[Sponsored] Chapter 40: Mini-mini Fruit, Zoan-type Bird-Bird Fruit, Ancient Model: Pelagornis Bird

[This chapter is proudly sponsored by "pukeofhurl." Please join me in expressing your thanks in the comments! If you're interested in sponsoring a chapter, consider joining the Patreon.]

That afternoon, guided by Streusen's Vivre Card and propelled by the Homie's massive waves, the Demon King's ship, *Lucifer*, swiftly reached an uninhabited island and anchored there.

"El-sama, this is Barbarick Island!" Streusen exclaimed, pointing toward the desolate island, calling out to El, who was training with Linlin, Gerd, and Hajrudin.

"We've arrived, have we?" El raised an eyebrow, took a towel from Zeus the Thundercloud floating beside him, and wiped his sweat. Looking at the island ahead, he said, "Prepare to disembark!"

"What kind of treasure does Carmel's hoard hold?" asked Gerd, wiping her brow and accepting a towel handed over by Zeus. While pinching Prometheus the Sun's cheeks, she added with anticipation, "I can't wait to see!"

"Will there be anything tasty?" Linlin, also drenched in sweat, tossed her sword aside and gazed eagerly at the island. Rejuvenated, she leaped onto Hera the Thundercloud's back, impatiently urging, "Let's go ashore, Hera… Hurry up, everyone!"

"Haha, no way, Linlin..." Hajrudin smirked. "Besides a Devil Fruit, it'll just be cold, lifeless treasure, right?"

The taste of Devil Fruits was already infamous, and as for other food, how could it last so long? Carmel wasn't foolish enough to store food there.

"Linlin, Hajrudin's right. Don't get your hopes up—there won't be any treats in there," El chuckled, shaking his head at Linlin's behavior. For the five-year-old, nothing seemed more important than sugary sweets.

"Really?" Linlin's face fell in disappointment upon hearing this from El.

"Haha, Linlin-sama, after we find the treasure, I'll make you a big cake!" Streusen patted his chest and laughed.

"Really? Thank you so much!" Linlin's eyes lit up, and she beamed with joy.

With laughter and conversation, the group soon landed on the island. With the Umibōzu, a powerful Homie, guarding the ship, they had no concerns.

Armed with Mother Carmel's memories, El didn't need to search for treasure or solve puzzles. Before long, they arrived at the base of an unremarkable low mountain.

"Huh?" Gerd, sensing the fluctuation of soul energy, exclaimed in surprise, "Is that a Homie?"

"Mountain... Mountain..."

Suddenly, without warning, several small mountains seemed to come to life. They revealed demonic, human-like faces and began closing in, ready to crush the group.

"How dare you!"

Before El or the others needed to act, Gerd's eyes flashed, and she unleashed a powerful soul-based intimidation, freezing the mountain Homies in place, making them break into cold sweats, too terrified to move.

"What's happening?"

"This sense of intimidation…"

"Is it Mother's power?"

The Homies were shocked, staring in disbelief at Gerd, unable to comprehend how she could wield Sister Carmel's abilities.

"These Homies were created by Carmel while she was alive to guard this place," El explained calmly, unsurprised. He had known of their existence all along. Additionally, he had just confirmed that when a Soul-Soul Fruit user dies, the Homies they create from their or others' souls do not die immediately. Otherwise, these Homies wouldn't have survived until now.

"Listen up, Sister Carmel is dead. Hand over the treasure you're guarding..." Gerd snarled menacingly at the mountain Homies, baring her teeth. "Or I'll rip your souls right out!"

"What?"

"Carmel is dead?"

The mountain Homies were struck with fear, but when Gerd extended her hand toward them, they submitted like mice before a cat.

"Don't! Please don't hurt us… The treasure's right here!"

"If Carmel is dead, there's no reason for us to guard her treasure anymore!"

"Rumble... Rumble..."

Soon, the largest of the mountain Homies stepped forward, opening its massive mouth and spitting out: "Lords, the treasure is inside me... Cough, cough..."

"Clang, clang..."

Suddenly, a glittering pile of gold and jewels spilled out, forming a small mountain. Several large chests filled with beli were also among the loot, totaling at least several billion beli.

In addition, there were two smaller treasure chests.

"Wow! So much treasure!"

Everyone's eyes lit up, including Gerd and Hajrudin, who couldn't hide their excitement. It was their first time seeing so much treasure, and naturally, they were thrilled.

El, however, wasn't surprised. Considering Carmel had spent most of her life posing as a "Holy Mother" while secretly running a child trafficking operation, it would have been shocking if she hadn't accumulated such a fortune.

"El-oniisan, are these Devil Fruits?" Linlin, uninterested in the treasure, curiously picked up the two small treasure chests and eagerly opened them. Under the astonished gazes of Streusen, Hajrudin, and Gerd, two strange-looking Devil Fruits of different colors lay inside.

"Paramecia-type Mini Mini Fruit?"

"Zoan-type Bird-Bird Fruit, Ancient Model: Pelagornis Bird?"

Each fruit was neatly labeled, indicating its abilities.

"Yes, these were found by children Carmel took in, who were tricked into giving them to her for safekeeping..." El smiled as he spoke, already aware of the fruits' powers. "And now, they've fallen into our hands."

"Bird-Bird Fruit?"

Streusen's eyes gleamed with excitement as he turned to El. "Who would've thought we'd find a flying Zoan-type power, and a rare Ancient Model at that! It looks like our luck is great, El-sama!"

Even though El, Linlin, and Gerd could all fly either directly or indirectly, flight-based powers were extremely rare and hard to come by. Let alone a rare Zoan-type Ancient Model.

"Indeed, not bad!" El nodded with a smile, pleasantly surprised to have obtained such a valuable flying-type fruit. The Pelagornis Bird, a legendary ancient flying creature with terrifying speed and razor-sharp teeth like those of a shark, could tear its prey apart—extremely fierce.

"Mini Mini Fruit?"

Linlin blinked curiously at the small, intricately patterned fruit in her hand. "What kind of power does it have?"

"It allows the user to shrink in size. For example, if a giant ate it, they'd become smaller than even a dwarf!" El chuckled as he patted her head.

"Wow, shrink down?"

Hajrudin laughed heartily. "Who knew there was such a power on the sea?"

"A power like that seems tailor-made for giants!" Streusen marveled.

"If it lets you shrink at will, that could be fun… Too bad I'm already a Devil Fruit user!" Gerd remarked, clearly intrigued by the Mini Mini Fruit's abilities. Nonetheless, she was still very satisfied with her own Soul-Soul Fruit powers.

~~~

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