Similarly, if the ability user suddenly dies or loses consciousness while a projectile is in flight, the tracking effect will also fail accordingly.
Generally speaking, the Mark-Mark Fruit is a fruit that falls short of the best, yet surpasses the worst.
It is much better than a practically useless fruit like the Jacket-Jacket Fruit, but a fair bit behind those truly powerful Paramecia fruits.
After all, its restrictions are too numerous, and its flexibility in actual combat is greatly compromised.
However, none of this matters to Saint Dio.
He possesses a special ability, which is Devil Fruit Synthesis. He can synthesize multiple Devil Fruits into a brand-new fruit, creating a more powerful and perfect ability by compensating for the original flaws.
Therefore, even though the Mark-Mark Fruit itself has many limitations, acquiring it and using it as one of the synthesis materials is still a decent harvest for expanding his Devil Fruit collection.
At this moment, Hody Jones is alone in his room, pacing back and forth with a restless mind.
He cannot figure out for the life of him-why on earth did that little girl wearing the pink eye mask suddenly point at him when he clearly did nothing at all?
He indeed harbors a deep hatred for humans, but he has always hidden it well, never revealing even half of it in public settings.
Logically speaking, no one should know his true thoughts...
"Don't scare yourself..." Hody Jones stops in his tracks, takes a deep breath, and tries hard to calm himself down. "Perhaps she was just pointing casually and meant nothing else at all. I just need to be more careful in my actions from now on."
He walks over to the window, preparing to push it open to get some fresh air and let the sea breeze blow away the irritability in his heart.
However, the moment he pushes the window open, a black shadow sweeps silently past his head like a living creature and flies into the room.
Hody Jones instinctively raises both hands to protect his face and turns around abruptly, only to see the black shadow twist, condense, and finally merge into a slender human figure in mid-air.
A woman.
A woman he saw today in the palace open space, standing beside that white-haired human.
Hody Jones takes a step back, his spine hitting the window sill, and his pupils contract slightly.
He does not know what ability the other person is using, but he knows that she is definitely not coming with good intentions.
His gaze quickly glances toward the trident leaning against the corner of the wall, his body lunges fiercely, he grabs the weapon, and he turns around to thrust viciously at Stussy's chest.
"Go to hell-!"
The tip of the trident carries the power of a Fish-Man as it thrusts straight ahead.
However, Stussy merely raises one hand unhurriedly, opens her five fingers, and steadily grabs the sharp head of the trident.
The moment the metal collides with her palm, a muffled, light sound rings out.
The trident, which is sturdy enough to pierce through rock, is thus grasped by her in a casual manner, without moving a single inch.
Hody Jones breaks out in a cold sweat instantly.
He tries to pull back his weapon, only to find that the trident seems to be welded tightly into the other person's hand, remaining completely immovable no matter how hard he tries.
At that very moment, he feels a slight tingling sensation coming from the back of his neck, as if he has been bitten by something sharp.
He reaches out his hand abruptly and slaps the back of his neck, his fingertips touching a furry, warm little thing.
He grabs it down and brings it close to his eyes to take a look.
That is a creature he has never seen before, with a pair of thin wings and an entirely black body, staring at him with a pair of red eyes.
Hody Jones, who has lived in the deep sea all his life, has never seen a creature like a bat.
Before he has time to think further, Stussy's other hand gently waves, and countless bats swarm out from under the cloak behind her, resembling a wave of blackness that instantly covers Hody Jones's entire body.
"What-Mm!!"
Countless sharp fangs pierce into his skin, and he begins to feel his blood being frantically extracted.
That suction force is strong and tyrannical, as if it is about to squeeze out every single drop of his blood.
He wants to open his mouth to call for help, but he finds that his throat can no longer make a sound; his vocal cords are shriveling, his muscles are drying up, and his skin is losing its moisture.
His body shrivels rapidly, just like a sponge that has had its moisture drained.
His skin clings tightly to his bones, his eye sockets sink deep, and his lips shrivel, exposing his withered gums.
In less than ten seconds, a burly and robust Fish-Man warrior originally turns into a skin-and-bone mummy, collapsing straight onto the ground with a hollow, dull thud.
"So weak, I really don't know why Lord Saint Dio would set his sights on you... Oh well, you're already a corpse anyway."
Stussy looks down at the mummy that has completely lost all signs of life, muttering to herself, and snaps her fingers expressionlessly.
An even larger bat flies out from the swarm of bats behind her, extends its claws to grab the shoulders of the mummy, flaps its wings to take flight, and passes silently through the window, disappearing into the gloomy dark night of the deep sea to dispose of the corpse.
