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"Sandersonia and Marigold, huh?"
Hearing this, Hancock finally relaxed a little.
However, she still hesitated at Shaka's suggestion. "Even though they're Zoan-type Devil Fruit users, their strength…"
"Of course, their current strength is still lacking. They can't handle things on their own just yet."
Shaka immediately understood Hancock's concerns and smiled. "But strength can always be improved. And for that, I have just the thing."
With a flick of his hand, he revealed a golden pill about the size of a longan fruit.
Strictly speaking, Sandersonia and Marigold weren't weak.
They possessed the Snake-Snake Fruit: Anaconda Model and King Cobra Model, respectively. They had already mastered the Six Powers technique and were proficient in both Armament and Observation Haki. Their strength wasn't inferior to that of a standard Marine Vice Admiral.
Moreover, they were still young with plenty of room for growth. If they worked hard enough, they might not reach Hancock's level, but surpassing elite Marine Vice Admirals was definitely within their reach.
In the first half of the Grand Line, they would be more than capable of leading the Kuja Pirates on expeditions. As long as they didn't deliberately provoke the dominant force of the seas—the Marines—or challenge them head-on, they could at least ensure their own survival.
In truth, Hancock's overwhelming strength as a Warlord of the Sea had shielded the Kuja Pirates too well. This, in turn, had left Sandersonia, Marigold, and even the other warriors without enough real combat experience or a sense of crisis.
Without Hancock's constant protection, they would be forced to grow stronger.
"What is that?"
Hancock's eyes widened as she gazed at the golden pill in Shaka's hand.
"This is something I developed—the Golden Relic Pill. Technically, it's a dangerous drug, but as long as the dosage is controlled, it won't harm the body."
Shaka didn't keep her in suspense and explained with a smile, "Not only does it provide a temporary boost in strength, but it also amplifies Haki and interferes with the transformation wavelengths of Zoan-type Devil Fruit users. This allows them to develop additional transformation stages beyond their usual human, hybrid, and full-beast forms."
Compared to Tony Tony Chopper's Rumble Ball, the Golden Relic Pill's effects were far superior.
Its side effects were minimal, it could be used consecutively in a short period, and the effect lasted much longer.
Even Haki would see a considerable boost—not as extreme as the Mink Tribe's Sulong transformation, but still impressive.
Shaka had studied the Minks extensively, analyzing the principles behind their Sulong form before developing the Golden Relic Pill.
However, as one's overall strength increased, the pill's effectiveness would gradually diminish.
That said, even against Marine Admirals, the effects of the pill would still be formidable.
For Sandersonia and Marigold, it would be more than enough.
For Shaka himself, the effect was already negligible. But if he were exhausted in battle, he could use it as a temporary recovery aid. While it didn't actually heal injuries, it could forcibly extract the body's potential to restore stamina for a short time—though it would lead to even greater exhaustion afterward.
Still, in a life-or-death situation, it could be a lifesaver.
"The Golden Relic Pill…?"
Hancock was astonished. "It can even allow multiple transformations?"
Could something so small really be this powerful?
"Its effects last only ten minutes per pill, but given Sandersonia and Marigold's current strength, they should be able to take up to three pills in succession. Any more, and they'd have to wait six hours before taking another dose."
Shaka continued, "With the pill's boost, they should be strong enough to take on elite Marine Vice Admirals—and even defeat them with ease."
"Not to mention, I've been testing various types of shape-memory alloys to develop weapons for them. As long as they don't run into a truly overwhelming opponent, the Kuja Pirates should be able to hold their own."
Pausing for a moment, Shaka rubbed his chin and mused, "If I could get my hands on the Float-Float Fruit, that would be perfect."
With the power of the Float-Float Fruit, they could simply lift an entire island and escape in the face of a Marine siege.
More importantly, he was considering whether to find a giant island turtle or take the time to build a massive ship.
As a man who enjoyed the finer things in life, he wouldn't settle for discomfort.
Besides, he planned to travel with his many lovers, so the accommodations had to be top-tier.
The Float-Float Fruit's abilities were highly tempting.
If he could obtain it—or have White Dragon replicate its power—then carrying an entire island while traveling would be no issue at all.
"The Float-Float Fruit?"
Hancock raised a brow in surprise. "I recall Fire Flower mentioning that fruit's power before. Supposedly, it can lift entire islands and move them at will…"
"But isn't that Golden Lion's ability? I heard he disappeared twenty years ago."
"That's right."
Shaka smirked. "I fought Golden Lion back in the day and gave him a good beating. But at the time, he hadn't eaten the Float-Float Fruit yet, so White Dragon never got the chance to copy it. A shame, really."
Fifty years ago, he had White Dragon copy the Barrier-Barrier Fruit, the Arms-Arms Fruit, and the Cloud-Cloud Fruit.
Added to the Swallow-Swallow Fruit it had previously copied, White Dragon was nearly at its storage limit for abilities.
However, after eliminating the Holy Knights and CP0 agents in Apse Constance, he noticed that their Devil Fruits hadn't respawned in the wild.
Instead, he had found them all in one place.
Among them was the Cloud-Cloud Fruit, which White Dragon had already copied.
If he found a particularly useful ability, he could always swap one out and recopy it later.
"Big Sis…"
"Mr. Shaka…"
At that moment, Sandersonia and Marigold arrived.
Seeing Hancock nestled in Shaka's embrace, they were stunned.
"Sis, Mr. Shaka… You two…?"
"No need to be so shocked. As you can see…"
Hancock was completely unfazed.
She openly held onto Shaka and declared, "Like Fire Flower and the others, I've fallen for him—hopelessly and completely."
"Oh… I see…"
Sandersonia and Marigold finally understood.
Only someone as perfect as Shaka could be worthy of their world-renowned beauty of a sister.
That said, he was a bit too much of a womanizer.
Before they could linger, Hancock shooed them away.
In love, she was a different person—clingy, affectionate, and unwilling to let go of her precious moments with Shaka.
"Gulp… Sandersonia, am I dreaming?"
Standing outside the lab, Marigold swallowed hard.
Was this really their cool, untouchable sister? She was acting so delicate and devoted in front of Shaka.
"You're not dreaming. That man's charm is just too strong…"
Sandersonia sighed. "If we were as beautiful as Sis, don't you think we'd fall for him too?"
"…Yeah, I guess."
Marigold nodded, suddenly tempted to lose weight.
Though it might be too late to return to her youthful figure.
"Wait… Does this mean Sis is going to share a husband with Fire Flower? And Lady Sheya too…?"
She had seen Sheya turn into a complete fangirl whenever she talked about Shaka.
"Don't be surprised…"
Sandersonia chuckled. "I wouldn't be shocked if Lady Toritoma ends up with him too."
"…Really?!"
Marigold was dumbfounded.
Were all four generations of Kuja Empresses in love with the same man?
"....."