I'm Not Interested in Devil Fruits

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Sandersonia and Marigold lay side by side on the roof of the ship's cabin, gazing up at the tranquil starry night.

"So beautiful," Sonia sighed.

"So beautiful," Mari echoed.

Though it was the same starry sky, viewing it from the open sea felt completely different from looking at it back on Kuja.

"They still haven't come back tonight," Mari said, turning to her elder sister with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Where do you think they're staying?"

Sonia blinked back and whispered, "You should probably ask Nee San (Elder Sister) about that!"

The two fifteen-year-olds exchanged knowing smiles and buried their faces in their arms, giggling quietly. But as their laughter faded, they stopped in unison.

'Were those footsteps on the deck?'

Sandersonia and Marigold exchanged a glance but didn't immediately sit up. Instead, they focused on their Observation Haki (Kenbunshoku Haki).

The two sisters quickly picked up on what was happening below.

"Thirteen people," Mari whispered, her voice barely above a breath.

"Not one of us," Sonia murmured, keeping her eyes closed as she continued sensing the unfamiliar presence. "And there are eight more on the shore..."

The footsteps on the deck were soft— deliberate, and cautious.

Yet no matter how careful the intruders were, to the keen senses of Kenbunshoku Haki, they stood out like thirteen black dots moving across a blank sheet of paper.

The two Boa sisters shared a knowing smile.

With their Kenbunshoku Haki, they could predict their opponents' movements even without seeing them— so long as they stayed calm and composed. And serpents, after all, were cold-blooded creatures.

By the shore, eight Marines armed with long rifles aimed their weapons at the silent Kuja pirate ship, concealed in the darkness.

On the deck, twelve others, led by Colonel Augat, spread out cautiously, finding no trace of the pirates. They exchanged glances and tactical hand signals before gently pushing open the cabin door, revealing pitch-black darkness within.

"Gulp..." One Marine couldn't help but swallow nervously, staring into the shadowy depths of the cabin.

"Gulp..." Colonel Augat swallowed as well, though his anticipation made his eyes gleam with excitement.

The thirteen Marines, armed with guns and blades, crept into the dark cabin.

Under the moonlight, the two sisters on the cabin roof transformed into serpentine shapes, slithering silently down into the ship's interior.

Creak.

A Marine pushed open a cabin door carefully. Peeking inside, he tensed for a moment before sighing in relief. "No one's here?"

The other Marines searched nearby rooms but found nothing either.

Colonel Augat sniffed the air, and a sly grin began to form on his face. "I smell the scent of the living..."

"Colonel, you sound just like a villain!" One of the Marines thought but dared not say it out loud.

"They're further inside," Augat muttered to himself, his nostrils flaring as he caught a distinct and alluring fragrance. His grin widened. What kind of captivating female pirates could produce such a scent?

Excited, he led the way deeper into the cabin.

As the Marines prepared to follow, a sudden chill ran down their spines. Turning around, they saw two coiling shadows behind them. Slowly raising their gaze, they were met by two pairs of cold, dark-golden serpent eyes staring down at them.

"How could we let you disturb Ne San (Elder Sister)'s rest?"

"Ah!" A Marine, trembling in fear, accidentally fired his gun.

The flash of the gunshot illuminated the snake's eyes briefly, but before the light faded, a dull thud echoed in the dark as something heavy hit the floor.

"Light the lamps!" Another Marine shouted.

The dim corridor briefly lit up before a shadow darted forward, knocking over the lamp and plunging the hallway back into darkness.

"It's a snake!" A Marine shouted in panic. "A snake-woman!"

"Or maybe a snake demon—" Before he could finish, he let out a muffled groan and collapsed with a heavy thud.

Bang. Bang. Thud. Thud. 

The surroundings were filled with the muffled sounds of blows and bodies hitting the floor mixed with the Marines' panicked cries and the occasional hiss of serpents. Outside the cabin windows, the shadows of long-haired serpents flickered intermittently.

Soon, only one Marine remained standing in the dim cabin corridor.

Two pairs of dark golden serpent eyes stared down at him from one end of the corridor, while at the other end, a pair of glowing green bestial eyes glared back at them.

Augat growled coldly, "Don't get too cocky, you little snakes! You're not the only ones who can see in the dark!"

"Another Zoan type?" Sonia's serpentine body coiled as she studied the furry figure with a hint of interest in her eyes.

"A dog?" Mari asked curiously.

"A dog? How dare you call me that! I'm a wolf!" Augat roared, lunging forward on all fours with feral speed.

Sonia and Mari, using their Kenbunshoku Haki, easily predicted his attack path. Their serpentine bodies darted to the sides, effortlessly evading him.

Mari's eyes narrowed as she flipped her palm and struck at the humanoid wolf's massive form.

Augat raised a clawed paw to block, and with a resounding bam, the entire ship seemed to tremble.

"How is she this strong?!" Augat thought in shock.

Mari, equally surprised, grinned. "He's pretty strong too!"

Delighted by the challenge, Boa's third sister, Mari, giggled as she charged up her strength and launched an attack. But her opponent's figure blurred, and Mari's strike hit nothing but air.

Augat squinted his glowing green wolf eyes as his body transformed completely into his full wolf form. Dropping to all fours, he dashed through the narrow cabin corridors with incredible speed.

His fully-wolfed-out form was too massive for the cramped space. The confined quarters severely limited Sandersonia and Marigold's ability to utilize their Kenbunshoku Haki— even if they could predict Augat's attacks, there wasn't enough room to dodge. 

Taking advantage of the tight space, Augat unleashed relentless attacks while letting out a long, wolf-like howl.

