Chiga glanced at Marco, pointed at Dalton lying on the ground, and ordered firmly,
"Take him and leave quickly. Any later, and it will be too late."
Marco blinked in surprise, but instinctively nodded. He hoisted Dalton onto his back, his phoenix wings unfurling as he soared into the sky.
Meanwhile, Chiga's figure blurred. In the blink of an eye, he appeared high above Hachinosu.
The island still held many remnants of the Rocks Pirates. Most of them had no idea what was happening; the earlier clash had caused little disturbance.
Chiga's eyes opened slightly, golden light flickering in their depths.
The next instant, Hachinosu erupted.
With a deafening roar, the island was annihilated. The Rocks Pirates who had lingered there vanished with it, swallowed in an explosion so absolute that even the island itself was erased.
Marco, still mid-flight, was caught in the massive aftershock. His body swayed, wings trembling as he steadied himself in the turbulent air. He turned back, eyes widening in disbelief.
Where Hachinosu had been, there was nothing—only raging seawater churning in the void. Not even fragments of land remained.
He swallowed hard, tightened his hold on Dalton, and flew on toward Wano.
From that day on, Marco swore that in Wano, he would dedicate himself to healing and saving lives as a true doctor.
---
Holy Land – Marineford
Chiga placed a perfectly round Devil Fruit on the table in front of Nerona. Its smooth surface reflected her face like polished glass.
Her curiosity piqued, Nerona poked it lightly with her finger and asked,
"Chiga, what kind of fruit is this? It's so round!"
Chiga smiled.
"This is the Slip-Slip Fruit. Eat it, and your body will become smooth and beautiful. You'll be harder to hurt as well."
At the word beautiful, Nerona's eyes lit up. Though already attractive, few women could resist the promise of becoming even more stunning.
Nearby, Hancock stiffened in surprise.
"Chiga-sama," she said cautiously, "wasn't the last owner of that fruit… Alvida?"
"Yes," Chiga replied with ease. "I've already destroyed the Rocks Pirates. Alvida once bragged about wanting to capture you, so I dealt with her along the way."
At that, Hancock's lips curved into a soft smile. She leaned closer, slipping her arm through his and whispering,
"Chiga-sama…"
Watching this, Nerona scowled.
"Hey, hey! Stop flirting! I'm about to eat a Devil Fruit here!"
Chiga gave her a sidelong glance.
"Then eat it. It was meant for you. Or do you expect me to peel it?"
"It's not impossible…" Nerona muttered.
Chiga narrowed his eyes, and she shivered. Hastily, she snatched at the fruit—but her hand slid right off its slippery surface. Again and again she tried, only to fail.
Finally, Nerona stared at him with wide, pleading eyes.
Hancock giggled softly into her hand. Chiga only sighed, shaking his head as if humoring a child. He waved his hand, letting the fruit hover toward her.
Nerona grabbed it and, after a dramatic pause, bit down.
Almost immediately, her skin began to glow, pale and flawless. Her figure shifted subtly, accentuating curves even her loose pajamas couldn't hide.
Chiga conjured a water mirror with a flick of his wrist.
"Take a look."
Nerona gasped. The reflection showed a flawless, youthful beauty. Even Alvida had been transformed by the fruit, but Nerona's natural features made the change overwhelming.
She twirled in front of the mirror before launching herself into Chiga's arms.
"Chiga, you're the best! I love this fruit!"
Hancock reached out, poking Nerona's cheek.
"It really is… so smooth."
Nerona raised her chin with a pout, clearly wanting more attention.
Chiga chuckled, leaning down to kiss her briefly. No wonder Rocks had once kept Alvida close—it was a peculiar power.
Overjoyed, Nerona jumped up and tested her new ability. Her feet glided over the polished hall floor as if she wore invisible skates, sending her sliding back and forth with laughter.
Chiga and Hancock sat together on the sofa, watching with quiet amusement like parents humoring a child.
Just then, Gion entered.
Nerona tried to brake, but her slipperiness betrayed her. She skidded headfirst into Gion's chest.
Startled, Gion quickly steadied her. Everyone knew Nerona for being delicate; such a collision might have been dangerous.
"Are you hurt?" Gion asked anxiously, holding Nerona's face.
But Nerona only laughed foolishly. As a Slip-Slip Fruit user, she was far from fragile now.
Still worried, Gion looked up at Chiga.
"Chiga, come check. Did she hit her head too hard?"
With a flicker, Chiga appeared beside them. He gave Nerona's forehead a playful knock, making her yelp.
"Why does it still hurt? Did my fruit ability fail?" she asked in outrage.
"Devil Fruit ability?" Gion repeated, confused.
Chiga explained briefly. When Gion learned Nerona had eaten the Slip-Slip Fruit, she touched her skin in amazement.
"So smooth…"
Chiga smirked.
"Indeed. Maybe I should start calling you Little Smoothy."
Nerona puffed her cheeks, shaking her tiny fist in protest.
"No! That sounds awful!"
Ignoring her tantrum, Chiga turned to Gion.
"Why are you back so early?"
Gion smiled knowingly.
"When I heard you'd returned, my soldiers begged to see you. I used their excitement to drive them harder in training—it worked well. So now, I'm here to keep my promise. How about it? Will you come with me, Chiga?"
She slipped her arm through his, her smile radiant.
This time, even Chiga found it hard to refuse.
---