And Kuina...
Under Nojiko's gaze, Kuina finally shook her head and put down the two fruits.
"I'm not eating them." She spoke softly, her attitude calm and resolute.
"This White Tiger Fruit, when I first saw it last night, really made me hesitate a bit, after all, it's considered a rare treasure among Zoan-types."
"After consuming it, my strength, speed, and recovery abilities would all see significant improvements, greatly enhancing my immediate combat power."
Kuina paused for a moment, her fingers gently brushing over the hilt at her waist.
"But that is not my 'dao'."
Her path was set from the first time she gripped the Bamboo Blade in Shimotsuki Village.
——Relying solely on herself, to ascend to the title of the world's number one Great Sword Master without external aid!
This is indeed a much harder path.
But precisely because of this, when the peak of Sword Dao is reached, the glory and the new era truly belong to her alone.
Just like Hawkeye, the current world's number one Great Sword Master.
"Eh——" Nojiko blinked: "What can I say, it's just like your style."
She reached out and wrapped an arm around Kuina's shoulder, laughing:
"But with this, you'll have to give it your all even more, right? After all, the monsters on our ship are growing in number, be careful not to lose your Deputy Captain position."
Speaking of newcomers, Jack, who just joined, is undeniably monstrous.
His physique is incredibly strong, his Fruit Ability is quite abnormal, and though he looks simple-minded, he surprisingly has a high aptitude for Body Techniques.
In just these two days, he's shown signs of entering the basics of Armament Haki, probably won't be long, maybe just a month or two, before he formally masters it.
Kuina was aware of this but didn't pay much mind to it.
Train even more diligently?
She glanced down at the Wado Ichimonji, a faint smile on her lips:
"No problem, that's just what I wish."
As descendants of Wano Country, they all talk in such a verbose and peculiar manner, Nojiko thought to herself, taking those two Devil Fruits and putting them away.
Tsk, when will the time come to meet someone worthy of these two fruits?
...
Woo—— woo——!!!
The sea train spewed rolling white smoke, racing along the tracks at full speed.
Suddenly, the train's body jolted violently, accompanied by a muffled thud, seeming to have hit something.
The carriage shook slightly, its speed momentarily halting for a split second but soon resumed its rapid pace.
Robin originally thought it was an illusion until she looked out the window...
A giant light brown frog was flipping through the air, "plop" into the distant sea, splashing waves several meters high.
With its limbs outstretched, belly up, its eyes spun like mosquito coils, dazed, drifting on the water's surface, its tongue lolling to the side.
It wasn't clear if it was still alive...
Was this frog trying to stop the train?
Once the surprise faded, Robin's eyes carried a hint of sympathetic pity.
Alas, given such a disparity in size and strength, how could success ever be possible?
Just like her once, alone, facing the colossal World Government that was suffocatingly enormous...
But now...
Robin looked down at the person sleeping soundly on her chest and gently patted her cheek:
"We're almost there, wake up, Nami."
"Hmm... Are we there?"
The bubble on Nami's nose popped with a "pop", and she rubbed her eyes, drowsily sitting up.
She looked out the window.
As expected, in the distance on the horizon, a grand and bustling city gradually came into view.
Water Seven.
This miracle known as the "City of Water and Craftsmen" seemed to rise from the depths of the ocean like Dream Island.
Countless azure waterways, like veins, crisscrossed the entire city, connecting different levels of street blocks into an intricate, multi-dimensional network.
And the most eye-catching was undoubtedly the soaring fountain at the city's center, resembling a giant pillar supporting the sky.
Elegantly it hurled sea water skyward, scattering at high altitudes into a veil-like mist that enveloped the city in a dreamy shroud.
"Wow..."
Nami's sleepiness instantly dissipated, her face almost pressed against the train window, gazing at the scene before her without blinking.
A moment later.
Woo——!
With the long whistle of the steam, the sea train gradually came to a stop at the "Blue Station" platform.
"We've arrived!"
The moment the door opened a crack, Nami dashed out like a cannonball, holding tightly onto the drowsy Glutinous Rice Cake in her arms.
"Slow down, wait for us, Nami!" Nojiko hurriedly grabbed the luggage and chased after her.
Robin and Kuina exchanged glances and shook their heads helplessly.
Sure enough, without Shano by her side, this girl was like an unrestrained wild horse, unruly and uncontrollable.
The two walked in the direction where the sisters disappeared, and Kuina spoke while walking:
"Before coming to the Water Capital this time, Master Shano entrusted us with three tasks."
"The first is to convert the treasures from the City of Gastronomy into cash, then with the cash, head to the island's shipbuilding company to have them inspect the Endgame."
She was referring to the treasures seized from "Blood Saw" Jax.
That evening, after everyone finished their feast, they returned to the ship only to find a dozen treasure chests on the deck by the next morning.
It's likely that the townsfolk helped bring them over, taking not a single coin, leading Kuina to sigh at how unassuming the local customs were.
"The treasure chests are still on the ship, it might take another five to six hours for them to arrive."