Anyway, it is getting dark now, and as long as nobody looks up on purpose, this bat will not be seen flying around.
Chapter 59: There are hot springs even ten thousand meters below, seeing an intimate scene, Mumei is shy
After finishing off Hody Jones, Stussy's figure turns back into a flock of bats, flowing silently out through the gap of the window and dissipating into the night of the deep sea, heading to execute another task assigned by Saint Dio.
At this moment, Saint Dio is soaking in a natural hot spring deep within the palace.
He did not expect that one could actually enjoy hot springs even at the bottom of the sea, at a depth of ten thousand meters.
Yet, upon second thought, the activity of submarine volcanoes can likewise heat groundwater, making the formation of hot springs hardly surprising.
This hot spring pool is paved with smooth coral rock, the water is crystal clear to the bottom, the temperature is just right, the water surface is misty with white vapor, and the surroundings are dotted with a few night pearls the size of fists, emitting a soft glow and creating a tranquil and luxurious atmosphere.
Saint Dio leans against the edge of the pool, resting both arms on the rim with his eyes closed, enjoying the comfort of the warm spring water wrapping around his entire body.
At that moment, a light sound of footsteps comes from behind.
Two figures walk out from the mist, their bare feet stepping on the smooth coral rock ground without making much noise.
The newcomers are Mumei and Hancock.
Neither of them wears any clothing, and their skin glows with a moist luster under the soft light of the night pearls.
The moment Mumei sees the hot spring, her eyes light up instantly, and with a cheer, she plunges straight into the water, splashing a large spray of water and paddling a few times before popping her head out of the water, shaking her wet hair, and laughing like a child.
Hancock is far more elegant. She walks unhurriedly into the water along the steps by the edge of the pool, the warm spring water submerging her calves and waist, and finally stopping at the position of her chest.
She slowly walks to Saint Dio's side, and then naturally snuggles over, her entire body leaning against his side, her soft body pressing closely against his arm and chest.
That twelve-year-old yet astonishingly developed body presses tightly against Saint Dio's side.
Her chest presses against his arm, and those two soft mounds, already the size of coconut bowls, sway gently in the water with her movements, sliding against his skin and bringing a sensation that is soft yet firm.
Her body is in the rapid stage of development, and her originally proud figure becomes even fuller.
She extends her palm and presses it against his chest.
She feels the iron-hard muscle lines, the broad pectoral muscles, and the distinct abdominal muscles; each piece is like refined steel tempered through a thousand trials, containing astonishing explosive power.
Her fingers slide slowly along the texture of the muscles, slipping from the chest to the abdomen, and from the abdomen to the side of the waist.
"So hard..." she murmurs in a low voice, her fingertips feeling that solid warmth.
Then, her hand continues to slide downward, passing the waistline and landing on that even hotter, even harder part.
Her palm grips gently, feeling that hardness which is completely different from muscles.
It is a hotter hardness carrying a throbbing pulse, like a dormant beast waking up and expanding in her palm.
Her slender and delicate fingers close, yet she still cannot completely grasp it; that astonishing size and thickness fill her palm to the brim, and her fingertips cannot even touch each other.
She can clearly feel that scorching pulse beating in her palm, beat after beat, as if it possesses an independent life and will.
Ever since Saint Dio began to gradually develop Hancock's body, that originally proud and closed-off heart of hers has seemed to be cleaved open with a crack, and desire bursts forth from that crack, making her gradually sink into the vortex of desire before she even knows it.
That unprecedented pleasure erodes her nerves like a drug, making it harder and harder for her to control herself.
Now, as long as she gets close to Saint Dio, her body heats up involuntarily, her legs go soft, and only a single thought remains in her mind.
She wants to be touched by him, wants to be possessed by him.
At this moment, Hancock presses up from behind.
Her soft body presses closely against his back, and she can clearly feel the temperature and contours of his body.
Her breathing becomes hurried, and her warm breath sprays onto Saint Dio's back neck, carrying a trace of teasing itchiness.
She parts her lips slightly, revealing the soft tip of her tongue between her pearly white teeth, and is about to say something-
Saint Dio turns around abruptly, and one hand pinches her plump lower lip.
Hancock's eyes widen slightly, and before she can react, Saint Dio's face has already moved closer.
His lips cover her lips, applying slight force to pry open her teeth, and the tip of her tongue is explored by his tongue, skillfully capturing her flustered fragrant tongue.
