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"Can you change your size and become as tall as me?"

Liyu heard this question and was genuinely confused: "Aren't we the same height?"

She carefully examined herself and the little pig on the screen, but no matter how she looked at it, she couldn't see much of a height difference. Weren't they the same height? Or did the little pig consider a difference of a millimeter or two to be a disparity in height? Liyu didn't understand, but she had always had infinite tolerance for cute little animals.

Game Prompt: (To change your body size, or to become the same height as a specific little animal, please select the target animal and hold down the following buttons at the same time: ......)

Following the game's prompt, Liyu curiously selected Linlin and pressed the buttons.

—

Although it was a dream brought to her by the nun, Linlin had truly hoped she could meet a "friend" of the same height to sit at a table and have a tea party with as an equal.

However, since leaving Elbaf Island in her childhood and now boarding Rocks' ship, she had visited many places and met all kinds of people. Aside from the giants, everyone else was just too small for her. That included Liyu.

But... just now, right before her eyes, Liyu had transformed to be the same height as Linlin. She still had the appearance of a child, but now stood over eight meters tall.

Yet Liyu, seemingly unaware of what she had just done, spoke in her usual tone: "Aren't we the same height?"

Linlin felt as if she were dreaming. "You can actually change your body size..." It was as if her dream had come true.

From the moment she first met Liyu, Linlin had guessed that she must also be a Devil Fruit user. As for what kind of fruit power it was? That didn't matter. It was enough that Liyu could make delicious desserts. But now... she had found her treasure. Charlotte Linlin saw the hope of her dreams becoming a reality.

Linlin looked at Liyu and flashed a smile: "Little Carp, you have made me—so happy!"

—

Liyu pressed the buttons and stared at the screen for a full minute, watching the little character in the game, but nothing changed at all.

Meanwhile, Linlin exclaimed in surprise: "You really can change your size! Little Carp, you have made me—so happy!"

Wait, what? Liyu looked at the unchanged game character, then back at the little pig, who was dancing with excitement. Liyu slowly projected a question mark. Who are you trying to fool? Does the game developer think the player is blind? Nothing changed! She had no idea what Linlin was so happy about.

Linlin couldn't wait to invite her: "Quick, Liyu, let's have our tea party now!"

"That's fine... but is it just the two of us?" Liyu followed the little pig's rapid change of topic without any objection.

The little pig's eyes turned into stars: "Of course not!"

[Charlotte Linlin used her "Fruit Ability."]

...What was a "Fruit Ability"? Liyu was about to search for a definition when the game screen explained the mystery quite literally.

It was as if she had wandered onto a Disney set. Trees began to sway, grass stood tall, flowers started to sing, and clouds drifted over. They grew cartoonish facial features, and their behavior became human-like. More surprisingly, they gained the ability to speak.

"Hello!"
"Nice to meet you!"
"We are—"
"Homies!"

They sang in a melodic, rhythmic tone to Liyu.

"Wow!" Liyu’s eyes widened, though she didn't feel too surprised—after all, in this game, little animals could already talk, so trees and flowers acting like people didn't seem that strange.

The little pig said: "With them here, this island is much livelier!" Then it looked distressed: "But to hold a tea party, we need at least a table and chairs..."

"Oh, I can do that." There were crafting recipes in the construction mode. The required materials weren't complex, just a few different types of wood. For some reason, the amount of wood required this time was five to ten times the standard recipe... Never mind, Linlin was there to carry the materials for her anyway.

Liyu sat on the ground and picked up the wood stacked nearby. The little pig remained at her side, watching her with expectant, starry eyes. Soon, a wooden table and two chairs were finished, and the little pig cheered enthusiastically.

"Then let's!"
"Right now~"
"Hold a—"
"Tea party!" sang the Homies.

The refreshments were the [Egg Flower Honey Coconut Cream] Liyu had just made. The little pig had already finished its portion and was drooling while watching Liyu’s. Liyu chuckled and simply gave it three of her portions, keeping two for herself.

The little pig ate the pastry happily, and the Homies sang joyfully. Liyu didn't need to respond to any dialogue prompts and openly let her mind wander during the tea party. She checked the upgraded island information and glanced at her and the little pig’s stats. Surprisingly, the little pig was built for defense. Its attack power was also high, and its defense was a daunting number.

Liyu clicked her tongue in amazement and remembered something else: "By the way, Linlin, will you be leaving this island?"

Linlin looked up from her dessert, dazed for a moment, then realized: "I can probably only stay here for a while. But don't worry, I'll come back to see you!"

Liyu felt a sense of "as expected." But she didn't feel too lonely this time, simply saying: "When you leave, the sea is so vast, how will I know where you are?"

Liyu asked: "Linlin, do you have that thing called a 'Vivre Card'?"

"Vivre Card?" Linlin seemed to just remember it, and with a sudden realization, she pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. She tore off a large piece and handed it to Liyu: "Take this! If you ever decide to set sail, you can follow this [Vivre Card] to find me. I'll look out for you!"

[Congratulations! You have obtained: [Charlotte Linlin's Vivre Card]!]
[Description: With this, you can track Linlin's location.]

Liyu tucked it away carefully.

The simple tea party ended as the desserts vanished. The little pig looked satisfied and praised: "This is the best tea party I've ever had!"

"I hope every tea party I hold from now on is like this, with delicious sweets and everyone so happy!"

Linlin looked at Liyu expectantly again: "Little Carp, can you make any other desserts?"

Liyu answered truthfully: "It depends on what materials I can find. Since we are in the early stages of the island, the materials are very simple."

Liyu remembered her original goal, hopped off her seat, and headed deep into the forest, with Linlin following immediately. As Liyu picked up materials, thinking about her cooking menu and how to speed up the island's construction, she scanned the area for anything that looked like [Iron Ingots].

Seeing Liyu picking up everything she could find, the Homies soon understood her logic. Some followed her, with flowers and grass carrying various materials on their heads.

"We found this for you!"
"Do you want that?"
"We'll pick it up for you!"

Liyu looked at them in surprise.

[Congratulations! You obtained R-rank material: [Pine Nuts]!]
[Congratulations! You obtained R-rank material: [Apple]!]
[Congratulations! You obtained SR-rank material: [Matsutake]!]
[Congratulations! You obtained R-rank material: [Moss]!]

...Wow, they even unlocked an auto-loot function! Is this one of the perks of upgrading the island's level? Liyu felt grateful.

This trip was very productive; she even found many [Wild Chestnuts]. Liyu peeled the prickly shells to get the raw nuts, feeling a bit hungry. "It's a pity there's no sugar, or I could make candied chestnuts."

"Candied chestnuts?" Linlin had never heard of them: "Is it a sweet?"

"It's sweet, and I love it." Every time Liyu saw the golden color of candied chestnuts, she remembered the taste of autumn.

"That must be delicious!" Although Linlin had never seen them, her appetite was piqued. "I must eat candied chestnuts too!"

Linlin felt motivated and clenched her fists: "Is white sugar all you need?"

"Next time I come to this island, I will definitely bring you a—lot of white sugar! ...Oh, and candy, candied fruit, flour, daifuku..." As Linlin counted, it seemed she would never finish, so she cheered: "That way we can eat to our hearts' content at the tea party!"

"Yeah!" Liyu couldn't help but look forward to it: "I'll be waiting for your next visit!"