The big gray bear licked the sweet bamboo as it said goodbye to the three of them, holding its cub in its arms. It disappeared at the edge of the jungle, and after handing over that strange fruit, the smile on its bear face couldn't have looked more relieved.
The rapid change in its mood reminded Buggy of how it had looked when it first tried to eat them. It felt as though they had all tacitly taken part in some absurd farce, leaving him unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Afterward, Buggy arranged to meet Shuma at noon the next day. Then he and Mohji left under cover of night, circling around the Kumate Tribe's settlement near the foot of the mountain. He didn't want to clash with the Kumate Tribe and cause any unnecessary trouble.
The two of them headed toward the coast.
Buggy asked expectantly, "Mohji, do you feel any changes in your body?"
Devil Fruits were divided into Logia, Paramecia, and Zoan types. Judging by its appearance and pattern, this one seemed to be a Paramecia. He wondered what kind of ability it had.
"I don't think anything's changed."
Mohji was just as puzzled. According to Captain Buggy, eating this Devil Fruit would grant him the power of a "devil," but so far, he hadn't felt the slightest difference in his body.
Buggy muttered in confusion, "Could it be a fake Devil Fruit?"
He couldn't be sure. The world was vast, and all kinds of strange things could happen. Maybe it was just a fruit that looked similar.
But judging from Mohji's expression earlier, the fruit must have had the uniquely awful taste of a Devil Fruit... Never mind. He could test whether it was real by having Mohji touch seawater later.
Mohji grimaced. He had swallowed that Devil Fruit, which tasted like chewing on shit, after enduring all that humiliation. He'd thought its power would finally give him an edge over Cabaji, but so far, nothing had happened. He suspected that what he'd eaten might really have been nothing more than a fruit that had dried out after sitting around for hundreds of years...
Wait! He couldn't keep thinking about it... He smacked himself hard on the head twice to stop that train of thought. Then he remembered Shuma, the one who'd started all this. If he hadn't helped that kid with his pointless ritual, he wouldn't have eaten the fruit in the first place.
After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Captain Buggy, do you think that kid Shuma might not show up?"
Buggy glanced back into the darkness behind them. "What could stop a boy who yearns for the wide world? Judging by his pure, almost frightening nature, he seems like that kind of person."
"That little bastard! After all the effort I put in tonight, he'd better not make it a waste!" Mohji grumbled. That idiot was clueless and always got his name wrong, but he was a halfway decent cook, and he seemed capable enough in a fight. It would be a shame if he didn't join the crew... Besides, they could definitely pin the debt for getting chased by that gray bear on him. If he didn't show up, Mohji wouldn't get to settle the score!
The next morning, Buggy led Mohji through the dense forest and back to the coast, where the Big Top was anchored.
The shipwrights and deckhands had been patching up the Big Top's main mast. They had tightly reinforced its cracks with several strips of iron, and the mess on the deck had been cleaned up as well.
Cabaji sat on the ship with bandages wrapped around him, his eyes closed. His presence felt different from before, somehow ethereal, as if he were sensing an entirely new realm.
The subtle change made Buggy, who had just stepped onto the deck, glance over. If he hadn't been paying close attention, he would have completely missed that anyone was there.
"Cabaji." Buggy walked over. "You seem to be in great shape."
Cabaji slowly opened his eyes, and the hazy feeling around him disappeared. He stood up, staring fixedly at the Great Grade Sword that had suddenly lit up in his hand. "Captain Buggy, I think I've found my path of the sword."
"Have you broken through?"
"No... not yet. But I think I finally know which road I need to take from here on. I really have to thank that bounty hunter. The knife he drove into me helped me take a step I'd been too afraid to make for over ten years, at this crossroads in my swordsmanship..."
"Quit bragging, One-Eye. Who do you think you are, a master swordsman?" Mohji mercilessly taunted Cabaji from the side.
