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"They're probably searching for us everywhere now, right?" On board the Grim Reaper, Ye Jia, Qiuli, and Si Qingluo were enjoying a candlelit meal. Before Draylon even received the news, Ye Jia had already foreseen that Draylon, upon learning of what happened tonight, would initiate a large-scale blockade and search every household, vowing not to stop until he found them.
So, as soon as Ye Jia returned to the hotel and picked up Gayimni, he immediately took the group back to the Grim Reaper. The speed of the Sparkle-Sparkle Fruit had been gradually developed by Ye Jia to a terrifying extent, so fast that even several round trips would only take the shortest possible time. Draylon wanting to capture Ye Jia and the others was nothing but a pipe dream.
"Thank you, Captain, please guide me in the future!" Si Qingluo's eyes shimmered. She raised a glass of wine and said with a smile to Ye Jia. "Calling me Captain is too formal. From now on, we're comrades on the same ship. Just call me Ye Jia!" Ye Jia chuckled, glancing at Qiuli, who was gobbling down food, his lips twitching. "Qiuli, slow down, save me a chicken leg!"
"Ye Jia, it's not that I don't want to save you one, Si Qingluo's cooking is too good! These dishes are even more delicious than the hotel chef's! You two just drink; leave these dishes to me!" Qiuli conceded nothing. He had had enough of Gayimni's torment. Now that he could finally enjoy a good meal on the ship, how could Qiuli stop? "You, I never realized you were such a foodie!" Ye Jia rolled his eyes at Qiuli. Si Qingluo covered her mouth and giggled, her eyes narrowed into crescent moons, leaving only a slit.
"Qingluo, I never expected you to not only be beautiful and have a good figure, but also to be skilled in all arts and even such a good cook... A woman like you is practically a living fossil!" Ye Jia praised her unreservedly.
He had thought Si Qingluo would at most cook some simple home-style dishes, and as long as they were palatable, it would be fine... at least better than Gayimni's dark cuisine.
But after the food was served, it completely exceeded Ye Jia's imagination. The taste was incredibly delicious; he almost swallowed his tongue! The thought of finally being able to escape Gayimni's dark cuisine and eat such delicious food filled Ye Jia with unparalleled comfort.
"Mr. Ye... Ye Jia, if you like it, I'll cook for you every day!" Si Qingluo instantly flushed red from Ye Jia's compliment. Especially Ye Jia's affectionate use of "Qingluo" made Si Qingluo's little heart thump continuously.
"Oh, right!" Ye Jia flipped his palm, and a Devil Fruit with a white spiral pattern on its surface appeared in his palm. It was precisely the String-String Fruit he had just synthesized. "This is the 'String-String Fruit.' It's for you."
"Devil Fruit?" Si Qingluo clearly knew about Devil Fruits. "Ye Jia, I heard a Devil Fruit is worth hundreds of millions of Berry. You... you're just giving it to me like that?" Si Qingluo was overwhelmed. She had just become a member of the Grim Reaper Pirate Crew, and Ye Jia gave her a Devil Fruit.
Si Qingluo felt as if she were in a dream. Having frequented trade zones like Babastain for years, Si Qingluo had inadvertently learned a lot about Devil Fruits. Any Devil Fruit was a priceless treasure. Who wouldn't treat it like one? Ye Jia, on the other hand, just gave it away with a casual remark!
"What's a hundred million Berry? You're a crew member of my Grim Reaper Pirate Crew now, my comrade, Ye Jia. What's a mere Devil Fruit?" Ye Jia said nonchalantly. He had nothing in abundance now except Devil Fruits! Besides, he wasn't too interested in the String-String Fruit himself. He might as well give it to Si Qingluo.
She was a weak, defenseless woman. If she encountered enemies or any danger at sea later, she wouldn't even be able to ensure her own safety. Conveniently, the String-String Fruit was one of the top abilities in the Paramecia class. The extent of Doflamingo's arrogance demonstrated how remarkable this fruit was. Giving it to Si Qingluo would be like adding a powerful asset to his pirate crew!
"Tha-thank you!" Si Qingluo carefully took the String-String Fruit, still somewhat disbelieving. "Eat it, and you'll have the String-String Fruit's ability. Then I'll give you some Stamina Pills. Before long, your strength will greatly increase! You'll never need anyone to protect you again, and you won't have to worry about anyone harming you...
You'll become very strong, so strong that no one will dare to look down on you!" Ye Jia said while fighting Qiuli for the last chicken leg. Si Qingluo looked at the String-String Fruit in her palm, her eyes instantly reddening, and crystal tears welled up. No one had ever cared for her like this before. Ye Jia was the first.
During her days at the Red Lady House, she was always alone. Although her sisters seemed close on the surface, they secretly badmouthed her behind her back. Si Qingluo heard all of this but dared not tell anyone. But now it was different. She was no longer alone.
With comrades, with belief, and with a path to becoming stronger, Si Qingluo felt her life suddenly brighten! Weeping, Si Qingluo consumed the Devil Fruit. Devil Fruits were exceptionally unpleasant to eat, with a strange taste, but the sweetness in Si Qingluo's heart completely masked these peculiar flavors.
She ate the entire String-String Fruit. Soon, Si Qingluo discovered fine silver threads oozing from her fingertips. The threads were very thin. If one tried to see them with the naked eye, it would take a long time to find them, and they would become imperceptible with the slightest movement. Only the threads' owner, Si Qingluo, could perfectly control their movements.
"Is it working?" Ye Jia leaned in, seeing the fruit on Si Qingluo's fingertips. "The String-String Fruit is very strong. If you don't know how to train it, I'll teach you later. I'm good at this!" As a loyal fan of the original One Piece manga, Ye Jia was naturally good at it.
Ye Jia remembered all of Doflamingo's moves clearly, especially his final ultimate move, "16 Holy Assassin's Bullets: God Thread." It was incredibly powerful and imposing... Unfortunately, it was eventually outshone by Luffy's protagonist halo. "Good..." Si Qingluo's heart rate involuntarily sped up as Ye Jia leaned close to her, and her face became incredibly hot.
...
The next day, at first light, Gayimni woke up. "Huh? How did I get back on the ship?" Gayimni cutely rubbed her sleepy eyes. "Time to get up and make breakfast for Big Brother Ye and Qiuli." Putting on her shoes, Gayimni walked out of the room, preparing to wash up first, then make breakfast for Ye Jia and Qiuli. When she saw a graceful figure busy in the kitchen, all her sleepiness instantly vanished.
"You... who are you?!" Gayimni asked nervously.
"You're... Gayimni, right?" Si Qingluo turned around, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and revealed a captivating, radiant smile. "Hello, my name is Si Qingluo. From now on, we're comrades!"
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