Borrowing Strength for Revenge and the Press-Press Fruit's Abilities

After Houka was forcefully suppressed, he became a high-priority captive, perhaps due to his value as a Devil Fruit user.

However, Houka had witnessed the Cang Kingdom soldiers' pillaging, looting, and massacre of Kozuki Village.

This monstrous rage caused Houka to lose his reason, leading him to erupt in the most intense resistance.

Even with Seastone shackles locked onto his wrists, he continued to launch Moonlight Slashes at the Cang Kingdom soldiers using his Moonlight Gu.

For a time, he inflicted massive casualties upon the Cang Kingdom!

But he was once again suppressed by a powerful Cang Kingdom general.

Later, the King of the Cang Kingdom felt that Houka was a very special ability user who might fetch a high price.

He reported the situation to the World Government, hoping to sell Houka to them in exchange for a reduction in his Heavenly Tribute.

After all, the World Government had always been scouring the world for potential seeds and rare races.

Once Saint Saturn of the Five Elders learned of Houka's unique circumstances, he became very interested and agreed to the Cang Kingdom King's request.

A Devil Fruit user who could still manifest abilities while wearing Seastone shackles.

If any results could be researched from him, it would be of immense help to the ability users among the Celestial Dragons.

On the prow of the Heavenly Tribute warship.

Recalling the simple, honest villagers of Kozuki Village, Houka could not help but let out a deep sigh.

Whether it was the Kozuki Village of his past life or the one in this world, Houka did not want to forget them.

That was why, when Rocks asked for his name, he couldn't help but adopt Gu Yue as his new surname.

Perhaps he wanted to be like Gu Yue Fang Yuan, to become a generation of old demon... the Great Love Immortal Venerable.

To walk to the highest peak.

To never again allow anyone to control his life.

Not even fate or destiny!

"Weak is weak! Don't give me that 'it's just the beginning' nonsense!"

"From today on, you will train properly for me; I have no need for useless subordinates."

"Honestly, your physique is even weaker than those soldiers!"

Rocks glanced at Houka with a hint of disdain; even a five-year-old from the Davy Clan was likely stronger than Houka.

His first partner, his 001 cadre, was just too weak!

If not for that ability to foresee the future...

"Rocks, help me kill a bastard from the Cang Kingdom!!"

"I will tell you which powerhouses can be successfully recruited by you in the future!"

Houka suddenly looked at Rocks earnestly and proposed his first request and trade, his tone extremely serious.

"Wahahahaha! Thinking of revenge so soon, are you!"

"No problem!"

Rocks laughed wantonly and agreed to Houka's request directly.

Originally, he had intended to spend eight or ten years using the Davy Back Fight to snatch up every powerhouse he took a liking to across the entire world.

Now, with a guy like Houka who could see the future to help him, the time it would take to snatch and recruit subordinates would be greatly shortened!

After all, there were many powerhouses on this sea who would rather die than submit, especially those with Conqueror's Haki; they would rather be killed than abide by the Davy Back Fight contract and become someone else's subordinate.

Rocks would likely have wasted a lot of time sailing and dealing with these stubborn, unyielding types.

"Is Lord Rocks going to deal with the Cang Kingdom!"

"Please take us with you!"

The prisoner soldiers spoke up one by one, their eyes filled with longing.

This was the most evil pirate capable of taking down a Marine Admiral!

Perhaps he really could pierce through the Cang Kingdom!

"Hmph, I only agreed to help Houka take out one guy from the Cang Kingdom!"

Rocks raised an eyebrow with a smirk; he had no time to avenge these useless soldiers.

Unless Houka was willing to provide more valuable intelligence.

For example, information on the three Ancient Weapons...

Rocks had originally intended to finish looting the Heavenly Tribute warship and then proceed to filter through the pirate crews of Paradise in the Grand Line according to the wanted posters.

But now, since Houka had spoken, they would head straight for the Cang Kingdom!

Time to vent some frustration for my first subordinate!

Houka stared at the ghostly blue Moonlight Gu and the eight plump, white Soul Insects in his hands, his eyes flickering.

He could still obtain eight more Devil Fruit abilities!

Back when Houka faced that powerhouse from the Cang Kingdom, he had sensed his Soul Insects developing a ravenous desire for that Devil Fruit user.

This desire was just as intense as the one the Soul Insects had previously shown for the Moonlight Devil Fruit.

This led Houka to a shocking hypothesis!

Perhaps the Soul Insects could directly devour and assimilate the abilities of Devil Fruit users!

The very thought nearly made Houka lose his composure.

He was desperate to verify this conjecture!

He wanted to scavenge and land the killing blows in the wake of Rocks, hunting for the Devil Fruit abilities he craved.

That was how he would rapidly grow stronger!

On this massive ship of Rocks, whether it was the powerful ability users Rocks was about to challenge or his terrifying mastery of the three types of Haki, everything was something Houka wanted to claim for himself.

This was also one of the primary reasons Houka had abandoned his path of lying low and promptly joined Rocks.

Honestly, had Kozuki Village not been destroyed, he might have even tried to become a jailer, sneaking into Impel Down to hide and develop in peace.

But now, Saint Saturn of the Five Elders had already set his sights on him.

He had no choice but to take a different path.

