Snow fell all night.
This first snowfall came so suddenly that the villagers of the Sibia River Archipelago were unaware it had quietly begun.
Even Village Chief Martin, who had initially witnessed the so-called cold wave, hadn't expected the snow to arrive so quickly, and to last for days.
As a result, construction work in Sibia Village had to be temporarily suspended, and the village fell silent once again.
And these past few days… Since his last appearance in the back mountains, a certain disheveled man hadn't appeared, as if he had never been there.
Ian even searched everywhere on the island, but couldn't find him.
Although Ian knew that Kuzan, while outwardly chasing the World Government fugitive, was actually on a public-funded trip and wasn't really out to capture her, he didn't relax and continued his daily training.
Strength was everything in this sea.
Especially after consuming the Devil Fruit, his strength had finally surpassed its previous limits, entering a new stage.
That morning, as always, Ian woke late but trained outside the cabin as usual. However, unlike before, in the morning light, Ian's bulging muscles shimmered with a faint glow, as if coated in a golden aura.
Under the sunlight, he tirelessly exercised his body.
Although consuming this Devil Fruit is not part of his original plan, he has no regret. He originally planned to wait until Punk Hazard exploded and secretly seek out the artificial Azure Dragon Fruit.
Or perhaps buy a sturdy ship and hire a skilled navigator to look for the Rumble-Rumble fruit on Skypiea; either way, he believed that with either fruit, he could still successfully make it to the final saga.
But he hadn't expected to unexpectedly obtain a Devil Fruit at this time, and ultimately decided to consume it.
But it must be said that this Devil Fruit truly suits him.
After these few days of training, Ian discovered that exercising under the sunlight allowed him to easily surpass his previous training limits. That's right, meaning he could finally train 10 times harder, or even more.
Under the sunlight, not only did his strength increase, but his stamina also became more abundant, and his recovery ability was enhanced. He could even train without food or water as long as there was sunlight. Therefore, he could easily break through his training limits.
This was… Life Return!
No, perhaps something like it. At least Life Return required massive amounts of food to restore energy, to change body shape, and to strengthen parts of the body, but he only needed sunlight for constant recovery and to reinforce himself.
And under the sun, his strength could temporarily break through, weakest at dawn and dusk, strongest at noon, fluctuating with the sun's rise and fall.
Although he returned to his original strength when the sun was away, this temporary improvement pointed him in the right direction for further improvement. He believes that with continued hard work, he will gradually approach his strongest self!
Perhaps, as the Five Elders said, Devil Fruits possess their own will and will seek out their right owners, and he was the perfect owner for this Devil Fruit!
As the sun neared its zenith, Ian felt a surge of strength rising within his body. Even though it wasn't the first time, he still couldn't help but marvel.
He even felt a little swollen up, eager to fight that disheveled man again.
It had to be said that that guy really was quite a good coach. He's strong enough to handle anything and wholeheartedly intent on beating him up!
Just that brief fight, his strength had skyrocketed. Feeling the changes in his body, Ian couldn't help but sigh inwardly: "If this had happened a few years earlier, I probably would've gone to sea already. What a pity…"
"Dear, lunch is ready."
Hearing the voice from inside the house, Ian put away his scattered thoughts. He pressed his right index finger against the floor and instantly sprang upright, landing on his feet before walking toward the house.
Looking at Robin, who had already reached the door, he took the towel she offered him, smiled, and briefly wiped the sweat off his body.
After all, now he… had a family.
"Dear, you're like the sun!"
Even after seeing it many times, Robin couldn't help but marvel at the heat radiating from Ian's whole body. Reaching out to touch his muscles, her expression turned a bit odd. "Dear, have you gotten taller again?"
"A bit taller, indeed." Ian also noticed this.
He was already 1.9 meters tall, and now he was almost 2 meters tall. Although still a short man in this world, Ian was quite content. He even wondered if the Light-Light Fruit was some kind of chlorophyll fruit instead. Shine some light, and you will grow.
Ian looked at Robin, who was wearing his gray coat.
Robin had no winter clothes, so for the time being, she had to wear his coat.
Not to mention that his coat fitted Robin quite well, though it didn't quite show off her figure.
Looks like he'll have to find time to buy a few more winter clothes.
"You're taller than me now."
Robin said while circling Ian, occasionally reaching out to touch him. After a satisfied nod, she said: "Let's eat! Even if sunshine is all you need, dear, you still have to eat. I've prepared some beef stew for today."
Smelling the aroma of the stew, Ian and Robin sat down at the table and enjoyed lunch. After the last incident, Robin returned to her usual self, as if nothing had happened.
And Ian never asked whether she had regained her memory.
"Dear, what are you looking at?"
"Nothing."
Ian openly observed Robin's figure, and after speaking righteously, he quickly changed the subject: "By the way, what did Village Chief Martin come here for yesterday? Didn't we agree to temporarily suspend work due to the snow?"
"Although work has been suspended, Village Chief Martin hasn't stopped working."
Hearing Ian's words, Robin's face showed a helpless expression. "He has been running around all this time. Yesterday, Village Chief Martin came to see you and wanted to ask if you could allow other villages to join. He felt that Sibia Village alone couldn't support this winery."
As she spoke, she looked at Ian curiously. "Dear, what do you think?"
"Joining forces with other villages? That's fine."
Ian pondered for a moment, then nodded. "You and Village Chief Martin can decide!"
There are eight villages in the Sibia River Archipelago, all of which grow green grapes. Through intermarriage, they are all considered relatives. All the villages were equally poor, but Sibia Village was considered relatively well-off.
It seemed Village Chief Martin was planning to use this opportunity to help his relatives!
He then put down his bowl and stood up. "If you need anything, tell me. I'm full and ready to go for some more exercise."
"Okay, dear."
Robin nodded with a smile. "I've finished eating, too."
Under Robin's gaze, Ian walked out the door and resumed his training.
Once he left, Robin also rose, glanced out the window, and upon seeing Ian training seriously, she lightly snapped her fingers.
Instantly, countless hands emerged from the tabletops. In the blink of an eye, they had cleared the table and automatically washed the dishes.
When the dishes were done, Robin stretched lazily, went into a room, pulled a few books from under the bed, and caressed them gently. Her face was filled with complex emotions as she murmured: "Nico... Robin."