Kaya, having dispelled her transformation, was surrounded on the Gale by Nami, Yamato, and the others, all of them chattering nonstop with wide-eyed amazement.
None of them had expected the fruit Kaya ate to be so absurdly powerful — a Mythical Zoan that could also elementalize its user.
They had never even heard of such a thing before. Shock aside, they were genuinely happy for Kaya.
Now that she, too, was a Devil Fruit user, they immediately began planning a celebration feast.
Robin watched Kaya being crowded by the group, her expression a mixture of thoughtfulness and complexity.
"According to legend, the Snow Maiden is a spirit born from the heavens, and only those with gentle, pure hearts can gain her favor. Kaya really is quite lucky."
Beside her, Hancock nodded in contemplation. "It seems the rumor that Devil Fruits choose their own owners may not be just a rumor after all."
As she spoke, she wrapped Leno's arm into her embrace, looking up at him with admiration.
"Lord Leno, did you realize this ahead of time? Is that why you agreed to let Kaya eat that fruit?"
Hancock's words made everyone turn to Leno in shock. Even Nami sneakily glanced over with a somewhat awkward expression.
Devil Fruits choosing their own users? Wasn't that supposed to be just a legend? Could Leno have known it was real all along?
Feeling everyone's eyes on him, Leno rubbed his forehead helplessly.
"You really think I'm a god who knows everything? It was just luck this time."
"Tch. Sure, deny it all you want."
Everyone rolled their eyes at him, clearly not buying his excuse.
Robin's gaze lingered on him with quiet curiosity, making Leno uncomfortable enough to look away toward Wapol, who still lay collapsed on the deck.
"Hey. That fruit — where did you get it?"
Wapol, who thought no one was paying attention to him, jolted violently at being addressed and stammered out a reply.
"M-my soldiers… they found it… in the snow…"
"I see. Mikita, throw him in the second underground cell. And make sure he doesn't die."
After casually dealing with Wapol, Leno turned his eyes toward the endless snowy landscape beyond, falling silent.
He had never heard of the fruit Kaya ate, but that didn't stop him from understanding its potential.
A Devil Fruit with both Mythical Zoan and Logia traits — its power was beyond question. With proper development, it might produce astonishing results.
For now, it was too early to judge, but it was definitely stronger than the so-called Snow-Snow Fruit.
Having quietly drafted a training plan for Kaya in his mind, Leno piloted the ship toward the base of the mountain.
...
Dalton eventually accepted the people's request and ascended the throne early. He also abandoned the mountaintop castle, choosing instead to live among his citizens.
Dr. Kureha, naturally, claimed the castle for herself. The old woman never bothered with politeness; sometimes, her behavior resembled that of a pirate more than a doctor.
For Chopper's sake, Leno gifted her a ring containing Pure Gold — which delighted her to no end. She claimed she could now maintain her youth forever.
After two days in Drum Kingdom wrapping up all remaining affairs, Leno and the others finally set off again.
Through Chopper's teary reluctance and Dr. Kureha's cackling curses, the Gale sailed quickly out of port and back into open sea.
Once Nami confirmed the heading and the ship began steady travel, Vivi suddenly let out a loud cry that made everyone look over.
"Ah! I remember now! Wapol is the bastard who bullied me when I was little!"
From the moment she saw him, Vivi had felt that he looked oddly familiar.
For two days she'd been racking her brain, trying to remember where she'd seen him.
Only when Leno announced they were heading for Alabasta did it finally click in her mind.
Under everyone's curious stares, Vivi awkwardly recounted her childhood encounter with Wapol.
Upon hearing that Vivi had been hit by Wapol as a child, her close friend Nami immediately vowed to go teach him a lesson later.
Her disdain for Wapol deepened — what kind of trash bullied children?
"I didn't expect this guy to be so rotten. No wonder he mistreated his own people. Good thing we kidnapped him!"
Finishing her grumbling, Vivi looked at Nami with a hint of worry.
"We kidnapped a king… Will this cause problems? Drum Kingdom is a member nation of the World Government…"
"D-don't worry! Everything is fine. Totally fine… hah… hah…"
Nami's expression stiffened immediately.
She had completely forgotten. A whole king! She'd been too absorbed in admiring Devil Fruits and forgot something so important.
That idiot Leno — what was he thinking kidnapping a king?
She turned and glared murderously at Leno, who was now calmly napping under a sunshade.
In the end, she gave up thinking altogether. If trouble came, they would just shove the idiot in front to solve it.
...
Near the desert kingdom of Alabasta.
A Marine battleship sailed through the waters. Hina sat straight at a table in her pink suit and Marine coat, listening to a black Den Den Mushi that intermittently crackled with voices.
"I am Mr. 0… Princess Vivi is with the adventurer group…"
"Mission… speeding up…"
"In future… same as usual… through coded orders… that is all."
A Marine soldier nearby, recording the conversation, looked at his commanding officer with surprise.
"Colonel Hina… the adventurer group they mentioned… Could it be… him?"
Cold sweat trickled down his face. If it was truly that monster, they were in danger.
Ever since Marineford, that man's name had become taboo within the Marines — no one dared mention him lightly.
"Princess Vivi… that should be the princess of Alabasta. She disappeared not long ago."
Hina slowly exhaled a stream of smoke, confusion flashing in her eyes before her expression shifted to realization.
"Hina thinks she understands. With a princess involved, someone like that man would definitely be interested."
"So Princess Vivi was kidnapped by him?"
"We don't know yet. But the 'Mr. 0' mentioned earlier should be a codename for their criminal organization. The guy we captured recently had that same designation."
Hina rose and stepped onto the deck, staring out over the distant sea, her heart far more unsettled than she showed.
If… if that man really had kidnapped a princess, should she call for support from headquarters?
And that criminal organization… were they connected to the adventurer group?
After a long moment, she turned around and issued her command.
"Change course. Set sail for Alabasta."