Domain Expansion, Malevolent Shrine

"Is that ugly fat guy the king of Drum Island?" Windfire Wheel asked in surprise as he looked at Wapol.

"Though I hate to admit it, that guy really is the king of Drum Island," Dr. Kureha said disdainfully.

"This world really is amazing. Even someone like that can be a king?" Windfire Wheel said with the same look of disgust.

"Lord Rody, should we go into this castle and take a look?" Mike asked.

"Forget it. Those guys have disgusted me. Let's just finish this."

"Did you bring the fruits?" Rody asked Mike.

"I brought them all, Lord Rody." Mike lifted the basket in his hand.

"Good. Now let's see whether my idea works. Hahaha..." With that, Rody formed a strange hand seal in front of his chest.

"Domain Expansion—Malevolent Shrine!"

The next moment, the space where Rody and the others stood, along with the entire Drum Kingdom castle ahead—including Wapol and his group—was instantly dyed blood-red.

Within that crimson space, under everyone's gaze, a throne made of countless bones rose beneath Rody's feet, accompanied by a massive shrine behind him!

"W-What's going on?!"

"Th-The sky turned blood-red!" Wapol cried out in panic.

"Lord Rody, please don't kill us! We're willing to offer everything!"

"Lord Rody, spare us!" Wapol's official, Cromalimon, was the first to react. Looking at Rody atop the bone throne, he begged in terror.

"Y-Yeah... yeah, spare us!"

"Lord Rody, don't kill me! Please!" Wapol and the others immediately came to their senses as well and pleaded with Rody in equal terror.

"Hahaha... Disappear! You eyesores!" Rody grinned with delight.

What Rody did not know was that within that blood-red space, the combination of his smile and the markings on his face made him appear especially wicked and cruel.

As Rody's words fell, countless slashes continuously emerged throughout the blood-red space. Their numbers grew greater and greater, relentlessly cutting through Wapol's group and the Drum Castle behind them. The barrage of slashes continued for a full ten minutes.

Wapol and the others were first cut into chunks, then shredded into powder by even more slashes. The castle, too, was reduced to ruins by the attacks.

Seeing everything before him destroyed, Rody smiled in satisfaction. His domain had extended eight hundred meters forward, encompassing the entire castle.

Rody looked toward the fruit basket Mike was carrying. One of the fruits had already transformed into a Devil Fruit resembling a carnivorous flower.

It seems it really is just as I thought. A domain is the manifestation of a sorcerer's mental world, created through immense cursed energy and powerful personal will.

And according to the latest information Vegapunk had revealed before I crossed over, the origin of Devil Fruits was this: "Every Devil Fruit is actually a collection of a human wish—or desire. And the reason Devil Fruit users lose their strength upon encountering seawater is because their unnatural evolution is hated by Mother Nature."

If that's the case, Devil Fruits are the fruits of humanity's greedy desires. Desire and greed are mostly classified as negative human emotions, while cursed energy is precisely an energy formed from negative human emotions.

So, if a Devil Fruit user—someone who has eaten the fruit of desire—is killed within a domain barrier formed from negative energy, could the "ability," or rather the "devil," within that fruit be bound inside this space formed from humanity's negative emotions?

Now, it seemed that it could.

Rody dispelled his domain, and the blood-red color slowly faded from the space.

Even after living for so many years, this is the first time I've seen such terrifying power. I was wondering earlier why his butler had brought a basket of fruit onto the island. So he had prepared for this all along—he can actually obtain a Devil Fruit after killing its user.

Well, who knows what changes such a terrifying man will bring to this world? Heh, but that isn't something I should worry about. The people in power at the World Government are probably the ones who'll have headaches now. Dr. Kureha thought indifferently as she took a sip from the bottle of alcohol in her hand.

With the power Mr. Rody has displayed, defeating Crocodile shouldn't be a problem. It's just that the 1.5 billion Beli that must be paid afterward... While Alabasta can certainly afford 1.5 billion Beli... the resettlement and relief of Alabasta's people may become rather strained, Vivi pondered.

"Wow! That was way too outrageous! Captain, you're incredible! There shouldn't be anyone who can beat you now, right?" Windfire Wheel looked at Rody with worship in his eyes.

"Hahaha... Since you're so strong, Captain, does that mean I, Windfire Wheel, as one of your important generals, can walk around like I own the place now?" Windfire Wheel said excitedly, waving his arms around.

"Me too, me too!" Hearing Windfire Wheel's words, Leo and Jose finally snapped out of their shock and began waving their arms around with him.

"Lord Rody, your strength is truly unmatched." Mike walked to Rody's side and respectfully took the Devil Fruit from the basket, offering it to him.

Rody took the Munch-Munch Fruit from Mike and squeezed it. Mm, it felt like the flesh inside must be quite plump.

Rody turned to Windfire Wheel, who was still waving his arms around and competing with Leo and Jose over dance moves. "Alright, stop fooling around. Windfire Wheel, the chance for you to truly become one of my generals is here. Come over and eat this Devil Fruit."

Windfire Wheel happily ran up to Rody. He looked at the Munch-Munch Fruit in Rody's hand, then frowned and pulled a long face. "This is a Devil Fruit? Why does it look like a bomb? How about giving this Devil Fruit to Butler Mike instead? Since you came to Drum Island for this Devil Fruit, Captain, its ability must be powerful, right? Butler Mike hasn't eaten a Devil Fruit yet anyway."

"Windfire Wheel, since Lord Rody wants you to eat this Devil Fruit, he must have his own reasons," Mike said with a smile.

"Alright, Mike isn't suited for this fruit. No one on our ship is more suitable than you. Didn't you complain to me that you could only drink motor oil, and that you couldn't eat any of the food we eat?"

"Now, once you eat this Devil Fruit, not only will you be able to eat the food we eat, you'll be able to eat anything else too," Rody said to Windfire Wheel.

"Really, Captain? I only complained about it casually, but you actually remembered?" Windfire Wheel scratched his head, took the Munch-Munch Fruit from Rody, looked it over in his hand, and swallowed it in one bite.