Chapter 21
Vilin looked seriously at Rouge's lovely face.
"Rouge, this is called a Devil Fruit—a secret treasure of the seas."
"Eat it, and you'll gain immense power."
"But you'll also bear the curse of never touching the sea again."
"Inside the chest I gave you is a Devil Fruit."
"Paramecia-type—Smooth-Smooth Fruit (Sube Sube no Mi)."
"Eat it, and you'll gain the ability to make anything that touches your body slide away harmlessly."
"Whether or not you want to become a Devil Fruit user is entirely up to you."
Rouge listened carefully as Vilin explained the dangers of the sea.
She opened the small treasure chest he had handed her.
As the lid lifted,
a pink Devil Fruit came into view.
Rouge had no intention of becoming dead weight who could only hide behind Vilin.
She wanted to grow strong enough to stand by his side and fight their enemies together.
Without hesitation, she opened her mouth and bit into the Smooth-Smooth Fruit.
"Ugh—"
"Swallow it all, or it won't work."
Seeing her gag, Vilin quickly covered her lips.
"And it's best to eat the entire thing—makes you grow stronger faster."
He explained with the knowing tone of someone who had been through it.
Hearing that eating the whole fruit would accelerate her growth,
Rouge endured the nausea and forced bite after bite until the entire Devil Fruit was consumed.
Once it was gone,
she let out a long breath.
Vilin watched in amazement as her skin transformed—becoming impossibly smooth and lustrous, like peeled lychee.
Even the faint freckles on her cheeks vanished.
Her entire appearance seemed elevated to another level.
If Rouge's beauty had been an A-rank before, now it stood at the absolute peak of the One Piece world.
Vilin handed her a mirror.
When Rouge saw her flawless reflection,
her eyes widened in astonishment.
Then, with a delighted cry, she threw herself at Vilin, pushing him down onto the bed.
"Let me repay you properly!"
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Today was the day Vilin had arranged to reunite with Annie and the crew at the port.
Only now did he reluctantly release Rouge's perfect body and get dressed.
If he had to describe his current mood in one word—
Satisfaction.
He had completely fallen in love with that ultimate slippery sensation.
"Time to get up! Today's the day the Aitrias family gathers!"
After preparing breakfast,
Vilin playfully patted Rouge's smooth, perky rear to wake her.
Rouge saw the breakfast already laid out on the table.
Blushing shyly, she dressed in front of him—slipping into a neat, practical outfit.
After they finished eating,
Vilin took Rouge's soft hand and headed toward the port where the Flying Bird was docked.
The island was small.
It took them only half an hour to reach the harbor.
But when they arrived,
Vilin's expression instantly darkened.
His crew was completely surrounded by a large group of Marines.
"Persistent bastards… Since you're here, you can all stay."
Seeing his family in danger,
Vilin turned to Rouge.
"Rouge, wait here for a bit. I'll deal with these annoying flies and come back for you."
With those words,
a massive pink flower bloomed from his back.
It spun like helicopter blades, carrying him swiftly toward the encircled crew.
Vilin raised a fist and smashed a Marine who tried to sneak-attack Annie.
The soldier flew backward, crashing through trees before stopping.
Seeing Vilin arrive, the Aitrias family members breathed sighs of relief.
The Marines, noticing someone breaking into the encirclement, turned their attacks on him.
"Reporting to Captain Blair! Aitrias Vilin has appeared!"
A Marine officer wearing a justice coat and a long sword at his waist reported gravely to Captain Blair, who was stroking his blade.
"He's here? Perfect."
"My sword has been thirsting for blood."
Blair drew a blood-red-handled longsword from its sheath.
With one powerful step that cracked the ground, he launched himself skyward using Moon Step and rocketed toward Vilin.
At the port,
Vilin saw the dense concentration of Marines.
A twisted smile curled his lips.
Weird Forest – Twilight Rain!
Vilin entered his Logia form.
Every tree around him came alive—transforming into archers wielding bows.
Wooden spears whistled through the air, raining down on the Marines like deadly arrows.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Spears fell like a storm.
Marines too slow to react were skewered and pinned to the ground.
Survivors stared in terror and fled in all directions.
High above, Captain Blair—rushing toward the scene—saw the carnage.
Rage exploded within him.
He unleashed a series of sonic booms with Moon Step, raising his blade high.
A sword beam coated in Armament Haki tore through the air toward Vilin.
Vilin, who had been controlling vines to pierce Marine hearts, sensed the furious aura approaching through Observation Haki.
"Armament Haki?"
Surprise flashed in his eyes.
He hadn't expected the Navy to send someone of this caliber after him.
As the attack closed in, Vilin coated his own arm in black Armament Haki.
He stomped the ground hard.
His figure shot upward.
One fist met the flying slash head-on.
Fist and sword energy clashed violently in midair.
Finally, Vilin unleashed full power.
The slash shattered into nothingness.
Blair stared in disbelief.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"How could you shatter a swordsman-level flying slash?!"
Vilin had no intention of explaining.
He stomped again.
His figure blurred like a phantom, reappearing behind Blair.
An Armament-coated fist rocketed toward the Marine's back.
Bang!
Blair's forehead broke into a cold sweat.
Shave!
Using Naval Rokushiki, he barely dodged.
Seeing Blair escape, Vilin sneered mockingly.
"Hahahaha! Is this the strength of a Headquarters elite?"
"Looks pretty mediocre to me!"
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