing this, Nami froze in terror. She carefully looked up at the Octopus Balloon and offered an awkward smile. "Ahaha... I was just joking earlier. Please don't take it to heart, Mr. Octopus..."
"Idiot. Octopuses don't have ears. How could it possibly hear you?"
Allen walked out of the captain's cabin, picking his nose and looking at her with disdain.
Nami's face instantly darkened. She narrowed her eyes and glared at Robin.
*Good one, Robin. You actually tricked me with a dark joke.*
Robin merely smiled without saying a word. What she didn't mention was that octopuses actually do have a sense of hearing.
"Nami! Robin! Come try my newly developed afternoon tea drinks!"
Downstairs, Sanji's legs spun like windmills as he dashed out of the kitchen. Carrying a tray with two drinks, he eagerly ran up the stairs.
"I want afternoon tea too!"
"What delicious food did Sanji make today?!"
*Bang! Bang!*
Hearing the commotion, two figures roughly burst out of their door upstairs. The Nyaban Brothers leaped down from the third floor, pouncing forward with impatient expressions.
Sanji delivered two swift kicks, sending them tumbling back down to the first floor. He snapped, "Don't you idiots know ladies first? If you want a drink, go to the kitchen and get it yourselves."
"Hehe, thanks, Sanji."
Nami unceremoniously took a gradient blue drink garnished with mint leaves and a straw.
"You are very welcome! This is a dreamy spring refreshing coconut water specially blended with Sky Island Coconuts. Please enjoy it as well, Robin!"
After explaining, Sanji happily trotted over to Robin.
At that moment, Gin came up the deck stairs and walked over to Allen.
"It's time for training, Captain. I'm in your care again today."
"Ah, back for another beating, are we?"
Allen grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Head to the rear deck. Don't go begging for mercy later. Let's go, Sanji."
"Bastard, I'm absolutely going to kick your ass today!" Sanji turned his head, baring his teeth fiercely.
"Yeah, yeah, you said the exact same thing yesterday, and you still ended up beaten like a dead dog," Allen waved his hand mockingly, leading them toward the back of the ship.
Ever since the battle in Skypiea ended, the two of them had inexplicably started training relentlessly. Even Sanji had taken the initiative to ask him to teach him Haki.
Ambition was a good thing, and Allen treated it as having two extra punching bags. Yesterday, he had mercilessly thrashed the two of them.
As long as they didn't die, Allen would beat them to within an inch of their lives.
Backed by the supreme medical skills of the Isshi-20 and the high-energy recovery provided by Sea King meat, there was no need to worry about crippling them.
...
Soon, the sounds of fighting echoed from the back of the ship, gradually evolving into roars and wails of agony.
Nami sat in a chair by the balcony, sipping her drink and reading the newspaper, completely ignoring the gruesome battle taking place below.
"Men equal aggressive. Aggressive equals hot-blooded idiots. Therefore, men equal idiots."
"Is that so? I think it's quite cute."
Across the table, Robin held a book, smiling gently as she looked down at the men training. "Everyone is working this hard so they can better protect their crewmates and sail even further, aren't they?"
"Emmm..."
Nami didn't argue. She just puffed out one cheek and silently turned her gaze downward.
Although she constantly complained, she actually trusted these crewmates more than anyone else. They were always reliable, always dependable.
*But they are still idiots.*
...
It wasn't until evening.
After drifting in the sky for the entire afternoon, the Freewill slowly descended toward the surface of the sea.
The setting sun slowly sank below the horizon, its lingering glow painting the entire sky and ocean, setting the drifting clouds ablaze with crimson light.
Countless crew members leaned against the ship's railing, mesmerized by the dreamlike scenery.
On the surface of the sea, several islands shaped like blooming flowers basked in the evening light. The islands were almost entirely covered in vegetation, looking like green lotuses from the air.
Just then.
A sea beast resembling a rhinoceros surfaced and climbed onto one of the islands.
Everyone watched as the Sea Rhinoceros opened its massive maw, devouring the forest's vegetation while struggling to crawl deeper into the island, as if drawn by something.
"Huh? Why would a sea beast climb ashore?" Sanji asked, his face filled with confusion.
Allen walked out, looking at the islands before them. He frowned slightly as a fragment of memory surfaced in his mind.
*Isn't this the Boin Archipelago?*
Sure enough.
Just as the crew was feeling puzzled, the lotus-shaped island that the sea beast had climbed onto suddenly began to move violently!
Amidst a violent tremor, the "petals" actually rose up and slowly began to close like a flower bud.
The sea beast that had mistakenly wandered onto the island panicked and struggled, tumbling down the nearly vertical forest into the depths of the "bud"!
