The Skylark glided lightly across the white sea of clouds, heading southeast toward Birka, following the direction indicated by the Log Pose.
Inside the cockpit, Hans and Leon focused on controlling the sail and rigging system.
The main sail and tail sail worked together with the wing membranes on both sides, fully catching the airflow of the White Sea.
Meanwhile, on the spacious deck, nearly all the crew had gathered around Gade, who had just gained his new power.
"Captain Gade! Transform again!"
"We didn't get a good look back on the street!"
"Yeah! A Devil Fruit! The second Devil Fruit user on our ship!"
"Haha, you guys really can't get enough."
Gade said that, but the excitement of gaining a new ability—and the envy from his comrades—clearly pleased him.
He took a deep breath and shouted.
"Rhino Form — Transform!"
The next moment, under everyone's eager gaze, Gade's body began expanding again.
Dark gray thick skin spread across his body.
In the blink of an eye, a massive rhinoceros appeared once more.
His heavy hooves struck the reinforced deck of the Skylark with deep thuds.
"WOOOAH—!!! That's awesome!"
"That size! That presence!"
"He looks impossible to hurt!"
"If someone got punched by that… no, even a light bump would break bones!"
Aldo was the first to approach.
He shamelessly reached out and touched the thick horn-like hide on Gade's rhino body.
Then he slapped the muscular neck.
Thud. Thud.
"Damn! That hide's thick!"
"It feels like he's wearing iron armor!"
"Gade, you've definitely gotten stronger!"
Gade awkwardly shook his huge head and snorted.
He tried moving his body.
His thick limbs shifted across the deck, but the movement looked stiff.
It was far less agile than his usual movements.
Sami observed quietly for a moment before walking over.
He raised his hand to calm everyone down.
"Gade."
Sami examined his transformed body.
"You don't seem to have full control over it yet."
"Your movements look stiff, and your coordination is off."
Gade tried walking a few steps.
It was indeed clumsy—especially on the slightly rocking deck.
The rhino nodded.
"Yes, Captain…"
"After transforming, my field of vision feels lower."
"The angle feels strange."
"And my hands—uh… hooves—feel awkward."
"They're heavier, and I'm not used to using them."
"That's normal."
Sami nodded understandingly.
"Your body structure has changed dramatically."
"You went from flexible limbs to hooves designed for weight and impact."
"Rhinos rely mainly on body mass, defense, and their horns for attacks."
"You're still human."
"You'll need time to adapt to this new beast body and convert its instincts into combat techniques."
Then Sami added:
"By the way, Gade."
"Besides full human form and full beast form…"
"Can you try transforming into a hybrid form?"
"That's one of the most important forms for Zoan users."
"It combines human flexibility with animal strength."
"A hybrid form?"
"I'll try."
Gade closed his eyes and focused.
He imagined merging his human structure with the power of a rhinoceros.
Slowly—
The massive rhino body began changing.
The huge frame shrank.
The thick gray hide faded—but didn't disappear.
Instead, it remained like armor-like patterns across his skin.
Soon he returned to a mostly human shape, standing upright.
But he was noticeably bigger.
His muscles were far more pronounced.
The most obvious change was his head.
His brow protruded slightly.
And two short gray-black horns grew from the center of his forehead.
"WOAH!"
"Captain Gade grew horns!"
"That's awesome!"
Gade curiously touched the horns on his forehead.
Then he flexed his fingers again.
He threw a few punches.
Then he performed a quick dodge.
After feeling his body carefully, he said uncertainly:
"This form…"
"The strength seems weaker than full rhino form."
"The explosive power and defense aren't as strong either."
"But…"
He stepped forward suddenly and punched.
A heavy wind sound followed.
Then he swiftly sidestepped with surprising agility.
"My flexibility is back!"
"And my overall physical ability is way stronger than before I ate the fruit!"
"Of course."
Sami nodded.
"The hybrid form is the most balanced and practical."
"You sacrifice some of the extreme strength and defense of beast form."
"But you regain human agility and the ability to use weapons."
"In this form, you can fight like a human while benefiting from animal strength, senses, and traits."
Gade looked down at his now massive muscles.
Then he naturally struck one of his favorite bodybuilding poses.
"HEY—!"
His chest muscles swelled dramatically.
Then began flexing powerfully.
Thump! Thump!
"WOAH—!!!"
The crew erupted again.
Even louder than before.
"Hahaha! Captain Gade is ridiculous!"
"Damn it, I'm jealous!"
"I want a Devil Fruit too!"
Listening to the cheers and jokes, Gade became even more satisfied with his new body.
"Hahaha! That's it!"
"Strength! Defense! And this perfect physique!"
"I'm too handsome!"
Sami chuckled and patted his shoulder.
"For the rest of this journey, focus on mastering your hybrid form."
"Learn how to control your strength output, speed, and rhythm."
"You can even create your own techniques."
"The hybrid form will probably become your main combat form in the future."
"Yes, Captain!"
"I understand!"
"Oh right."
Sami suddenly remembered something.
"Your bounty was 2.3 million Beli, right?"
"After we return from Sky Island…"
"I'd guess it'll rise to at least 30 million."
"WOAH!"
"That means we can't call him Captain anymore!"
"It's Big Brother Gade now!"
"Hahahaha!"
----------------◇ Bonus Chapter Reward◇-----------------------
Every 10 Reviews = 1 Bonus Chapter
◇ Every 100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter
◇ You can read 60 chapters ahead on Patreon if you're interested:
patreon.com/Luna023
Your support helps the story grow and motivates faster updates.