“How could I? Am I that kind of person?”
“So, you don’t care if I tell others that your power level is only 9? Chapapa.”
“…”
“Or that you tried to embezzle public funds but got caught, and it was only thanks to Chief Spandine that you managed to get out of trouble? Chapapa.”
“…”
“Or that—”
“Enough!”
Spandam wasn’t seriously injured to begin with; he had merely been knocked out by the stench. However, if Fukurou kept talking, he would genuinely die from anger.
Jumping out of bed, he grabbed the zipper on Fukurou’s mouth and zipped it shut in one swift motion.
“Eat it or don’t—it’s up to you guys. Just let me know what kind of ability you get afterward. Oh, actually, don’t bother telling me. It won’t take more than a few minutes before the whole world knows what kind of Devil Fruit User you are anyway.”
To avoid further humiliation, Spandam briskly left the room, leaving Jabra and the others staring at each other in silence.
“Hey, Fukurou, we should just sell this fruit. I’m telling you, it tastes awful, and there’s a demon living inside it. If you eat it and then touch another Devil Fruit, you’ll explode on the spot.”
Jabra wasn’t one to shout about seppuku all day or leak everyone’s secrets, but he was a compulsive liar, and few of his words could be trusted.
“But this is artificial, chapapa. It shouldn’t have so many problems. By the way, Jabra, I heard you’ve been chasing after that waitress on Enies Lobby, Gatherine.”
Ignoring Jabra’s nonsense, Fukurou swallowed the fruit in one bite, while also exposing Jabra’s little secret.
“Yoyoi~ Is that true? I heard she looks quite… unique…”
“Enough! Stop wasting time and check what ability you got. You should be able to feel it soon.”
Not wanting to end up like Spandam, dragged into a humiliating spectacle, Jabra steered the conversation back to the ability. As it turned out, Fukurou acquired a very peculiar ability.
Long neck, bird-like, but cannot fly, yet can swim.
The answer is – penguin.
But due to the influence of the Devil Fruit, he is unable to swim.
As for what specific abilities can be developed and how they can be applied, it would depend on Fukurou himself.
…
Meanwhile, Queen’s business was thriving, and within Onigashima, new plans were being made for the officers who were out on missions.
Misu and Tiger were still on their journey of spreading the doctrines. However, as their real-world experiences grew, the missionary group split into two factions.
One faction consisted of those whose faith bordered on fanaticism. They had formed a new squad and reacted strongly to any questioning voices. These individuals were no longer suitable for regular missionary work and thus became the “Knights of Retribution.”
They would only step in when someone was deemed to have insulted or slandered their god.
The other group, composed of calmer and more moderate individuals, took over the original missionary duties. They further improved the structural issues and reduced the possibility of conflicts arising.
“Lord Sacred Beast, that’s the current situation with Misu. Is there anything you’d like them to pay special attention to?”
“Tell them to talk more and not resort to violence at the slightest disagreement. Some things can be resolved once they’re properly explained.”
“Understood. Also… it’s about the Big Mom Pirates. They’re looking to purchase a batch of Pokémon you’ve created…”
“The same rules apply: only sell the products. Totto Land is still a restricted area for Pokémon like Alcremie. Anyone who dares to send them there will face the consequences.”
Unless Charlotte Linlin overcomes her eating disorder, this matter is off the table.
Pokémon were never intended to be treated as commodities for sale. Those who have Pokémon by their side either were assigned by Arceus himself or earned the Pokémon’s recognition themselves.
But for the pastry chefs of Totto Land, even if they gained Alcremie’s recognition, it wouldn’t matter.
Big Mom had never given up on this, but she didn’t make any progress.
“No, Lord Sacred Beast, this time… they’re interested in giants.”
“Giants? Machamp? What has Kaido been up to now?”
Arceus initially assumed this was another one of Kaido’s show off, but when the transaction details were presented, he realized he had been mistaken.
Charlotte Linlin wasn’t interested in Pokémon who can turn into giants; she wanted the Beasts Pirates to use their technology to create a few giants to satisfy her collection obsession.
Lola fleeing from the marriage had severed any chance of repairing the relationship between Charlotte Linlin and the Kingdom of Giants. Yet, her dream of establishing a nation with every race remained, leading to this peculiar request.
Since the Beasts Pirates could create massive war behemoths, creating giants should, in theory, be a simple task for them.
“Turn them down. The Beasts Pirates aren’t in that kind of business.”
Arceus had no interest in such matters and refused outright, but his rejection created an opportunity for others to take advantage—namely, Caesar.
Caesar’s plan to swindle funding from Doflamingo was thwarted by Viola’s ability. Unlike Queen, who had honed his Haki to resist Viola’s mind-reading, Caesar lacked such defenses.
As a result, Doflamingo even assigned someone to keep a close eye on Caesar to prevent any further scheming.
Without funding, Caesar couldn’t indulge in his lavish lifestyle. Succumbing to temptation, he approached Charlotte Linlin after hearing about her request. His pitch was uniquely persuasive.
【Shurororororo, anything Queen can’t create, I can. My skills are superior to his. Giants? Just a trivial gigantification drug. As long as I have enough funding, I can definitely make it happen.】
Thanks to Queen’s behind-the-scenes assistance, Caesar’s Devil Fruits had been sold to various factions, shifting some of the responsibility onto him. This gave his claim some credibility.
Driven by her desire for giants, Charlotte Linlin agreed to Caesar’s request. Caesar thus embarked on his Lone Hero mission, having already met the prerequisite—deceiving an Emperor of the Sea.
“Mama, I don’t think that man is trustworthy,” Katakuri voiced his opinion. The decision to make the deal was made by Charlotte Linlin. He has no right to change it, but he has the right to express his doubts, a privilege granted by his own abilities.
“Mamamama~ That little brat wouldn’t dare deceive me. If he did, he’ll learn what true terror is. It’s a shame Kaido refused to do this.”
What Charlotte Linlin didn’t know was that Kaido had never even seen her request; the decision was made directly by another leader.
Meanwhile, Kaido was busy with his own grand plans.
He was staying true to the words he had spoken to Arceus:
【If it were up to me, nothing would be left of that island.】
At this moment, Kaido was sitting atop the ruins of a Marine research base, scanning the surroundings. The Plate Radar on his wrist didn’t show any reaction, which worsened his mood.
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