The learning ability of the three sisters was extraordinary. In just a few days, under Lysa's guidance, they quickly mastered the methods of controlling raven messengers and building a basic intelligence network.
Their pure minds were like blank sheets of paper, capable of precisely replicating information, though they still struggled to understand the complex connections and deeper meanings behind it. Thus, they were still lacking in intelligence analysis. However, their innate ability to each precisely control five ravens simultaneously was a unique talent that even the experienced Lysa could not match.
In many ways, their minds were still as simple as children's. During their first few days on Iron Wind Island, whenever they had free time, they would follow quietly behind Euron like three well-behaved chicks, acting as his shadow. Even at night, they would subconsciously snuggle close to Euron and Ashara to sleep, seeking an instinctive sense of security.
Unexpectedly, Ashara was not displeased by this.
Looking into those three pairs of crystal-clear eyes untainted by dust, she couldn't muster any anger. Instead, like a patient and gentle mother, she softly taught them appropriate boundaries and habits. Under Ashara's guidance, they gradually adjusted. Now, every night, they slept alongside young Daeron and the wise thousand-year dragon, Halcyon.
Compared to dealing with complicated adults, they clearly preferred the company of guileless children and pure animals. amidst Daeron's innocent laughter and Halcyon's peaceful, steady aura, they found their most comfortable sense of belonging.
---
When the last patch of ice and snow melted into trickles among the reefs of the Iron Islands, and the moist sea breeze gradually shed its biting chill to bring a long-awaited warmth...
This meant that the date for King Robert's coronation and wedding in King's Landing was close at hand.
Euron, along with his father King Quellon, his brother Balon, and Balon's eldest son Rodrik, boarded the longships bound for King's Landing, carrying carefully prepared gifts. The fleet cut through the calming sea, carrying House Greyjoy's acknowledgment of the Iron Throne as they sailed south.
Considering the turbulence of the voyage and the potential chaos in King's Landing, the pregnant Ashara was safely left behind on Iron Wind Island. She stood high in the castle, watching the sails disappear over the distant horizon. Her hand unconsciously stroked her abdomen gently, her eyes holding both reluctance and a trace of relief for the stability.
Standing quietly beside her, the three sisters seemed to keenly sense the faint sorrow of parting in her heart.
They exchanged a tacit glance, then stepped forward gently. Rachael from the left, Nicole from the right, and Zoey from behind—the three softly embraced Ashara, forming a warm and firm support.
"Euron said," Rachael pressed her cheek gently against Ashara's arm, her voice soft.
"He won't be gone long this time—" Nicole added, her tone affirmative.
"After attending the King's wedding and coronation—" Zoey's voice came from behind, carrying soothing strength.
"He'll come right back—"
After a brief pause, Rachael added, as if making a solemn promise:
"While he is away—"
"We will sleep with you—"
Finally, the three spoke almost in unison, with a tone slightly childish yet incredibly serious:
"We are very strong, don't worry."
Their pure concern was like a warm current, quietly dispelling the chill in the sea breeze. It brought a gentle, reassured smile to Ashara's face. She smiled and patted their heads. "Thank you~~~"
---
As the longship slowly left the dock of Iron Wind Island, Euron stood alone by the gunwale, gazing for a long time at the island shrinking in his vision. The salty sea breeze brushed his face, but it couldn't blow away the rare softness and nostalgia between his brows.
Compared to the approaching King's Landing—that vortex of power filled with endless calculations, hypocritical smiles, and cold stone walls—the Iron Wind Island behind him was his true home. There was the beating warmth of the hearth, Ashara's gentle eyes, Daeron's childish laughter, and the pure companionship of the three sisters like fresh snow. Just thinking about it made the sea breeze blowing over the reefs feel warm with the sense of home.
He took a deep breath, carving the final image of Iron Wind Island into his heart, before slowly turning around to face the southern seas that heralded power struggles and strife.
Beside Euron's longship, a pale blue mountain of flesh suddenly broke the surface. Between the horns of a bull's head, Victarion laughed heartily at his father and brother, immensely proud.
Victarion was riding the Sea King: Manatee (Sea Cow).
It was a giant sea beast over three hundred meters long. Its head was a bull's head magnified dozens of times, its broad muzzle puffing rough breaths, the exhaled vapor forming brief white fog in the morning sun. The pair of black, curved horns atop its head were not exquisitely artistic but carried a barbaric bluntness, capable of easily shattering a fishing boat's keel.
It opened its large mouth, letting out a "Moo—!" low roar. The sound was dull as distant summer thunder, revealing a mouthful of uneven but sharp teeth enough to chill the spine of anyone looking directly at it. Its eyes were round like two huge glass lamps, mostly white with small pupils in the center.
