Biological Devil Fruits were another matter, and the reason for this was simple.
Life always finds a way.
The effects of Devil Fruits, which alter human biology, often never disappeared, even in the presence of sea water.
The Operation Fruit, the Hormone Fruit, and others were incredibly valuable for this reason.
When Aramaki learned about the type of fruit his son had found, he naturally became interested.
But no matter how interested he was, he would never take it from the boy, and only when the boy ate it did Aramaki realize what it was.
"Tree-Tree Fruit" was a misnomer. While it indeed turned him into a plant-man, the fruit was actually life itself.
It was simply perfect, and Aramaki smiled at the gods who might have been watching him.
This fruit could solve almost all of his problems and allow him to seek revenge, but it came at a cost.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the island had to pay that price.
Aramaki stood in the middle of a remote, life-abundant island and instantly merged with the earth, leaving behind only a small poisonous white lily.
The first to be attracted by the scent were flies and insects crawling on the ground, which were absorbed.
Small roots spread in all directions and began to cling to the trees and grasses, which started to wither.
Then, medium-sized roots spread rapidly, piercing all the animals walking on the island, and they too were absorbed.
Finally, large roots secured themselves and dug deep into the island, drawing energy from the very earth itself.
At the end of the process, Aramaki appeared, holding a small jug containing the essence of the island's life.
The World Government would go crazy over this, and he would get what he needed.
At this moment, Aramaki did not look at the devastated lands he had created, nor did he think about the island; he simply disappeared.
It was for his family, and he would never consider the cost.
Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep. Sitting at the table in the Vallipo Headquarters, Ox Aramaki was somewhat surprised to hear a call from the communication snail phone from Marineford.
Recently, there had been little news about the Kid Pirates, and Aramaki knew he would have to deal with them, but unsuspectingly, he answered the call.
"Base Commander SB-T Ox here, over."
As he said this, the snail's face turned grim, and it slowly spoke:
"Commodore, an unfortunate incident has occurred. It involves your son."
"Oh, that's pretty cool!"
"See, I TOLD YOU SO!"
Walking through the dimly lit cave system, Bill wasn't just indulging the little girl.
The place was a natural labyrinth, and although he wouldn't get lost, he could easily understand how well-protected it was.
How far does it extend? Bill had technical questions that he probably wouldn't get answers to now.
He sighed, thinking he shouldn't have delayed the outing with the girl for so long. Three days had passed since they arranged to meet at Little Baratie, and now the crew was supposed to set off in the morning.
A lot had been accomplished in the last few days.
Burnt forest areas were replanted; charred houses were cleared, and rough furniture was restored. Two of the three pirate ships had been completely dismantled—everything was removed: sails, anchors, cannons, and all other usable parts, while the "HINA" was almost fully repaired—even the broken main mast was replaced.
Additionally, Bill constructed several new channels at the highest level of the island and even sketched a plan delineating the best path for this little river. Now the island featured waterfalls cascading down each plateau.
While Bill mainly dug with his bare hands, the recruits of the Scientific Division wanted to build a water wheel, but given the lack of time, they decided to focus their efforts on other tasks.
Now, with only a little time remaining, Bill went to bid farewell to Captain Ryudo. When Yoko heard they were leaving, the little girl refused to take no for an answer and insisted he come with her.
Yoko: "Come on, this way!"
Following the eight-year-old girl up a small slope, Bill struggled to not outpace her with his long legs.
Yoko: "Now look, I'll show you my secret base. But you can't tell anyone, especially those boys!"
Hearing this, Bill laughed and replied, "No problem!"
The girl's base was quite a distance from the entrance through which they had come. Bill noticed they were climbing higher and higher, and when he saw the place, it almost gave him a heart attack.
Before him spread a green meadow overlooking the sky and sea as far as the eye could see. It was truly a good secret base, but the thought of an eight-year-old girl being here unsupervised was terrifying, even for this world.
Bill: "Hey, Yoko, has your dad ever been here?"
With a toothless smile, the girl replied, "No! I found it!"
Hearing this, Bill began to sweat a little but tried to remain calm: "Oh... Yoko... isn't this place a bit dangerous?"
Looking at him in confusion, the girl said, "Dangerous? Ha-ha-ha, Bill, you can fly! It's safe here!"
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