Throne Of Supreme

Chapter 258: Human-Human Fruit Mythical Zoan Species Snow Girl Form

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Robin ultimately decided to go to Etania.

There wasn't much for her to do in the Sabaody Archipelago, so she might as well oversee the construction of the base.

Additionally, the Sabaody Archipelago was located right under the Navy Headquarters' nose.

Although she had the Thousand Illusions Mask to disguise her appearance, her long years on the run had left her wary and distrustful of both the Navy and the World Government.

---

The room, with its silver-white walls and grey floors, felt spacious and empty.

"This is the safest warehouse at the moment," Alice explained. "It's guarded by the First Squad at all times."

Aoki observed the area for a moment, then nodded slightly. With a wave of his hand, a pile of boxes appeared on the ground. One of the lids opened automatically, revealing a container brimming with gold.

"These will serve as the funds for the next phase of our activities."

The support Aoki sought from Etania was primarily in terms of manpower, land, and resources.

When it came to funding, however, he had no intention of burdening Etania.

Etania had been unable to deliver the Heavenly Tribute to the Celestial Dragons in the past, leading to its expulsion from the World Government. The primary reason for this was its severe poverty.

Over the past two years, the country had suffered repeated pirate raids. Currently, Etania was beset by internal and external troubles, with more than half its population living in extreme poverty, struggling even to find enough food.

If Aoki were to demand funds from them now, it wouldn't just be exploitation—it would be akin to draining their very lifeblood. He'd be no different from the Celestial Dragons he despised.

Besides, money was the one thing Aoki didn't lack.

---

"After I leave, Burning Heaven will be entirely under your command," Aoki said, turning to Alice. "If I'm gone for too long or something unexpected happens, you can disband Burning Heaven if necessary."

Alice crossed her arms over her chest, her posture accentuating her already exaggerated figure.

"As long as Etania stands, as long as I'm alive, the Burning Heaven Pirates will never perish!" she declared firmly.

Robin interjected, "In fact, as long as your relationship with Aoki isn't exposed, it's almost impossible for the Burning Heaven Pirates to face destruction with their current strength."

Aoki chuckled. "So, I'm the biggest liability."

In truth, the danger wasn't him—it was the target they had set their sights on. However, Aoki was the one most likely to draw attention to that target.

Robin wasn't wrong, though.

Currently, the Burning Heaven Pirates possessed eighteen sets of mysterious suits, each equivalent to a warrior with a bounty exceeding 100 million berries.

While they lacked a superpowerful leader, they were already a formidable force in the New World.

And even that shortcoming would soon be addressed.

Once Hancock completed her training, the Burning Sky Pirates would become one of the most powerful crews outside of the Pirate Emperors' ranks—even without Aoki's presence.

---

"Oh, there's one thing," Alice suddenly said, scratching her head awkwardly. She seemed hesitant, as if unsure whether to speak.

Aoki raised an eyebrow. "What is it? Do you need to borrow money?"

"No, no," Alice said quickly, waving her hands. She hesitated again before finally blurting out, "Can we change the name of the Miraculous Suit?"

"Change the name?" Aoki was momentarily taken aback.

Alice nodded enthusiastically. "Everyone's saying the name doesn't quite fit."

"Alright," Aoki said with a shrug. "What do you want to call it?"

He didn't particularly care about the name.

It had been called the Miraculous Suit simply because it was crafted from the Miraculous Tree.

Alice was clearly prepared and responded without hesitation, "How about calling it the Burning Heaven Suit?"

"Robin, what do you think?" Aoki turned to the girl beside him.

"I think it's a good name," Robin replied.

"Alright, let's go with the Burning Heaven Suit!" Aoki finalized the decision.

With that brief interlude settled, Aoki bid farewell to Robin and Alice before heading for the Sabaody Archipelago.

---

Inside a dimly lit bar, Shakky sat on a chair with her legs crossed, a cigarette in hand.

Next to her, Rayleigh lounged comfortably, sipping on a glass of wine.

Across the room, two other patrons were seated, laughing and chatting occasionally.

