Chapter 24

"That's right, besides him, who else dares to call himself Golden Lion?"

"Golden Lion? Who is that?" Vivi was full of questions.

"He is someone who can be as famous as Roger, the Pirate King. Crocodile isn't even worthy of carrying his shoes!" Robin explained.

"Onii-chan, you actually defeated the Golden Lion. He was the first pirate to escape from Impel Down!"

Karina found it unbelievable, though she knew Ethan would never lie to her.

"So, is Golden Lion really rich? Brother~ Brother~ Does all his money belong to you? Can I have a look?" Nami approached Ethan, her eyes sparkling, completely focused on treasure.

She had already called Nojiko to confirm things back in Cocoyasi Village and knew that she and Ethan were now divine consorts. Nojiko, on the phone, had shared all sorts of praise about Ethan, urging Nami not to hold back and to embrace being his divine consort.

Ethan patted her orange hair with a smile. "The gold and jewels in the warehouse aren't enough for you? You're such a money-grubber!"

"The more, the better~" Nami smiled, patting the treasure chest by Ethan's feet. "Is this the treasure? It feels a bit small~"

"That's my loot, a devil fruit and two famed swords. Want to eat one? There's a fruit that would suit you."

"Can I sell it? I heard a devil fruit is worth at least 100 million Berries!"

"Of course not!"

"Okay~ I trust you won't hurt me, so I'll eat it!"

With that, Ethan released Vivi and opened the treasure chest, explaining to the girls:

"Most of these fruits are average, only the Cloud-Cloud Fruit and the Dragon-Dragon Fruit (Ancient Spinosaurus form) are valuable."

"Nami is gifted and very sensitive to weather. Gaining the Cloud-Cloud Fruit's ability would be perfect for her."

The girls naturally accepted his choice.

"Come, Nami, let's go inside to eat it."

Ethan leaned over, picked her up as Nami yelped, and carried her into the cabin.

"As for the treasure chest, put it in the collection room first."

"Understood~ God~" Robin smiled, understanding Ethan's intentions.

Two hours later...

"Brother Yun, is this the Cloud-Cloud Fruit?" Nami asked, eyeing the peculiar devil fruit.

Ethan nodded with a serious tone, making it clear he wasn't joking.

"You might have heard that eating a devil fruit tastes awful, so to avoid that experience, I'll have you enjoy some desserts first. Then, I'll awaken your powers."

Nami nodded, understanding Ethan's intentions, and immediately followed his instructions.

After a while, Ethan activated his divine powers, transferring the Cloud-Cloud Fruit's ability into her.

In a moment, Nami transformed into mist, filling the room. "This is the Cloud-Cloud Fruit's power? My whole body feels like it's floating—it's so comfortable!"

Ethan closed his eyes halfway, basking in the soft mist, which felt like countless gentle hands massaging him.

"Remember, although you're free from a devil fruit's weaknesses, you can still be affected by Armament Haki."

"As a natural-type user, you should avoid close combat. Instead, focus on long-range attacks."

"You can develop the fruit's ability for weather control, such as clouds, fog, thunder, rain, and storms. The Cloud-Cloud Fruit's potential is vast."

"When we reach Visalia, I'll ask the meteorologists to prepare books for you to study."

[Visalia: Small Sky Island where Nami was sent by Kuma]

"Thank you, husband; you're so good to me~"

Looking satisfied, Nami nestled into Ethan's arms, feeling incredibly fortunate.

Ethan smiled silently. With Nami now officially a divine consort, and the thrill of becoming a multi-fruit user, he was deeply pleased.

But was it enough? Certainly not...

In the northern waters of the Moonlight Islands, the Little Proverbs was gliding about 20 meters above sea level.

After Robin identified the spot where Ethan had killed the Golden Lion north of the Moonlight Islands, they decided to head south to Syrup Village.

"Brother Yun! Onii-chan!"

At that moment, Nami burst into the cabin, shouting in excitement.

"Onii-chan~ There are pirates ahead!"

"Hm? Pirates? What's that got to do with us?"

Ethan, somewhat annoyed, set Karina aside. Pirates in the East Blue were generally weak, with few devil fruit users, so they didn't interest him.

He much preferred spending time with Karina, who no longer tied up her hair since becoming his consort, revealing a beauty that had him captivated.

"Nami, are you eager to fight after eating the Cloud-Cloud Fruit? Onii-chan won't allow it~"

Karina wasn't bothered by the interruption; she was a bit tired and thought Nami could entertain Ethan for a while.

"If you have time, you'd be better off strengthening your body to improve your stamina for fruit practice."

"I don't want to!" Nami immediately refused, trying to flee, but Vivi pulled her back.

"Okay! You're here too!"

"Hehe, now that you're here, no escaping!"

Vivi and Nami laughed as they played around.

Ethan chuckled at the sight, wondering if the pirates ahead might have a devil fruit. With that in mind, he activated his Observation Haki, scanning the area ahead of the princess ship.

"Huh?"

Ethan was surprised. Though he didn't sense any devil fruit, he spotted some familiar faces—Kuro and Jango.

Jango's unique appearance made him easy to identify.

Strange!?

According to the timeline, Kuro should have faked his death and hidden as Kaya's butler, not appearing here.

Kuro's story was strange. He became Kaya's butler three years before the Pirate plot began but didn't act.

A year before the plot, he assassinated Kaya's parents, intending to inherit her wealth legally.

But even after Kaya was devastated, he didn't act. Only when the protagonist group arrived did he summon the Black Cat Pirates, recklessly risking everything.