Nami stood on the turbulent surface of the sea, her dragon form having dissipated, yet her heart remained full of a wild, thundering awe.
She looked down at her human hands, as if she could still feel that immense, world-breaking power surging within her.
Ron stood nearby, quietly observing her.
A hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes before he remarked calmly.
"Not bad. You've grasped the abilities quite well."
Nami bowed her head, a gesture of profound respect.
"Yes, Ron-san. I will spare no effort in serving you."
She then lowered her head further as Ron stepped onto her back, now in her full, majestic dragon form.
He stood at the head position, surveying his new kingdom with an air of absolute dominance.
"...The power of a Yonko..." Nami murmured, her new voice a chorus of echoes.
A flicker of fierce determination lit her draconic eyes.
No matter what the future held, she would firmly grasp this power.
She would become the sharpest, most loyal sword in Ron's hands… and one day, she would seek revenge for the Straw Hat Pirates.
Ron knew what Nami was thinking but didn't interrupt her. Instead, he turned to Kingdew.
"Kingdew, thank you for your help. You may return to Skypiea and attend to your own affairs."
Kingdew grinned, a massive, draconic expression.
"Understood, Vice-Captain! I'll head back now. Call me anytime you need me!"
With that, he turned and leaped into the sky, vanishing into the horizon.
Nami watched him go, her heart still filled with astonishment.
She hadn't expected Ron to command such powerful individuals so casually.
'If the Straw Hat crew had possessed even one person with that kind of strength,' she thought with a pang of bitterness, 'what would Blackbeard have amounted to? A single strike would have reduced him to dust.'
And now… she had become Ron's exclusive mount.
This shift in identity, from a free-willed pirate to a contracted servant, felt unreal.
Yet, the surging, almost uncontrollable power within her was a constant reminder that it was all real.
"How does it feel?" Ron's voice, coming from directly above her, interrupted her thoughts.
Nami snapped back to reality.
"Incredibly… powerful," she replied respectfully. "Thank you, Ron-san."
Ron nodded, his tone still calm.
"Remember, the power you possess was granted by me. Do not disappoint me."
Nami's heart tightened.
She immediately lowered her massive head.
"Yes." She then landed on the shore near Robin and Usopp, shifting back to her human form to whisper to them.
Shiki stood nearby, his gaze filled with a burning, undeniable envy as he observed Nami's transformation and the residual aura of power clinging to her.
A flicker of jealousy, one he couldn't quite suppress, flashed in his eyes.
This young girl… she had been given such immense power in a single instant.
It was simply unbelievable.
"What a lucky little girl..." Shiki murmured under his breath, his tone carrying a mix of emotion and resignation.
He had once stood at the pinnacle of the world.
Yet, compared to this, his own luck seemed far worse.
Especially that "perfect-grade" Devil Fruit.
It defied all reason.
A trace of bitterness welled up in his heart.
Ron seemed to sense Shiki's emotional shift and slowly turned his head, his gaze as deep as an abyss fixed on him.
Ron had never intended to let Shiki leave.
Letting him know that he could control the very nature of Devil Fruits—perfect or flawed—was a powerful, invisible deterrent.
And indeed, it was working.
Shiki was truly shaken.
He believed that someone like Ron, who could manipulate the demonic power of the fruits themselves, was nothing short of a god.
Ron turned his gaze back to the twenty-one islands of the base layer, the sea wind howling past, whipping the hem of his cloak.
"Shiki. Have your subordinates build docks on all twenty-one of these lower islands. In half a month, we'll be welcoming our first big wave of business."
Shiki, who had been lost in thought, snapped to attention.
'Docks?' he thought, his brow furrowing.
'This kid really treats me like a common workhorse!'
However, he showed no sign of this dissatisfaction on his face.
Instead, he nodded repeatedly, his tone fawning and respectful.
"Understood, Ron! I will arrange for the docks to be built immediately. They will not delay your big business!"
Ron tilted his head slightly, his gaze sharp.
"And do not forget what I instructed you earlier. Make good use of those indigenous people from Long Ring Long Land. Their labor is a rare, and cheap, resource."
Shiki's heart tightened.
'He's even micromanaging the labor…'
"Yes, Ron!" he said quickly. "I have already dispatched people to… 'persuade' the indigenous population. They have begun to cooperate."
'This kid really attends to every detail. He's arranged everything'.
Ron said nothing more, merely gazing quietly at the distant horizon.
Shiki stood behind him, his heart somewhat uneasy.
He knew Ron was meticulous and his methods formidable.
But he had his own agenda, his own crew to think about.
He had to ask.
Just as he was building up the courage, Ron spoke first, without even turning around.
"Alright. What request do you have? Speak."
"!!!"
Shiki's eyes widened.
'He knew?!'
He quickly recovered, his fawning grin returning.
"Jihahaha! It's really nothing much, Ron. It's just that my subordinates… they saw the girl… and they were wondering… they also want to become ability users. Of course," he added, his voice dropping to an eager whisper, "if they could get Logia types, that would be even better..."
As he spoke, he kept a close, nervous watch on Ron's expression, ready to shut his mouth at the slightest sign of annoyance.
But all of this was overthinking on his part.
Ron's reaction was beyond his expectations.
He turned around with a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his face.
"Just this? In the future, just tell me directly if you have such requests." He waved his hand dismissively.
"It's just Logia types. Simple enough. One for each of your main officers."
Shiki's eyes widened instantly, an expression of pure, dumbfounded disbelief spreading across his face.
"Ron, you… you're serious?"
Ron nodded, his tone still calm. "
Of course, I'm serious."
Shiki was overjoyed, his mind reeling with the possibilities.
His crew, his loyal men, all as powerful as Admirals!
His Flying Pirates would be unstoppable!
But before he could even revel in the thought for more than a few seconds, Ron's next words brought him crashing back to reality.
"Don't forget to pay though."
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