"Hiss!"
"The... The island is alive!"
"What a terrifying place!"
Seeing this, everyone's eyes widened in shock, clutching their heads in terror.
As expected, this was definitely the Boin Archipelago.
Allen finally confirmed his suspicions and told the crew, "Those aren't real islands. They are giant carnivorous plants known as Stomach Barons..."
He shared the sparse information he knew with Nami and the others.
Before long, the Freewill finally touched down on the sea. The Octopus Balloon, having completed its mission, detached from the hull, shrank in size, and flew off into the ocean.
At Allen's command, the reluctant crew sailed the ship toward the Boin Archipelago.
...
To prevent the island from suddenly deciding to feed, only a few people disembarked, and they only dared to stay near the shore.
Allen returned to the captain's cabin, lay down on the sofa, and dialed a Transponder Snail.
"Hey, I'm back on the sea, Bellamy. I'm currently at the Boin Archipelago. Do you have a way to get here?"
"Back on the sea? What does that mean? Never mind that for now. You're at the Boin Archipelago, right? No problem. Give me three days. I'll bring over the fruit the client requested last time, along with the Ancient Type we just acquired."
Bellamy's voice came through the Transponder Snail.
Allen grinned. "You can even reach a place like this without a Log Pose. Doing business with the Donquixote Family really is convenient."
"Ahahaha! Of course! There isn't a single place on the Grand Line our business can't reach. Just wait for me there."
On the other end of the line, Bellamy laughed heartily.
Allen chatted with him for a bit longer before hanging up.
Among the fruits being delivered this time, aside from the Mythical Type Teru Teru Bozu model intended for Nami, there was also a rare Zoan acquired from someone else.
As soon as the seller contacted him, he immediately reached out to Bellamy to buy it on his behalf, offering a staggering price of 1.25 billion Berries.
The Bug-Bug Fruit, Ancient Type, Model: Prehistoric Devil Flower Mantis!
The money spent on it was several times higher than Nami's fruit. Of course, that was because the Mythical Type's appearance wasn't recorded in the encyclopedia, allowing him to snag it for a bargain.
"With this, Nami and Gin's fruits are both sorted."
The corners of Allen's mouth curled up as he leaned back against the sofa.
The Bug-Bug series of fruits were definitely Zoans that many people underestimated.
If a normal mantis were simply enlarged into a three-meter-tall giant, it would undoubtedly die on the spot. Gravity, oxygen levels, and various other factors simply wouldn't support it moving or even surviving as it normally did.
But what if it was a mantis that had evolved in every aspect to perfectly adapt to its environment, with a physical structure fully capable of supporting a massive body?
Many might find it hard to believe, but the truth was, this giant mantis would become a terrifying super killer, possessing combat power capable of crushing the vast majority of creatures its size.
And on this sea, such fantastical super creatures actually existed!
With the enhancement of a Devil Fruit, especially in the human-beast form, the chitinous exoskeleton would perfectly merge with human muscles, while also granting the user various mantis traits.
Serrated scythes that could strike with lightning speed, the top-tier stereoscopic vision of a mantis's compound eyes in the insect world, short-distance but highly maneuverable flight capabilities, and so on.
It was practically the ultimate evolution of biology.
With Gin's current strength, if he ate this Devil Fruit and adapted to his new form, even without having learned Haki yet, his combat power would skyrocket, making him the undisputed second strongest on the crew, right behind Allen.
Thinking of this, Allen couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation.
Afterward, he sat up and took out another Transponder Snail—the one he had received from Kuma.
If the World Government learned from Kuma that Robin was with them, his plan to become a Warlord of the Sea would likely go up in smoke.
However, Allen didn't think Kuma would do that.
The outside world always referred to him as the Warlord who was most obedient to the World Government's orders, but Allen knew that was only because Bonney was being treated for Sapphire Scales. Kuma had no choice but to obey.
Now that Bonney's treatment was complete and she had set sail, even though Kuma's cyborg modifications were nearing completion, his self-awareness hadn't been completely erased yet. In his current state, it was impossible for Kuma to genuinely work for the World Government.
In reality, none of the Warlords truly listened to the World Government; it was purely an exchange of interests. This was especially true for Kuma, who had suffered endless torment at the hands of the Celestial Dragons.
...
Allen stared at the mini Transponder Snail in his hand for a moment before finally pressing the button to dial.
*Puru puru puru!*
After only a few rings, the call connected.
The Transponder Snail, sporting a white mustache, slowly opened its eyes. With drooping eyelids and an appearance of old age, it spoke in a deep voice.
"Is this Demon Lion Allen? I've been waiting for this call for two days. I assume you've already read the letter."
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