"Ahhh, I can't control myself!"
A puff of cloud had turned into Nami's figure, drifting around the cabin in a panic.
"Enough. Go float in your room first. Once you master flying with your lower body turned to cloud, then come back to practice."
Grabbing her with Armament Haki, Riku tossed Nami back inside.
"Restore!"
"Restore!"
Kaya aimed her power at a bitten apple. A miracle unfolded.
The apple was restored whole again. It looked like time had rewound—but it hadn't.
Even a half-drunk cup of juice refilled itself to the brim.
"Riku-nii, this power is amazing! I can treat anyone now, right? Even severed arms or legs, I can restore them completely!" Kaya ran over, beaming with joy, sweat dripping down her face.
Riku chuckled softly. "Stop worrying about others first. Heal yourself. Restore every sickness and hidden flaw you've carried all your life."
"Look at you, sweating. The ability drains stamina. From now on, you'll need to train hard."
Kaya nodded obediently. "Mm. Then I'll develop a way to restore stamina too."
So clever. Entirely possible.
Riku didn't need Kaya to become strong. As long as she was happy and safe, that was enough. The Restoration Fruit alone would keep her uninjured and healthy forever.
"Wait."
Something struck him. He pointed at the table. "Try restoring... that."
"Huh? That shouldn't... be possible."
Kaya's eyes widened.
He was pointing at—
The Devil Fruit peels.
The leftovers from their earlier meals.
Could those be restored? With the ability intact?
"I'll try."
Excited, Kaya focused her power on the fruit peel.
Riku watched carefully.
HUM!
Light shimmered.
The Cloud-Cloud Fruit was restored. From discarded peel into a complete fruit.
"Test it..."
In Kaya's delight, Riku fetched a fish from the tank. He peeled a piece of the fruit and shoved it into the fish's mouth.
Then squeezed hard.
POP!
The fish burst into cloud.
Kaya gasped, leaping in shock. "It really works!!"
At the same moment—
"Ah!"
A cry rang from the cabin. Nami stumbled out, panicking. "My power—it's gone!"
Kaya: "..."
Riku: "..."
Fish: "???"
The result was clear.
The fruit had been restored—but the power too had reset.
Maybe it couldn't produce duplicates. Or maybe Kaya's ability wasn't developed enough yet.
So, she restored the fruit again.
Nami had to eat it all over.
"Uuugh! So disgusting... you're bullying me..."
Tears welled as she forced the revolting fruit down again. She swore she would never forget today.
Riku, meanwhile, glimpsed the future.
Simple restoration reclaimed abilities. Once the power touched the conceptual level, it might even copy them.
As the two experimented, Riku returned to his room.
"System, begin fusion."
He drew a deep breath.
Ding. Crew detected: Nami and Kaya. Commencing power fusion!
HUM!
A radiant halo enveloped him, pulsing with strange ripples.
Physique. Spirit.
Willpower. Potential.
Memory. Abilities.
Talent. Wisdom.
Battle instinct. Combat experience.
Everything useful, every strength, all poured into him.
The sensation was intoxicating.
The fusion stripped away impurities, leaving only the essence. Memories passed before him like films on fast-forward. He selected only the most suitable combat instincts, the sharpest experiences.
One hour later, Riku opened his eyes.
"Only two weak girls... and with this, even Imu would kneel."
Fusion wasn't one-time.
It meant: he could continuously draw strength from Kaya and Nami. Even if they died, the fused power remained.
System panel:
Host: Shiratori Riku
Physique: Three Stars
Spirit: Four Stars
Swordsmanship: Three Stars
Armament Haki: Beginner
Observation Haki: Intermediate
Conqueror's Haki: Advanced
Innate Ability: Teleportation
Special Abilities: Cloud-Cloud Fruit, Restoration Fruit
Lottery Chances: None
Base Power: Three Stars / Headquarters Top Rear Admiral
Ability Bonus: Four and a half Stars / Admiral Candidate
Note: Base power excludes superpowers.
"Admiral candidate?"
Riku was stunned. Teleportation and Restoration had boosted him tremendously.
If he developed conceptual abilities, his strength would skyrocket again.
Still—power level didn't equal destructive might. Strength was one thing, defeating an enemy another. Countering mattered.
CRACK!
He snapped his finger bone.
The Restoration Fruit triggered. The injury healed instantly.
"Even now, I can regrow broken limbs. Too strong. And if it awakens...?"
"What would conceptual restoration look like?"
He shook his head. No need to dwell yet.
As long as he kept growing stronger, no one could whittle him down.
Stamina. Injuries. Hunger. Fatigue. Spirit.
All could be restored.
If ten days weren't enough, he could fight for ten months. His endurance would reign supreme.
"But effort still matters."
Riku was clear. Abilities were still abilities. Even if they controlled time and space, overconfidence was death.
Physique and Haki were the true foundation.
...
Three days later.
"Riku-nii, are we really back already?" Kaya blinked in wonder at Syrup Village, her home.
Nami gawked too. One second they'd been drifting at sea, the next they were standing here.
"Mm. From now on, whenever we want to return, we can."
He had just tested long-range teleportation.
The spatial marker he left in Syrup Village worked perfectly.
It barely cost stamina—maybe because the distance wasn't far. He would test again later.
If he could jump straight from the New World, then leaving markers around the world meant he could travel anywhere instantly.
"Alright, let's go back."
Holding both girls close, Riku activated teleportation.
In the blink of an eye, they were back aboard ship.