As the explosively revolting taste faded, Jake's expression gradually calmed.
He turned to Monet, who was smiling beside him, and asked softly.
"Monet, aren't you curious how I can consume two Devil Fruits?"
In response to his question, Monet chuckled and replied.
"A little curious, but I assume it's because your Devil Fruit is special. And... I trust you don't have any ill intentions, right?"
Jake nodded at her answer and explained.
"You're quite calm, but you're right. My Devil Fruit is unique—it allows me to consume a second one. As far as I know, the Logia-type Dark-Dark Fruit can also grant the ability to consume a second Devil Fruit, but whether it actually works, I'm not entirely sure."
"Are there any side effects? One Devil Fruit already makes you hated by the sea—would two make you instantly run into shipwrecks or something?"
"Not that extreme. The Dark-Dark Fruit's drawback is that it can't achieve elemental intangibility like other Logia fruits, and all pain the user suffered is doubled. As for my Devil Fruit's side effects... none have appeared yet. So far, it seems there aren't any."
Hearing this, Monet's eyes curved slightly as she said softly.
"Then it seems your Devil Fruit truly lives up to its title as the Angel Fruit."
"That's just a name I made up to intimidate people. You believe that too?"
Monet merely smiled at his response before replying lightly.
"No. But back in that dungeon, your arrival was no different from meeting a real angel to me."
As she spoke, she packed away the bag of apples.
Hesitating for a moment, she reached out and took his hand.
Her cheeks flushed faintly as she said.
"Now that everything's settled, Jake... let's go see the City of Gold together. I'm really curious about that story of the Golden Bell that Cricket mentioned before."
As Monet's voice reached him, her grip on his hand tightened even more.
The next moment, the sound of bones cracking echoed, and blood began to seep from Jake's arm, startling Monet so much that her face turned pale.
"Jake, what's wrong? Did I pull too hard?! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Seeing Monet's panicked expression, Jake waved his hand dismissively, took a deep breath, and explained to her.
"Don't worry, Monet. It's not your fault. These are injuries from my fight with that guy earlier. His final attack was really strong, but I could tell he had lost the will to fight. So, I used Healing Prayer to fix my outward appearance, making it seem like I wasn't hurt at all—just to crush his spirit completely. But internally, the damage is still pretty severe."
"So, I might need to sit here and rest for a bit. As for the City of Gold, I probably can't go there right now. Sorry, Monet. You can go ahead and check it out yourself. I'll catch up with you after I've rested a little."
Monet shook her head at his words.
She helped Jake settle onto a patch of soft grass before saying.
"No, I'll stay here with you."
"But it's the legendary City of Gold. It'd be such a shame to miss it."
In response, Monet moved a little closer to Jake, her faint fragrance drifting towards him.
"Many sights aren't worth seeing just because they're rare or extraordinary. What makes them special is experiencing them with you."
As she spoke these words, Monet's entire face flushed crimson.
Once she finished, she turned her head away, leaving Jake with only the back of her head and a glimpse of her reddened cheek.
Jake chuckled at Monet's words.
Then, he reached out and took her hand in his.
Her palm felt warm and soft, trembling slightly with nervousness.
His voice was gentle yet firm.
"Monet, we'll see many, many sights together in the future. I promise you."
"Th-thank you!"
After these words, the atmosphere between them lightened again.
Jake continued healing himself while chatting with Monet.
*****
Unbeknownst to them, about three or four hours had passed.
The members of the Whitebeard Pirates gradually emerged from the City of Gold, their faces beaming with joy.
After all, for pirates, nothing stirs the heart more than adventure and treasure.
And the City of Gold had perfectly fulfilled all their desires.
Marco stood at the forefront of the group.
He approached Jake, patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile.
"Well done, Jake. I saw everything from the back. I never expected you to pull off something like this. There were several times I almost couldn't resist stepping in to help, but I held back. A duel like this—one that felt like fate—was something you wouldn't want us interfering in."
As he spoke, Marco handed Jake some medicinal supplies for his injuries, still grinning.
"These are the medicines I always carry with me. They're quite effective for injuries. Take them all. What we've obtained from the City of Gold this time has far exceeded our expectations. For the next few years—no, I should say for the next decade—our Whitebeard Pirates won't lack any operational funds."
Jake looked at Marco's beaming face and said somewhat helplessly.
"Actually, I wouldn't have complained if you'd come to help. But thanks for the medicine, Marco."
"Oh! You're even thanking me now?"
Marco put on an exaggerated expression as he approached Jake, playfully roughhousing with him.
Seeing this, the surrounding pirates all gathered around and the atmosphere instantly became lively.
Monet, her face cold, retreated to a corner, casting a somewhat resentful glance at Jake.
The Whitebeard Pirates noticed this and began teasing them mercilessly.
By the time both of them were flushed red, they had finished packing up and made their way to Whitebeard, who remained seated at the center of both groups. (the Skypieans and Shandians)
Looking at his sons' joyful faces, Whitebeard took a swig of sake and laughed.
"Gurararara! It seems the legend of the City of Gold is indeed true."
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