"Monet—what a beautiful name."
Right now, Monet was still just a young girl, her features brimming with youthful innocence. Vane knew that in the future, this woman would grow into a true, mature beauty.
Whether she was pretty or not was only a bonus. Snow Woman Monet's loyalty was absolutely among the top in the pirate world. If Doflamingo told her to press a bomb and die together with the enemy, she would genuinely offer up her life without hesitation.
With that kind of character, even without strength, she could still be entrusted with important responsibilities.
And wherever the protagonist appears, perhaps the Devil Fruit is there as well.
If Monet was here, then maybe the Snow-Snow Fruit was here too… Though it was very likely that both the Snow-Snow Fruit and the Hobby-Hobby Fruit were given to her by Doflamingo—but who knows?
The Hobby-Hobby Fruit was too outrageous; Vane wasn't expecting to find that. But if the Snow-Snow Fruit was here, that would already be a profit.
The Snow-Snow Fruit was one of the Logia-type fruits. Among Logias, it was probably one of the least prestigious… about on par with the Smoke-Smoke Fruit. Its offensive power was stronger than smoke, though smoke being able to fly somewhat made up for it.
The Swamp-Swamp Fruit, which debuted around the same time, had been developed in a rather awkward way, but anyone with discernment could tell it had enormous development potential.
The Snow-Snow Fruit's cold wasn't particularly overwhelming, and snow itself didn't boast great attack power either… but at the end of the day, it was still a Logia fruit—something many people could only dream of.
"Why did you come to Twin Port?"
Monet quickly confessed everything. It was nothing more than being forced by circumstances—or rather, forced by the kingdom.
Monet had a younger sister seven years her junior. According to the Twin Kingdom's policy, six years later, she and her sister would have to fight each other to the death.
She absolutely couldn't accept killing her own sister. The two of them were already orphans, relying solely on each other for survival. They refused to face the bloody policy of Twin Island.
"As long as you gather enough money, there's still a way to escape Twin Island… But that kind of money is impossible to earn on the inner island. Only here at Twin Port is there a chance."
Even in Twin Port, it was difficult. Monet simply refused to give up, which was why she had sneaked in—to see if there was any opportunity at all.
"Monet, I'll give you a chance. Take your sister and leave with me… But if you leave with me, you'll be becoming a pirate. What you can rest assured of is that there's already a six- or seven-year-old little girl on my ship."
Leave Twin Island?
Monet understood that becoming a pirate likely meant a life of drifting and hardship. But it would certainly be better than staying on Twin Island and facing a blood-soaked future.
"I'm willing! Monet is willing to leave with you. Even becoming a pirate—I accept it wholeheartedly."
There was no guarantee she could earn enough money in Twin Port. And even if she did leave Twin Island, she wouldn't know where to take her sister. Being able to rely on someone mysterious and powerful was simply a heaven-sent opportunity.
"Congratulations. You've seized your future."
...
Under the cover of night, Vane activated the power of his Blood Demon Art. Netherworld Mist gathered behind him, condensing into Frost Wings as he flew toward the interior of Twin Island.
It didn't take long before Vane departed from Twin Island.
...
"The Leader brought back a teenage girl… and a little child."
"Could they be Devil Fruit users again?"
They could understand a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old like Monet. After all, Vane himself was only sixteen, yet his strength was unfathomable.
But Sugar looked about the same age as Perona. A child that small—unless she was a Devil Fruit user—they couldn't understand why Vane would bring her aboard.
"Vane-sama."
Baccarat looked at the two who had been brought back… Sugar, a tiny little girl about the same size as Perona, had no threatening presence whatsoever and was directly handed over to the "kindergarten supervisor," Bear Guard.
Though Bear Guard carried the title of Guard Squad captain, he basically revolved around Perona all day. The crew had already nicknamed him the kindergarten supervisor.
Now that Sugar had joined as well, that nickname might truly become permanent.
Setting Sugar aside, Baccarat turned her gaze to Monet… This girl looked one or two years younger than herself, pretty and soft, the type that naturally stirred protective instincts… a potential unstable factor.
"This is Monet. This is Sugar. They're sisters, natives of Twin Island. As of today, they officially join our Rocket Team."
"Sugar, you'll attend cultural lessons with Perona as usual. As for physical training, that's up to you."
"Monet can study navigation under Briggs. Physical training is also optional."
In Vane's view, neither Sugar nor Monet was likely to become extremely powerful. If they could reach Robin's later level, that would already be something to be thankful for… Wait, no—Robin had defeated one of the Tobiroppo, Black Maria. Though, to be fair, the Tobiroppo were rather eccentric.
Catching up to Robin would be incredibly difficult for them. Perhaps if they found suitable Devil Fruits in the future, there might be a chance.
The Hobby-Hobby Fruit wasn't something to force. Its ability came with the heavy side effect of halting physical growth.
As for the Snow-Snow Fruit, Vane himself had no interest in it. If they found it, letting Monet—the original owner—eat it would be fine.
After all, Dice certainly wasn't suited for the Snow-Snow Fruit. In Vane's mind, he planned to find Dice an Ancient Zoan type, something that would make him more durable.
"I'll work hard to learn navigation."
"I believe you… but you can start working hard tomorrow. Briggs, head to the island beside Twin Island."
The Thunder Fortress couldn't keep drifting endlessly at sea. The crew needed to set foot on land from time to time. Twin Island wasn't suitable for docking, but the island that had fallen from the sky was perfect.
And if Vane's guess was correct, that island had been thrown down by the Golden Lion. There should be some things up there that he wanted.
...
Green Hell Island.
That was the name given to the island by the people of the Twin Kingdom. The kingdom had once sent troops there, only for them to suffer devastating casualties. Occasionally, monsters would even cross the sea to attack Twin Island.
"Are we really going to land on that island? I heard many people have died up there."
The commotion caused by Green Hell Island had been enormous. Almost everyone on Twin Island knew something about it. Monet didn't know whether the island had fallen from the sky, but she was certain it was dangerous.
"I want danger. If it's not dangerous, I'd find it boring."
The dangers on Green Hell Island were absolutely within his control. Otherwise, the Twin Kingdom might have already been wiped out. If this island had truly been thrown down by Golden Lion Shiki, then the only one Vane needed to worry about was Shiki himself.
The Thunder Fortress found a suitable landing point along Green Hell Island and docked.
Boom! Boom!
Before the ship had even fully stabilized, massive tremors echoed from the forest ashore. It sounded like a gigantic beast was charging out.
"What kind of monster is that?"
"It's too dark—I can't see clearly."
There was little moonlight tonight. All they could see were vague shadows in the darkness.
"Baccarat."
"Understood."
The darkness didn't hinder Baccarat. With a snap of her fingers, several stage-light beams shot straight into the forest!
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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