"Lord Wilhelm is here!"
"Master Wilhelm is back!"
A collective gasp echoed. "Is that the body of Marine Admiral candidate Kizaru?"
"That's incredible, Master Wilhelm!"
As Wilhelm returned to the icy landscape, carrying Polusalino's lifeless form, he was greeted by a vast number of Homie Legion members. They were escorting a group of captured Marines, who appeared disheveled, soaking wet, utterly defeated, and completely demoralized.
The pirates and Homies erupted in cheers, their faces beaming with joy and excitement at the sight of Wilhelm and Kizaru's body.
"Vice Admiral Polusalino..."
"How is this possible?"
"That monster..."
The three to five thousand captured Marines paled, their expressions shifting dramatically. They stared at Wilhelm in disbelief, unable to comprehend what their eyes were witnessing. All semblance of fighting spirit had vanished, replaced by a profound sense of dread.
Even the formidable Vice Admiral Kizaru, who boasted overwhelming power and was considered an Admiral candidate, had been effortlessly slain by this opponent. Rumors also circulated that another Admiral candidate, Aokiji, had been captured alive, and that Fleet Admiral Sengoku the Buddha was nowhere to be found, his fate unknown. How could they possibly not despair?
Suddenly, a flash of lightning illuminated the scene, and Smoothie materialized. She gazed at the corpse Wilhelm carried, her eyes wide with surprise. "Wilhelm, did you take down the Yellow Ape?"
"If I had faced him at his peak, the outcome would have been uncertain, but I could have at least escaped..." Wilhelm, his expression calm and devoid of complacency, addressed the heroic Smoothie, who was still surrounded by crackling lightning. "Sister Smoothie, what's the situation here?"
"Aokiji, who tried to hold his ground alone, was overwhelmed by a joint attack from Mother and Big Brother Katakuri. He was gravely wounded quickly. Since he's still useful, I deliberately kept him alive. He's now locked up with Seastone!"
Though only sixteen, this was Smoothie's first experience with such a large-scale war. Witnessing such a decisive victory, even the strong-willed Smoothie couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement and joy. Pointing to the Marine captives, she happily declared, "As for the Marine troop carriers, I've already sunk them with God's Judgment—and captured many prisoners. I estimate only a hundred or so Marines managed to escape."
"Oh, and Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral 'Steel Fist' Krissen was also captured by me. He's a Paramecia-type Metal Fruit user. We've restrained him!"
Smoothie, though still excited, expressed a touch of disappointment. "It's a shame that other Marine Generals like Akainu escaped. They were too cunning and evacuated in a submarine from beneath the sea!"
"It's alright; this is already an excellent outcome," Wilhelm said, nodding in satisfaction upon hearing that Admiral candidate Aokiji was imprisoned. "Indeed, while this battle didn't completely wipe out the Marine expeditionary fleet, the results were more fruitful than expected!"
With a flutter in the air, Katakuri's figure abruptly appeared.
"But Brother Perospero seems to want Aokiji's ability... What do you think?" Katakuri looked at Wilhelm, a hint of helplessness in his gesture. Perospero's incessant chatter about the Logia-type Frozen Fruit's ability had annoyed him for some time.
Of course, Perospero wasn't the only one; other members of the Charlotte Family were also envious. However, most of them were self-aware enough not to openly compete, fearing they'd gain nothing and instead offend Perospero, the eldest son and a Sweet Commander, who held a very high position within the Charlotte Family.
"That's to be expected," Wilhelm said, unsurprised. However, he refused without hesitation. "But it's impossible to give him the Logia-type Frozen Fruit. I'll use it to create the 'Ten Rings'!"
From the beginning, Wilhelm had planned to use the Logia-type Frozen Fruit's ability to create the "Ten Rings." In fact, not just the Logia-type Frozen Fruit, but other elemental abilities like the Logia-type Mera-Mera Fruit were also ideal alternatives. Even though the Logia-type Thunder Fruit had been given to Smoothie, there were no substitutes for Devil Fruits in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia. For example, Paramecia-type Plasma Fruit or Paramecia-type Spark-Spark Fruit. Aside from the inability to elementalize, they did not possess the exaggerated ability of Chinjao. In other respects, their performance was hardly weaker than the Thunder Fruit.
"Didn't Sister Smoothie capture Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral 'Steel Fist' Krissen?" Wilhelm stated calmly. "Since he doesn't like the Paramecia-type Vortex Fruit ability, the Paramecia-type Metal Fruit ability, which allows him to directly generate and manipulate extremely hard metal, is very suitable for him!"
Perospero, as one of the current Sweet Commanders of the Charlotte Family, certainly possessed strength. However, he wouldn't instantly become a monstrous powerhouse just by acquiring the Logia-type Frozen Fruit. True monstrous potential lay with individuals possessing extraordinary talents like Smoothie and Katakuri. Only they could hope to overcome that insurmountable natural barrier with a powerful Devil Fruit.
With the ability to transfer Devil Fruit powers, finding powerful Devil Fruits was not an issue. What was truly lacking were individuals with exceptionally high talents, like Yamato and Boa Hancock. Strictly speaking, the Paramecia-type Vortex Fruit's ability was strong enough, more than sufficient for Perospero.
After all, they weren't truly "one of our own." Giving the Logia-type Frozen Fruit's ability to the eldest son of the Charlotte Family might inflate his ego and foster unnecessary ambitions. Lack of greed is not being afraid to push yourself to death.
"Master Wilhelm..." At this moment, Shiryu of the Rain, Miyamoto Musashi, and others approached one by one.
"Tsk tsk, is that the Sparkling Fruit of the Yellow Monkey?" Noticing Polusalino's body and the pineapple-shaped golden fruit in Wilhelm's hand, Shiryu of the Rain's eyes gleamed. He had witnessed the previous battle firsthand and knew just how powerful the Logia-type Sparkling Fruit was.
Frankly, if Kizaru hadn't been so unlucky as to encounter the Paramecia-type Transfer Fruit ability that Wilhelm used to create the "Ten Rings," and if he hadn't faced Katakuri and Charlotte, who had become Logia-type Air Fruit ability users, no one in this sea could have stopped him.
The Logia-type Sparkling Fruit's performance was impeccable in all aspects, whether it was attack, speed, or defense. The key point was that Polusalino, an Admiral candidate, had already perfected the Sparkling Fruit, showcasing its full potential. Essentially, there was no need to rack one's brains to explore and develop; one simply needed to utilize its inherent power.
Thinking of this, the eager Shiryu of the Rain couldn't hold back and immediately suggested to Wilhelm, "Master Wilhelm, why don't you give me this Logia-type Sparkling Fruit? I'm willing to exchange it for the Momo Fruit's ability!"