The air was thick with the rich aroma of sizzling meat, mingling with the salty breeze of Little Garden. The once-battle-ravaged clearing had transformed into a lively festival, illuminated by the flickering glow of bonfires.
Dorry and Broggy, now fully healed thanks to Kaya and Conis, roared with laughter as they recounted tales of Elbaf. The Sky Islanders, Conis and Raki, sat wide-eyed, hanging onto every word, while the East Blue natives—Nojiko, Nami, Kaya, Jacob, and Kuina—listened with equal fascination. Even Porche, who typically focused more on playing with Suu, was captivated by their stories.
Desire had been in charge of the drinks, bringing out barrels of rum that the giants guzzled with ease. The rest of the crew sipped more conservatively, though the energy of the celebration made it easy to get carried away.
Jacob and Porche worked the grill at the heart of the feast, turning thick slabs of dinosaur meat over open flames. Nojiko, Nami, and Conis had expertly seasoned the meat, which was surprisingly tender and reminiscent of chicken. Meanwhile, Kuina, Raki, and Kaya assisted Desire in chopping up more portions, ensuring that there was always food on the fire.
"I still can't believe this is dinosaur meat," Nami mused, biting into a juicy cut.
"It's strange but good," Nojiko agreed, savoring the flavors.
Yamato, leaning against a rock, grinned at the two giants. "You know, I really want to fight you both. But I guess I'll wait until you regain strength."
Dorry let out a deep, hearty laugh. "Gebaha! That's the spirit, young one! A warrior should always seek battle at their opponent's best!"
Broggy nodded, thumping his chest. "When we've regained our full power, we shall test your mettle, little warrior!"
Reiju, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward and asked, "Would you mind if I took samples of your DNA?"
Dorry and Broggy exchanged glances and then shrugged. "As long as it doesn't involve cutting off our limbs," Dorry said with a grin.
Reiju chuckled. "Nothing so extreme. Just a few strands of hair and blood samples will do."
The celebration continued into the night, filled with laughter, fire crackling, and mugs clinking. For a moment, it was as if the chaos of battle had never happened—just a crew enjoying the company of newfound allies.
***
As the Embercloud slowly ascended into the skies, leaving behind the dense prehistoric jungles of Little Garden, the Revenants waved their final farewells to the giants.
"Next time, I'll be back to beat you both!" Yamato declared, fists on her hips.
Dorry and Broggy only laughed heartily. "Gbbababa! We'll be waiting, little warrior!"
With that, the floating fortress drifted higher, setting sail toward their next destination.
Aboard the Embercloud – The Rest Area
The crew gathered in a spacious lounge, the atmosphere buzzing with curiosity and excitement. In the center, Carina spread three devil fruit encyclopedias on the table, sliding one toward Nami and another to Conis.
"Alright," Carina said, flipping through the pages of her book. "Let's identify what we've got."
She reached into Desire's card, and from it, a red light emerged, which took shape into five devil fruits, each bearing distinct patterns and colors.
"These were found in Hanafuda's collection," Carina explained. "And from what we've matched, they're all Ancient Zoans."
The crew leaned in as she pointed to each fruit, listing them off:
Quetzalcoatlus – A flying reptilian Zoan with an enormous wingspan. The biggest of the flying dinosaurs.
Therizinosaurus – A dinosaur with massive claws known for its deadly slashes.
Utahraptor – A fast and intelligent raptor adept at high-speed combat.
Carnotaurus – A powerful predator with immense speed and ramming strength.
Ankylosaurus – A heavily armored dinosaur, nearly indestructible.
"Together with the "Peregrine Falcon" that we had, In total, that's six Zoans," Carina concluded.
Porche crossed her arms and pouted. "Ugh! Why are they all Zoans? I was hoping for a Paramecia, like the Pet-Pet Fruit!"
"Zoans are powerful," Kuina noted. "Especially the Ancient ones."
Raki, who had been listening quietly, suddenly pulled a devil fruit from her satchel. "I also found this in Little Garden."
All eyes turned to the new fruit—its deep maroon color and swirling patterns looked unfamiliar. Carina, Nami, and Conis immediately flipped through their respective encyclopedias, scanning for a match.
Minutes passed, but there was no record of the fruit in their books.
"Well, that's strange," Nami said, frowning. "It's not listed here."
"Mine neither, Which means…" Conis murmured.
Carina smirked. "It's either extremely rare or completely undocumented. We couldn't determine what this power holds, just like Conis's devil fruit."
A hush fell over the crew as they absorbed this realization.
Embercloud now carried seven devil fruits—six powerful Zoans and one complete mystery.
***
The soft glow of lamp dials illuminated the vast treasure room, reflecting off neatly stacked gold coins, labeled artifacts, and meticulously arranged gemstones. The Embercloud's wealth was vast, a testament to how far Jacob and his crew had come.
Jacob stood behind Carina, his hands resting lightly on her waist. She leaned against him, her head nestled on his shoulder, a rare moment of stillness between the chaos of their journey.
"We've come a long way," Jacob murmured, his gaze sweeping across the room. "Three years ago, we were just two people stranded on an island… and now look at this."
Carina chuckled softly, fingers tracing the edge of a labeled crate of gold bars. "Back then, I thought I'd never see civilization again. And now, I'm managing the finances of a flying fortress."
Jacob tilted her chin up, pressing a kiss against her lips. It was slow, unhurried—a moment just for them. When they pulled apart, Carina smiled.
Jacob's gaze shifted to the far side of the room, where their most fabulous prizes were displayed:
Seven labeled devil fruits, neatly arranged.
Berries, stacked and accounted for.
Rare artifacts, mainly from Sky Island, were obtained across East Blue and the Grand Line.
The Poneglyph from Sky Island is resting in its own space, its ancient inscriptions untouched.
He sighed, exhaling deeply. "We've gathered so much, but it still feels like we're just starting."
Carina turned in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. "That's because we are just getting started. There's still a whole world out there waiting for us."
Jacob smirked. "Then let's make sure we take it all."
***
The hum of machinery filled the air inside the spacious navigation room as the Embercloud drifted through the sky. Nami stood at the helm, her fingers tracing the edge of the map spread out before her. The stars outside gleamed through the expansive glass windows, a vast ocean stretching below them.
The Embercloud doesn't need a helmsman to man it; with Nami's control over the massive cloud structures, she could direct it with her mental command wherever she had a destination.
Jacob stepped in. Nami turned toward him, a playful glint in her eye.
"Where to, Captain?" she asked, resting a hand on her hip.
Jacob's answer was immediate. "Drum Kingdom."
Nami raised an eyebrow. "Drum Kingdom? That place is nothing but snow and mountains. What could you possibly want from there?"
Jacob smirked. "I need to retrieve something from a particular king."
Nami narrowed her eyes. "The King, you mean to say you wanted to target Royalty?"
Jacob gave a slow nod, his mind already set. "Something like that. And I have a feeling he won't give it up easily."
A slow grin spread across Nami's face as she adjusted the ship's course. "Well then, Drum Kingdom it is."
The Embercloud turned eastward, cutting through the sky like a silent predator, heading toward the frozen land where their next challenge awaited.