Boom!
Conqueror's Haki erupted from Zhu Mang. Under his deliberate control, his mental power seemed to transform into a tangible hand that pressed down on the [Sky Fruit] in his grasp.
Faint cracks appeared across the surface of the [Sky Fruit]. It seemed to tremble slightly before falling silent.
Zhu Mang narrowed his eyes.
Before he had transmigrated, he had heard a theory that Devil Fruits actually possessed their own consciousness.
Some had even speculated that when the protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy's [Nika Fruit], awakened, Luffy's own consciousness might be replaced by Joy Boy, the fruit's former owner.
Much like possession in cultivation novels.
There had indeed been quite a few suspicious details in the original work.
They were also related to this [Nika Fruit].
The World Government had supposedly searched for this fruit for eight hundred years, yet it had continually evaded them of its own accord, refusing to be obtained by the World Government.
He had originally thought it was merely a theory. After all, the original work had yet to end, and the relevant details had never truly appeared. A single indirect statement could at most serve as a reference, not proof.
But now, he could basically be certain.
Devil Fruits really did possess a degree of consciousness!
Just now, the "devil" inside this [Sky Fruit] had been luring him into eating it!
Only after he realized something was wrong, cast aside his yearning for Devil Fruits, and unleashed Conqueror's Haki did the "devil" seem to sense danger. That strange attraction then vanished completely.
"Devils, huh..." Zhu Mang casually tossed the cracked [Sky Fruit] aside.
Splat!
The [Sky Fruit] hit the ground, and the planet-like patterns on its surface rapidly faded. In the end, it turned into a watermelon the size of a head, which quickly rotted