The Little Empress blinked, her eyes filled with curiosity as she stared at the blue, swirl-patterned Devil Fruit. Her lips parted slightly as she asked, "What is this?"
"Eating this will make you stronger!" Ryuuto replied affectionately.
Crack!
As the Little Empress took a bite of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, an indescribable flavor flooded her mouth. But soon after, she felt a strange energy surging through her body.
Boom!
The Little Empress suddenly clenched her right fist. In that instant, an invisible shockwave erupted, and the very space around her fist began to vibrate as if it were a shattering mirror.
This was the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
"What a wondrous power!" the Little Empress murmured, her heart filled with joy as she witnessed this.
A playful urge took hold of her.
Next, the Little Empress grabbed the air in front of her with both hands. As an invisible energy burst forth, she pulled hard to the sides, wanting to see if she could make the whole world tremble.
RUMBLE!
In an instant, the entire space shook. Vegapunk's research institute began to vibrate violently.
"Hahahahahaha, what an amazing ability!" The magical scene sent the Little Empress into a fit of laughter.
"This is bad! Quick, stop her!" Seeing the various instruments in the room begin to fall to the floor, Shaka felt a pang of distress and hurriedly shouted at the gleefully playing Little Empress.
"Alright, that's enough. We can play outside next time," Ryuuto coaxed gently.
Voom!
Finally, the Little Empress stopped.
In contrast to his sister, Little Ryuuto was far more composed. He stood silently in place, but the crackling bolts of lightning that intermittently sparked in the air around him proved he was not idle either.
Ryuuto was very pleased with both of their performances. They were not only the continuation of his, Hancock's, and Nami's bloodlines but also a significant boost to the strength of the Soaring Dragon Pirates.
"What just happened?" At that moment, a gust of wind swept through the room, and the figure of Dragon slowly materialized. He looked at Ryuuto and asked.
"Just Little Empress eating the Tremor-Tremor Fruit," Ryuuto explained. As he spoke, the Little Empress proudly flexed her fist at Dragon, showing off the white halo of light coalescing around it—a tangible manifestation of her new power.
Dragon immediately understood what had transpired. This made him look forward to Vegapunk's research on the salamander's tail even more, especially since it was a piece of Imu himself.
The days passed one by one. The presence of the Little Empress and Little Ryuuto added much joy to their lives.
Of course, Van Augur and the others had not been idle. Sensing that a great war was imminent, they trained relentlessly. Jean Bart, who had already awakened his Devil Form, became their training partner. As long as they could withstand his Red Demon Form, they would stand a chance against the devils at Imu's side.
This required them to master a higher level of Haki as quickly as possible—an application that surpassed even Ryuo.
In Ryuuto's view, this was a power that operated on the level of fundamental principles, an absolute will capable of cutting through anything. It was this kind of strength that depended heavily on talent. If they could achieve it, neither Imu's immortality nor the devils would pose a problem.
For now, however, they were all still far from that goal.
It might just take the right catalyst, Ryuuto thought to himself, watching his crew's tireless efforts. He believed in them.
"Hahahahahahaha! I've done it! I've done it! I've cracked the secret of Imu's immortality!" Suddenly, an excited voice, punctuated by crazed laughter, echoed from the research institute.
"Let's go see!" Ryuuto and Dragon exchanged a glance before blurring into afterimages and rushing into the lab.
Inside a room filled with the chaotic atmosphere of research, Vegapunk held up a test tube containing a deep green liquid he had extracted from the salamander's tail. Even within the glass, the fluid constantly emitted wisps of mist.
"You're just in time! Look at this!" Vegapunk pulled over a small iron cage containing a one-legged white mouse. Under Ryuuto's and Dragon's watchful eyes, he slowly dripped the green liquid onto the mouse's body.
Hssssss...
As clouds of green mist rose, the mouse's missing limbs regrew at an astonishing speed.
"Truly incredible! This is the power of science!" Ryuuto exclaimed in amazement. The sight suddenly reminded him of the recovery potions he had exchanged from his system in the past.
He turned to Vegapunk. "What are your plans for this green liquid? I have a suggestion: develop it into a recovery potion with astonishing effects. To be specific, enhance this, then enhance it again, and again!"
As he spoke, Ryuuto took a recovery potion from his system.
"That's certainly a valid approach!" Vegapunk snatched the potion from Ryuuto's hand. After uncapping it and taking a sniff, he nodded in agreement.
Dragon had been about to say something, but after witnessing Ryuuto's idea, he fell silent. Perhaps their thoughts had aligned, but where Dragon was still at the theoretical stage, Ryuuto had already produced a preliminary result. The difference between them was clear.
"We're counting on you, then," Ryuuto said, nodding slowly at Vegapunk. "I hope to see a Super Recovery Potion very soon."
Vegapunk had no objection. He then turned his gaze to Dragon, who had remained silent.
"Vegapunk, we'll be in your debt," Dragon said in a solemn tone.
The successful analysis of the salamander's tail allowed Dragon's tense expression to relax slightly. It gave him a bit more confidence for his next confrontation with Imu.
Then, Dragon's thoughts began to wander.
There were three types of Devil Fruits in the world: Logia, Zoan, and Paramecia. Among them, Logia and Mythical Zoan types were the rarest, granting immense power to their users almost immediately. But between the two, Logia-types were by far the most difficult to awaken.