Victarion was not accompanying them to King's Landing this time. That newly acquired giant manatee, named "Iron Tide," had firmly seized all his attention. This mobile fortress of a Sea King beast delighted him so much he spent almost day and night with it.
These past two days, people could always see Victarion's sturdy figure diving into the waves alongside the mountain-like manatee. He wasn't just riding it; he was swimming side by side with it amidst the turbulent waves, guiding the behemoth with rough shouts and precise movements, attempting to establish a combat rapport beyond words. The cold seawater slapped his bronze skin, but he was oblivious, possessed by only one burning thought—he must coordinate perfectly with this giant beast of the sea in future battles to display the full might of House Greyjoy upon the waters of the Seven Kingdoms.
---
Victarion's manatee naturally didn't appear out of thin air.
Two days before the fleet set off for King's Landing, Victarion, wearing an unusually solemn expression for his age, had found his brother Euron.
Victarion puffed out his still-thin chest and announced loudly: "Brother—I'm a man now."
Euron was stunned for a moment, his gaze lingering on his brother's still-childish face. He asked back with a mix of surprise and confirmation, "Twelve years old, and you say you're an adult?"
Victarion's face immediately bloomed with a smile mixing pride and the specific showiness of a teenager, as if stating a remarkable achievement: "I slept with a Salt Wife yesterday!"
Euron: "..."
A speechless silence spread between the brothers. According to the ancient and rustic code of the Iron Islands, whether a boy had slept with a woman was indeed one of the important markers of entering adulthood.
Seeing his brother's eager need for recognition, Euron understood immediately—the kid was declaring adulthood in a roundabout way. His real intention was to ask his brother, the master of Sea Kings, for his "coming-of-age gift."
So, that night, using the remaining 5000 points in the Pirate King System, Euron did two ten-draws. He originally only wanted to draw a few Sea King creatures, but there were unexpected surprises.
[Fusion Factor] Special Item: Allows a Devil Fruit to merge with an object, granting the object the Devil Fruit's ability. The fused object is restricted to the host's use only.
[Hammerhead Reef-Cracker Shark] Sea King: 350 meters long. The edges of its massive T-shaped head are hardened bone, like a living battering ram, capable of easily crushing seabed reefs or longships.
[Shadow-Glide Sailfish] Sea King: 150 meters long. Its snout is an ultra-long bone blade with sharp edges. It swims extremely fast, and its body can briefly "phase" to pass through water currents.
[Manatee (Sea Cow)] Sea King: A giant sea beast with the upper body of a bull and the lower body of a fish. Possesses immense strength.
[Jinbe's Tea Leaves]: Specialty tea from Fish-Man Island. The brewed tea has the taste of a tranquil sea breeze and can calm the mind.
[Kizaru's Goji Berry Thermos]: A thermos printed with "Ambiguous Justice," containing soaking goji berries. Drinking from it slows down one's speech speed.
[Garp's Senbei Bag]: An empty bag printed with a dog head pattern. Seems to retain the smell of Haki and the aroma of rice crackers.
[Sanji's Cigarette Case (Empty)]: A metal case with the "Baratie" logo, retaining a unique tobacco scent inside.
[Mermaid Princess Shirahoshi's Childhood Shell Hairpin]: Wearing it grants natural favorability from marine creatures.
[Wind-Wind Fruit (One-Time Use)]: Allows aerial movement through elementalization or manipulating airflow, summoning and controlling fierce winds powerful enough to change the battlefield environment, and materializing storm energy for attacks.
[Pacifista: PX Series]: The ultimate achievement of the World Government's Science Unit. A mass-produced combat robot based on the "Warlord of the Sea" Bartholomew Kuma, combined with super technology. Possesses immense strength comparable to Kuma, a body made of sturdy special alloy capable of withstanding sword attacks. (Note: No laser beam function).
[Ame no Habakiri] — One of Kozuki Oden's twin swords: One of the 21 Great Grade Swords, a divine sword legendary for cutting down the wings of the heavens. Its scabbard is deep purple high-quality wood, covered in expensive "stone-grain lacquer" densely mixed with ground blue shell powder, shimmering with fine, noble luster like stars in the night sky under the light. In the middle of the scabbard, exquisite maki-e craftsmanship depicts blooming gentian flowers—the crest of the Kozuki clan—with petals outlined in pure gold, elegant and majestic.
The tsuba (handguard) is a classic "trefoil" shape, contoured like a blooming flower but with sharper edges. The material is not ordinary brass but shakudo (gold-copper alloy) with a dark golden sheen, engraved with flowing cloud patterns symbolizing its destiny to "cut down the sky." The hilt is wrapped in deep blue shark skin and tightly bound with silver thread, feeling full and stable in the hand, as if holding a piece of the quiet night sky.
Similar in appearance to Enma, used as a pair.
