(Tritoma---Tulip)
Liam clicked his tongue and said, "Why fight head-on? Just replicate the opponent's key body parts and keep hammering them. Even if it doesn't deal lasting damage, the sheer pain would be unbearable."
Sonia and Mari, still fascinated by the uncanny sensation of experiencing dual perspectives through their flower clones, couldn't help but chuckle at Giorno's words.
"Are you saying we should recreate something like the enemy's heart? That might actually work. Princess Jolyne wouldn't even need to get close— she could just stay at a distance and keep firing off arrows, rupturing their heart over and over until they're tormented to death," they mused.
As seasoned female pirates, they had no qualms about discussing such ruthless tactics.
"Not just the heart— the brain, the spine... Oh, I've heard there are a few spots on the human body where pain is excruciatingly sharp!" Mari and Sonia grew more and more excited, eagerly proposing strategies for Princess Jolyne to dismantle her foes.
"Or how about replicating the opponent's head and delivering a brutal slap to both ears? I bet they wouldn't be able to stand it! Even if you just toss the head aside and keep spinning it, most people would get so dizzy they'd lose half their fighting ability..."
They spoke these almost inhumane ideas without a trace of hesitation, and even Giorno and Hancock remained impassive, showing no sign of disapproval.
What unnerved Bonney the most was the sight of the elegant and dignified Kuja Princess, Jolyne, listening with great interest! She even thoughtfully pointed out the most sensitive pain points on the human body to Sonia and Mari...
Paired with her striking beauty, such a cold and calculating nature suddenly made Robin appear downright demonic in Bonney's eyes, sending a chill down her spine.
"By the way, Princess," Marigold suddenly turned to Bonney, who had been silently observing, "Can you make a clone of her? Since this is a Devil Fruit ability, are there any restrictions?"
Bonney, lost in thought, instinctively shivered at the question, her face turning pale.
Robin waved her hand, and petals surged from the ground, blooming into yet another lifelike flower clone— this time, a perfect replica of Bonney. It stood motionless next to the original Hana Hancock, its eyes just as blank.
Bonney swallowed hard. Hancock, slightly intrigued, remarked, "So it's not an old lady!"
Bonney's current youthful form was thanks to her Age-Age Fruit. Her true identity— the former Queen Dowager of the Sorbet Kingdom— was a secret that Robin and the others were well aware of.
"This works too? The Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) is truly incredible!" Mari marveled.
"No, what's really impressive is her Age-Age Fruit..." Sonia murmured. "The ability to manipulate age even managed to 'deceive' the Flower-Flower Fruit."
"Not everyone can be copied," Robin clarified, shaking her head. "There are plenty of people on this island whom I can't create clones of."
With a thought, she summoned another flower clone beside Hana Hancock. This time, the petals shaped themselves into a tall woman with flowing golden hair and a frail, sickly appearance— none other than Snake Princess Tulip.
Liam stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Snake Princess, Hancock, Sonia, Mari, Bonney, and me... These are all people you've physically touched, right? The condition for creating a flower clone must be that your Flower-Flower Fruit has made direct contact and 'memorized' their characteristics."
He pondered for a moment before adding, "If that's the case, the flower clone should replicate the most recent version of the person that your ability 'remembered.'"
If that were true, it was strikingly similar to his Stand's mechanics.
"Let's put it to the test!" Sonia's eyes gleamed as she immediately shifted into her Zoan form— a massive, green-scaled Orochi. Wings unfurled from her back, and with a powerful flap, she soared into the sky.
"I'll find someone else to test this on..." Sonia said, flapping her wings and soaring over the city wall into Kuja City.
Not long after, the green-scaled Orochi returned, landing gracefully in front of the group— this time carrying someone in her arms.
The female warrior she brought back looked completely bewildered, clearly having no idea what was happening.
Cosmos, upon recognizing the people before her, hurriedly saluted. "Hancock Sama, Princess."
Lifting her gaze, she was immediately met with a baffling sight— two Hancock Samas, two of her younger sisters, two Giornos, and two pink-haired women she didn't recognize. Her mind spun with confusion, but seeing how calm Hancock and the others were, she hesitated to question it.
Sonia reverted to her human form, grinning. "Princess Jolyne, you've never touched Cosmos before, have you?"
Cosmos was one of the guardian warriors of Amazon Lily. Robin and Liam had seen her upon their arrival on the island, but they had never interacted closely.
Robin attempted to create a clone, but just as expected—nothing happened.
"Let's test it out," Marigold suggested eagerly.
Robin gave an approving nod and stepped toward Cosmos, raising her hand to make contact— only for her wrist to be caught mid-air by Liam.
Cosmos, utterly clueless, could only watch as the man— an almost legendary figure on the island— advised Princess Jolyne, "Don't use your hand. Try using the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) instead."
Robin immediately understood. Taking a step back, she activated her Devil Fruit ability— delicate petals fluttered from Cosmos's shoulder, swiftly forming into an extra arm— one of Robin's own.
Cosmos stiffened for a brief moment but quickly composed herself, recognizing it as the Princess's power. The hand growing from her shoulder gently brushed against her cheek.
Robin smiled. "That should do it."
As soon as she spoke, a swirl of petals gathered beside her, and in an instant, a perfect clone of Cosmos emerged.
Cosmos finally realized that the unmoving duplicates of Hancock Sama and the other warriors had all been created by Princess Jolyne's Flower-Flower Fruit.
She blinked, momentarily disoriented as her mind processed the second perspective now reflecting back from her other self.
Mari clapped her hands with delight. "Looks like Giorno was right— the key to creating a flower clone is that the Princess's Flower-Flower Fruit must have made direct contact with the person!"
Sonia laughed. "With the Princess's ability, touching someone isn't exactly difficult."
This meant that, aside from extremely rare circumstances, there were hardly any restrictions on this ability.
As long as someone was within Robin's line of sight, she could sprout an arm from a distance, make contact, and "memorize" them— allowing her to create a clone at will.
Robin murmured, "But... there are those I could never touch, no matter what..."
The dead.
Her mother, Professor Clover, Saul... People she longed to see again, yet the Flower-Flower Fruit remained powerless to bring them back.
Liam reached over and ruffled her hair.
He had grown a bit taller over the past few months, making it easier for him to tousle Robin's hair with an almost teasing familiarity.
Bonney, however, noticed something else— Hancock had been unusually quiet. Following her gaze, she realized that the Empress was staring at one of the silent flower clones.
It was the duplicate of the Snake Princess.
"She looks... even weaker," Bonney thought grimly.
Without a word, Hancock turned and walked away.
She made her way back to Kuja City, passing through the streets unchallenged until she reached the palace. Outside the royal chambers, she could hear faint coughing from within.
The maids stood quietly, not daring to make a sound.
They didn't even sense my presence? Hancock's expression remained unreadable as she waited outside the door, listening as the coughing gradually subsided. Only then did she push it open.
Inside, the Snake Princess was just finishing wiping her face with a warm towel. She motioned for the maids to leave, and they quickly obeyed.
As Hancock stepped into the room, the ailing ruler smiled faintly. "I thought I just saw you and Jolyne in the woods... Was I imagining things?"
Hancock remained silent for a moment before she finally spoke, recounting Jolyne's recent breakthroughs with the Flower-Flower Fruit.
The Snake Princess let out a weak chuckle. "As expected of the Devil Fruit once regarded as a national treasure by the founding Emperor... It should hold such power."
(End Of This Chapter)
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