After all, one could count several awakened Mythical Zoans on one hand, like Luffy's Nika form or the Cerberus form of Rocks's saber. In contrast, there were no known cases of an awakened Logia.
This thought brought a tinge of frustration to Dragon, who had already pushed his Gale-Gale Fruit to its absolute limit. During his last encounter with Imu, he had felt a sense of powerlessness, a nagging obsession with his own lack of strength.
If only I could awaken my Devil Fruit, Dragon lamented inwardly.
But for him, that goal was still a distant dream. How could one person truly comprehend the essence of a hurricane? He didn't have the same advantages as Ryuuto, who could directly transform into his Thunder God form and command all the lightning in the world.
Indeed, if one considered Ryuuto's lightning power a Devil Fruit ability, then his current state of "Perfection" was likely the hallmark of an awakened Logia: the creation of a domain and the mastery of this world's fundamental rules.
For this reason, Dragon now placed his hopes of defeating Imu on Ryuuto's shoulders. Ryuuto was the strongest person he had ever met.
As the world's sea levels continued to rise, Ryuuto couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency. He decided that as soon as Vegapunk developed the new recovery potion, he would set out to complete a long-unfinished task. He would repair the Ark Noah and save those in need across the world.
Three more days passed. With the help of his six satellites, Vegapunk completed the development of the "Super Recovery Potion." Drinking it not only healed injuries at a rapid rate but also restored stamina, making it an indispensable tool for battle. Ryuuto took ten vials from Vegapunk, leaving the remaining five for Dragon.
Of course, Vegapunk could produce more later, but Ryuuto had no more time to wait.
"Hancock, Nami, everyone," Ryuuto began, standing before his crew, his voice filled with passion. "I'm about to embark on a task that will be tedious and dull, but it will also be incredibly meaningful. If you wish, then come with me!"
Having come to this world and attained power beyond fear, he now wanted to give his life greater purpose. After this task was done, it would be time for the final showdown with Imu.
"This world will soon be returned to normal!" Ryuuto declared in a deep voice. "Everyone will live as equals under the sun!"
This was his ambition: to build a world free of oppression, where all races could coexist in peace.
"Captain!"
"Save the world!"
"Liberate the world!"
Hearing Ryuuto's words, the crew's eyes blazed with heroic spirit as they roared in response.
"In that case, let's set sail!" Ryuuto bellowed. With a grand sweep of his arm, the Ark Maxim descended from the sky. He led the way, leaping aboard.
"Captain Ryuuto, take care!" Vegapunk knew what a terrifying enemy Ryuuto was about to face—a foe that generations had striven to defeat for centuries without success. All he could offer now were his most sincere blessings.
Dragon watched Ryuuto's departing figure and silently lowered his head.
We must work together now, he thought. We must save everyone we can.
In that moment, Ryuuto and Dragon had become the firmest of allies, united in their struggle to save the world.
"Captain, where are we headed next?" Nami asked, glancing at the Log Pose in her hand before looking toward Ryuuto at the ship's bow.
"Punk Hazard," Ryuuto's voice came, calm and measured, as he explained his plan. "Legend has it that a group called the Giant Hammer Pirates was frozen there. They are part of the legendary shipbuilding organization, Galley-La. I need their help to repair the great Ark Noah."
"Will I get a good fight there? The Giant Hammer Pirates? They sound interesting!" Hearing this, the Little Empress immediately popped her head over, asking with curiosity.
It was hard to say where she got it from, but the Little Empress's combative nature resembled neither Ryuuto nor Hancock.
"All you think about is fighting!" Hancock chided, rapping the Little Empress lightly on the head.
Despite possessing the strength of a commander, the Little Empress was still a child in body and mind, and she was in dire need of discipline. Hancock had taken it upon herself to handle that task.
"Ow..." The Little Empress clutched her head and yelped in pain. It was a Fist of Love, and it was highly effective.
"Hahahahahaha..." The rest of the crew couldn't help but chuckle at the scene, filling the air with cheerful laughter.
As for Little Ryuuto, he was already seated atop the ship's cabin, his consciousness carried far away by his lightning abilities.
"Little Ryuuto is so much less trouble," Nami mused, comparing her son to his sister. The smile on her face was impossible to suppress. This round was a clear victory.
"Having the Little Empress around makes an old man like me feel young again!" Crocus stroked his beard and laughed, taking in the vibrant scene.
Sunlight bathed the Ark Maxim. At an altitude of 10,000 meters, weather phenomena like storms and rain were rare. Barring any surprises, every day was a sunny one.
Next stop, Punk Hazard, Ryuuto thought, his mind already drifting far ahead.
The island had been shaped by the ten-day battle between Akainu and Aokiji, leaving it a wondrous land of two halves: one side frozen in extreme cold, the other burning with intense heat. By now, Caesar Clown should have taken it over. He was likely conducting his three major research projects there: the gigantification research funded by Big Mom, the synthesis of SAD for the artificial Devil Fruits known as SMILEs, and the development of poison gas weapons.
Personal allegiances aside, Caesar's scientific prowess was undeniable.
And on Punk Hazard, there was someone else Ryuuto had been wanting to meet for a long time. The thought made his Kui Dragon Slash thrum with anticipation.
Time flew by, and the crew spent a pleasant day aboard the Ark Maxim. Soon, they arrived at the miraculous island, half aflame and half frozen. From the sky, it was a truly magical sight.