I'm Not Interested in Devil Fruits

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Hearing that Lieutenant Hina also volunteered, Smoker bit down on his cigar and said, "That guy is really strong!"

"Is Hina weaker than you?" The pink-haired Marine asked with a hint of displeasure in her voice. "Logia users are all so arrogant! That guy who stole Caesar's Gasu Gasu no Mi (Gas Gas Fruit) is probably just like you... Hmph, it's just smoke and gas. The lethality is actually quite limited! Its practical value isn't even as good as Rosinante's Paramecia— the Calm-Calm Fruit."

"No, No, No," Rosinante interjected, waving his hands. "According to Giorno's information, he once used the Gasu Gasu no Mi (Gas Gas Fruit) to create a highly toxic gas that quickly killed a priest on the scene…"

"That level of toxicity is no joke!" Smoker added.

"The main effect of smoke is to choke people, right? There's no need to attack; suffocating them is enough…" 

"Idiots!" Hina rolled her eyes at the two, clearly exasperated. "You just need to prepare in advance and wear a gas mask! If necessary, you can even carry an oxygen tank and mask with you! Logia corresponds to natural elements— that's why pure elemental attacks are easier to deal with. Otherwise, would humans just die from sunlight, lightning, fire, or smoke? What do you think umbrellas, lightning rods, heat-resistant clothing, and gas masks are for? Actually, Vice Admiral Borsalino's Pika Pika no Mi (Light Light Fruit) ability would be useless if you just carried a reflective mirror with you, right?"

"Hina, you're going too far!" Vice Admiral Momonga interjected, sensing that this spirited young Marine was getting a bit out of hand.

"A mirror to counter Vice Admiral Borsalino?" Rosinante chuckled. "You'd have to move the mirror as fast as his speed of light!"

Smoker chimed in, "Besides, Vice Admiral Borsalino isn't just about his Pika Pika no Mi (Light Light Fruit) ability! He could just materialize and kick your mirror to pieces."

"Hina's Ori Ori no Mi (Cage Cage Fruit) isn't just for show, you know?" Hina shot back, a proud smile on her face. "In front of my Ori Ori no Mi (Cage Cage Fruit), no one's physical skills are of any use! Smoker, you're no exception…"

Smoker replied in a deep voice, "I've now learned Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki); everything is different!"

Rosinante nodded in agreement. "Indeed! Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) is very effective against Devil Fruit users…"

"Hina doesn't think so," The pink-haired Marine retorted. "Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) only gives you the qualification to confront Deevil Fruit Ability users; it doesn't counter them like Seastone does! Using Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), you can grab the physical form of Smoker's smoke elementalization, but you can't break the 'prison body' of my Ori Ori no Mi (Cage Cage Fruit)…"

Smoker blew out a puff of smoke and snorted, "I don't believe it!"

"If you don't believe it, you can try it with Hina," The pink-haired Marine challenged, standing her ground.

"Alright, alright, I'm here to recruit people for a mission," Vice Admiral Momonga said, his patience wearing thin. "Smoker is in, Hina can come too. What about you, Rosinante?"

Rosinante smiled. "With the two of them as bait for Vice Admiral Momonga, isn't that enough? I won't go."

"Huh?" Smoker looked up, surprised.

"Bait?" Hina frowned, confused.

Rosinante simply glanced at Vice Admiral Momonga, who replied with a stern expression, "You're as sharp as ever, Rosinante."

Donquixote Rosinante just smiled slightly.

'Bait?'

Smoker fell silent.

He wanted to speak but ultimately felt too embarrassed to admit that he had once crossed paths with Giorno, who had brushed off his Moku Moku no Mi (Smoke Smoke Fruit)…

Before setting off and boarding the battleship, Vice Admiral Momonga reminded the logistics Marines to prepare gas masks, portable oxygen tanks, and breathing masks.

It wasn't out of fear— just a precaution.

.........

Meanwhile, in the South Blue.

After leaving Baterilla Island, the red Kuja pirate ship continued sailing along its planned route...

The Four Seas had this advantage: stable magnetic fields and normal sea conditions. With a compass in one hand and a sea map in the other, you could navigate freely. It was nothing like the Grand Line, that treacherous place where you couldn't move an inch without a Log Pose... 

Of course, this referred to sailing on the sea with a ship. If it were like how Liam and Robin once traveled by flying over with the "Ghost City Fortress," then having a Log Pose wouldn't matter much— just knowing the general direction would suffice. 

The Grand Line was chaotic with its magnetic fields, which completely countered traditional compasses. It wasn't some twisted maze; from the sky, it was actually a straight path.

The Kuja ship sailed through the South Blue, day by day...

Now, this red ship, towed by two Snake Sea Kings, was gradually regaining its reputation in the South Blue.

Seeing the Kuja pirate flag, fewer and fewer pirates dared to approach and challenge them recklessly.

Even when they docked at small islands for supplies, as long as they didn't plunder excessively, the Marines or town guards on the islands would turn a blind eye, hoping they would leave quickly.

They couldn't afford to provoke them!

News had already spread in the papers: even Rear Admiral Itte, who was invincible in the South Blue from the S-9 branch, had been forced to retreat. Who would dare to provoke these fierce female pirates?

Especially when among these fierce female pirates, there was an even more formidable man?

Speaking of which, these female pirates weren't that bad, especially the black-haired beauty leading them. It was an honor for the towns on their home islands to be graced by her presence... This was something that both men and women on the islands where the Kuja pirate ship had docked occasionally thought.

"We're finally about to arrive!"

On this day, Liam was tinkering in the cabin when Robin returned to inform him that Magnifique Island was just ahead and they were preparing to dock.

Liam sighed, feeling that after being cooped up on the ship for so long, he could finally stretch his limbs in a larger place.

B.I.B. walked out behind him, and the Stand and its user exchanged a glance.

"If old man Haredas' information is correct, the user of the Jiki Jiki no Mi (Magnet-Magnet Fruit) is on that island," Liam said, extending his fist and lightly bumping it against the black armor. "Let's take him down!"

Robin shook her head. Liam always claimed to have no interest in Devil Fruits, but whenever he encountered an interesting one, he would always reach out to take it.

Especially the Devil Fruits of people he didn't like— he would take them without hesitation.

However, he had no lasting interest in them. Once he grew tired of playing with them, he truly didn't care much about the Devil Fruits. For example... the Gasu Gasu no Mi he had taken from the scientist Caesar. 

Robin felt that the presence of this fruit in Liam's mind was becoming increasingly faint, especially as Liam's strength grew more and more unfathomable. Sometimes, he even forgot to use the elementalization of the Gasu Gasu no Mi.

"Why are you taking so many clothes?" Liam asked, noticing Robin opening the wardrobe and pulling out one outfit after another, each with a different style.

"To wear," Robin replied with a slight smile, holding up a dress and spinning lightly in place.

Behind her, petals surged from the floor, and one after another, flower clones with the same appearance and figure as her emerged...

(End Of The Chapter)