"Who’s going first?"
Ron swept his gaze across the crowd, his voice echoing through the air.
The gathered pirates exchanged looks, each both nervous and excited. They all knew that if the first person to step up failed, it would be incredibly embarrassing.
Everyone secretly hoped someone else would volunteer first so they could observe from the sidelines.
For a moment, time seemed to slow down.
A tense, oppressive atmosphere filled the air.
Then a clear voice broke the silence.
"Me!"
Everyone immediately turned toward the source of the voice.
The speaker was none other than the only female captain among the Whitebeard Pirates—the Ice Witch, Whitey Bay.
Ron naturally recognized her.
Whitey Bay possessed long, waterfall-like black hair that flowed gracefully down her back. Her full lips curved into a confident smile, and her striking features gave off a unique charm. She wore a stylish striped short-sleeved shirt adorned with decorative floral buttons, while a lace-trimmed scarf around her neck added a playful touch.
"Vice Captain Ron, can we begin?"
Whitey Bay looked at Ron with eyes full of affection, admiration practically overflowing from them.
Handsome, powerful, and talented—he was exactly her type.
Ron was caught slightly off guard by her boldness. As expected, women in the world of pirates were remarkably direct, especially when expressing their feelings.
"Uh... sure, sure."
As he spoke, Ron carefully took out a small glass vial containing Admiral Aokiji’s blood.
Under everyone’s watchful gaze, he slowly dripped the blood onto three white Enchanted Devil Fruits.
The moment the blood touched the fruits, a miraculous transformation occurred.
The originally pure white surfaces began changing rapidly.
The white spiral patterns seemed to awaken under some mysterious force, instantly turning into deep, enchanting shades of blue.
Not only that, but the blue patterns became increasingly intricate and beautiful, resembling ancient runes filled with unknown power.
The entire process lasted only a few moments, yet it left everyone speechless.
Even though they had already witnessed many incredible sights, they were still deeply shocked by the scene before them.
An indescribable atmosphere filled the laboratory, inspiring both excitement and awe.
"It’s incredible. Every time I see this, I feel the urge to worship Vice Captain Ron."
"Hahaha, same here!"
"I’m so jealous. I wonder when it’ll finally be our turn."
The three ice-blue Devil Fruits sat quietly on the worktable.
"I hope my luck isn’t that bad."
Whitey Bay stepped forward, carefully picked up one of the fruits, and took a bite.
"..."
Her expression instantly twisted.
As expected, Devil Fruits tasted every bit as disgusting as the rumors claimed.
Suppressing the urge to vomit, she forced herself to swallow it.
Under the crowd’s expectant gaze, she carefully sensed the changes within her body.
A few moments passed.
Nothing happened.
"That’s normal. Try another one."
Ron already knew it had failed and casually handed her a second fruit.
"Hmph!"
Whitey Bay hadn’t expected her first attempt to fail.
Confusion and unwillingness filled her heart.
Still, she didn’t hesitate.
She immediately ate the second Devil Fruit.
The moment she swallowed it, a dramatic change occurred.
Ice-blue mist began flowing from her body.
It looked as though some mysterious power had awakened within her and was rapidly spilling outward.
The mist spread in all directions, covering everything nearby.
Flowers, plants, tables, and chairs were instantly frozen into ice sculptures.
A bone-chilling cold filled the air.
"Not good! Back up!"
Someone shouted in alarm.
Everyone hurriedly retreated several steps.
Just as they regained their footing, the mist vanished completely, as though it had never existed.
Whitey Bay stood there awkwardly, an apologetic smile on her face.
"Sorry, everyone. I got a little too excited after succeeding and lost control."
The crowd stared at the frozen surroundings.
Their hearts were filled with shock and curiosity.
This Devil Fruit ability was simply too powerful.
As the frost dissipated, Whitey Bay’s excited figure emerged.
Without a second thought, she rushed forward and gave Ron a huge hug.
The impressive softness pressing against his chest nearly suffocated him.
"Cough, cough... Congratulations. Your luck’s pretty good. You succeeded on your second try."
Ron struggled free.
With so many people watching, there was no way he could comfortably remain in her embrace.
"Hehehe~~~"
Whitey Bay covered her mouth and giggled.
Their Vice Captain Ron was actually shy.
She liked that kind of man even more.
Then she leaned close to his ear and whispered softly:
"Vice Captain, Whitey Bay will come personally thank you tonight~"
Ron: "..."
I treat you like a crewmate, and you want to sleep with me?
"Cough... Next. Who’s up?"
"Me!"
"Me too!"
The testing continued.
As more and more Devil Fruits were consumed, all three batches of the Ice-Ice Fruit enchantments were eventually used up.
The results exceeded Ron’s expectations.
"Out of nine Enchanted Devil Fruits, six actually succeeded?"
The Whitebeard Pirates now possessed six users of the Ice-Ice Fruit powers.
It was hard to imagine the impact such a force would have on the seas if news of it ever got out.
Next came the Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Phoenix Enchanted Devil Fruits.
The process went smoothly.
The results weren’t as astonishing as the Ice-Ice Fruit, but they were still impressive.
In total, three new users successfully obtained Phoenix Powers.
"Now it’s Pops’ turn with the Tremor-Tremor Fruit! I’m going first!"
Jozu impatiently pushed his way out of the crowd.
From the very beginning, he had planned to obtain an enchanted version of Pops’ Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
After waiting this long, his chance had finally arrived.
"Pops, I’ll have to trouble you."
"Gurarararara! It’s no trouble at all. It’s only a little blood."
Whitebeard stepped forward and lightly cut the tip of his finger.
Drops of blood emerged from the wound and fell onto each Devil Fruit.
Under everyone’s astonished gaze, the white fruits immediately began transforming.
Strange patterns spread across their surfaces like living creatures.
The markings intertwined and expanded, quickly forming wave-like ripple designs.
The ripples seemed to contain some mysterious and terrifying power.
Just looking at them inspired awe.