บท 176: 176. Gol-Gol Fruit
Minion Island, West Shore.
Two different-looking warships are silently floating here. One is a regular patrol ship, and the other belongs to Vice Admiral Tsuru, who's the chief staff officer at the headquarters!
On the ship's front, Vice Admiral Tsuru, a silver-haired lady, gently lowered her telescope and inquired to the female Marine beside her, "How's that young man faring at the moment?"
The lad the Vice Admiral mentioned was a boy saved by the Marines from the island. He didn't get trapped in the formidable Birdcage. Instead, he coincidentally crossed paths with a patrol warship keeping an eye on Minion Island, leading to his rescue.
The Marine, a woman in a low-collared shirt, giggled while covering her mouth. "His mental state seems okay, but he took a beating in several spots and is a bit undernourished. You probably wouldn't guess his age accurately."
"Oh?" Vice Admiral Tsuru was quite intrigued. The young fellow who boarded their boat appeared to be only twelve or thirteen years old. Could it be that his real age was much older?
"Just by looking at him, you'd never guess this lad is 19 years old! Prolonged mistreatment and lack of proper nutrition have significantly stunted his physical growth."
The Marine, the girl in the low-collared shirt, couldn't help but feel a bit sorry when she considered the boy's state.
"Has he shared where he comes from?"
"His name is Drake, and Barrels is his father. However, Barrels is also the one who mistreated him. It seems like he harbors a strong resentment towards his father."
Worried that Vice Admiral Tsuru might hold a bias against Drake due to his pirate lineage, the Marine girl in the low-collared shirt couldn't resist mentioning it.
"Barrels..."
Vice Admiral Tsuru shook his head slightly and promptly instructed the Marine girl with the low-collared shirt, "Bring that young lad back to the Marines and train him diligently. I believe he has the potential to become an exceptional Marine in the future."
"Alright, what's our next assignment?"
"Just be patient a bit longer. Our mission in North Blue is nearly accomplished, and our great hero is yet to make an appearance."
Vice Admiral Tsuru observed the towering Birdcage gradually fading in the distance, and a smile involuntarily spread across his lips.
She had just finished talking to Sengoku on the phone and got the news that Doflamingo had been captured by Atlas. The Donquixote Family, the underground rulers of North Blue, had become a thing of the past.
...
The other side of Minion Island.
A pirate ship silently anchored here, and the unmistakable pirate flag indicated that it belonged to the Donquixote Family.
During this moment, Atlas was accompanied by Tesoro. Suspended in the air was a unconscious Doflamingo, while Rosinante held Law, who had just drifted into slumber.
A few individuals cautiously stepped onto the pirate ship, casting careful glances at the vessel that had once struck fear into countless hearts in North Blue. They sensed a change, both in the surroundings and the people themselves.
"Hey Atlas, what's our purpose here?"
Rosinante gazed at the familiar pirate ship, a hint of confusion in his expression, as he questioned Atlas.
"Of course, it's to gather the spoils and... tidy up the leftovers!"
Boom!
The moment he finished talking, the barrel of a machine gun emerged from the shadows, swiftly seized by Atlas with one hand. His thumb, coated in Armament Haki, firmly pressed against the muzzle.
"What's your take on this, kid?"
Suddenly turning his head, Atlas applied a bit of force to his arm and yanked out the figure lurking in the shadows!
A black-haired young girl in a black dress, sporting a bow tied into a ponytail at the back of her head, and wearing a pitiful expression, suddenly materialized in front of the trio. However, her words were far from ladylike, "Let me go! I want to kill you! I want to avenge young master!"
Atlas wore a perplexed expression. He glanced down at the gun in his hand, and at its tip rested the shoulder of the black-haired Loli!
"Are you a Arms-Arms Fruit user?"
"Do you really expect me to answer that?" The black-haired Loli, who had been fiercely resisting moments ago, suddenly became submissive and looked at them with anticipation.
"Uh-huh."
"Ah~ do you need me?"
A hint of red crossed the black-haired Loli's face, and she nodded vigorously, "Yes, I'm a Paramecia Arms-Arms Fruit user!"
Rosinante hesitated for a moment and spoke to Atlas in a gentle tone, "Her name is Baby-5. She's also a troubled child with some personality quirks. It won't be long before she becomes part of the Donquixote Family. Can she..."
"Ah——! Corazon, can you talk?"
Just as Rosinante was making a plea for Baby-5, the latter looked horrified. She was well-acquainted with Rosinante, the eccentric member of the family who wasn't fond of children. When she initially joined the Donquixote Family, she encountered him almost every time. Rosinante would lash out at her without any apparent reason.
A peculiar expression crossed Atlas's eyes. What he observed indicated that only Baby-5 was on the boat, and the others were some Donquixote Family soldiers. Figures like Monet and Sugar were nowhere in sight.
"Is everyone from the Donquixote Family present?"
Atlas turned to Rosinante, seeking clarification with a questioning look.
"No, Doflamingo's next move is to seize the Heavenly Tribute, employ his status as an original Celestial Dragon to extract the Shichibukai's whereabouts from the World Government, and then head to the New World to reclaim Dressrosa. Someone from the family is already in Dressrosa gathering intelligence."
Even though Doflamingo had some suspicions about Rosinante, his flawless disguise allowed him to grasp the Donquixote Family's plan to establish a nation.
"Is that right..." Atlas absentmindedly rubbed his chin.
Monet was likely assigned to serve as a maid to the royal princess of Dressrosa. As for Sugar, she could be considered the ultimate weapon of the Donquixote Family and the linchpin of their entire nation-building scheme. Naturally, bringing her out into the open was out of the question.
"Baby-5, huh? How about joining the Marines?"
"Ah~ do you need me again!?"
Baby-5 appeared shy as usual, and the barrel of the gun held by Atlas struggled to maintain its Devil Fruit power, giving the impression that Atlas was making a proposal to her.
"That's correct. I need you to join the Marines!"
Even though he was somewhat taken aback, Atlas still cooperated with the distressed little girl.
"That's fantastic! I agree to join the Marines!"
"Next... let's see what plans the Donquixote Family has in store!"
Atlas's primary target this time is the Gol-Gol Fruit. Baby-5, on the other hand, is more of an incidental acquisition, and her Arms-Arms Fruit holds considerable potential. It's also a superior ability to the Slash-Slash Fruit. If properly developed, she could become a force with formidable combat capabilities in the future.
Boom!
The warehouse door is open!
A Devil Fruit, resembling a gourd and shining in a golden hue, materialized in front of Atlas!
"I've found it... looks like I'm really lucky!"
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Read 35 chapters in advance in Patr*on: patr*on.com/Cosmic_Kaminari
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