"Áo wū~~!" His howls echoed through the cabin, even reaching the Marines stationed on the shore.

"You're so noisy!" The Boa sisters shouted in fury. "If you wake up Nee San (Elder Sister), you're as good as dead!"

Taking advantage of their distraction, Augat surged forward and rammed into them.

The two snake-women rolled with the impact, skillfully dissipating most of the force. They landed unscathed and quickly regained their footing.

Augat grabbed a fallen Marine's rifle, skillfully loaded it with a crisp click, and fired two shots without hesitation at the two serpent silhouettes before him.

Bang! Bang! 

The shots missed and the bullets embedded themselves in the wooden walls of the cabin.

Dodging the bullets effortlessly, Sandersonia and Marigold shouted, "Don't you dare run!"

The wolfish figure, now on all fours, bolted deeper into the cabin without looking back.

From the entrance of the cabin, more footsteps could be heard approaching.

Sonia and Mari sighed in frustration. "Idiot, you're going to get yourself killed..."

'Such powerful opponents! Could they be Devil Fruit users?' Augat thought as he dashed through the dim corridors.

Suddenly, the path ahead brightened. A room with a round window was glowing softly, while the light spilled into the hallway. Clearly, someone was inside.

'That must be the Snake Princess', Augat silently thought to himself, licking his wolfish tongue in anticipation. But as he approached the door, his body suddenly froze.

'Why…'

'Why can't I move?'

Panic surged through him as a terrifying realization struck— 'Haoshoku Haki!'

The cabin door opened, and from the brightly lit room emerged the most stunning figure Augat had ever seen in his life.

Yet, standing against the light, their features remained indistinct. Even with his keen wolf eyes, he couldn't clearly make out the figure's face. The interplay of light and shadow seemed to blur everything.

He stood there with a dumbfounded expression on his face as the figure walked past him without a glance, ignoring his very existence as if he were nothing.

"Ah..." Another voice yawned nearby.

Augat's fur bristled in alarm as he regained control of his body. He leaped backward, only to find a tall man standing in the doorway.

'A man?' Augat's mind reeled. 'Weren't there supposed to be only women on this ship? Why is there a man here?!'

"She has something to do," The man said lazily while leaning one hand against the doorframe and looking Augat up and down. "A Marine, huh?"

Augat's wolf eyes narrowed, and with a low growl, he lunged, claws slashing toward the man.

But as if anticipating the attack, the man raised his hand calmly and caught Augat's wrist with precise ease, as if the wolf had offered it to him.

"A werewolf?" The man asked in a casual tone.

Augat hesitated, his instincts warning him of danger. His gaze flickered briefly toward the brightly lit room. Inside, another beautiful figure sat leisurely at a table, flipping through a book. A steaming cup of tea sat beside her. She seemed utterly unconcerned about the conflict unfolding at the doorway.

Gritting his teeth, Augat growled and swung his other claw, aiming for the man's face.

This second attack was just as easily intercepted, the man catching his other wrist without effort.

'This man... He's far stronger than the other two!' Augat thought, his heart sinking.

"You're pretty scary, showing up in the middle of the night," The man said with a faint smile on his face.

With both of Augat's wrists firmly in his grasp, Liam exerted his strength.

Colonel Augat let out an unprecedented scream and he could no longer feel his wrists.

Hancock walked through the ship's dim corridor, her gaze steady and indifferent as she passed the unconscious Marines sprawled across the floor.

Watching her leave, the two younger sisters exchanged glances of relief. They had been worried that their elder sister might scold them for their lack of vigilance. However, seeing that she wasn't angry, they felt a weight lift from their shoulders.

Without paying attention to the unconscious Marines, the sisters followed Hancock out of the cabin. From the deck, they saw their Nee San (elder sister) elegantly walk to the bow of the ship. Without hesitation, she leaped gracefully into the sea.

"Nee San (Elder sister)!" The two girls shrieked, their mouths agape in shock.

Without thinking, they jumped after her. It wasn't until they were mid-air that they remembered— they were Devil Fruit users and couldn't swim...

Liam casually tossed the unconscious Augat aside and turned back to the room. "Are you going swimming?" He asked.

Robin, who was still engrossed in her book, shook her head.

As a Devil Fruit user, swimming was out of the question for her. However, it was clear that if she wanted to, Liam could temporarily remove her Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) chip to make it possible.

Under Liam's gaze, Robin hesitated before finally admitting with slight embarrassment, "I don't know how to swim…"

"Well, isn't this the perfect time to learn?" Liam laughed, grabbing her hand and pulling her along.

As they passed through the cabin littered with unconscious Marines, Robin carefully watched her step, avoiding the fallen bodies. Liam, however, strode out carelessly, stepping over them without concern.

Once they had all left, the quiet cabin seemed to stir.

The unconscious Marines, who had previously shown no sign of life, suddenly began to move.

Colonel Augat, who had collapsed near the Snake Princess's cabin door, appeared to be dragged by an unseen force, along with the other Marines, out of the ship.

In a shadowy area where moonlight could not reach, B.I.B. was silently dragging the group of Marines. Pausing, it turned its head slightly to glance toward the side of the ship.

In the dimly lit, rippling sea, Hancock could be seen clutching her two water-choked younger sisters. Her face was full of exasperation as she scolded them. The younger sisters, teary-eyed and brimming with remorse, listened miserably.

From the ship's edge, Liam casually beckoned with a flick of his fingers. In response, B.I.B.'s arm extended toward the group, retrieving the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi), the Medusa Fruit, and two other Mythical Zoan Fruit chips from their bodies.

(End Of Chapter)