Chapter 81: Shampoo Land!

Asa had been burying his thoughts deep within his heart for so long that it left him feeling somewhat stifled. Now that he had finally expressed them, he felt lighter—refreshed. Even the sky looked brighter.

Jessica quietly played the role of listener. Though she hadn't spoken a word, her warm smile never faded.

"Take these two things." Asa reached into his coat and pulled out two Devil Fruits, handing them to her.

"Devil Fruits?" Jessica blinked in confusion, unsure why Asa was giving them to her.

"Yeah," Asa nodded. "One's the Castle Fruit. After eating it, you can open a fortress within your body. The other is the Door-Door Fruit—it lets you open doors anywhere. Both are rare spatial-type abilities among Devil Fruits."

He stuffed the fruits gently into her arms.

"Why…?" Jessica asked, clearly worried. "Aren't these your most prized possessions? You never even bathe without keeping them close. Why give them to me now?"

Her voice trembled with unease.

"There's going to be a huge battle soon," Asa replied calmly. "I'm afraid the fight might damage them. So, for now, I'm entrusting them to you. Don't overthink it."

Jessica, the ship's chef, had no desire to eat a Devil Fruit. But if she were to eat the Door-Door Fruit, her survival capability would become virtually unmatched.

Even someone like Whitebeard couldn't harm her unless he used Haoshoku Haki to knock her out instantly. After all, the Gura Gura no Mi might shatter the air—but it couldn't pierce space.

After a moment of silence, Asa looked at her solemnly.

"If anyone comes for these during the battle—if you can't protect them, and you don't want to eat them—you must destroy them. Never let them fall into the hands of others. Understood?"

His voice was firm, filled with resolve.

The Castle Fruit was useful—but ultimately just a mobile warehouse. But the Door-Door Fruit? That was something else entirely.

"I understand!" Jessica nodded firmly, biting her lip, her eyes brimming with emotion. She tucked the fruits close to her chest.

"Don't worry. I promise—nothing will happen to you." Asa added gently. "Your father is the Head Chef of Navy Headquarters. He has connections. They won't harm you…"

But seeing her on the verge of tears, Asa didn't know how else to comfort her.

"You hungry? Why not go cook something? I swear I'll eat vegetables this time... That's rare, okay? You're making history!"

Jessica couldn't help but laugh. She wiped her eyes and headed into the kitchen with a grin.

The ship sailed unwaveringly toward the Chambord Islands. Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

In the distance, the towering roots and leaves of the Yarukiman Mangrove appeared on the horizon. Under the sun, iridescent bubbles drifted into the sky like a dreamscape. The scene was breathtakingly beautiful.

The Chambord Archipelago marked the end of the first half of the Grand Line. Every pirate aiming for the New World had to pass through this place and undergo coating before continuing forward.

Located at the base of the Red Continent, it sat just a short distance away from Mariejois, the Holy Land perched atop the Red Continent—and just one to two hours from Marineford, the Navy's headquarters.

The island itself was made up entirely of the massive Yarukiman Mangrove, whose colossal roots extended above the ocean, forming a habitat for human life.

Even with his expectations set, Asa was still stunned by the natural wonder.

It was hard to imagine how many centuries this mangrove had taken to reach its monumental scale.

There were seventy-nine trees in total, dividing the island into seventy-nine unique zones—each marked clearly for its purpose:

Zones 1–29: Human trafficking, auction houses, and illegal activities. Zones 30–39: The Bubble Park and amusement areas. Zones 40–49: Tourist areas and specialty shops. Zones 50–59: Shipyards and coating facilities. Zones 60–69: Navy garrisons and government checkpoints. Zones 70–79: Hotels and leisure zones.

The island's most iconic feature was the bubbles—secreted by the mangrove roots as a natural resin. This resin expanded with air, forming bubbles that drifted skyward.

These resin bubbles were stable within the island's unique climate. But once they drifted beyond the island's atmospheric range, they burst—unable to maintain their integrity.

So long as you stayed within the mangrove-covered region, the bubbles were durable and reliable. The island thrived on this culture, with bubble cars, bubble Ferris wheels, bubble houses—a true bubble society.

Asa's ship docked in Zone 1–29, the illegal zone. Together, he and Jessica disembarked—stepping officially onto the island.

Meanwhile, at Zone 50–59, in the ship-coating region, a familiar vessel quietly arrived—the Golden Jackson.

The ship, long absent from Navy detection, had returned.

"Wahahahaha! The Great God Bucky has arrived! Citizens of the Chambord Archipelago—tremble before me!"

Red-nosed Bucky stood proudly on the bow, striking exaggerated poses.

"Bucky, calm down!" said Shanks, rolling his eyes. "You'll be the one hauling supplies later, so don't waste your energy now."

"Shanks, are you picking a fight?! Let Lord Bucky teach you a lesson!"

"Bring it on! Who's afraid of who?"

"Hahahaha! Youth is a beautiful thing."

The members of the Roger Pirates looked on with smiles. They were used to the bickering. Those two were like children—if they didn't quarrel at least once a day, something was wrong.

"Rayleigh, prep the coating tools. Everyone else, head ashore and gather supplies. Check in once daily. Dismissed!" Roger declared, waving a hand before coughing softly.

He discreetly wiped his mouth, a trace of dark red blood disappearing onto his palm.

"Captain, you should take your medicine," said Crocus, pulling out a bottle from his medicine kit.

Rayleigh said nothing, but the concern in his eyes couldn't be hidden.

The crew all knew that Captain Roger was gravely ill. Only a few of them understood just how little time he had left.

Less than three years.

"It's fine… Ahem!" Roger chuckled, stroking his beard. His death was coming—but before that, he intended to fulfill one last mission:

To become the Pirate King.

Suddenly, Roger turned toward Zone 1–29, eyes narrowing.

His advanced Observation Haki, fused with the Voice of All Things, had sensed something unusual.

"Roger, what is it?" Rayleigh asked, putting down his flask and following his gaze—but saw nothing.

"It's nothing," Roger said with a knowing smile. "Just some old friends. There's bound to be a big battle soon. But it's not our fight, so leave it be."

(End Of Chapter)

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