The usually lively, goofy trio now wore long faces, their shoulders slumped in gloom. The air around them felt unusually heavy.
Kouta immediately sensed something was off. He walked over and gave each of them a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"Something bothering you? Go on, tell me. Whatever it is, I'll help carry the weight."
A Tao took a drag from his cigarette and replied with a frustrated sigh.
"It's nothing major... just feeling pretty useless. We can't do a thing when it comes to fighting that monster of a pirate crew."
They all knew it. Against the Arlong Pirates, they were dead weight. All they could do was stay behind on the ship and keep watch, none of them stood a chance in a real fight.
And this was just the East Blue. Once they hit the Grand Line, they'd vanish from the story entirely.
"Oh, that's what it is?"
Kouta let out a breath of relief. For a second, he thought something serious had happened.
He looked at the three and spoke with deliberate seriousness.
"You guys didn't join this crew to be warriors. And a ship needs more than just fighters."
His gaze landed on A Hua. "Take A Hua for example. If we didn't have you on board, we'd be stuck eating our own cooking. Just picture that for a second."
Everyone instinctively turned to look at A Hua. The mere thought of having to eat their own food every day made them all shudder.
They shook their heads in unison.
A Hua's gloomy expression lifted instantly at Kouta's words and the group's reaction. He adjusted his glasses, puffed out his round belly, and raised his chin with pride.
"So I'm that irreplaceable, huh?"
Kouta turned next to A Tao. "And you, A Tao, who else would keep this big beast of a ship running and steer her through the waves if not you?"
A smile tugged at the corners of A Tao's lips, slowly spreading across his face. Even the way he smoked suddenly seemed more elegant.
"What about me? What about me?"A Luo looked at Kouta with wide, expectant eyes, his voice almost anxious.
"You..."
Kouta stroked his chin and pretended to think long and hard.
Seeing Kouta hesitate, the light drained from A Luo's eyes. He stared blankly out at the sea, as though darkness had swallowed him whole. For a moment, it felt like he might just leap into the ocean.
Kouta chuckled softly, deciding not to mess with him any longer.
He suddenly shouted, "Of course you're important too!"
A Luo stiffened, then slowly looked up at Kouta, eyes wide and pitiful."Really?"
"Absolutely." Kouta nodded firmly.
"Out of all of us, only you have the patience to stay in that cramped little lookout tower all day, keeping our voyage safe."
"You're the eyes of this ship. Without you, we'd be sailing blind."
With every word, A Luo's posture straightened a bit more. By the end, even his spiky punk hairstyle seemed to stand on end with pride.
Seeing their spirits rekindled, Kouta clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.
He smiled and said, "Each one of you is one-of-a-kind. Don't sell yourselves short. This ship can't function if even one of you is missing."
Then, grinning, he added playfully,"And if you all ran off to fight, what would Kuina and I even be here for, huh?"
"Right! Right!"The three of them nodded vigorously.
"And besides strength, well, there is a shortcut."
"You've got a way to get stronger?"They immediately perked up, their eyes glued to Kouta.
No one wanted to be weak. Even though they knew Kouta would never abandon them, not even if they stayed weak forever, the idea of growing stronger was too tempting to ignore.
"Have you ever heard of Devil Fruits?"
"Devil Fruits?"A Hua looked puzzled.
Just then, A Luo, who had been lost in thought, suddenly spoke up.
"Aren't those the legendary treasures of the sea that give you demonic powers and make you stronger?"
He had heard whispers of them back in his street-thug days.
"Exactly. They're mystical fruits that grant supernatural abilities to whoever eats them. They're called Devil Fruits."
"So your power comes from one of those fruits?"A Tao took another puff of his cigarette and glanced curiously at Kouta.
Kouta thought for a moment before replying."No... My powers don't come from a Devil Fruit. Think of me as someone born with special abilities."
"Oh...!"The three nodded in unison again.
Kouta continued explaining, "Devil Fruits come in three main types: Paramecia, Zoan, and Logia."
"Even a random Devil Fruit could be enough to handle most threats."
"But I heard even the cheapest Devil Fruit goes for over 100 million Berries!"A Luo scratched his head, visibly troubled.
"Whoa! That much?"A Hua and A Tao gasped.
Sure, they had looted nearly 20 million Berries from the Krieg Pirates, but 100 million? That was an entirely different level.
And the Krieg Pirates were the most powerful crew in the East Blue. If they only managed 20 million there, how many pirate crews would it take to gather 100 million?
Kouta smiled at them and said warmly,"Don't worry. If there's word of a Devil Fruit, I'll find it for you."
He paused, then added,"Actually... I already know where to find plenty."
Of course he did. And if it ever came down to it, he knew he'd have to go ask Doflamingo early.
"Seriously, Kouta?"The three of them stared at him, tension in their eyes.
They trusted him completely, but they still needed to hear him say it.
"When have I ever lied to you?"
Kouta's answer came with a confident nod.
"Hell yeah!!"The three of them jumped in joy, running to the bow of the ship and cheering loudly, their old cheerfulness restored.
Off to the side, Kuina quietly watched the scene unfold. When she saw A Hua and the others full of life again, a small smile crossed her face.
She already knew what Devil Fruits were. Kouta had once offered to find one for her, hoping it would enhance her physical abilities.
But she had turned him down. She wanted to become the world's greatest swordsman with her own strength.
Besides, Devil Fruits weren't without their downsides.
Their biggest weakness? Seawater, a fatal flaw for any sailor.
As a swordswoman, her offensive power was already strong enough. There was no need to burden herself with the fruit's vulnerabilities.
Of course, if the ability was truly exceptional, that might be a different story.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, both Kouta and Kuina froze. They exchanged a glance and turned their eyes toward the distant shoreline, quietly activating their Observation Haki.
Kuina could only sense the presence of many chaotic and frightened people in the village beyond.
But Kouta was different. A red light flickered in his eyes, he saw everything clearly.
He turned to the trio and said,"We'll dock here. You three stay and watch the ship. We'll take care of the Arlong Pirates."
"Got it!"The three replied in unison, immediately springing into action.
Kouta, meanwhile, kept his eyes fixed on the distant village, deep in thought.
Time to clean up the trash. If they got away, they'd be a menace later.
Especially since they were fishmen. If they escaped into the sea, tracking them down would be a real nightmare.
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Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 100, 200, 300 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!