Fang Huo was forcibly carried by Charlotte Linlin and landed in front of the Rocks Pirates, with Stussy clinging to him as well.
"Long time no see, everyone!"
Fang Huo flashed a wide grin—without realizing it, he'd been apart from the Rocks Pirates for quite a while.
"first mate!!"
Babel, Sanbel, Long Bread, and Kiel Bastard all shouted in unison, faces blazing with fervor and joy.
Even Maron and Fūgetsu Kisaburō hurried to call out.
"Tch, look at our long-lost first mate showing off!"
Rocks arched a brow, momentarily shelving the urge to pummel Fang Huo.
That Fang Huo had secured the Logia Rumble-Rumble Fruit did surprise Rocks a little.
The guy had conned Silver Axe and the others into heading to the North Blue to hunt down inaccurate intel on the Magma and Glint Fruits.
Yet he'd quietly nabbed the strongest Logia of all—the Rumble-Rumble Fruit!
This Prophet of a first mate was one sly fox!
"Fang Huo, do you already have six Devil Fruit powers?"
Newgate asked, curious to confirm his guess.
"Heh, Rocks, you're just jealous I'm more popular than you!"
Fang Huo wriggled free of Charlotte Linlin's grip, set Stussy aside, and looked mighty pleased.
"Newgate, not six—five!"
He released his Sapphire Moonlight Bugs, Violet Gravity Tiger, Crimson-Black Vampire Bats, Purple-Black Gaping-Mouth Beast, Golden Lightning Bird, plus four White Soul Fire wisps.
The ring of Soul Fire hovered around him like divine flames.
Even more dazzling and mysterious than the Zoan-awakened Flame Clouds.
"That Pocket-Dimension Ability isn't one of your Devil Fruit powers?"
Rocks and Newgate instantly recalled the secret spatial trick Fang Huo had shown off.
What was going on?
"Bingo—exactly right!!"
"Those gold bricks are your welcome-back gifts!"
Fang Huo grinned; since he hadn't made it back in time to stash the gold, let everyone enjoy it.
He'd already taken the lion's share anyway.
He'd never want for money in this lifetime.
"Thanks, first mate!!"
Babel and Maron chimed in excitedly.
"Hmph—bet you only had those Bird-Men collect the gold so you could hunt the Rumble Fruit."
"Otherwise you'd've stashed it all in that pocket space ages ago."
"Who knows how much you already skimmed beforehand!"
Rocks saw right through him; the gold they were getting was only a fraction.
Whatever Fang Huo spotted had long since vanished into his private Dimensional Vault.
"Tsk, Captain, silence is golden!"
"Isn't this haul enough to whet your appetites?"
"The Gibeck's Sword can't even hold it all!"
"So laugh it up in secret!"
Fang Huo shrugged—hauling the gold still depended on his pocket dimension in the end.
"Hmph!"
"Consider this compensation for the worry you put us through these past six months!"
"To avenge you we risked being hunted by the World Government and Marine HQ, striking everywhere!"
Rocks finally cracked a smile; with their Prophet back, they'd netted a golden trove for free.
From now on they wouldn't need to borrow drinking money from Fang Huo.
Maybe they could even send another fortune home.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony!"
At Fang Huo's nod, Newgate joined the gold-grab too.
His home, Sphinx Island, always left him strapped for cash.
"Newgate, I'm happy to share, but I want you to think of yourself for once."
"Endless handouts only breed Giant Babies!"
"Let go—just a little."
"Plant the Rocks flag and leave it at that; if they can survive chaos, don't underestimate them."
"You're not their Nanny—you've no duty to keep supporting them!"
Fang Huo told Newgate flatly; if he simply shipped all the money home to 'raise pigs',
Fang Huo might as well keep it—or hold it for him.
"..."
"Got it."
Newgate paused, gave Fang Huo a long look, and muttered in reply.
"Take what you can carry; the rest stays with the first mate. Shiki and Kyo get their shares too."
Fang Huo watched them scramble—let them grab; the Gibeck's Sword and their cabins couldn't hold it all anyway.
"Fang Huo, you keep it for me—research funds secured for life!"
Stussy promptly handed her gold to Fang Huo; she didn't want it cluttering her bedroom.
She still planned to have her wild way with him in that room.
"Since you've got a pocket dimension, let's see it!"
Rocks stared at Fang Huo, eager to know how a man without a spatial power owned a private space.
"Just carry a bit back to your cabins."
"Now—behold the miracle!"
Fang Huo smiled; under his control the Purple-Black Gaping-Mouth Beast morphed into a Seven-Colored Space-Time Gate.
"I'll keep it safe for you!"
Using his Gravity Ability he levitated all the gold and sent it into the Lost World.
"Can people enter?"
Rocks and the others eyed the rainbow-misted gate, itching to explore.
"They can—but one day inside equals fifty outside."
"If you want to time-travel to the future or simply kill some time, be my guest."
Fang Huo had already separated his treasure and living zones, everything neatly arranged.
"A fifty-to-one ratio?"
"Shame it's not the other way around—fifty inside for one outside!"
Rocks had thought they'd found a miraculous training ground, but it wouldn't help them power up.
"Still, for storage—or keeping wounded alive until treatment—it's decent."
"How big is it? Castle-Castle Fruit big—seventy, eighty meters?"
Rocks mused, unsure how to leverage the space for strength.
"Everyone's worn out; let's rest and train on Sky Island for a while."
"And while we're at it, scavenge some sea shells!"
Fang Huo planned to stay too, to develop his new powers and remodel his Lost World.
He told them the uses of various Dials and to hunt for the strongest ones.
"Since Fang Huo suggests it, we'll resume the unfinished Hell-Training from Small Garden!"
Rocks raised a brow—he'd been looking for a chance to thrash Fang Huo; training on Sky Island was perfect.
Rocks's meaningful glare sent a chill of resentment through Fang Huo.
He was in for it now!
The damn Captain was going to vent and get revenge.
Meanwhile Stussy gazed at Fang Huo, eyes brimming with Springtime Desire.
She vowed to conquer this Supreme Great Succubus of a first mate on this beautiful Sky Island!
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