Yet their eyes were shining with almost uncontrollable excitement, a light filled with hunger for unknown science and the passion of discovery.
Never in their long research careers had they dared imagine that they would one day be given such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—to collect blood samples from so many top-tier ability users at the same time.
To them, these samples were like keys capable of opening the door to a new world, containing countless possibilities and mysteries waiting to be uncovered.
Ron stood quietly off to the side, his posture straight as a pine.
His gaze was like a hawk's, calm and focused as it swept over every blood sample being drawn.
His deep eyes carried an unreadable emotion, while the corner of his mouth lifted slightly into an almost imperceptible smile.
"Good," he murmured softly, his voice low and powerful. "With this, the progress on completing the Devil Fruit encyclopedia… has far exceeded expectations."
He could already see the grand picture of the future slowly unfolding before his eyes.
The last light of sunset fell over the battered ruins of Onigashima like a veil of golden gauze.
Broken walls and shattered structures cast long shadows beneath the glow, silently telling of the fierce battles and the changes that had once taken place here.
Once, these two powers—two Emperor crews that had been enemies for so long—had fought countless thrilling battles across these waters, their relationship filled with hatred and hostility.
Yet now, because of a shared goal, they had strangely found themselves standing on the same side.
They had set aside their old prejudices and conflicts, joining hands for a common interest.
The gears of a new era were turning rapidly within this subtle atmosphere, moving at a speed no one could stop.
The sound of that turning was like a symphony of fate, playing a movement full of change and hope, foretelling the arrival of an entirely new age…
...
Across the vast sea shrouded in mist, Charlotte Smoothie stood tall at the front of the Juice Minister's fleet.
Her gaze was firm, yet there was also tension and expectation in it as she led the imposing fleet slowly toward Wano's harbor.
In her imagination, Wano's harbor, having gone through the fires of war, would surely be a devastated ruin.
Broken walls would be everywhere, or perhaps the entire place would be filled with a tense atmosphere where weapons were drawn and another conflict could break out at any moment.
When the fleet finally arrived at the harbor and slowly came to a stop, Smoothie stepped down the gangway with a nervous heart, ready to face the chaos she had imagined.
But the sight before her hit her like a powerful shockwave, freezing her completely in place.
As far as she could see, the square before Onigashima's castle had become a sea of celebration.
A massive bonfire burned fiercely in the center of the grounds, its leaping flames casting everything around it in a bright red glow.
The fire seemed almost alive, dancing joyfully as it gave off waves of heat.
Roasted meat sizzled above the flames.
Fat dripped into the fire, sending up strings of tiny sparks.
The rich aroma of meat mixed with the mellow scent of alcohol, spreading through the air like invisible threads and stirring everyone's appetite.
At the heart of this lively scene, her MAMA—Charlotte Linlin—was sitting cross-legged at the main seat without the slightest restraint.
Her enormous body occupied no small amount of space.
In her hand, she held a wine bowl the size of a bathtub, the liquor inside sloshing slightly with every movement.
Linlin's face was filled with a bold, cheerful smile. Her laughter rang across the square like a great bell.
And sitting beside her were two legendary figures.
Beasts Kaido and Whitebeard, Edward Newgate!
Kaido's massive frame was like a small mountain.
The dragon-scale tattoo across his body gleamed mysteriously beneath the firelight.
At that moment, he was holding an enormous barrel of liquor, head tilted back as he poured the wine straight down his throat like a waterfall.
Alcohol ran down his thick neck and over his dragon-scale tattoo, but he did not seem to notice at all.
He simply enjoyed the fierce, unrestrained feeling and shouted boldly, "Now this is what I call a banquet!"
His voice seemed to make the very air around him tremble.
On the other side, Whitebeard, Edward Newgate, let his iconic crescent mustache move lightly in the wind, a hearty smile on his face.
Murakumogiri leaned against his shoulder, as if sharing in the joyful atmosphere.
He occasionally lifted his cup and took a sip, his eyes carrying the open-minded ease of a man who had weathered countless years.
"Mamamama! Another bowl!"
Big Mom excitedly slapped her own belly.
She had drunk so much that the makeup on her face had begun to smear, her once-careful eyeshadow and lipstick blurring into a messy haze.
But she did not care about such details at all. She was still fully immersed in the festive mood, and she did not forget to tease Newgate beside her.
"Newgate, you old bastard, your tolerance is still awful!"
"Gurararara! Linlin, you're so drunk your lipstick's running!"
Whitebeard was infected by her playful mood and laughed loudly in response.
His laughter was as powerful as waves crashing against reefs, making the entire scene even livelier.
The long sword in Smoothie's hand fell heavily to the deck with a sharp clang.
Her slender fingers trembled unconsciously, drained of all strength.
Her tall body seemed to be rooted in place, unable to move.
Her mind was in complete chaos, countless questions surging through her heart.
'What… what is going on?! Why is MAMA with Kaido… and Whitebeard too? Haven't they always been rivals? Why are they sitting here having a banquet together?'
What shocked her even more was that when she looked around, she discovered that members of the Beasts Pirates were actually walking shoulder to shoulder with officers of the Big Mom Pirates as if they were close friends.
They chatted and laughed together, with none of the hostility they should have had.
There were even a few Gifters drinking against some of her younger sisters, everyone smiling happily as if they had forgotten the difference between their factions.
These unbelievable scenes left Smoothie utterly confused and shaken. She could not understand what was happening in front of her at all.
Then, from the harbor, a rush of panicked footsteps suddenly sounded.
"Sister Smoothie! You're finally here!"
Charlotte Brûlée's small figure ran toward her in a fluster, like a startled deer.