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As dusk fell and the sun dipped below the horizon, a grand yet elegant palace stood nestled within the mountains.
Thanks to Hancock's persistence, Shaka finally left his laboratory for once and followed her here.
"It's been a while..." Shaka murmured, gazing at the familiar yet slightly altered grand hall with a trace of nostalgia in his eyes.
After indulging in a lavish dinner, Hancock invited him to bathe together.
Though it didn't get too wild, they still had an intense session.
Hancock, with her remarkable physical endurance, had clearly recovered, looking more radiant and breathtaking than ever.
Over an hour later, feeling refreshed and invigorated, they returned to Hancock's imperial chambers.
"Husband, what are you looking at?" Hancock asked, noticing Shaka studying the bed. Her cheeks flushed, thinking he might be in the mood for another round.
"Having tasted pleasure, she was now eager for more. Her lips were moist, and her delicate figure leaned towards him, exuding an irresistible charm. She looked at him with eyes burning with desire, and whispered his name in a soft voice. Her breaths quickened, and her heart pounded, as she waited for his touch."
Shaka chuckled, gently kissing her and running his fingers through her silky black hair. "Back then, I built a secret underground chamber here, within the mountain."
"I stored all the Devil Fruits I collected over time in that chamber."
"Even your Love-Love Fruit was originally kept there. But at the time, only Fire Blossom knew about this secret... I wonder if she took them all before leaving?"
"A hidden chamber?" Hancock blinked in surprise.
"Are you sure? I've lived here for years and never found any secret mechanisms or hidden rooms!"
She scrutinized the bed she had slept on for over a decade, unable to believe Shaka's words. "Maybe Fire Blossom destroyed the chamber before leaving and restored the place to its original state?"
After all, Hancock had been ruling as empress since she was eighteen, spending nearly all her days and nights in this very room.
And yet, she had never noticed any secret chambers.
Could Shaka really have built one here?
"Let's take a look and find out." Shaka smiled confidently.
Under Hancock's astonished gaze, he effortlessly moved aside the massive bed she slept in daily.
With practiced ease, he walked up to an unremarkable section of the floor.
Then, with a firm stomp—
Boom!
The floor didn't break.
Instead, it caved in slightly.
Rumble... A section of the floor not far away trembled and suddenly flipped open.
A hidden passageway appeared before them.
The passage was long and spacious, illuminated by softly glowing night pearls embedded along the walls.
"This is..." Hancock was stunned.
She had never known such a secret lay right beneath her bed.
"Unless you apply significant force, the mechanism won't activate," Shaka explained with a chuckle.
Leading Hancock inside, they stepped into the chamber. Unlike what she expected, there were no piles of gold or treasures.
Instead, at the far end stood a series of neatly arranged cabinets.
On the shelves sat numerous ornate treasure boxes, each labeled carefully.
The top shelves held boxes marked with names like Dog-Dog Fruit: Mythical Zoan – Nine-Tailed Fox Form, Snake-Snake Fruit: Mythical Zoan – Yamata no Orochi Form, Logia – Swamp Fruit, and Paramecia – Love-Love Fruit.
Further below, the labels included Dragon-Dragon Fruit: Ancient Zoan – Bull Dragon Form, Dog-Dog Fruit: Pitbull Form, Dog-Dog Fruit: Shiba Inu Form, Snake-Snake Fruit: Black Mamba Form, Cat-Cat Fruit: Black Cat Form, Bird-Bird Fruit: Eagle Form, Bug-Bug Fruit: Rhinoceros Beetle Form, Bug-Bug Fruit: Butterfly Form, Paramecia – Sonic Fruit, Paramecia – Pen Fruit, Paramecia – Steel Fruit, Paramecia – Stitch Fruit, and Paramecia – Weapon Fruit.
There were about a dozen treasure boxes in total.
Some were labeled as "Unknown Abilities."
However, certain boxes, like the ones marked Paramecia – Love-Love Fruit and Dog-Dog Fruit: Mythical Zoan – Nine-Tailed Fox Form, had already been opened.
"Whoa... Are all these boxes filled with Devil Fruits?" Hancock's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the treasure trove before her. "This many...!"
She never would have imagined it.
If she and her sisters hadn't been lucky enough to obtain their abilities from Fire Blossom, they might have never had Devil Fruits at all.
For the past ten years, Amazon Lily hadn't managed to acquire a single Devil Fruit.
Yet, hidden beneath her own chambers was a collection of them.
It was surreal.
"Collecting Devil Fruits is one of my few hobbies," Shaka admitted with a grin.
He opened the boxes one by one, confirming that the fruits inside remained untouched. "Some of these were stolen from the World Government and the Navy. Some I took from kingdoms during my travels across the Grand Line and the Four Seas. Others were plundered from pirates or bought from the black market."
"I also personally gathered a few from places like Dressrosa in the New World."
"Though I've used quite a few over time, it looks like Fire Blossom continued adding more after I left. There are more here than I remember."
Among the new additions, Shaka noticed a few fruits he didn't recall placing, including the Paramecia – Weapon Fruit—a power he knew White Dragon had copied in the past.
The original ability user had been eliminated, but Shaka never found the Weapon Fruit's reincarnation afterward.
It seemed Fire Blossom and her people had managed to acquire it somehow and stored it here.
"Perfect timing. Let's put them to good use."
After scanning the collection, Shaka picked out a few Devil Fruits, including the Snake-Snake Fruit: Mythical Zoan – Yamata no Orochi Form, Paramecia – Pen Fruit, Bird-Bird Fruit: Eagle Form, and Cat-Cat Fruit: Black Cat Form.
Some of these were intended for training warriors like Kikyo and Marguerite.
Of course, he couldn't have a ship full of only Devil Fruit users.
A few mighty Blue Gorillas, famous as "ocean gladiators," would be a great addition to the crew.
And, of course, keeping a few beautiful mermaids around was a necessity.
"The rest of these can stay here for now. I'll come back for them when I need them."
"....."