The Woods-Woods Fruit did not remain separate from Cyrus for long.
Teach was still debating whether to confess the abnormality of his body when he noticed a tiny tree sprouting from Cyrus's palm.
'He already has several different abilities, doesn't he?'
'Just how many hearts did this man have?'
Teach was genuinely curious.
Curiosity aside, he did not neglect his work.
As the ship's human engine, he performed his duties remarkably well.
The Rose Hunter gradually came to a stop in midair. Below them lay another island consumed by chaos.
Zoro and Kuina prepared to descend as they had before. Teach was also ready to follow and intervene if necessary.
"Wait. I'll handle this one."
Cyrus turned his hand over and crushed the small tree growing from his palm beneath the curious gazes of Robin, Hancock, and the others.
"You're fighting this time?"
Zoro stared at him in surprise.
Wasn't that absurdly excessive?
He did not know the phrase, but that was roughly what he meant.
"I want to test this ability."
Cyrus wiggled his fingers and smiled.
"The Woods-Woods Fruit? Is there something special about it?"
Hancock asked curiously.
Robin looked thoughtful.
"That ability is somewhat similar to mine."
One was a Logia and the other a Paramecia, but the Woods-Woods Fruit created plants, while her Flower-Flower Fruit caused flowers and body parts to bloom.
In a certain sense, the two were indeed alike.
"I just got an interesting new toy and wanted to try it out."
Cyrus offered no further explanation. He waved them back and walked toward the railing.
"Just watch."
Then he stepped straight off the ship.
He used no protection whatsoever, allowing himself to plummet toward the island below.
Everyone aboard crowded around the railing.
Boom!
Cyrus struck the ground.
The earth cracked beneath the force of his fall, and a shock wave spread in every direction.
Several nearby monsters were immediately drawn by the commotion and charged toward him.
Cyrus spread his Observation Haki across the island, smiled, and brought both hands together before his chest.
"Sage Art: True Several Thousand Hands!"
The instant the words left his mouth, the entire island began to tremble.
Thick, twisted roots grew at astonishing speed, tearing through the ground wherever they appeared.
Trees erupted everywhere, churning the entire island as though the earth itself had begun boiling.
The rapidly growing vegetation gathered behind Cyrus and rose higher and higher.
"What the hell is that?"
Zoro's eyes nearly popped from their sockets.
The mass of roots and trees had already reached the same height as the Rose Hunter floating in the sky.
It had to be several hundred meters tall.
What was Cyrus even trying to create?
Teach's mouth fell open as regret flickered through his eyes.
This ability looked incredibly powerful.
"I met Aramaki before," Robin said hesitantly. "His version of the ability was nowhere near this strong."
"Of course it wasn't."
Hancock answered without hesitation.
"The strength of a Devil Fruit is closely tied to its user. A powerful body and overwhelming Haki can greatly enhance an ability."
"And Cyrus-sama stands at the very summit of this world."
That was part of the truth.
During their brief conversation, the rising roots and trees twisted around one another like countless gigantic serpents.
The process did not last long.
Soon, an enormous wooden statue stood before them.
It was larger than the island below, resembling a colossal wall hundreds of meters high. Its vast body blocked out the sun and covered the entire island in shadow.
The Rose Hunter looked insignificant beside it.
Countless trees had formed an enormous number of arms, arranged in orderly rows behind the statue.
Everyone aboard fell silent.
Even the demons below, whose minds had been completely overwhelmed by their desires, could not suppress the fear rising within them.
What in the world was that thing?
Whoosh.
Cyrus stood atop the statue's head and slowly exhaled.
'What a shame.'
In his hands, this ability really was little more than a toy.
Compared with the Flame-Flame Fruit, the Woods-Woods Fruit could not offer him much practical value.
Creating something like this was impressive to look at, but inefficient in battle.
It had also taken a noticeable amount of time.
For fighters at Cyrus's level, that brief interval was enough to accomplish many other things.
With that thought, he took control of the statue.
His Observation Haki covered the island, and the countless wooden hands descended.
Thousands upon thousands of enormous palms swept over the land like a violent storm.
They did not strike the island.
They grabbed.
The demons were seized in gigantic wooden fists and crushed as easily as insects.
Wet bursts echoed beneath the roaring wind.
In only a few moments, everything fell silent.
Once the extermination was complete, the statue slowly stepped backward into the sea.
"What?"
Teach, already stunned by the statue's attack, widened his eyes when he saw it walk directly into the water.
The trees and the wooden giant had all been created through the Woods-Woods Fruit.
No matter how powerful a Devil Fruit user became, abilities that came into direct contact with seawater should rapidly weaken or disappear.
Yet that was not what he was seeing.
The statue calmly retreated into the ocean and stopped several kilometers from the island.
Then it sat down.
Only the upper half of its body remained above the surface, creating a breathtaking sight.
"Let's go."
Cyrus's voice made everyone turn around.
"What about that?"
Zoro pointed speechlessly toward the wooden colossus in the distance.
"It's just a toy."
Cyrus glanced back at it.
"But since I already made it, burning it immediately would feel wasteful, so I left it there."
The portion above the water resembled a mountain rising from the sea.
"It'll eventually collapse and disappear on its own."
"That wasn't what I was asking!"
Zoro gave him a dead-eyed stare.
"Is that really the power of the Woods-Woods Fruit?"
"My version of it is."
Cyrus nodded, then smiled at him.
"Regretting your decision, Junior Brother?"
"Like hell I am!"
Zoro immediately exploded.
"I only wanted to know whether a swordsman could defeat something like that."
"Oh, so that's what you meant."
Cyrus nodded thoughtfully.
"If it wasn't created by me, then someone on Mihawk's or Shanks's level could probably deal with it."
"But you?"
He chuckled.
Zoro's face darkened.
He knew perfectly well what Cyrus meant.
His thinking might be straightforward, but he was not stupid.
Zoro was confident, but not arrogant enough to compare his current strength with Mihawk's.
After travelling alongside the man before, he had already understood how vast the distance between them remained.
It was enormous.
Zoro still believed he would catch up one day.
For now, however, comparing himself to Mihawk would only be humiliating.
"Used properly, this ability can completely transform an environment."