Absorb-Absorb Fruit, a Paramecia

That was no empty claim. Take Charlotte Katakuri, Charlotte Perospero, and Mr. 3, for example. The first two possessed the Paramecia Mochi-Mochi Fruit and Paramecia Lick-Lick Fruit, while the latter had the Paramecia Wax-Wax Fruit.

It could be said that these three fruits were quite similar.

Charlotte Perospero and Mr. 3 in particular had developed their fruits in very similar ways. Yet the gap between their strengths was like heaven and earth.

So, aside from a few exceptional Devil Fruits,

it mostly depended on the person.

Besides, in Moke's view, the Paramecia Slip-Slip Fruit was far stronger than those three Devil Fruits.

"Buggy the Clown? He's a notorious pirate with a bounty of 15 million Beli!"

There were only a handful of pirates in the East Blue with bounties exceeding ten million. As a pirate of the East Blue herself, Alvida naturally knew these infamous pirates inside and out. She recognized Buggy the Clown's pirate flag at once, and her expression immediately darkened.

To a certain extent, a bounty was also proof of one's strength. Alvida instantly became wary.

She then looked at the small island before her, then at Buggy the Clown's pirate ship rapidly approaching it.

She now faced a difficult choice. If she went ashore, the two sides would inevitably fight over the treasure. And once a battle broke out, it would very likely end in her defeat—or even her death.

Yet making her give up the treasure right before her eyes left her deeply unwilling.

However, Alvida quickly made her decision. With a wave of her hand, she said with a hint of savagery, "Full speed ahead! Land on the island as fast as possible! We must find the treasure before Buggy the Clown does!"

Moke was just as nervous as she was. Though Buggy the Clown was little more than a small fry in One Piece...

he was still far beyond anything Moke could contend with now.

Under Alvida's orders, the pirate ship immediately headed for the island. They successfully landed before Buggy the Clown's crew. The moment she set foot on the island, Alvida followed the route on the treasure map and rushed toward its center.

The pirates, Moke included, followed behind her. Before long, a massive cave appeared before them.

"This is the place."

A flash of delight crossed Alvida's eyes. She waved her hand, and all the pirates charged into the cave after her.

But when they entered the cave, they were dumbfounded. Six branching paths lay before them. Clearly, the correct path was marked on the missing half of her map.

At this point, she had no time to search them one by one. She immediately split everyone into six groups and sent each group down a different path.

Before entering, Moke had inconspicuously drifted to the back of the group. Once inside the cave, he took advantage of everyone's inattention to dart aside and hide just outside the entrance.

At the same time, he kept watch on everything happening inside. When he saw all the pirates split into six groups, a smile crept onto Moke's face.

Because the current situation was simply too favorable for him!

All he had to do now was wait... As long as Alvida was not the one who found the Paramecia Devil Fruit, he had a high chance of getting it.

Time slowly passed.

It was not until he saw Buggy the Clown's group land on the island as well that movement finally came from within the cave...

"Captain, we found it! There's so much treasure inside!" A pirate came sprinting out of the third passage.

Moke's eyes lit up. Then, under the pirate's startled gaze, he brazenly walked into the third passage. Since they were on the same side, the pirate did not grow suspicious. He merely assumed Moke, like them, was eager to grab some benefits.

After all, they were pirates!

Who among them was not greedy for money?

Besides, there were still seven or eight brothers inside guarding the place!

"Ah..."

Moke had only just rushed into the third passage and had yet to reach its deepest point when he heard a scream. His expression changed at once. Something had clearly gone wrong inside.

That was not what he wanted to see. Moke rushed in at once.

"Tsk, tsk... A Devil Fruit. It's actually a Devil Fruit."

When Moke reached the deepest part, he saw a pirate standing there, holding a Devil Fruit and laughing wildly. But the smile on the pirate's face was exceptionally sinister.

Most horrifyingly, six pirates lay in pools of blood around him. Four of them had been stabbed in the back. Clearly, he had taken them out with a swift sneak attack while they were off guard, then immediately turned on the other two.

Bang!

Without a second thought, Moke raised his gun and fired.

The bullet struck the man squarely in the chest...

The pirate felt a sharp pain in his chest and instinctively looked down. Then he turned to look at Moke. The instant he saw him, he froze.

"It was you..."

The moment he was shot, countless people flashed through his mind. Moke and the other newcomers were the only ones he had never considered...

Then he slowly fell.

His eyes were filled with unwillingness. Though he was only a small squad leader in the Alvida Pirates, he was one of the few pirates in the East Blue who knew about Devil Fruits. He knew that once he ate one, he would immediately become a powerful figure in the East Blue.

That was why he had not hesitated to kill the subordinates beside him.

This was his only chance to grow stronger. After all, he was an utterly ordinary man. Even after training diligently for more than a decade, he had only become a squad leader in the Alvida Pirates, managing seven or eight men.

How could a man with ambitions give up such an opportunity?

Yet he had not expected that, even with the Devil Fruit already in his hand, he would have no chance to eat it.

Moke quickly walked over, snatched the Devil Fruit from his hand, and swallowed it whole. Then he cursed, "Idiot... If you get it, eat it! What the hell were you so pleased about?"

With Devil Fruits, eating them immediately was the best choice.

Squad Leader: "..."

He closed his eyes for good. Yet before dying, he felt as though someone had ruthlessly stabbed him in the heart.

That was right!

What the hell had he been so pleased about? He should have eaten it immediately...

But Moke paid him no further attention and carefully sensed the changes within his body. Before long, Moke's eyes widened.

"Damn... Wasn't it supposed to be the Paramecia Slip-Slip Fruit? Why did it become the Paramecia Absorb-Absorb Fruit?"

"Did I steal the wrong fruit?"

"Or did my arrival create a butterfly effect, changing this world?"

But Moke quickly became excited. Compared to the Paramecia Slip-Slip Fruit, this Paramecia Absorb-Absorb Fruit was far more incredible.

No, it was absurdly incredible.

The Tremor-Tremor Fruit, the Dark-Dark Fruit, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit—they were all trash compared to it.

Because this fruit allowed its user to absorb any substance they touched, then assimilate their body into that same substance.

Touch iron, and they could become an iron man.

Touch lightning, and they could release lightning just like Enel.

They could even undergo Elementalization like a Logia user.

If the Dark-Dark Fruit was the most unique among Logias, then this Absorb-Absorb Fruit was absolutely the most unique among Paramecias.

Even the Nika Nika Fruit had to step aside.