"Want to try me?" A sinister smile crept across Cabaji's face. "White-Haired Freak."
"That bastard really does seem a little different from before." Mohji was wary inside, but his face showed nothing but disdain. "Bring it on. I'll use you as lion bait."
Richie, who had been lying on the deck sunbathing, twitched an ear and scooted backward, hiding his bald head.
Cabaji half-drew Sakura Blizzard from its sheath. The blade reflected a bright white glint in the dazzling sunlight as he walked toward Mohji, step by step.
"What!"
Mohji's pupils contracted, and his face turned pale with shock. "H-he disappeared!"
"..."
Buggy watched from the side, his heart jolting with fear as well. Cabaji was clearly still there, but for an instant, it was as if Buggy could no longer sense his presence. It was as though Cabaji's figure had blended into the invisible air, leaving no trace of his breathing or even the faintest hint of killing intent.
But the moment his foot touched the deck, Cabaji's presence became even more distinct.
"Void... Slash."
Cabaji gripped the hilt of Sakura Blizzard with his right hand. His body moved as if passing between two parallel worlds, and his steps grew faster and faster, making the uncanny impression even stronger. In an instant, he drew Sakura Blizzard from its sheath.
Clang!
The aura of Sakura Blizzard vanished in an instant. His movement wasn't fast, and his draw showed no particularly impressive technique, yet somehow, it felt as though his sword was still sheathed.
Mohji blinked, and Sakura Blizzard's tip was already pressed against his chest!
Cabaji smiled smugly. "This is my swordsmanship: the God-Hiding Sword Style! Mohji... I finally beat you. I've waited so long for this day, you White-Haired Freak!"
Buggy watched the duel, his eyes shifting as he seemed to understand something. Cabaji hadn't disappeared. He had simply kept reducing his presence, but he didn't seem to have mastered it yet. So every time he vanished, his presence returned even more intensely, creating that powerful illusion.
If Buggy had to describe it, it was an extremely sophisticated sleight of hand—no, it might have already gone beyond sleight of hand... Years spent immersed in acrobatics and cheap tricks seemed to have let Cabaji see through to something deeper...
"Your swordsmanship really does match your style. But do you think that means you've won?" Mohji gripped the blade with his left hand, curled his right hand into a wolf's claw, and grabbed for Cabaji's chest.
Hearing the sharp, swordlike sound of the air being cut, Cabaji knew something was wrong. He let go of the Great Grade Sword Mohji had seized, hurriedly bent backward, and planted both hands on the deck. As he swiftly backflipped, he clamped his feet together around Sakura Blizzard and yanked it free with all his strength.
He quickly retreated, flicked the sword from his feet into his hand, and looked at the five holes the fingers had pierced through the scarf over his chest. Somewhat shaken, he asked, "What kind of strange power is that?!"
Mohji spread both hands. The Great Grade Sword had been so sharp, yet it hadn't even cut his skin. A razor-sharp glint shone between his fingers.
He looked at Cabaji and said, "I forgot to tell you. I ate a Devil Fruit. Just now, I think I figured out what my ability is."
"You ate a Devil Fruit like Captain Buggy's!" Cabaji said incredulously. "A white-haired, round-eared bastard like you can get a Devil Fruit too..."
"Stop looking down on me!" Mohji's hands clashed, making a strange metallic sound. "My ability lets me store the damage I take, then transfer that damage to myself or a weapon. It only lasts a short time, but that should be enough..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the glint between his fingers disappeared. His face immediately turned beet red as he rubbed his hands together frantically, blowing on his fingers and groaning, "Ow, ow!"
"..." Cabaji said, "Looks like you've found a terrifying way to kill people. Were you trying to... make me die laughing?"
"Of course..." Thinking that Cabaji had admitted defeat, Mohji suddenly realized what he meant. Still blowing on his hands, he glared at him in fury. "You bastard, you're making fun of me, aren't you? You absolutely are!"
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