Suddenly, Rayleigh froze mid-sip, his sharp eyes scanning the room before quickly returning to his relaxed demeanor. He swirled his glass lazily and said, "Hey, appearing out of nowhere like that is a good way to scare people."

Aoki ignored the comment and glanced at the other side of the bar. "Huh? Guests today?"

He had reverted to his original appearance, which meant any slip-up could result in the Navy surrounding the island again.

Shakky, who had moved silently across the room, suddenly struck the two laughing patrons with precise punches. They slumped over, unconscious.

"Is this okay?" Aoki asked, raising an eyebrow.

Shakky grabbed each of the unconscious men by the collar, dragging them effortlessly toward the door. "No problem. I've been annoyed with them for a while now. Smiling like ducks all day."

No wonder the bar's business is so bad, Aoki thought, shaking his head. He pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Where's Hancock?"

"She's training on the previous island," Shakky replied, dusting her hands and closing the door behind her.

Aoki turned to Rayleigh. "Lord Rayleigh, how's the matter with the Devil Fruit coming along?"

"I was just about to look for you," Rayleigh said, setting down his glass. He rummaged around for a moment before pulling out a bag and tossing it to Aoki.

Opening the bag, Aoki found a Devil Fruit inside. It resembled a large pineapple, its surface covered with golden spiral cloud patterns.

"This is?"

"The Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan-type: Snow Woman," Rayleigh said casually.

"Ah?" Aoki blinked in surprise.

"What's the problem? Didn't you want a Mythical Zoan-type fruit?"

"I just didn't expect you to actually find one," Aoki admitted.

This was unexpected. Even without the Nature Spirit form, he now had access to a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit, and it was another Human-Human Fruit at that.

However… Snow Woman form? Wouldn't eating this turn him into a woman?

Then again, the Nature Spirit form wasn't much better in that regard.

"Well, are you satisfied?" Rayleigh asked, smirking.

"Of course," Aoki replied, flipping his right hand. A gem-like pill appeared in his palm, which he tossed to Shakky.

"Here, this is the Rejuvenating Pill."

Shakky didn't take it immediately. Instead, she inspected it carefully, turning it over in her hands with a skeptical expression. "Is this really what you claim? If I eat it, my appearance will never age again?"

"Guaranteed," Aoki said confidently. "I don't deceive."

To further prove his sincerity, he produced another pill and handed it over. "Here's a bonus gift for you."

"What's this?" Rayleigh asked, intrigued.

"Wine Pills," Aoki explained. "They can turn a ton of water into fine wine."

He had stumbled upon them in a treasure chest during his travels.

To him, they were of little use. The alien space within his possession already contained an abundance of wine. With the Demon Wine Gourd's conversion speed, it would take a hundred years to finish drinking it all.

"Wine Pills? They can turn water into wine?"

Rayleigh adjusted his glasses, his expression betraying his surprise. Despite his vast experience, even he had never encountered such a peculiar item before.

Aoki said, "Do you want to give it a try? It can serve as a secondary verification for the authenticity of the anti-aging pill."

With a loud boom, a wooden barrel filled with water appeared beside him.

"Go ahead and test it!" Shakky seemed even more eager than Rayleigh.

Aoki wasted no time, tossing the wine pill directly into the barrel.

The pill dissolved completely within seconds upon contact with the water.

Almost instantly, a rich, intoxicating aroma of fine wine filled the room.

Both Rayleigh and Shakky's expressions shifted subtly as they caught the scent.

"Well, it looks like the experiment was a success," Aoki said with a satisfied smile. "See you next time, Lord Rayleigh, Ms. Shakky."

With those parting words, he vanished from the bar in an instant.

Rayleigh and Shakky remained silent for a moment. Then, Rayleigh picked up a glass, dipped it into the barrel, and took a sip of the liquid.

"It's real wine, and it's of exceptional quality," Rayleigh remarked, visibly impressed.

Shakky, still holding the Rejuvenating Pill in her palm, raised her hand to examine it more closely.

"Aoki, you're definitely not an ordinary person," she murmured.

Rayleigh shook his head slightly, gazing at the now-empty space where Aoki had stood moments ago.

"Not just extraordinary," he said. "Aoki is a man full of countless secrets."