The blood mist slowly descended onto the beaches of Blubru Island.
Reid had just set the little girl gently in his arms when the long-awaited elder of the tribe hurried over.
"You foolish boy! You finally came back! I searched the entire tribe for you…"
The elder scanned Reid from head to toe. Seeing him mostly unharmed, he let out a relieved sigh, but his expression quickly turned serious.
"You are… unbelievably reckless! With only the power of that Devil Fruit, you dared to rampage through unknown waters? Even an old man like me knows how dangerous the sea can be. And yet, you young ones throw caution to the wind!"
"I heard from An! People with Devil Fruit powers like yours are the most vulnerable to seawater! A single bucket poured over you, no matter how strong you are, and you would collapse! And yet… you dared to venture out without a proper ship…"
The elder's rapid-fire questions came like bullets rat-a-tat-tat leaving Reid no chance to interrupt.
Reid grinned, waving carelessly. "Relax, old man. It's not as bad as you think."
He explained, "Seawater? For us, it's nothing more than… hmm… like being thrown into a muddy pit. You can't move properly, it drains your strength, and it's uncomfortable. But…"
He shifted the topic. "You're not a Devil Fruit user. Seawater can be a defensive tool, but don't rely on it. Do you really think seawater alone could beat a real powerhouse? That's not realistic. If you ever face someone truly strong, I suggest hiding in my mist first. For example, me I can swim in the sea right now without a problem."
The elder blinked in astonishment. "Really… really? Seawater… only weakens people?"
"Otherwise?" Reid raised an eyebrow. "But for the weak, seawater can indeed defeat them."
The elder was silent for a moment. That made sense… yet something still felt off.
Reid didn't linger on the topic and asked, "Where's the ship? How's my new ship coming along? It should be close to finished, right?" He was already eager to set sail with his little partner his first mate.
Hearing this, the elder's expression twisted into a mix of embarrassment and helplessness. He pointed to the ship frame behind the tribe, where only the keel and a few ribs had been installed.
"You fool! Do you think building a seaworthy ship is as simple as putting together a wooden frame? Not that easy!" He held up three fingers. "How many days has it been? Just preparing the wood to be sturdy and rot-resistant takes a lot of time and effort. At least… three more months!"
"Three months?!" Reid's voice rose involuntarily.
Don't get me wrong, he wasn't complaining about speed. It was just… fast. He knew building a ship wasn't a one- or two-day task, but with current tools… three months? Tom would take half a year for a ship, and that was with a different technique. Three months, purely by hand?
"You little rascal… you don't really doubt us, do you?"
"How could I?"
"Scoundrel! You doubt us, don't you? Never underestimate our craftsmanship."
Reid glanced at the hull a mere prototype and then at the vast, endless ocean.
"Fine… fine. Three months it is." Reid rubbed his hair. He had just raided a fortune in "pocket money" and restored his energy; nothing was lacking.
He looked down at the quiet girl beside him and thought: This works perfectly. Three months gives her time to adapt… to properly 'train.'
So Reid and his "soon-to-be" first mate settled temporarily on this remote Blubru Island, since they had yet to set sail.
Life seemed to have suddenly calmed down or at least, that's how Reid saw it.
Most of the time, Reid lounged like an idle man not a vagrant, but leaning under a tree, soaking up the sun, watching the tribe work, or… teasing his still-quiet little companion, his first mate.
That day, Reid lazily leaned against a tree, watching the girl on the nearby beach carefully practice forming ice.
Above her palm, a faint, frigid energy struggled to coalesce. It formed a small, rough-edged, warped fragment of ice, barely resembling a petal before melting instantly, ugly and misshapen.
"Pfft."
The girl paused slightly, then turned to look directly at Reid.
Reid felt a twinge of guilt. Lately, she had learned to use her stare to express dissatisfaction.
But who was Reid? Trash Reid! So, they locked eyes, a silent challenge: let's see who's afraid of who!
"Sorry, little one."
She nodded slightly, signaling she forgave him. She returned to her task, simplifying her focus and improving her technique.
When repeated failures caused her brow to furrow in disappointment, Reid prompted and guided her.
Finally, he spoke gently:
"Hey, little one."
She looked up, bewildered.
Reid stood and walked toward her. The blood mist curled naturally around him, and a tiny blood dragon formed in his hand.
"Power especially the power of a Devil Fruit is something you must learn to wield skillfully before it truly works. In simple terms, it's a force of the mind. Whatever you want it to do, it can do."
He waved casually. "Raw strength alone won't get it done."
The blood dragon dissipated.
"Ask yourself if you want to 'express' this power, what should it look like?"
The little girl seemed confused.
He pointed to himself. "Like me. I like the unpredictable changes of the mist, and the power and majesty of a giant dragon. That's how my power manifests."
The little blood dragon twisted and leapt in the air, but the girl didn't understand.
Reid waved his hand, and a throne of blood mist materialized.
"See? This is also shaped by my aesthetic sense, but don't get trapped by the form. I'm teaching you this so we can at least learn to use the power first."
A glimmer appeared in her eyes. She looked down at her empty palm, thinking seriously about something she had never considered.
Expression? Something she herself would like?
No one had ever asked her what she liked, or what shape she wanted it to take.
After a long silence, she slowly, tentatively raised her hand again.
This time, she didn't rush to form the ice. Instead, she closed her eyes, as if recalling something, feeling something.
Reid waited patiently.
A faint chill appeared, but this time it did not form randomly. It seemed… purposeful.
The cold air twisted and solidified, still unstable, still fragile, but the vague outline was no longer chaotic ice shards.
It was… a petal.
Its edges remained rough, its shape imperfect, but compared to before, the form of a rose petal was clear. Though fleeting, it gently fell to the ground, melting almost instantly.
The girl opened her eyes, watching the quickly vanishing puddle, then looked up at Reid. For the first time, her vacant gaze clearly held something like… anticipation.