[Enma] — One of Kozuki Oden's twin swords: One of the 21 Great Grade Swords, named after the ruler of hell "Yama," symbolizing the ultimate judgment of evil. The scabbard is a deeper jet black, with heavy lacquer that reflects almost no light, as if swallowing the surrounding illumination. The same gentian flower maki-e is painted on it with dark red lacquer, like dried blood, exuding an ominous beauty. The tsuba is also "trefoil" shaped, but its edges undulate like burning flames or demon fangs, full of aggression. The material is matte purple copper, exuding antiquity and weathering. The hilt wrap uses deep red silk thread, bound in a rougher style. The handle under the shark skin seems to emit a faint heat, as if inextinguishable magma is sealed within the blade.
Similar in appearance to Ame no Habakiri, used as a pair.
[Celestial Dragon's Bubble Helmet]: A transparent bubble helmet.
[Standard Marine Handcuffs (Key Lost)]: A standard pair of handcuffs. The keyhole is a bit rusty; requires skill or violence to open.
[Sanji's Love Bento]: Served in an exquisite lacquer box, containing heart-shaped rolled omelets.
[Water 7's Aqua Meat]: Specialty of Water 7. The meat is tender and juicy, quickly relieving thirst.
[Marine's Justice Rations]: Compressed biscuits. Nutritionally balanced but tasteless, perfectly embodying the dryness of "Absolute Justice."
[Revolutionary Army's Marching Rations]: Easy to hide and distribute, plain taste, quickly replenishes energy, leaves no traces.
[Lord of the Coast] Sea King Creature: A hideous existence huge as a moray eel, with red eyes and blue fins. Irritable, prone to frenzy. When frenzied, pupils narrow like a cat's and become bloodshot.
---
Four Sea King beasts: [Hammerhead Reef-Cracker Shark], [Lord of the Coast], [Shadow-Glide Sailfish], and [Manatee]. One can never have too many Sea Kings. The [Manatee] was already given to Victarion. The [Lord of the Coast] was drawn for the second time; it added another mount for the Iron Islands entourage. Euron planned to give control of it to Dagmer's son, Lloyd, to facilitate his travel in and out of Iron Wind Island. The other two Sea Kings would likely be claimed by other Greyjoys before long.
The [Pacifista: PX Series], three meters tall, stood there like a mountain cast of steel and silence. Even without moving, its very existence radiated suffocating oppression. This was not a creature, but a perfect weapon born for "absolute obedience" and "total destruction." Euron ordered the smiths to craft a set of black armor specifically for its size. After putting it on, he handed control over to Lysa to serve as her personal bodyguard.
The [Wind-Wind Fruit (One-Time Use)] came at a perfect time. For the upcoming operations, having it would make things much easier; it fit seamlessly into the plan.
Kozuki Oden's twin swords, [Ame no Habakiri] and [Enma], were both Great Grade Swords, sharper than the [Oto] and [Kogarashi] (Shiki's swords) Euron currently used. They were also heavier, which suited Euron better, making them a perfect replacement.
Naturally, [Oto] and [Kogarashi], blades that had accompanied Euron for a long time, couldn't be left to gather dust. Asha had always idolized Euron and had been learning and training to use dual blades like him. These two retired swords were gifted to her, along with [Mermaid Princess Shirahoshi's Childhood Shell Hairpin].
But compared to the [Fusion Factor], the other lottery winnings became insignificant.
Even if there were no other gains from this trip, just that precious [Fusion Factor] made it a bountiful harvest.
With a thought, a strangely shaped fruit appeared in Euron's palm—a deep purple-brown lemon, protruding at both ends in an irregular spindle shape, its skin covered in swirling spiral patterns of silver-white and light grey—the [Door-Door Fruit].
Without hesitation, he willed it, and the Fusion Factor, rippling with strange waves, resonated with the peculiar Devil Fruit. Then, guided by an invisible force, the fruit turned into a flowing shimmer. Instead of being eaten, it precisely merged into the ring on the ring finger of his left hand.
That ring held extraordinary significance; it was the engagement token Ashara had given him. Forged from pure platinum and containing extraterrestrial meteorite iron within, it felt cool to the touch. On the face of the ring, the sigil of House Dayne was vividly carved—a sword beneath a falling star. The craftsmanship was exquisite, every line speaking of the ancient glory and heritage of Starfall.
Now, with the perfect integration of the [Door-Door Fruit]'s ability, a deeper luster seemed to sweep across the ring's surface, as if it had gained breath. From now on, this ring, bearer of love and vows, possessed the magical power to open spatial doors unlimited times.
This meant that from this moment on, the vast world had no more barriers for Euron. The ends of the earth, forbidden lands behind locked heavy gates, or anywhere he wished to go—all could be reached with a single thought.