Pumice Piece

The Pumice Piece is an endgame add-on in Final Fantasy IX that everyone can equip. There are only four pieces in the entire game, and two of them synthesize into a whole Pumice that teaches Dagger the ultimate eidolon. In other regards, the Pumice Piece is the superior item to the whole Pumice. It teaches Boost, which allows Dagger and Eiko always use the long summoning animation for full damage. The Pumice Piece gives a bonus to the wearer's Strength and Magic when they level up with it equipped and it absorbs Holy and Shadow damage.
==Obtain==
The Pumice Piece drops from the boss in Oeilvert. Another one is found in the Outer Island 2 chocograph treasure, able to be picked up after progressing Chocobo Hot and Cold after the party has Hilda Garde III until Choco can fly, and then finding the chocograph in Chocobo's Air Garden.
The Pumice Piece is also stolen from Ozma and synthesized at Hades's synthesis shop for 25,000 gil, a Pumice, and a Hammer. It is better to not do this, however, as there is only one Hammer in the game and if the player is going to synthesize it, they should use it for the Tin Armor.
==Mechanics==
The Pumice Piece gives Evade +5 and Magic Defense +1. It gives a +2 bonus to the wearer's Strength and Magic when they level with it equipped. When enough "bonuses" upon level up from gear have been accrued, the character gains a permanent stat increase. Strength is used for damage calculations and for determining HP growth, whereas Magic is used for calculating spells' outcomes and for determining MP growth.
Wearing the Pumice Piece absorbs Holy and Shadow damage. Wearing a Dragon Wrist or Grand Armor alongside a Pumice Piece absorbs half damage from Shadow.
==Use==
The Pumice Piece is good for Dagger and Eiko to learn Boost, and for everyone to wear in the battles against Ozma and Hades and whenever Vivi uses Doomsday to absorb Shadow. Boost is good for making eidolons stronger, and for Eiko's Carbuncle to always bestow an additional buff.
The level up bonuses are good and better than the one given from the whole Pumice, but level grinding and min-maxing are unnecessary for a normal playthrough even when preparing for superboss encounters; the player can view any extra stats as simply a nice bonus.
The Pumice Piece is synthesized from a whole Pumice and a Hammer, but the player is better off not doing this.
==Etymology and origin==
Pumice is a type of light, porous volcanic rock formed when gas-rich lava cools rapidly. In cosmetics and hygiene, it has a notable use as an exfoliant and is thus marketed in high-strength soaps and scrubs.
The item is called "Floating Stone" in Japanese as an allusion to the stone that activates the airship in the original Final Fantasy.
Category:Add-ons in Final Fantasy IX