Amid cheerful laughter and animated conversation, the crew began their leisurely journey back to the hotel through Pucci's lamp-lit streets, still bustling with late-night festival activities.
"Hehehe, you really are some kind of perverted fisherman," Carina teased with obvious amusement. "You can catch literally anything except what you're actually trying to fish for!"
During their walk, Carina had learned from Skull and Brook about Jerry's embarrassing fishing competition victory, and she couldn't resist joining in the playful mockery.
"Oh really? Well, don't forget that I once fished you too," Jerry shot back with a pointed grin, never one to let such comments pass unchallenged.
The two of them launched into their characteristic back-and-forth banter, trading increasingly creative insults until they encountered Deuce and Ace at the hotel entrance. Both returning crew members had their arms full of purchases, though there was something notably different about Ace's appearance.
Everyone stared at Ace's figure in amazement while Jerry circled around him like he was examining some fascinating specimen.
"Wow! Ace, exactly how much food did you manage to consume today?" Jerry asked with genuine wonder.
Like Carrot and the others, both Ace and Deuce carried numerous bags and packages from their day of exploration. However, Ace's hands were specifically loaded with an impressive variety of colorful foods, snacks, and festival treats he was still actively eating.
Hearing Jerry's question, Ace swallowed the pastry he'd been chewing, scratched his head thoughtfully, and replied with characteristic simplicity:
"Hmm? I honestly have no idea. All I know is that I can definitely keep eating more!"
Brook poked Ace's noticeably fuller midsection with skeletal curiosity and asked, "Mr. Ace, have you literally been eating continuously all day long?"
In response to his friends' amazed exclamations, Ace rubbed the back of his head with slight embarrassment and replied with modest pride:
"Hehe, it wasn't quite that impressive. We did take breaks occasionally between meals."
He grinned widely as he continued, "But I'm pretty confident I've accomplished my goal of sampling every delicious specialty this place has to offer!"
Deuce rolled his eyes with long-suffering patience. "Yes, there were indeed breaks—specifically when we were walking to the next restaurant or food stall."
Ace's love for hosting banquets and enjoying exceptional cuisine was legendary among the crew. Today's Food City celebration had been an absolutely perfect match for his enthusiastic appetite, leaving him thoroughly satisfied with the culinary adventure.
While this hadn't been an official pirate crew banquet, it could certainly be considered a massive citywide feast that welcomed everyone to participate freely.
Additionally, since everyone had been financially comfortable recently and wasn't short of spending money, Ace had been able to eat to his heart's content for most of the day without any budgetary concerns.
The only interruption to his continuous eating had come when Deuce convinced him to participate in the competitive eating contest. Following his navigator's strategic advice, Ace had abstained from food for several hours before the competition began, which naturally led to his easy championship victory.
Being able to eat and drink for free while also winning prize money had excited Ace so much that he'd immediately invested his entire championship earnings back into purchasing more food and beverages for extended enjoyment.
When the group finally reached their floor in the hotel, Deuce clapped his hands together and addressed everyone with his usual responsible authority:
"Alright, let's call it a night here. Everyone should get some good rest since we need to prepare for our return journey to Water 7 tomorrow morning."
"Yes, everyone should head to bed early," Jerry agreed, though he seemed to have something else on his mind.
The crew members began saying their goodnights to each other and turning toward their respective rooms, but Jerry suddenly raised his hand and called out:
"Kotatsu, come over here for a moment."
The large lynx looked mildly confused by the specific request but trotted over to Jerry without hesitation, affectionately rubbing against his leg in their usual greeting.
"What's going on?" Deuce and the others asked, turning their attention back to Jerry with curious expressions.
Jerry bent down and gently stroked Kotatsu's soft fur while chuckling mysteriously, "Nothing particularly urgent. I just wanted to spend some quality time with our favorite cat."
"Well then, you should enjoy your cat-petting session in moderation," Brook replied with his characteristic laugh.
Hearing this casual explanation, the others didn't think much of Jerry's request and gradually returned to their rooms, calling out final goodnights as they disappeared behind closing doors.
Jerry brought Kotatsu into his room and carefully retrieved the system reward item he'd received for completing today's fishing quest. In his palm rested what appeared to be an elaborately detailed cat-shaped biscuit.
"A cat biscuit produced by the system," Jerry murmured thoughtfully. "Let me examine this more carefully."
