"Sandersonia, Marigold." Kuke gestured toward Hancock's two younger sisters.
"Captain, are you calling us?"
Hancock's sisters looked at him in disbelief.
"Captain, do you have any orders? Is something dirty here? We'll clean it right away."
Their voices were humble.
On the ship, they had always felt like invisible people.
In terms of strength and talent, they were average at best.
In terms of appearance, they couldn't compare to the other women on board.
They had often doubted themselves—if not for their elder sister Hancock, if not for the fact that they had boarded the ship from the start, would they even have the right to stay in the Sun and Moon Pirates?
They never fought for anything.
Despite having combat power exceeding a hundred million, they willingly took on chores, working tirelessly without complaint.
"Have some confidence. You're my crew members too," Kuke said, giving them an encouraging look.
Their eyes welled up with tears.
"Would you like to change your abilities?"
Overwhelmed with emotion, they could only nod frantically.
"Right now, you both have standard Zoan-type abilities. Switching to an Ancient Zoan would give you a greater advantage. Or, would you rather wait until we acquire some Paramecia-type Devil Fruits with unique abilities?" Kuke left the choice to them.
The crew had grown to over thirty members.
Kuke had a structured way of distributing Devil Fruits.
The upper ranks—those responsible for combat—were given powerful, high-damage Devil Fruits, ensuring they had strong offensive abilities.
The lower ranks—those with lesser talent or weaker combat skills—were assigned Devil Fruits with special abilities, ones that weren't necessarily powerful in direct combat but were invaluable in certain situations.
For example, Koala's Sloth Fruit and Makino's Door-Door Fruit.
Abilities that manipulated time and space could be extremely troublesome, even for top-tier fighters.
"We'll switch to Ancient Zoans."
Without hesitation, Hancock's sisters made their choice.
They wanted greater strength, greater endurance.
They felt it would allow them to clean the ship better and take on more responsibilities.
"Alright then."
Sandersonia's Devil Fruit evolved from a standard Zoan—Boa Constrictor Model—to an Ancient Zoan—Pachycephalosaurus Model.
Marigold's ability shifted from a standard Zoan—Cobra Model—to an Ancient Zoan—Four-Winged Pterosaur Model.
Their potential increased.
Their combat power rose by several thousand.
Both of them now had bounties exceeding two hundred million.
Even in the New World, they were no longer weak.
There were still about ten Devil Fruits left on the ship, but they weren't particularly remarkable.
Kuke decided to keep them in reserve.
The Devil Fruit allocation for the day was complete.
A girl sweeping the deck had been watching the entire scene. A trace of envy flickered in her eyes.
She envied the camaraderie.
She envied the other crew members.
Her heart grew restless.
"Why am I the one stuck here sweeping?"
Frustrated, she swung her broom aggressively.
She was Perona, a later addition to the crew.
With her pink twin tails and signature gothic dress, she stood out.
As the women dispersed, a certain figure seized the opportunity and dashed into Kuke's arms, whining, "Kuke~~, this lady also wants to become a dual Devil Fruit user!"
It was the most shameless woman on the ship—Charlotte Linlin.
Kuke's mouth twitched.
"Get lost."
"I won't! I want a second Devil Fruit!" Charlotte Linlin clung to him shamelessly, inching closer.
"Mom... I mean, Linlin, the captain doesn't have any good Devil Fruits left."
As if constantly guarding against a thief, Smoothie and her sisters instinctively moved to block Charlotte Linlin's approach.
Using Devil Fruit abilities against a fellow crew member was forbidden.
Charlotte Linlin gritted her teeth in frustration as she glared at her unfilial daughters.
It was always them.
They were always in her way.
"Linlin, if the captain finds a suitable ability for you, he'll definitely give it to you. Why are you in such a rush?" Smoothie bluntly exposed her mother's real motive.
Asking for a second Devil Fruit was just an excuse.
Getting closer to the captain was her true goal.
Charlotte Linlin gritted her teeth.
She knew that unless she came up with a good reason, she wouldn't get anywhere near the captain today.
"Who says there isn't a suitable fruit? Her ability is perfect for me!" Charlotte Linlin suddenly pointed at Perona, who was still sweeping.
