In the dense forest behind the walls of Kuja City, Liam, Hancock, Robin, Sandersonia, Marigold, and Bonney had gathered together.
Sandersonia, Marigold, and Bonney observed the clone, "Hana Giorno," with curiosity. It stood motionless, its expression blank, like an empty vessel.
Nearby, Hancock and Robin spoke in hushed tones.
After witnessing Jolyne develop such a powerful ability, even the proud Boa Hancock now regarded her as an equal. It wasn't that Hancock had ever looked down on Jolyne before— rather, in the culture of Amazon Lily, strength was beauty.
With Jolyne's sudden leap in power, she now radiated an undeniable brilliance in Hancock's eyes, as if she were glowing. Of course, Hancock would never admit it. If Jolyne was shining, then she herself was as radiant as the sun, eclipsing all with her boundless beauty.
Hmph~
Liam, meanwhile, stood beside B.I.B., exuding an air of indifference. He had always held a deep skepticism toward Devil Fruits.
The clone created by the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) had several fundamental traits:
First, it was entirely controlled by the user of the Flower-Flower Fruit.
Second, the clone perfectly replicated the original in both form and ability.
Third, the clone remained linked to the original, sharing perception and sensations.
Most importantly, these traits were immutable, bound to the nature of the Devil Fruit itself.
No matter how much a Gum-Gum Fruit (Gomu Gomu no Mi) user might wish otherwise, they could never undo the rubber-like properties of their body. A Chop-Chop Fruit (Bara Bara no Mi) user could never remove their ability to split apart. A Spring-Spring Fruit (Bane Bane no Mi) user would always retain their spring-like elasticity.
Such fundamental aspects of a Devil Fruit could not be changed.
As a user of the Flower-Flower Fruit, Robin had simply pushed her abilities further— extending them beyond replicating just herself to replicating others as well.
The reason why clones like Hana Kuja and Hana Giorno were so formidable wasn't because Robin had inexplicably grown stronger— it was simply the natural consequence of the Flower-Flower Fruit's inherent abilities.
The Thunder-Thunder Fruit (Goro Goro no Mi) naturally produces electricity.
The Flame-Flame Fruit (Mera Mera no Mi) naturally conjures fire.
The Ice-Ice Fruit (Hie Hie no Mi) naturally freezes the ocean.
The Toy-Toy Fruit (Hobi Hobi no Mi) naturally turns people into playthings.
The Mirror-Mirror Fruit allows its user to mimic powerful opponents and force an even split in ability.
And so, the Flower-Flower Fruit naturally replicates strong individuals, manifesting their strength through its power.
Robin's apparent surge in strength wasn't an anomaly — it was simply an extension of what the fruit was always capable of. But to those who didn't fully understand its mechanics, it seemed almost unnatural.
Liam quietly watched as Hancock and Robin continued their conversation, their laughter ringing through the forest.
Perhaps this was the root of his distrust toward Devil Fruits.
Robin had certainly grown stronger, but was it truly 'her' strength? Or was she merely borrowing power from the Flower-Flower Fruit?
The true nature of how the Flower-Flower Fruit created clones remained a mystery— even to Robin herself. She could wield its abilities, but she did not understand its principles.
A Chop-Chop Fruit user does not know why their body can split apart— if they did, they could teach the ability, train disciples, and form an entire pirate crew immune to swords.
A Gum-Gum Fruit user does not know why their flesh becomes rubber— if they did, they could spread the knowledge, creating a monstrous crew of warriors immune to bullets, fists, and cannons, all capable of mastering techniques like Second Gear, Third Gear, and Fourth Gear.
If Luffy were to lose the Gum-Gum Fruit, his strength would be drastically reduced.
If Robin lost the Flower-Flower Fruit, all the power she had gained from it would vanish in an instant.
"What's on your mind, Giorno?" Sandersonia asked, appearing beside Liam. "Aren't you happy about Princess Jolyne's newfound strength?"
Liam smiled. "How could I not be?"
Perhaps he was just overthinking things.
Liam and B.I.B. exchanged a glance, their unspoken understanding so seamless that they could almost read each other's thoughts.
Perhaps only he— an outsider who had crossed into this world and possessed the ability to take away others' Devil Fruits at will— would have such unnecessary concerns.
After all, in the pirate world, a Devil Fruit was considered an inseparable part of its user. Even if one didn't fully understand the core principles behind their ability, would their power ever suddenly fail?
"So, while the flower clone can perfectly replicate physical strength, including all forms of Haki— even if you can't fully harness it— it cannot duplicate another person's Devil Fruit abilities."
Hancock stood before Hana Giorno, who was half a head taller than her.
She flicked her snake-shaped earring, the metal catching the light. Robin, controlling Hana Giorno nearby, shook her head. Liam, now a user of the Magnet-Magnet Fruit, had noticed that his flower clone did not inherit its magnetic abilities.
"Ah!"
Hancock's earring was suddenly yanked by an invisible force, pulling at her delicate, pink-tinged earlobe.
For a moment, Hancock thought Jolyne's Hana Giorno had somehow activated the Magnet-Magnet Fruit's power. But when she turned her head, she saw Giorno smirking, casually pulling her earring from a distance with a flick of his finger.
Hancock shot him a glare, while Liam simply smiled and said, "Did you forget? Normally, a single person can't possess two Devil Fruit abilities at the same time! The flower clone, in a sense, is also a Flower-Flower Fruit user. Even if it manages to copy a Devil Fruit power during replication, it can't sustain it within its body!"
Liam had witnessed firsthand what happened when two Devil Fruit abilities coexisted within one person. He imagined Captain Laffitte would have quite a few thoughts on the matter!
"To maintain the stability of the flower clone and prevent it from collapsing, it instinctively prioritizes its own existence. Any incompatible powers— like additional Devil Fruit abilities— are automatically expelled. It's a matter of survival. The clone must first maintain its own form, and anything that threatens that stability is discarded."
Liam chuckled. "For instance, if someone had a disease that was about to make them explode in the next second, I'd bet that when I replicate them using the Flower-Flower Fruit, that disease would be conveniently left out."
Robin, Hancock, Sandersonia, and Marigold considered his words and found them reasonable.
After a brief pause, Robin raised her hand. Petals rose from the ground, swirling before taking shape into new figures— Hana Hancock, Hana Sander, and Hana Mari.
"As expected, I can't use your Mythical Zoan abilities."
Robin tested the theory and shook her head. Whether it was Hancock's Medusa form, Sandersonia's flying serpent, or Marigold's power-infused snake, none of the flower clones possessed those abilities.
"So, the real obstacle to your ability is the nature of Devil Fruits themselves," Hancock observed the four flower clones standing motionless, their faces blank.
Hancock herself wasn't too concerned— most of her strength came from her own skill and combat prowess rather than her Medusa fruit.
However, for Sandersonia and Marigold, the situation was different— especially Marigold. Without her power-infused snake form, the combat ability of a replicated flower clone would be drastically weaker compared to the real Marigold.
After all, when Marigold fully unleashed her power snake transformation, her strength was on an entirely different level from her normal humanoid form.
"A counter? I wouldn't say that," Robin murmured. "There's no rule that says I have to replicate an opponent exactly. I could simply create the strongest flower clone possible to fight in my place... for example, you, Hancock."
Hancock rolled her eyes and retorted, "It should be Giorno, shouldn't it?"
(End of Chapter)
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