Only now did Sherwin finally remember… wasn't Ibuki Suika ability precisely the manipulation of density?!
It was understandable that he hadn't thought of it earlier.
After all, she was from an old fandom, and in the game Suika moves all had names like "Gathering Sign," "Oni Sign," "Drunken God," "Drunken Dream."
Compared to those, the traits like being one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Oni, the watermelon gourd, and being a total drunkard were far more memorable.
But still…
Instead of summoning a gambling oni, he ended up with a drunk oni?
Sherwin slapped his forehead helplessly.
But in terms of the original character strength, Ibuki Suika far surpassed Tsunade.
As one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Oni, forget Tsunade— even tailed beasts could only be beaten around for fun by her.
Moreover, although Ibuki Suika was a complete drunkard, her personality was innocent and straightforward.
Aside from loving alcohol, she didn't seem to have any other flaws.
Recalling Suika temperament and abilities, Sherwin walked forward and lifted the still-soaked-in-the-barrel Suika Meow…
So heavy!
If he hadn't already trained for years in the world of pirates, his waist would've given out just now. Suika Meow weight was far heavier than he imagined.
Or rather, the iron chains on her body, along with the three differently shaped pendants attached to them, were much heavier than they looked.
Unlike the original Ibuki, Suika Meow third pendant wasn't attached to her hair by chain— it hung directly from the tip of her tail.
Sherwin gave the square pendant on her tail a little test lift and found that this tiny object, barely bigger than a ping-pong ball, was about as heavy as the entire barrel she was curled up inside.
This is…
Black Gravio Dragongem?
As a Hunter who had absorbed a massive amount of inherited memories, Sherwin recognized the material of the pendant the moment he touched it.
Though in the game most Elder Dragon–type monsters simply dropped "Dragongems" and "Large dragongems," in the real Monster Hunter world, the gems from each species were distinctly different. And the Dragongem of a Black Gravios had one defining trait—weight.
Still, immense strength was part of Ibuki Suika nature, or rather, the innate gift of the Oni race. So Suika Meow carrying something like this wasn't surprising.
Sherwin set the pendant down and tried to pull Suika Meow head out of the barrel, only to find it stuck on something…
With no other option, he smashed the barrel apart. A small orange cat head, soaked and tipsy from all the alcohol, rolled into view.
Except—this little orange cat didn't have ears. In their place were two huge horns.
There really was an Oni-type cat?!
Sherwin jumped at the sight, but soon realized the truth. It was just a headpiece—or rather, an ear ornament. The little drunk cat actual ears were simply hidden inside.
And then…
"Rajang horns?"
As an experienced Hunter, Sherwin was extremely familiar with Monster Hunter materials. With one glance, he recognized the true nature of the "ear ornament"…
These weren't ordinary Rajang horns, but the Indignant Rajang "Rakshasa Vajra Horns."
He didn't expect Suika Meow to be wearing such extravagant gear.
Instinctively, Sherwin glanced at the gourd at her waist, the "Ibuki Gourd." As expected, it was crafted from Magnamalo Heavy Apex Carapace and its Malignant Hell Shard…
Plenty of the Hunters in his inherited memories didn't have gear as luxurious as the little cat in his arms!
Sherwin, helpless and amused, gently patted Suika Meow cheeks twice, planning to wake up this wealthy little drunk cat first.
"Wake up. Hey, wake up!"
"Miamiamiamia…" Suika Meow smacked her lips a few times, eyes still tightly shut as she mumbled, "I'm not drunk yet~ keep drinking meow~"
As she spoke, she lifted a paw and rubbed her face, then happily began licking the paw that was soaked in alcohol.
"Good— good wine meow!"
Alright, without even asking, Sherwin had more or less figured out why she responded to his summon.
He turned his head toward Huamei…
As expected, Lord Huamei was already holding her forehead in headache.
…
"Meowhahaha! My bad, my bad— mostly it just that the booze here is way too good meow… hic!"
The barely-awake Suika Meow sat carelessly on the deck, guzzling from her gourd as she introduced herself. "Name Ibuki Suika. I guess you could call me a strike-type Felynes."
She shook the "Ibuki Gourd" in her hand.
"My hobbies are drinking, fighting, and partying meow… hic! Just call me Suika meow~"
"Alright, Suika. Let me explain to you roughly what going on here first…"
What Sherwin failed to notice was that, as he spoke, his eyes kept getting pulled toward the gourd in her hand— and he swallowed hard.
"You want some too meow?"
(●ω●)
Suika Meow expertly pulled out a small sake saucer, tipped the gourd, and poured a full dish of wine before handing it over.
By the time Sherwin snapped back to awareness, he was already holding an empty dish…
"What the hell?!"
"Isn't that 'must-drink-anyone-under-the-table' ability of Ibuki Suika something made up by fanworks?!"
Seeing the little drunk cat in front of him still trying to refill her cup, Sherwin quickly stopped her.
"Alright, alright, enough for now. Listen to the situation here first, then I'll drink a couple more cups with you, okay? I'll even let you try all kinds of specialty liquor from this place."
"…That so? Well, that fine… hic… meow~"
Suika Meow nodded with anticipation. As she put the gourd away, she still sneaked two extra gulps into her mouth.
"Ahem… this place isn't the world you used to live in…"
Already mentally prepared, Sherwin tried hard to move his gaze away from the 'Ibuki Gourd.' After clearing his throat, he began explaining the situation of the pirate world to her.
"Another world, meow? Sounds pretty interesting. Most importantly… hic! There must be tons of liquor here that I've never tasted before, meow!"
As expected, this little drunk cat main focus was still on alcohol.
"There something else," Sherwin said, taking out the dumbbell-shaped Density Fruit and placing it before Suika Meow.
"This is the Devil Fruit I mentioned. It was also the main medium used to summon you. Normally, its affinity should match you quite well, but whether you eat it is entirely up to you.
After all, once you eat it, you won't be able to swim anymore, and you won't be able to eat any other Devil Fruit abilities in the future."
Sherwin very much wanted Suika Meow to reproduce her original techniques, but what mattered most was her own choice.
"Is that so?" Suika Meow tilted her head—two thick horns wobbling—then curiously picked up the Density Fruit and sniffed it. "What kind of ability does this fruit have, meow?"
"It controls density. By manipulating density, you can change your own size, or the size and hardness of objects. If you develop it further, it should have even more applications."
"You can change your own body size, meow?"
(●ω●)
Suika Meow eyes lit up. "Then if I make myself bigger, doesn't that mean I can drink way more at once, meow?!"
"Uh… theoretically, yes…"
Sherwin replied, a bit speechless.
The moment she received confirmation, the little drunk cat didn't hesitate—she opened her mouth and took a big bite…
"Bleh—still tastes awful, meow!"