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A panda-branded Flying Nimbus shot through the sky, soaring toward the horizon.
"I've already learned a lot about Baroque Works from Robin..." Shaka said with a smile as he let go of Miss Golden Week, whose face was flushed red but who made no effort to resist. "Your name is Marianne, right?"
Leaving that warm embrace, Miss Golden Week felt a faint sense of loss in her heart. Still, she responded seriously, "Yes, Lord Shaka..."
Shaka nodded, then turned to Miss Doublefinger and Miss Valentine, looking them up and down. "You're Sara, and you're Mikita?"
"Yes, Lord Shaka..." Sara and Mikita both responded a bit nervously.
"Relax, no need to be so tense..." Shaka crossed his arms and sat comfortably, chuckling. "I'm easy to get along with when it comes to my own people. I'm not as harsh or cruel as other pirates, and I don't have a ton of ridiculous rules..."
"Just remember one thing: the captain is always in charge."
Sara, Mikita, and Marianne were speechless.
Isn't that just another way of saying, 'Don't go against me'?
You're the captain, so of course, you're the boss.
"Understood, Lord Shaka!"
Flying on a cloud for the first time, all three of them found it quite novel. As pirates, they were naturally adventurous. Except for Marianne, who was a bit quieter, both Sara and Mikita were fairly outgoing and quickly started to relax.
"You're not a Devil Fruit user, are you?"
Shaka pulled a fruit from his pack—the Paramecia-type Pen-Pen Fruit—and placed it in front of Marianne, smiling. "If you don't mind being cursed by the sea and becoming a landlubber, go ahead and eat it."
"Huh? A Devil Fruit?"
Marianne froze. "For me?"
She hadn't expected such a huge gift so soon after agreeing to follow him.
She had, of course, heard of the legendary treasures of the sea—there were quite a few Devil Fruit users in Baroque Works. Even the weakest Devil Fruits were said to be worth at least a hundred million Berries.
"A Devil Fruit..."
"I wonder what kind of power it has?"
Sara and Mikita also widened their eyes in shock. They hadn't expected Shaka to be so generous.
The three of them had only just agreed to follow him. In a way, they had been half-forced into it, and there was still no real trust between them.
Yet, he was willing to gift such a valuable Devil Fruit to Miss Golden Week as a welcome present.
"This is the Paramecia-type Pen-Pen Fruit. Consider it my gift to you, Marianne."
Shaka playfully pinched Marianne's youthful face and smiled.
Then he turned to the still-dazed Sara and Mikita. "You two already have Devil Fruits. I'll make it up to you with a different gift in the future."
From Robin's memories, he knew that Sara—Miss Doublefinger—had the Paramecia-type Spike-Spike Fruit, while Mikita—Miss Valentine—had the Paramecia-type Kilo-Kilo Fruit.
"No need, Lord Shaka..."
"Just being able to follow you is already an honor!"
Sara and Mikita quickly spoke up.
A boss this generous, not to mention handsome and incredibly powerful—
They felt like they had made the best decision of their lives.
"The Pen-Pen Fruit?" Marianne held the oddly shaped fruit, her large eyes filled with curiosity.
"It allows whatever you draw to become real. If you draw a bird, or even a dragon, you can make it manifest."
"However, the strength of what you create depends on your artistic skill and power."
"Turning drawings into reality?"
Sara and Mikita were stunned.
They hadn't expected Shaka to give Marianne such an overpowered ability.
"Really?" Marianne was shocked, a mix of surprise and delight.
She tightly gripped the Devil Fruit in her hands like it was a priceless treasure.
This was the ability she had always dreamed of having.
"Why don't you try it and see for yourself?" Shaka suggested with a smile.
Marianne hesitated for a moment, then took a bite of the Pen-Pen Fruit.
"Ugh—it's disgusting!"
"The taste really is unforgettable!" Sara and Mikita chuckled.
The taste of a Devil Fruit was something they would never forget.
"One bite is enough. You don't have to eat the whole thing!" Shaka laughed.
If he were her, he would've eaten it whole, just in case the fruit needed to be fully consumed to unlock its maximum potential.
Of course, that possibility was almost negligible.
"Really?"
Marianne glanced at the remaining fruit, then decisively put it down.
She checked her body curiously, her large eyes full of doubt. "I don't feel any different..."
"You just ate it. It takes time to adapt."
"Yeah, you'll feel it soon enough, Miss Golden Week!" Sara and Mikita, having been through it themselves, reassured her.
Shaka patted her head. "Try drawing something."
"Okay!" Marianne nodded, her face slightly red.
His hand was so warm.
For the first time, she felt completely at ease, with no trace of tension or fear.
"Xiao Bai, stop for a moment!" Shaka signaled the white dragon to halt.
Otherwise, the wind would blow her drawing away.
The giant panda let out a puzzled sound but stopped obediently.
Marianne quickly took out her sketchpad, prepared her paints, and began drawing at high speed.
Under the watchful eyes of Shaka, Sara, and Mikita, a beautifully detailed image took shape.
On the canvas, a lifelike seagull spread its wings, ready to take flight.
Its pose and expression were incredibly realistic—almost indistinguishable from a real seagull.
"Caw—"
Suddenly—
The painted seagull began to change.
It transformed into a real, living seagull and flew up from the canvas, flapping its wings as it circled the group.
"Whoa, this is..."
"It actually came to life!"
Sara and Mikita's eyes widened in disbelief.
Marianne, too, was stunned, both thrilled and amazed.
"Not bad at all..."
Shaka examined the incredibly lifelike seagull, unable to tell it apart from the real thing.
He patted Marianne's cheek, satisfied. "This fruit suits you perfectly."
"Thank you, Lord Shaka! This ability is amazing!" Marianne beamed with joy, her face flushed with excitement.
This was exactly the power she had always wished for.
"It's unbelievable!" Sara reached out and touched the seagull, feeling its soft feathers.
"It's just like a real bird!" Mikita added, equally amazed.
"Drawing skill is important, but to fully utilize the fruit's power, you'll need to train your body as well. Otherwise, your creations will be limited in strength."
Shaka flicked his fingers.
A sharp, invisible blade cut through the seagull, causing it to cry out before dissolving into paint splatters.
"Understood, Lord Shaka! I'll train hard!" Marianne hugged her sketchpad tightly, her youthful face brimming with determination and happiness.
"....."