The two tongues entwine in the wet and hot oral cavity, lingering for a moment and chasing each other, making smacking watery sounds.
Hancock's body trembles slightly, and her mind goes blank.
His tongue explores within her oral cavity, entwining with her tongue and exchanging each other's saliva.
Saint Dio's hand is not idle either, sliding slowly down Hancock's smooth back, and finally resting on her full and upturned buttocks.
His fingers apply slight pressure and pinch down; the touch in his palm is soft and elastic, and his fingertips sink into the plump skin, making the texture so good that it is hard to put down.
Hancock can feel her body heating up, and an inexplicable fever rises from the depth of her lower abdomen, spreading upward along her spine, as if something is about to awaken and surge out from within her body.
She crosses her legs involuntarily, and her fingers beneath the water surface grip Saint Dio's giant dragon tightly, this tight sensation causing Saint Dio to let out a soft hum.
Not far away, Mumei, who was originally lying in the shallow water area to play, is fiddling with strings of crystal-clear bubbles on the water surface with both hands, having a great time.
However, when she raises her head inadvertently and her gaze sweeps unintentionally toward the shadow of the coral pillar not far away, her movements suddenly stop.
Her gaze penetrates the clear seawater and sees two figures pressed together.
Saint Dio and Hancock are pressing closely face-to-face, their lips meeting amidst the fluctuation of the water waves, and it seems that something soft is entwine within each other's mouths.
Mumei freezes.
Although she is still young and has no clear concept of matters between men and women, the instinctive impact brought by that kind of picture still causes a faint blush to emerge involuntarily on her cheeks.
She sinks the lower half of her face slowly into the water, revealing only a pair of large eyes, blowing a string of tiny bubbles with a gurgle, yet her gaze still cannot help stealing glances in that direction.
She does not quite understand what they are doing.
Yet for some reason, her heartbeat is a little fast, and her cheeks are also a bit burning.
She shrinks her neck stealthily, submerging her entire body into the water, leaving only a head of short black hair floating gently on the surface, pretending that she has seen nothing at all.
Yet in reality, she sees it all clearly beneath the water surface.
Chapter 60: Massage service from two people, this is the life a Celestial Dragon ought to have
Finding an octopus Fish-Man...
The bat transformed by Stussy circles over Fish-Man Island, her gaze sweeping across the streets below through layers of coral buildings. She has already inquired of several mermaid residents, but the replies she received are all "Never heard of an octopus Fish-Man who ate a Devil Fruit."
Just as she prepares to change her train of thought, an elderly mermaid tells her: "If you want to find a place where Fish-Men gather, then go take a look at Fish-Man District; that is the place with the most Fish-Men."
Thus, Stussy follows the directions and flies all the way to the airspace above Fish-Man District.
When she overlooks the area from high altitude, she cannot help frowning slightly.
If Mermaid Cove is the prosperous commercial district of Fish-Man Island, and the palace is the luxurious and elegant center of power, then the Fish-Man District before her eyes is simply another extreme, a slum through and through.
The houses here are low and dilapidated, mostly built haphazardly out of abandoned wooden boards and coral fragments, squeezing together crookedly, with their roofs covered in thick seaweed and barnacles.
The streets are narrow and muddy, piled everywhere with garbage and waste, and the air is filled with a pungent scent mixed with a fishy odor and musty smell.
In the shadows of the street corners, groups of three or five Fish-Men squat or lean, each looking fierce and ferocious, bearing scars on their bodies, and with vigilance and hostility in their eyes; at first glance, they are clearly no good characters.
In a place like this, if Stussy were to walk in swaggeringly with the identity of a human, she would probably be surrounded in less than three minutes.
Even if she beats up those blind fellows, she might not necessarily pry reliable intelligence out of their mouths.
Most of these Fish-Men harbor hostility toward humans and would rather die than cooperate.
Just as Stussy ponders how to get started, her gaze suddenly catches the appearance of a small figure.
That is a mermaid little girl who looks to be only nine or ten years old, walking over from the entrance of the Fish-Man District.
She is wearing a deep blue cloak, wrapping most of her body inside it, holding a crystal-clear crystal ball carefully in her arms, with her head lowered and quick steps, seemingly just returning from outside.
In this Fish-Man District infested with fierce Fish-Men, the appearance of a young mermaid girl is indeed rather abrupt.
Stussy ponders slightly and makes a decision.
Rather than dealing with those adult Fish-Men full of hostility, it is better to look for a breakthrough from this seemingly harmless little girl.
Before you continue