Thanks to his foresight as a transmigrator, Bacardi Maude could easily uncover the immense potential of the Float-Float Fruit.
An airborne fortress, a global aerial transportation network—
These were merely ideas that could be attempted at the current stage.
This world was not lacking in weapons or technology.
What it truly lacked was a stable propulsion force capable of lifting various things into the sky.
And the Float-Float Fruit could perfectly solve this problem.
For now, Maude's focus was on transforming the Thriller Bark into a mobile fortress and gradually laying the groundwork for a mature aerial transport industry, paving the way for massive profits.
As for more ambitious endeavors—
Traveling into outer space,
Constructing a floating city like the Garden of Babylon,
Creating a Gundam-style Pacifista army,
Building aerial railways and floating bridges to connect different parts of the world,
Merging thousands of islands into continental landmasses,
Turning Fish-Man Island's Noah into an aircraft carrier…
Whether these ideas would be pursued or even feasible was not something Maude was considering at the moment.
The immediate decision was—who would eat the Float-Float Fruit?
Maude shifted his gaze toward Gaya and Philo.
Among his crew, only Gaya and Philo had yet to consume a Devil Fruit.
Following Maude's gaze, Lafitte and the others also looked at Gaya and Philo.
Maude picked up the Float-Float Fruit and asked bluntly, "Gaya, Philo, are you interested?"
Though he phrased it as a question, Maude was already inclined toward Gaya being the one to eat it.
It wasn't just because Gaya's mentality and strength far exceeded Philo's—it was also due to Philo's peculiar flaw of needing to wear a crow mask to switch into a dominant personality.
Given all this, Gaya eating the Float-Float Fruit would be the more stable choice.
However, Maude still wanted them to decide for themselves.
Hearing Maude's question, Philo hesitated for a moment. A flicker of panic surfaced in her deep blue eyes as she lowered her head and timidly said, "I… I wouldn't be able to make full use of the fruit's potential, so…"
As she spoke, she turned to look at Gaya, who was sitting beside her.
Unconsciously, everyone else also turned their eyes to Gaya.
Under their gazes, Gaya remained indifferent and calmly said, "I'm not really interested in Devil Fruits."
Due to Gaban's influence, Gaya had never had much interest in Devil Fruits since childhood.
"I see… Then we'll have to reconsider our options."
A flicker of disappointment flashed in Maude's eyes.
Since neither Gaya nor Philo were interested, he would have to find another suitable candidate.
Gaya noticed Maude's brief disappointment. After a moment of hesitation, she asked, "Maude, do you want me to eat the Float-Float Fruit?"
"Uh…"
Maude paused, looking at Gaya seriously. "Gaya, honestly, I think you're the best candidate. But if you're unwilling—"
"Give it to me."
Gaya extended her hand toward Maude.
She was still reluctant about the weaknesses that came with Devil Fruits.
But—
Since this was Maude's expectation, she didn't want to disappoint him.
"Gaya…"
Maude was slightly surprised and wanted to say something, but seeing Gaya's resolute expression, he remained silent and placed the Float-Float Fruit into her palm.
He knew that Gaya wasn't just doing this for the crew—she was also doing it for him.
"Hoho, with Gaya eating it, I'm sure she'll be able to maximize the Float-Float Fruit's value," Lafitte remarked, giving her the highest praise.
Among the crew, aside from Maude, the person Lafitte respected most in terms of strength was Gaya.
If he hadn't already eaten the Mythical Zoan Siren Fruit*, he would have fought to claim this crucial role for himself.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Gaya took a bite of the Float-Float Fruit.
After chewing for a few moments, her face turned pale. She covered her mouth, looking as if she was about to vomit.
As a chef, Gaya had an exceptionally refined sense of taste, making this experience nothing short of a disaster.
"…"
The Devil Fruit users in the group fell silent, recalling their own terrible experiences when they first ate their fruits.
Gaya struggled to swallow the fruit's flesh, then looked at the remaining fruit in her hand with an expression of dread. "My sense of taste is far more sensitive than most people's, but even then, I can't describe how awful this tastes…"
Only then did everyone realize why her reaction was so intense.
Maude hesitated for a moment before finally suggesting, "My shadow abilities might be so strong because I ate the entire Devil Fruit back then. Gaya, maybe… you should eat the whole thing too?"
Gaya: "…"
In the end, she followed Maude's advice and, with great difficulty, ate the entire Float-Float Fruit.
"Alright, let's test out your new powers."
The moment Gaya finished, Maude couldn't wait to urge her.
The crew left the castle and stepped outside.
Taking a deep breath, Gaya crouched down and gently placed her right hand on the ground under everyone's watchful eyes.
As if it were an innate ability—
With just a thought, she activated the Float-Float Fruit's power.
Floating!
Suddenly, the ground trembled.
The crew was prepared, so they didn't panic.
"Rumble…"
Amidst the dull sound of the earth shifting, they could feel a slight sensation of ascent.
Thriller Bark was slowly lifting off the sea.
However, Gaya furrowed her brows slightly, looking strained.
Having just eaten the Float-Float Fruit, she still needed time to adapt to its abilities.
It would be impossible for her to control several islands at once, like the legendary Golden Lion, in the short term.
Maude noticed this but wasn't surprised.
"Gaya, no rush—just take your time to familiarize yourself with it."
"Mm."
Gaya nodded.
Minutes passed.
As she gradually adapted, Thriller Bark's ascent quickened significantly.
With increasingly strong tremors, it took only moments before the massive ship fully detached from the sea and hovered in midair.
Successfully lifting Thriller Bark, Gaya suddenly found Devil Fruits… quite fascinating.
—
Marine Headquarters—Intensive Care Unit.
Sentomaru lay on a hospital bed, his face pale, eyes closed.
Medical devices were attached all over his body.
When the Marine medics found him, he had barely clung to life.
The fact that he was still alive was a small miracle.
Outside the ICU, Kizaru stood with his hands in his pockets, silently watching Sentomaru through the glass window.
Tap, tap—
Footsteps echoed from the hallway corner.
A man in a white uniform, with an unremarkable face, emerged and walked up beside Kizaru, raising his gaze to look at Sentomaru inside.
"Dr. Vegapunk."
Kizaru glanced at the newcomer and called his name.
Vegapunk gave Kizaru a slight nod before asking, "How is Sentomaru's condition?"
"Mm… He's not dead."
Kizaru stroked his chin and commented wryly, "Also, the Pacifistas' performance in battle was rather disappointing."
Vegapunk remained silent at those words.
—————————
TN:
I can't post image of a siren here, but i'll comment on this line for the image.
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