"Huh? That's it… just this kind of power?" Gölz muttered, disappointed, as she stared at the soft halo of white wings spreading behind Gloriosa.
Medicine! Medicine! Why can't you just crawl into my head on your own!
"Devil Fruit powers… can there really be ones that twist other people's hearts?" the comparatively inexperienced Ripley asked curiously.
"Very likely," Charlotte Linlin affirmed with a nod, her mind flashing to future images of Doflamingo manipulating people with his String-String Fruit and Hancock's domineering petrification.
"Devil Fruit abilities are all strange and varied; warping minds, controlling thoughts… rare, yes, but by no means impossible."
Those powers might be useless against her, yet for her companions they were a lethal threat—and she had no way to dispel such control.
"Mindless Blade" might work, but one swing and she'd be out of fighting strength, probably making things worse. After all, it was a martial skill, not a healing one.
She stepped forward, gently pressed both palms to the docile white horse's head, and locked her violet eyes on the close-up face of Gloriosa, her tone grave:
"Gloriosa, don't underestimate your ability. 'Purification'—if it can dispel and remove the negative effects imposed by other powers, your role in the future will be strategic and irreplaceable."
Charlotte Linlin had a strong premonition that this seemingly useless power would, at some crucial moment, turn the tide.
"A-all right, Linlin." Being stared at from so close, feeling the warmth of her palms and the earnestness in her voice, Gloriosa's cheeks flushed and her heart raced; strange scenes began to form in her mind.
The light around her wavered; the huge winged horse form dissolved in an instant, reverting to a petite figure that softly knelt between Charlotte Linlin's hands.
"Hm? Hair color…"
Charlotte Linlin now noticed Gloriosa's originally dark hair had turned almost silvery white.
"Probably a tiny side-effect of the Devil Fruit."
Watching the pink bubbles begin to float above Gloriosa's head again, Charlotte Linlin knew the woman's old problem was acting up; she smiled helplessly and set her gently aside to stand.
Then she turned her gaze to the remaining Devil Fruit.
"The glare-glare fruit… I remember it from the original memories."
Her eyes swept the deck and finally settled accurately on Navigator Vina.
"Vina, you will eat this glare-glare fruit."
"M-me?" Vina pointed at herself in surprise, staring at the fruit covered in strange patterns.
After more than a year at sea she knew how precious a Devil Fruit was; of course she longed for power, since a single fruit could grant instant transcendence.
Yet when the chance was before her she hesitated and panicked. This was the second fruit Captain Linlin had spent half a year to obtain! She feared her aptitude wasn't enough and she would waste this hard-won treasure. Besides, there were many stronger companions on board… Sensing her turmoil, Charlotte Linlin spoke gently:
"You are our indispensable Navigator. Eating this fruit will vastly expand your field of vision and perception, letting us detect storms, reefs, even enemies far earlier, avoiding countless hidden dangers. From that perspective, no one is more suited to it than you."
She paused, her voice encouraging: "And it will give you a certain ability to protect yourself and to fight, letting you better guard both yourself and the crew. For the sake of gaining the strength to protect everyone, are you unwilling to endure a bit of 'taste'?"
"Of course I'm willing!" Vina's eyes turned resolute at once.
Seeing Charlotte Linlin's warm, trusting smile and feeling the encouraging looks of her companions, Vina drew a deep breath; the last trace of hesitation vanished.
She solemnly accepted the Devil Fruit, closed her eyes, and, enduring the legendary nightmare flavor, bite after bite, firmly ate the entire fruit.
A moment later Vina slowly opened her eyes; the color of her pupils seemed deeper, like an endless starry sky and ocean. She instinctively looked toward the horizon and was instantly overcome with shock.
"I… I can see… so far! The Seagull hovering at the edge of the horizon—every feather on its wings is crystal clear! And… I can almost 'see' the tiny disturbances in the airflow, even vaguely sense the undercurrents beneath the sea…"
Charlotte Linlin nodded in satisfaction, her gentle smile fading into the stern decisiveness of a Captain as she ordered loudly:
"Vina, get familiar with your new power at once! First priority—track down the Phantom Pirates! Since they dared to target our Heavenly Punishment Pirates, they must pay the price!"
"Aye, Captain!" Vina straightened, her voice ringing firm and clear… Marineford, Fleet Admiral's Office.
"Puhahaha—! Sengoku, your senbei… already bears my shape!" Garp waved a half-empty transparent senbei bag, chewing loudly as he let out his trademark laugh.
"Garp, you bastard!!" Sengoku, his braided mustache quivering, roared and slammed the table, clutching the other half of the ruined bag.
It was his treasured premium senbei! To hide it from the "senbei bandit" he'd sneaked into the Fleet Admiral's office, yet the bastard's dog-nose had caught the scent!
And right in front of him! His beloved Miss senbei stolen! A helpless rage flared in his heart.
"Sengoku, don't blame me—senbei chose me of its own accord!" Garp looked innocent and chewed even more happily.
"Both of you shut up!"
Steel Bone Aether, seated at the head, rubbed his throbbing temples.
Ever since Tsuru and Zephyr left on assignment, these two buffoons had turned his office into a daily brawl, and he longed for the peace Tsuru brought.
Fortunately, Tsuru would return soon; this torment was almost over.
"Since you're both here, take a look at the report Tsuru just sent back." Aether slid a file to the center of the desk.
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