The object in his hand was remarkably lifelike, crafted to resemble a small cat in perfect detail. The biscuit seemed to shimmer with a faint, mysterious aura, and text appeared before Jerry's eyes—information that only he could see thanks to his unique system interface.
[Cheshire biscuit: Upon consumption, grants the abilities of the Cat-Cat Fruit, Mythical Zoan Type, Cheshire Form. Enhances all feline characteristics and provides the following special abilities: Cheshire's Agility, Cheshire's Curiosity, and Cheshire's Majesty.]
[Cheshire's Agility: Dramatically increases intelligence and reasoning ability, accelerates thinking speed, provides extremely nimble reflexes and movements, and greatly enhances overall speed capabilities.]
[Cheshire's Curiosity: Fills the user with boundless energy and insatiable curiosity about everything in their environment, along with an eager desire to share discoveries and experiences. This trait appears to have secretly developed some additional communication abilities. PS: The consumer gains all Den Den Mushi capabilities, including long-distance radio communication.]
[Cheshire's Majesty: Even cats have their kings. Grants the ability to intimidate and command animal species that are weaker than oneself through natural authority.]
Logically speaking, such an incredibly valuable item could have been offered to any of his human crew members who might be interested in consuming it for the power boost.
However, when Jerry's eyes reached the end of the description, he discovered a line of almost imperceptibly small text hidden at the bottom. This sneaky disclaimer instantly made him abandon any thoughts of sharing the item with his friends.
[Consumption Restrictions: Can only be safely fed to feline who have established a significant bond of trust and affection with the system host. If consumed by humans, will forcibly transform the user into a house cat permanently while maximizing their hatred toward the host.]
"Damn sneaky system!" Jerry cursed internally. "Always trying to play dirty tricks on me! Fortunately, I've learned to check item descriptions thoroughly by now."
Holding the cat biscuit carefully in his palm, Jerry glanced over the item information one more time and mentally raised his middle finger toward the system in frustrated acknowledgment of its mischievous nature.
"Kotatsu, it looks like this special treat can only be consumed by you," Jerry whispered affectionately while stroking the lynx's head. "Although you won't be able to transform into some kind of cat-girl, becoming a mythical Cheshire isn't a bad alternative at all."
Kotatsu rubbed against Jerry's palm and examined the unusual biscuit with obvious curiosity and interest.
The lynx's natural instincts immediately recognized that this was something special and beneficial. From the moment Jerry had produced the cat-shaped treat, Kotatsu had felt an inexplicable but powerful attraction emanating from the mysterious object.
"It seems like you want it too," Jerry observed with a warm smile. "Go ahead then."
After speaking, Jerry crouched down and carefully offered the cat biscuit to Kotatsu's mouth, holding it steady so the lynx could eat comfortably.
After receiving clear permission, Kotatsu didn't hesitate for even a moment. The lynx opened its mouth wide, gently took the biscuit between its teeth, chewed quickly to break it down, and swallowed the entire thing with obvious satisfaction.
Almost immediately, the magical treat seemed to dissolve and absorb into Kotatsu's system like some kind of enhanced delicacy that melted instantly upon consumption. Kotatsu released a distinctive feline yowl as its body began undergoing dramatic transformations.
The lynx's entire physical structure—muscles, bones, and internal systems—appeared to be restructuring and improving beyond their natural limitations. Kotatsu's body seemed to expand slightly while simultaneously emanating a powerful, almost regal aura that hadn't existed before.
The lynx's fur coat appeared to have been treated with some kind of premium conditioning treatment, becoming incredibly soft and lustrous. Each individual hair strand now sparkled with vibrant, healthy radiance that seemed to glow with its own inner light.
Kotatsu's muscle definition became more pronounced and perfectly sculpted, resembling the work of a master artist while containing obvious explosive power ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice.
However, the most dramatic and obvious change was the pair of magnificent wings that suddenly sprouted from Kotatsu's back between the shoulder blades.
These wings appeared strong and fully functional, with neatly arranged feathers that created an appearance both mysterious and undeniably powerful. Most remarkably, the wings seemed capable of being hidden or fully extended according to Kotatsu's conscious will and preference.
Seeing Kotatsu's noticeably brighter, more intelligent eyes and the faint luminous glow surrounding the lynx's transformed fur, Jerry nodded with deep satisfaction at the successful enhancement.
He glanced toward the door as he heard Ace and the other crew members gathering in the hallway again, drawn by Kotatsu's distinctive transformation cry