If Houka's guess was correct, the Cang Kingdom general's Devil Fruit ability must have been the Press-Press Fruit.

The memory of that overwhelming gravitational suppression was still fresh in Houka's mind.

However, that guy's strength was nowhere near that of the future Fujitora Issho.

Fujitora Issho hadn't even been born yet, and in the future, Issho would also hail from the Cang Kingdom, eventually rising to the position of captain of the Cang Kingdom's guard.

But the Cang Kingdom, which constantly waged war, was eventually destroyed by a more powerful nation.

As a war criminal from a fallen country, Issho fled to the West Blue, where he later obtained the Press-Press Fruit and the Supreme Grade sword, Extreme Path Fireline.

But now, Houka had arrived!

All of the future would change!

Houka didn't care about changing the future or triggering any butterfly effects.

He only wanted to become stronger!

As for whether Issho would even be born, he couldn't care less!

What did that have to do with him?

Come to think of it, the Extreme Path Fireline was likely still in Wano Country.

After all, it wouldn't be until next year—fifty-five years before the original plot—that Shimotsuki Kozaburo, Shimotsuki Furiko, and Fugetsu Kizaburo would defy the laws of Wano, illegally leave the country, and set sail to live in various parts of the world.

Shimotsuki Kozaburo took the Great Grade sword Wado Ichimonji and the Sandai Kitetsu, and along with Shimotsuki Furiko, the sister of the Ringo Daimyo Shimotsuki Ushimaru, spent three years reaching the peaceful East Blue to establish Shimotsuki Village.

Fugetsu Kizaburo took the Supreme Grade sword Extreme Path Fireline and ended up in the West Blue.

Shimotsuki Kozaburo and Shimotsuki Furiko married locals and started families.

Kozaburo settled down with a local woman and fathered Koshiro, whose future granddaughter would be Kuina.

Furiko married a local man named Roronoa Arashi and became the grandmother of the protagonist group's Roronoa Zoro.

Several days passed.

The Heavenly Tribute warship that had left the Cang Kingdom not long ago returned.

But this time, it carried an avenger seeking to settle a debt, accompanied by a demonic monster!

The war ended quickly!

Under the terrifying might of Rocks, the Cang Kingdom general and his tens of thousands of troops had almost no power to resist; they were knocked unconscious and brutally crippled by Rocks.

"Wahahahaha! Houka, it's yours!"

"I have my own plans to carry out next, and I want my subordinates to be the top powerhouses of this sea!"

Rocks laughed wantonly as he tossed the Cang Kingdom general before Houka, letting him take his revenge in person.

The Cang Kingdom general never imagined that the brat he had once easily suppressed would become his executioner.

Had he known, he would have slaughtered Houka on the spot; now, he was filled with nothing but regret.

The eight Soul Insects on Houka's body were already impatient to devour and assimilate the Devil Fruit ability from the Cang Kingdom general.

Houka manipulated one of the Soul Insects to begin consuming the Press-Press Fruit ability.

"This is both to avenge the villagers of Kozuki Village and to pave the way for my own future!"

"Remember my name on the road to the underworld; I am Houka, Guyue Houka!"

With eyes cold from vengeance and longing, Houka struck down the Cang Kingdom general with a single blade.

The pure Soul Insect seemed even more alluring than those devil fruits.

The masterless gravity ability even took the initiative to fuse with the Soul Insect.

The plump, white Soul Insect had actually transformed into a small, purple, tiger-shaped worm.

Rocks, who witnessed everything, wore a look of shock!

This brat Houka was truly no simple character.

He had assumed the little trinket by Houka's side was merely one of his abilities.

But he never imagined it could actually devour devil fruit powers.

What kind of race was this, anyway?

The Soul Race?

Or the Gu Tribe that Houka spoke of?

Houka possessed nine Soul Fire Worms in total, which meant he could potentially wield nine abilities in the future.

Damn it!

Even Rocks felt a twinge of envy at such a racial talent.

He, too, craved such a super-powered mutation!

However, there was a grave issue with Houka.

His physique was weak, meaning no matter how many abilities he possessed, it would be difficult to unleash their true potential.

That Moonlight Slash ability was a prime example.

It couldn't even compare to a mere swordsman.

Rocks furrowed his brows, hoping the little guy wouldn't get lost in the immense temptation of having multiple abilities.

After all, a strong physique and strong Haki were the only true sources of power!

As Houka's Soul Insect absorbed the Press-Press Fruit's power, it became a Gravity Gu, a Gravity Soul.

Under Houka's control, the Gravity Gu fused with his body, manifesting as a tiger-shaped mark on his arm.

He manipulated his newly acquired gravity ability, and with the eruption of a purple halo, he personally crushed the Cang Kingdom soldiers who had slaughtered Kozuki Village into pulp.

In the end, even the King of Cang Kingdom, who had intended to sell Houka to Saint Saturn, was ruthlessly executed by his hand.

Houka did not care if the Cang Kingdom would descend into civil war afterward.

He no longer wished to argue about right or wrong.

He only knew that Kozuki Village, where he had lived for over two years, had been destroyed, and the familiar elders and villagers had been slaughtered...

What did the future power struggles and suffering of the Cang Kingdom have to do with him!