Day Three
As the first light of dawn spilled over the sea of clouds, a breathtaking spectacle unfolded.
Blinding streaks of golden light erupted from the distant and mysterious ruins of Shandora, surging like a silent, heavenly tide.
The golden radiance, brimming with a boundless, ancient energy, pierced through the layers of morning mist, instantly illuminating the entire sky and bathing the two floating islands in a dazzling, sacred brilliance.
Inside the dim yet mysteriously atmospheric laboratory, Ron was finally finished.
His figure moved with a weary but triumphant swiftness between the lab tables.
He carefully cradled two identical, pale pink Devil Fruits in his hands, their surfaces swirling with the familiar, mesmerizing patterns of power.
A barely contained, exhausted smile flickered in his eyes.
After days of tireless, non-stop effort, the Enchanted Float-Float Fruits were finally complete.
Now, the moment had arrived.
"Ron, this is..." Kingdew's towering figure appeared at the doorway, having been summoned moments before.
His sharp gaze was immediately drawn to the two glowing fruits in Ron's hands, and he stood frozen in utter shock.
His eyes widened in disbelief, his mouth slightly agape.
This was the first time he had ever seen such a unique Devil Fruits.
"Ah, the Float-Float Fruit is finally done," Ron said, his voice hoarse from lack of sleep but filled with confidence.
"Go and call Shiki. Tell him it's time."
"The Float-Float Fruit… Oh, right! I'll go right away!" Kingdew snapped out of his daze, hastily nodding before turning to stride quickly toward the door.
However, just as he took his first step, an extremely arrogant, booming laugh suddenly rang out from just outside.
"JYAHAHAHA! Ron, my boy! Is it done?! Did you finish researching my Float-Float Fruit?!"
Ron blinked.
This guy had arrived faster than expected.
The unmistakable laughter alone made it clear—it was the Golden Lion, and he was not a patient man.
That distinctive laugh was his trademark, instantly recognizable.
He appeared in the courtyard just outside the lab, his voice brimming with a desperate, feverish impatience.
Whitebeard followed closely behind, his heavy, confident footsteps echoing as he entered the courtyard with a wide, amused grin.
The moment Shiki laid eyes on the two pale pink fruits in Ron's hands, his towering frame trembled slightly, his excitement surging through him like a raging tide.
Ron offered them to him, and he took one, clutching it tightly as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.
His eyes burned with an indescribable fervor, meticulously scanning every inch of its surface.
"This is it… there's no mistake," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.
He then threw his head back and roared.
"The Float-Float Fruit! How many years has it been?! This is definitely the one! Jiahahaha! I, the Golden Lion, will finally be whole again!"
In the midst of his ecstatic celebration, a dazzling golden light, sharp as a blade, sliced through the sky.
The light surged forward with unstoppable momentum, charging straight into the courtyard and landing with a solid thud.
In an instant, the radiance dissipated, revealing the massive and sturdy figure of Jozu.
Jozu looked at the ecstatic Golden Lion with a deep confusion in his eyes.
Frowning slightly, he spoke with his usual blunt disdain.
"Old man Shiki, weren't you already whole? Ron fixed your legs and your head. Why are you saying 'again'?"
"..."
The Golden Lion was momentarily stunned by Jozu's deadpan, literal question.
He instinctively scratched his head, his face showing a bewildered expression.
"...'Again'? Did I say that?"
Seeing this, Jozu just sighed helplessly and shook his head, muttering.
"This old man is losing it."
Doflamingo and his crew were also drawn over by the commotion, their pupils contracting slightly at the sight of the pink fruits.
Is that the legendary Enchanted Devil Fruit? Doflamingo thought to himself, a hint of raw fervor and desire in his eyes.
He knew the value of such a thing was astronomical.
Ten billion Berries, at a minimum.
An amount that could drive countless people to madness.
Being able to witness this process up close was an invaluable, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Just as they were immersed in anticipation, their focus was stolen by an even more astonishing sight.
Whitebeard.
Before this, they had only heard rumors of the old Emperor awakening.
Now, with him standing before them in the flesh, they could truly grasp the vast difference between hearsay and reality.
The outside world had whispered that Whitebeard was on death's door, his life's flame flickering out.
All of it was utter nonsense.
The Whitebeard standing before them now, laughing and joking with Shiki, exuded an incomparably powerful, vibrant aura.
Doflamingo, a man who feared very little, felt a cold knot of apprehension in his stomach.
The current Whitebeard, revitalized and healed, was undoubtedly far far more stronger than him.
The energy radiating from the old Emperor was immense, like a fully awakened, raging bear standing right in front of them.
'Ron didn't just heal him', Doflamingo realized with a chill.
"Ron," Shiki said, his excitement momentarily tempered by a final, nagging doubt.
"You're sure I won't explode after eating this, right?"
"Gurararara! Shiki, you're getting more timid with age," Whitebeard teased, his booming laughter echoing across the courtyard.
"I remember when you cut off your own feet just to escape a cage. That ruthlessness was far more impressive! But now, you're actually scared of a mere fruit?"
The Golden Lion's face flushed.
'Being looked down upon by Newgate is the worst!'
Ron just nodded slightly, his eyes filled with affirmation.
"Don't worry, Shiki," he said slowly. "There are still many things I need you to do for me. There's no way I'd let you explode."
"...." Shiki raised his head slightly.
"So, do I have to eat two at once?"
Ron patiently explained, "The Enchantment process has a chance of failure. It's something no one can predict. To guarantee success, we've prepared two." He then added with a sly grin.
"Of course, a lucky break has put the odds in our favor today. The success rate is unusually high. If your luck as a self-proclaimed king of the skies is as overwhelming as they say, then naturally, one would be enough to succeed."
Hearing Ron's explanation, a challenge wrapped in a compliment, the Golden Lion's doubts were washed away by a fresh surge of his old, reckless pride.
Spurred on by Whitebeard's mockery and Ron's dare, he made his decision.
He took a deep breath, his eyes blazing with the same fire they had in his prime.
"Alright then," he roared, grabbing one of the pink fruits.
"Let's see just how lucky I am!"