The trio continued down the street, and the buildings lining it gradually shifted from broken-down taverns and rough pirate dens into more polished, luxurious hotels and high-end shops that clearly belonged to the wealthier district of the island.
Tesoro followed closely behind Roy, his expression still buzzing with excitement; the scene from moments ago had clearly set his blood on fire, the kind of thrill that refused to fade so easily.
“Boss, that move you just pulled off was so cool!
That guy couldn’t even lay a finger on you!”
Stella, walking slightly to the side, tilted her head with curiosity and asked, “Roy, what kind of ability did you use?
Was it a Devil Fruit?”
“Yes.” Roy flicked his finger casually, and the box Tesoro had been carrying floated up slowly, as if lifted by an unseen current, before drifting neatly into his hand.
“This is one of the Devil Fruits we snatched from the Celestial Dragons.”
Hearing that, both Tesoro and Stella widened their eyes slightly, their expressions shifting into unmistakable admiration and longing as they watched him so effortlessly display power beyond normal human limits.
Tesoro stepped forward with a grin, rubbing the back of his head.
“Boss, isn’t there still one Devil Fruit left?”
Roy glanced at him, immediately understanding what he was implying, and began explaining in a steady, serious tone.
“Tesoro, Devil Fruits are divided into three categories: Logia, Zoan, and Paramecia.
Each one has completely different rules and limitations.”
“A Logia Devil Fruit allows the user to transform their body into an element after eating it, making physical attacks almost useless against them.
They can also unleash large-scale destructive power depending on their element.”
“Wow!
Boss Roy, wouldn’t someone who eats a Logia Fruit basically be invincible!”
Tesoro blurted out before Roy could even finish speaking, his eyes shining with exaggerated excitement.
Roy shot him a flat look.
“Do you want to hear the rest or not?”
Tesoro immediately sealed his lips and mimed zipping them shut, which made Stella cover her mouth and giggle softly at the sight.
Roy continued calmly.
“The Zoan type allows the user to transform into animals, strengthening the body itself and enhancing endurance and recovery.
The Paramecia type is the most varied; it grants all kinds of strange and unique abilities that do not fall into the other two categories.”
He paused slightly, then added with a hint of pride.
“And your boss here is a Paramecia user of the Nen-Nen Fruit.”
While speaking, they entered a hotel that clearly belonged to the upper tier of the island, booked a large suite without hesitation, and followed the attendant up to their room.
Once inside, Roy continued, his tone turning slightly more instructional.
“Tesoro, Devil Fruit abilities are strange and unpredictable.
Some can elevate a person to the top of the sea instantly, while others are so limited they might not even be able to defeat an ordinary pirate.”
“More importantly, once someone eats a Devil Fruit, the sea rejects them.
Contact with seawater or Seastone will immediately drain their strength and nullify their abilities, leaving them helpless.”
After the attendant left and the door closed, the room became quiet.
Tesoro immediately opened the box and pulled out the remaining Devil Fruit.
“Boss, what type is this one?”
The fruit in his hands was completely snow-white, shaped like a cantaloupe, covered in delicate feather-like patterns that gave it an unusual, almost elegant appearance.
“It looks like a Zoan type,” Roy observed, “and judging from those feather patterns, it’s likely a bird-type Zoan.”
“What do you say?
Do you want to eat it?”
Hearing that it was a Zoan, Tesoro immediately curled his lip and casually handed it back as if he had lost interest.
“Haha, even if it’s a standard Zoan, a bird-type still gives you flight.
That alone is enough to keep you from falling helplessly into the sea.”
Roy said this lightly as he prepared to return it to the treasure box.
Stella, who had been quietly listening the entire time, suddenly spoke up and stopped him.
“Roy, can I have that Devil Fruit?
I want to try it.
If it gives me the ability to fly, then I won’t be a burden to you and Tesoro in future battles.”
Roy paused for a moment, then smiled faintly and placed the fruit into her hands instead.
“What nonsense are you talking about?
I went through great lengths to get you out from under the Celestial Dragons.
As my chief navigator, how could I ever see you as a burden?”
Then, with a teasing tone, he added, “Besides, you’re Tesoro’s moonlight.
If anything ever goes wrong, he would fight tooth and nail to protect you.”
Tesoro, who had been sitting on the bed, immediately turned bright red upon hearing this, then jumped up and repeatedly thumped his chest as if making an oath, insisting loudly that he would protect her no matter what.
Stella glanced at Tesoro’s exaggerated reaction, then at Roy’s relaxed smile, and finally a genuine, warm smile blossomed on her face.
After everything she had endured under the Celestial Dragons, standing here now with people who treated her like this felt almost unreal, yet comforting in a way she had never known.
“Do you want to eat it now, Stella?” Roy asked.
“Yes!
Yes!
Hurry up and eat it!” Tesoro quickly added from the side.
Under their expectant gazes, Stella gently brought the Devil Fruit to her mouth and took a bite without hesitation.
“Ugh~”
“Hahaha~~”
Roy immediately burst into laughter.
Having already experienced it himself, he knew exactly how unbearable the taste of a Devil Fruit was, and how that strange rejection of the body and soul always followed the first bite.
Stella, meanwhile, looked like she was seriously reconsidering all her life decisions, her expression twisted in pure disgust.
Realizing she was struggling, Roy quickly stopped laughing and said seriously, “Even a single bite is enough to gain the ability, but I’ve heard that eating the entire fruit helps with better mastery and even potential awakening.”
Hearing that, Stella closed her eyes tightly as if preparing herself for battle, then, with a determined expression, shoved the rest of the Devil Fruit into her mouth.
“Stella?!”
Tesoro instinctively stepped forward in concern.
But before he could reach her, white feathers began to spread across Stella’s skin.
Her arms gradually reshaped into wings, and her legs transformed into bird-like talons.
“It really is an avian type!” Roy said calmly.
In the next moment, Stella’s body expanded slightly until she stood as a two-meter-tall white bird, her form still carrying faint traces of humanity beneath the feathers.
Roy immediately instructed Tesoro to open the hotel window.
“Go out and try it, Stella.
Get used to your ability.”
With a powerful flap of her wings, the transformed Stella leapt out of the window and soared into the open sky.
Tesoro leaned against the window frame, watching her glide freely above the island, his expression filled with unmistakable envy.
Roy stepped beside him and lightly patted his shoulder.
“Don’t be envious.
Your boss will find you something good too.”
Tesoro straightened instantly.
“Thank you, Boss!!”
While they spoke, Stella completed a wide circle in the sky before suddenly diving back down.
She entered the room smoothly and then gradually reverted to her human form.
“How is it, Stella?” Roy asked.
“It’s amazing, Roy,” she replied, still catching her breath.
“I ate the Zoan-Type Bird-Bird Fruit, White Pigeon Form.
Not only can I fly, but I can also sense magnetic fields and changes in weather.
With this, we won’t get lost at sea anymore.”
“Oh!
That is something worth celebrating,” Roy said, genuinely pleased.
A navigator who could read the sea and sky was more valuable than most combat power on the ocean.
“Then let’s have a feast,” he added.
“We’ll celebrate Stella gaining her ability.”
He immediately instructed Tesoro to go downstairs and bring up food, drinks, and everything they could get their hands on from the kitchen.
However, far from their celebration, at the port below the island, the remaining henchmen of the Giant Axe Pirates who had fled earlier finally returned, their faces twisted with fear and urgency as they rushed back into action.