The sun dipped low over the desert horizon as the Embercloud drifted lazily through the sky. The Revenants enjoyed an evening barbecue on the outer deck, where a shallow pool shimmered under the fading light.
Conis walked around with a tray of cold fruit drinks. Her smile was serene as she handed a chilled glass to Nojiko, who stood beside a crackling spit roasting a massive desert lizard, its spicy aroma wafting across the deck. Desire helped carve chunks of the crisped meat with a grin.
"Best kill of the day," Desire said proudly, her red hair in a ponytail swaying as she skewered a juicy slice.
Carina leaned back against a deck chair in her purple bikini, sunglasses perched on her head. "Fifteen billion berries," she said with a satisfied sigh, holding an expensive red wine between her fingers. "All from that roach's casino. Honestly, I don't really think we need that King's favor anymore."
Jacob looked at Carina beside him, enjoying the view. "Well, you would be surprised by how fast money burns in a single research effort."
"I found five billion in gold and jewelry," Nami added, sitting cross-legged near the pool's edge. "Stashed under false floorboards."
The crew went wide-eyed.
"Twenty billion in one raid?" Nojiko gasped, handing a plate of roasted meat to Porche, who had just returned from tending to her beasts.
"I also saw something else," Desire said, her voice low as she sat beside Jacob, giving him a plate of roasted meat. "A stash of sea stone crates in the vault. Judging by how much, it must be worth at least two billion."
Jacob took a sip of his drink, took the meat offered, and glanced at Reiju, who was reclined nearby with one leg dipped lazily into the pool.
"Reiju, can you start crafting us some gear?" he asked. "Seastone bullets and swords would sound cool."
Reiju arched her brow, amused. "Only if you give me more funding. Sea stone bullets can't be fired by just any guns. The gun needed a strong enough metal chamber and nozzle to withstand its hardness."
"We'll get you what you need," Jacob replied. "I have an Idea about how to get strong enough metal fast, but no one in this crew wanted to eat the munch munch fruit." Jacob looked decidedly at Reiju.
Reiju smirked, brushing her pink hair back. "The idea of me getting a large mouth and becoming a ravenous beast just to produce a strong metal was not going to sit well with me. I can do that by synthesizing a lot of elements myself. "
Jacob twitched his eyebrows."But that will consume more money and time."
He sighed and looked at the dusk-painted sky beyond. The scent of roasted desert lizard lingered in the warm breeze, and the crew lounged in various states of relaxation and celebration.
Yamato sat cross-legged by the barbecue stove, tearing into a chunk of roasted meat with a primal kind of joy, her hair damp from a recent shower. "This lizard is so juicy!" she grinned, juice running down her chin. "I think we need to stock this in our provision!"
Carina smiled faintly, kicking her legs lazily from her seat as she pulled a small, antique music box from her cleavage. With a flick, the soft, nostalgic tune of Bink's Sake began to play, the gentle melody riding the wind. Then, Carina began to sing—softly at first, her voice rich and soulful.
Kaya stepped out from the living quarters, wrapped in a flowy white tunic with her hair braided down one side. Alvida followed. She wore a silky red robe that shimmered like oil against the lantern light. Kuina wore a black sleeveless top hanging loosely over linen pants. She sat by the pool's edge, Wado Ichimonji resting across her lap.
Jacob noticed them all—how they dressed, the ease with which they carried themselves now. They weren't just his crewmates. They were his warriors and treasures, and he swore to protect them. He didn't deny that they looked ravishing as well.
When the girls started to set in, Jacob set down his drink and said. "I've got a little something from our latest haul," he announced, drawing everyone's attention. "I managed to extract two Devil Fruits."
That got their attention.
Yamato tilted her head, curious. "What kind?"
Jacob raised a card containing an image of two devil fruits. It was Desire's card. He put the devil's fruit there for safekeeping. "One is the Suna Suna no Mi, The Sand Sand Fruit, while the other is the Doru Doru no Mi—or the Wax fruit."
Carina stopped humming and looked up with a sharp glint in her eyes. "You managed to use your extraction abilities mid-chaos?"
"I tried to get more," Jacob said, shaking his head. "But most of the Baroque Works officers either died or got pulled into dimensional tears thanks to Alvida."
"Sorry?" Alvida said from the side.
"Shame," Reiju muttered from the pool, sipping from a glass of wine. "I could've done wonders with that exploding booger guy's DNA."
"Don't worry, Jacob, we'll get more," Nojiko said with a smirk, flipping another lizard steak onto a plate and handing it to Kaya.
Jacob nodded. "Right now, we must decide what to do with these new fruits. Most of us were devil fruit users already."
Yamato raised her hand. "Give one of them to Touma, Jacob. Imagine a tiger that can control sand; that would be so cool!."
"I agree with Oden here," Porche added excitedly, lounging on her recliner.
Kuina glanced at the card with no interest.
"Let's not rush this," Jacob said. "We've already planned to feed the beast our zoan fruits. Either we find someone who fits the power, or if we can't find anyone, we feed them to the beast."
That made Yamato and Porche squeal in delight. Both of them suddenly tackled Jacob to the floor.
Carina resumed playing the music box, and the song picked up again; she started singing again.