Perona froze.
She was dumbfounded.
"She has the Ghost-Ghost Fruit, which is related to spirits. It shares similarities with my Soul-Soul Fruit. If I combine them, my power will be even greater."
Charlotte Linlin had initially been speaking nonsense.
But the more she talked, the more excited she became.
Her eyes gleamed greedily as she stared at Perona. She recalled that the Ghost-Ghost Fruit allowed Perona to leave her body in spirit form.
"If I had that ability, I wouldn't have to worry about Smoothie and the others blocking me. I could sneak into the captain's quarters—what's that phrase again…? A spiritual connection that transcends the physical."
What started as a random excuse had turned into a grand revelation for Charlotte Linlin.
"You want to take my ability?"
Perona shivered.
She looked at Charlotte Linlin in fear.
She knew exactly who this woman was—one of the most terrifying Emperors of the Sea.
To be targeted by someone like her...
Perona felt her blood run cold.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
Then, with a loud wail, she burst into tears.
She had been scared to death.
"Captain, save me! Save me!"
Perona frantically ran toward Kuke, burying herself in his chest, trembling.
This scene...
It infuriated Charlotte Linlin.
It was too unfair.
Why was it that when she asked for help, all she got was "Get lost," but Perona got to cry in the captain's arms?
Kuke looked down at Perona, who was sobbing uncontrollably in his arms.
She really was terrified.
At the same time, he noticed that the light around her body had increased significantly—by more than fifty percent.
Perona had joined the crew when the Sun and Moon Pirates had reached the Florian Triangle and taken the Shadow-Shadow Fruit from Gecko Moria.
That had been a month ago.
At the time, the Sun and Moon Pirates were still in the first half of the Grand Line.
They had passed through the Florian Triangle.
Naturally, they hadn't let the Shadow-Shadow Fruit go to waste.
The Paramecia-type Shadow-Shadow Fruit had immense potential.
It provided powerful control, burst attacks, long-range capabilities, and eerie abilities—it was an all-around powerhouse.
Under its influence, Gecko Moria had once been able to compete with Kaido.
Unfortunately, he had let himself go after his defeat. Otherwise, the Shadow-Shadow Fruit could have been even stronger.
When the Sun and Moon Pirates found him...
He had just suffered a crushing defeat.
Barely days had passed since the Straw Hat Pirates had taken him down.
When the Sun and Moon Pirates arrived, Gecko Moria didn't even try to resist—he humbly handed over the Shadow-Shadow Fruit to save his own life.
Before leaving, they had encountered Perona, who had been trying to escape.
Gecko Moria had even pleaded for Kuke to take her along.
Kuke had seen a faint glow around Perona, most likely a result of her fear toward the Sun and Moon Pirates. That fear had created a sense of submission.
Since she had potential, Kuke had brought her along.
But without reaching one hundred percent, she wouldn't receive the full treatment of an official crew member.
Her spoiled princess attitude held no weight in the Sun and Moon Pirates.
So, she had been assigned to cleaning duties.
Over the past month, her glow had been increasing—slowly.
Yesterday, it had barely reached ten percent.
And now, in this instant—
Terrified by Charlotte Linlin...
Hiding in Kuke's arms...
Her glow had shot past fifty percent.
"This method works too?" Kuke mused, staring at the crying girl in his arms.
He had never tried this approach before.
"Captain, captain! I'm yours too! You have to protect me! I don't want my ability taken away!"
Desperate, Perona clung to him, hoping to earn his favor.
"You won't be."
Kuke patted her head gently.
With fifty percent, she was now considered half a crew member.
"Linlin, you can't take abilities from fellow crew members," Kuke scolded Charlotte Linlin.
With her, he had to be firm. One smile, and she'd cling to him relentlessly.
"Oh..." Charlotte Linlin hung her head in disappointment.
But more than that, she felt her importance in Kuke's eyes shrinking.
Compared to Hancock and the others, the gap was growing wider.
Now, she couldn't even compare to a newcomer like Perona.
Tears shimmered in Perona's eyes.
Seeing someone as fearsome as Charlotte Linlin get scolded because of her filled her with an overwhelming sense of security.