‘Whoooosh—’

  The massive isnd-cloud Homies desded from the sky, nding on the shores of Drum Kingdom. At the top, the Fallen Angel Pirates' fg waved promily, instantly catg the attention and causing pani the nearby vilges.

  "Is that…?"

  "A huge cloud?"

  "There are buildings and people on it…"

  "Wait, it’s the Fallen Angel Pirates!!"

  "What? The ones who kidnapped and killed the World Nobles, aroyed a Navy stronghold?"

  "Why are they here?"

  The vilgers along the kingdom’s border, reizing the Fallen Angel Pirates' fg, were filled with fear and unease. On the cloud were thousands of warriors in gleaming white armor, each carrying swords, spears, or shields, along with knights on t horses. Above, an army of sky knights rode on pterodactyls, griffins, and other creatures, cirg the area.

  These living Homies, with human-like faces and expressions, looked like terrifying monsters from the depths of hell.

  Hundreds of soldiers from the Drum Kingdom’s military arrived, sweating nervously as they cautiously held their ground.

  “Pirates… What is your purpose here?”

  The lead ander, gathering his ce, stepped forward with his troops ready for battle.

  “o be armed; we’re not here to cause trouble…” Tsuru sighed, stepping forward to iate. “We’re just here to find someone and do a little sightseeing!”

  She knew very well how powerful Gerd’s Homies army was. Most were created using the souls of elite Navy soldiers, and while some would only st three to five years, these Homies were practically invulnerable, tougher than steel, and pletely fearless. Their bat strength was something nur kingdom’s army could match.

  “Sightseeing?”

  “Looking for someone?”

  “Are you kidding?”

  The kingdom’s soldiers exged skeptical gnces, relut to trust Tsuru’s words. They kept their eyes fixed on the group atop Atntis, staying on guard.

  “This kingdom doesn’t wele you…” The ander, gritting his teeth and showing hostility, shouted, “Pirates, leave at once!”

  Tsuru: “…”

  I’m being polite and telling you the truth, and you don’t listen.

  Do you really want the Fallen Angel Pirates to "iate" with you using swords?

  “Haha, Tsuru, looks like yotiation skills aren’t w!”

  With long golden hair, sapphire-blue eyes, and a stylish dress, Lillian ughed, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. Although El and others had enced her to reveal her third eye, Lillian still habitually wore a headband to cover it.

  At her waist hung a magnifit rapier named “Castanel,” one of the famed Supreme Grade swords, previously wielded by Saint Howard, the Supreme ander of the Holy Knights. It had been brought back by Jien, the Fish-man, and was gifted to Lillian by El as a sign of trust and encement.

  “Ma-ma-ma-ma, let me hahis…”

  Linlin’s t figure stepped forward with a wicked grin, drawing her massive saber, Napoleon, slowly and deliberately.

  The soldiers and armed vilgers, holding muskets, spears, and bows, te the sight, their faces turning pale.

  “Haha, Linlin, they’re just ordinary citizens; there’s no need…” Tsuru raised an eyebrow, trying to intervene.

  “I know… do you think we’re on pirates who only know looting and pilging?” Linlin rolled her eyes and waved a hand. “El Onii told us to win people over with respeot to rely on brute force all the time!”

  Although Linlin had used Life Return to shrink her height to about five meters, her size was still intimidating to ordinary people, radiating an undeniable aura of power.

  "Tsk!"

  Before anyone could react, Linlin’s saber lifted and sliced toward ay part of the distant shoreline.

  ‘Ssh—’ A terrifying shockwave surged forward, cutting through the air.

  ‘Boom…’ An explosioed, sending dust and debris flying.

  A stretch of coastline, over a hundred meters long, broke ly away from the isnd and crashed into the sea with a smooth, cut where it had been severed.

  “The coast… it’s been sliced off!”

  “What kind of monster is this?”

  The sight left the soldiers and vilgers, who had never seen such power, utterly speechless and horrified. Faces turned pale, and many stood shaking, gazing at Linlin’s t figure in terror.

  "Ma-ma-ma-ma…"

  Linlin smiled down at the panicked soldiers and vilgers, calling out, “If we were here to cause trouble, do you think we’d be wasting time talking? Isn’t that right?”

  “Heh, yes, you’re absolutely right…”

  “ologize; it was our mistake!”

  Sweating and wary, the vilgers and soldiers dared nue further, realizing they couldn’t face a power like this—a force that seemed like a natural disaster.

  “Well then, may we go in now?” Lillian asked with a friendly smile.

  The soldiers and vilgers, still visibly shaken, nodded hastily, “Of course…”

  Tsuru: “…”

  Now 'that' is what you call “winning people over.”

  With a sigh, she rubbed her forehead, realizing she had learned something new.

  “Alright then, go explore at your leisure…”

  El, who had been quietly, folded his arms and spoke with a smile, “Just be back before evening, don’t lose track of time!”

  “If anything happens, send a signal.”

  “Yes, El-sama!”

  Lillian, the mermaid Ily, and the dancer Baka were visibly excited as they prepared to explore.

  A moment ter—

  A thundercloud sped off into the distance, passing over vilges and snowy pins below, before arriving above Drum Kingdom.

  The kingdom’s fortress stood atop a t peak, resembling an iron barrel.

  ‘Swoosh!’

  In an instant, as they neared, an invisible shockwave rippled outward.

  The guards, attendants, and officials below were struck all at oheir eyes rolling back as they colpsed, frothing at the mouth.

  “Let’s firm the location first!”

  Three tall figures desded from the thundercloud, Zeus.

  El pced a hand on the head of a guard captain, instantly reading his memory and firming the king’s location within Drum Kingdom.

  “El Onii, your Observation Haki is so handy!”

  “Lillian gaihe Paramecia-type Gre-Gre Fruit, but she only read people’s current thoughts—not memories like this…”

  Linlin and Gerd, familiar with this ability, exged ghey were among the few in the Fallen Angel Pirates who khat El’s Observation Haki could read people’s thoughts, and even access their memories.

  They quickly made their way to the royal chambers.

  Without having mastered the art of Life Return to shrink her size, the grandiose halls would have been unfortably cramped for someone like Linlin. Even with her reduced height, her presence was imposing, and these vast halls felt nearly small.

  And for El and Gerd, the castle seemed even more fined.

  “Hmph, it really is the Paramecia-type Munch-Munch Fruit!”

  Ihe vish royal chambers, El pced his right hand on the king’s head, log the Devil Fruit. “And it seems there’s also a Paramecia-type Shroom-Shroom Fruit here?”

  “Oh? Another Devil Fruit?”

  “Haha, buy one, get one free, not a bad deal!”

  El leased, and Linlin and Gerd were thrilled by this surprise find.

  They made their way to the treasury, where they found the two Devil Fruits: one a deep purple-bck resembling a Venus flytrap, and the other a pure white mushroom shape.

  Both seemed to give off an odd allure, tempting someoo take a bite.

  Ign the piles of gold and jewels, the three took only the fruits a directly.

  Bleam