"So, can you do what I suggest?"
In a corner of the pirate ship's deck, Raiden Ei, Elysia, and Doya were discussing matters.
The dim yellow sunlight refracted on them, casting a bit of pressure on the atmosphere.
Doya didn't stay silent for long before giving his answer. His resolute face held a serious expression; he clenched his fists and stated solemnly, "I can. This is also what I wish to achieve."
Seeing this, Raiden Ei tossed the Devil Fruit in her hand to Doya. In her perception, Doya's strength wasn't weak; taking down a few pirates with bounties over ten million should be completely possible.
But on the Grand Line, where pirates are everywhere, he would be a bit lacking. She hoped that after eating the Devil Fruit, he could be completely reborn! Otherwise, she truly couldn't rely on him.
The moment Doya bit into the Devil Fruit, the tension on his resolute face almost broke, but he managed to endure it.
When the swallowing action was complete, Doya looked at Raiden Ei and asked seriously, "Do I need to eat it all?"
Raiden Ei thought to herself: He really doesn't want to take another bite!
But she still didn't have the malicious pleasure of deceiving him and just shook her head, "No need. Feel the changes in your body!"
Little Elysia was observing intently from the side, looking just like a curious baby.
As Doya closed his eyes to feel the changes in his body, his arms slowly grew longer and longer, and the skin on his arms revealed a dark green color.
Little Elysia's eyes widened when she saw this. Raiden Ei, however, found it relatively normal; she had seen weirder things and was quite accustomed to this kind of transformation. She examined Doya's long arms, trying to judge what kind of Devil Fruit this was.
Doya also opened his eyes at this moment. He looked down at his arms, which changed entirely according to his will. A rare, different expression appeared on his resolute face.
Seeing this, Raiden Ei also spoke up and inquired, "This is a Plant-type ability, right?"
Doya didn't hide anything and directly stated, "That's right. This is the Vine-Vine Fruit. It allows me to grow my body arbitrarily like a vine."
Raiden Ei nodded and commented, "A decent ability, good for both offense and defense. Its mobility is a bit lacking, but it's still a fruit with a very high potential ceiling for growth. Develop it well!"
Doya thought about it; this was indeed his current weakness. He indicated that he understood and promised Raiden Ei, "I will do what you asked. I won't let pirates barge onto the island again."
"Good!" Raiden Ei nodded in agreement.
Doya, with nothing else to do, left immediately, seemingly not noticing Little Elysia watching from the side the entire time.
Raiden Ei's gaze fell upon Little Elysia, seeing her look of lingering interest. She patted her head, "How was it, Little Elysia? Did you understand?"
Little Elysia honestly shook her head, "This is a kind of transcendent power. So, is there really a devil residing inside a Devil Fruit?"
"Hmm, I'm not very clear on that either. You should wait until you find the answer yourself!"
Regarding whether a devil resides inside a Devil Fruit, Raiden Ei didn't know either, but she guessed that the appearance of the Devil Fruit might be similar to a devil.
"Hehe, it's getting late. Punk Hazard Island is almost here. Let's go say goodbye to the people at the Orphanage; we are preparing to leave!"
Raiden Ei looked at the sunset nearing dusk and took Little Elysia to where the Orphanage was located.
—————
"What? Elysia, you're leaving the Orphanage?" Hearing Little Elysia's explanation, the Matron, Morby, said in surprise.
Little Elysia looked earnestly at Morby and said seriously in a milky voice, "Yes, Mama Morby. I plan to go on an adventure on the Great Sea with Big Sister Ei."
"But you are still so young. You should at least wait until you are an adult before going!" Morby couldn't accept it for a moment, her mind filled with thoughts on how to keep Elysia.
"Elysia, you should wait until you're an adult before adventuring. The sea is too dangerous. You are still so young now, you don't understand... Don't go, listen to Mama Morby, okay?" Matron Morby spoke to Elysia with earnest sincerity.
Little Elysia still said firmly, "Don't worry, Mama Morby. I'll be fine. Big Sister Ei will also protect me; she is very strong."
The Matron was momentarily unable to refute. Of course, she knew Raiden Ei was very strong; how could she not be, having saved them? But she was also genuinely worried about Elysia and whether following someone like that would lead to much danger.
Looking at Elysia's determined eyes, Matron Morby wrestled with the decision internally before finally having to give up the thought of keeping her. More importantly, she couldn't protect her.
She crouched down to meet Little Elysia's eyes, patted her little head, and finally agreed to her leaving the Orphanage. She sighed helplessly:
"Alright! I agree. Elysia... I know you are different from the other children. You've been very smart since you were little, and you have your own ideas. I won't stop you, though I suspect I couldn't anyway. But you must take good care of yourself in the future, do you understand?"
Little Elysia nodded, threw herself into Morby's arms, and said in a milky voice, "I understand. Mama Morby, you must also take good care of yourself. When Elysia grows up and becomes strong, I will come back to see you."
Hearing Elysia's words, Matron Morby's last worries eased considerably. She gently patted her back, "Good, good. But Elysia is still young now, so focus on taking care of yourself first. Don't worry about me."
Raiden Ei watched the two discuss silently from the side. Feeling that it was about time, she spoke up, "That's enough, Matron. You don't need to worry too much about Little Elysia's safety. My strength is quite good; I can protect her well."
Matron Morby stood up and looked at her, saying gratefully, "Miss Ei, I am truly sorry. We haven't repaid the favor of saving us yet, and now I have to entrust Elysia to your care."
"It's alright. We are not far from Punk Hazard Island now, so there shouldn't be any danger. Little Elysia and I have some urgent matters and need to leave first. If you have any issues, you can go find Doya; he will help you."
Raiden Ei pulled Little Elysia closer, told Matron Morby, and casually placed over ten million Berries nearby, continuing, "This is a donation for the Orphanage; please accept it."
When the Matron saw the stack of Berries, she forgot everything she was about to say to Raiden Ei and hastily handed the Berries back to her, "I cannot accept this. Please take it back!"
Raiden Ei didn't pay her any mind. Seeing that the matter was concluded, she said to Little Elysia, "Little Elysia, let's go!"
Little Elysia obediently nodded, turned, and said goodbye to Matron Morby and everyone at the Orphanage with a hint of reluctance, "Goodbye, Mama Morby! Goodbye, everyone."
Seeing this, the Matron grew anxious and tried to stuff the Berries directly back to Raiden Ei, but how could her speed possibly match hers?
Raiden Ei took Little Elysia and reached the deck at the bow in just a few strides. She really didn't want to watch a parting that resembled a final farewell. She looked at the faint outline of the island already visible in the distance.
"Let's go, Little Elysia. Next stop, we go to the Calm Belt."
As the sky darkened, she took Little Elysia, leaped up, and headed in the direction she had planned, with arcs of electricity occasionally flashing around her, illuminating the night sky.
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