The vast blue sky was adorned with drifting white clouds, carried by the wind. A swift sailing ship, propelled by the sea breeze, carved white wakes on the ocean's surface as it journeyed towards its destination.
Sephiroth lay flat on the deck. He reached up to brush aside his damp bangs and gazed at the clear sky above, murmuring softly: "This damn weather in the Grand Line!"
Who could have imagined that just ten minutes ago, this fast sailing ship was swaying erratically in the midst of a raging storm? He, Sandersonia, and Marigold had frantically darted around, fearing their ship would sink if they weren't careful.
At the same time, Sephiroth also personally experienced how cruel the sea could be to Devil Fruit users. Just now, as the ship sailed through the storm, a massive wave crashed over Sephiroth, making him feel utter helplessness throughout his body. He was tightening ropes to adjust the sail at that moment, and if Sandersonia hadn't pulled him at the critical moment, he surely would have plunged into the sea and drowned!
It must be said that there was a reason why great fighters like Garp, Roger, and Rayleigh didn't eat Devil Fruits. Once strength reached a certain level, Devil Fruit abilities gradually became supplementary. Haki and physical techniques were the most crucial factors for achieving victory in one-on-one combat!
For experts who had developed their Haki and physical techniques to their peak, gaining special additional abilities in exchange for the fatal weakness of fearing Seastone and seawater was truly very disadvantageous. Just like Garp, he could punch mountains, or even cities, with his Haki and physical techniques! In this situation, eating a Devil Fruit would actually make him feel restricted due to his fear of seawater and Seastone.
After all, ninety percent of the planet's surface was covered by seawater!
Furthermore, as long as one's Haki was strong enough, they could be immune to or neutralize the effects of many Devil Fruit abilities. For example, Law's Ope Ope no Mi ability could be said to be incredibly powerful! But if Law didn't use his Devil Fruit's Awakening, his ordinary Devil Fruit skills wouldn't be able to affect Big Mom Charlotte Linlin. Her immensely powerful Busoshoku Haki allowed her to ignore most flashy Devil Fruit abilities.
However, in the end, the biggest reason Sephiroth felt helpless after being hit by the wave was that his own raw strength was too weak. If it were Big Mom or Kaido, they probably wouldn't have been affected at all! For a young man to become a great figure of that caliber, he still had a long way to go in the future.
"I'm hungry, Sephiroth!"
"I'm hungry too, Sephiroth!"
"..."
Under the expectant gazes of the two girls, he sighed softly, stood up from the deck, and walked to the ship's kitchen to prepare today's breakfast.
What he made was simple: scallion fried noodles and lean meat congee. Yet, with his careful control of the heat, the simple ingredients still yielded extraordinary deliciousness. As soon as Sephiroth brought a large plate of fried noodles and a bowl of congee to the dining table, the two girls began to eat ravenously, not caring about their appearance.
This scene made him shake his head repeatedly, but he didn't sit down to have breakfast with the two girls. Instead, he used a large plate and bowl to scoop up some fried noodles and congee, placed them on a tray, and headed towards the Captain's cabin.
Creak!
As Sephiroth opened the door, he saw the long-haired black-haired girl still sound asleep in bed. The sound of the door opening seemed to rouse her, making her slowly open her eyes and greet him.
"Good morning! Sephiroth..."
"Good morning! How are you feeling?" Sephiroth smiled and placed the tray on the bedside table.
"My head is still a little dizzy..." The girl slowly propped up her upper body and leaned against the headboard of the bed.
"Hmm! Is that so?" As he spoke, Sephiroth lifted her bangs from her forehead and pressed his forehead against Boa Hancock's. Their faces were so close that they could feel each other's breath.
"Sephiroth, what... what are... you doing?" The girl suddenly recalled some topics the women on the Kuja Pirate ship discussed while sailing, regarding hugging men and having children... Although the girl was a little confused and didn't quite understand, she still felt a bit shy: "Having children... not now, it's too soon... I'm not mentally prepared yet."
Sephiroth: (Eyes wide)
Wait! What exactly is she saying? I just wanted to roughly check her body temperature using my forehead because I don't have a thermometer, to see if she still had a fever! Could this action have some special meaning on Amazon Lily?
After thinking for a moment, Sephiroth decided to explain: "Don't overthink it, I just wanted to see if you still had a fever!"
"Oh~!"
"Your body temperature is still a bit high. After breakfast, I'll heat up some more water for you. Remember to drink plenty. Hmm... as for the anti-inflammatory medicine, don't take it yet. Make sure to cover yourself with blankets and don't catch a cold..."
Sephiroth waited until the girl finished eating before clearing the dishes and returning to the dining area. By then, the two girls had already eaten and drunk their fill, and were leaning back in their chairs, looking content, occasionally touching their slightly distended bellies.
He looked at the completely empty large plate on the table, and the big pot that didn't even contain congee water. He couldn't help but ponder...
"Ah! I'm so sorry, I forgot you hadn't eaten yet." Sandersonia's face immediately showed a hint of embarrassment.
Marigold scratched her head and chuckled awkwardly: "Sorry, Sephiroth, the breakfast you made was really too delicious... How about I make you some more breakfast!"
As a young man with a mature mindset, how could Sephiroth be angry with two adorable girls? He smiled and shook his head: "It's fine, no need to go to all that trouble! I'll do it myself."
"No! Let me!" Marigold put on a stubborn expression and pushed the silver-haired young man into a chair. Then, she walked to the open kitchen and started bustling.
A moment later, a plate of scallion fried noodles was placed before the young man. He picked up his chopsticks, took a bite, and put it into his mouth.
"How is it? Is it delicious?" Marigold asked with a smile.
The noodles were a bit hard, it was too salty, and the scallions hadn't been sautéed first... Overall, there were several problems, but it was still edible. Therefore, Sephiroth could only nod against his will and say: "It doesn't taste bad."
It's just... next time, I really can't let you cook again!