Within Hyperspace, Adams stood calmly. Before him, six Devil Fruits covered in spiral patterns floated in the air.
In his hands, he held a thick "Devil Fruit Encyclopedia," heavy enough to be used as a brick. His gaze rapidly swept over the fruits, comparing them one by one with the records in the book.
"Zoan... Dog-Dog Fruit... Mythical Zoan... Cerberus-Cerberus Fruit...
Hobby-Hobby Fruit...
Gold-Gold Fruit...
Castle-Castle Fruit...
Snow-Snow Fruit...
And... the More-More Fruit."
"For this celebration, the World Government has really been surprisingly generous."
The sentiment vanished in an instant. Adams raised his hand and, without hesitation, picked up two of the fruits—the Hobby-Hobby Fruit and the Cerberus-Cerberus Fruit—then turned and tossed them to the two girls standing behind him.
"Sugar, Ulti, eat them."
The two girls steadily caught the fruits. They showed no doubt at Adams's command, only absolute trust.
Without the slightest hesitation, they endured the universally acknowledged nauseating taste of Devil Fruits and quickly ate every last bite.
After watching them consume the fruits, Adams turned his gaze toward the others within Hyperspace.
"Get ready. It's time for us to make our entrance."
Thunder Kingdom, at the edge of the platform.
Marine Fleet Admiral Kong stood with his arms folded, leaning against a tree grayed by dust from the mining area, his eyes closed as he rested.
His expression was cold, as hard as the blood-soaked ground beneath his feet. He turned a blind eye to the civilian corpses scattered all around.
As the Marines' highest commander, his orders were to ensure the smooth progress of this competition and protect the World Nobles. Everything else lay outside his concerns.
His Observation Haki spread silently like an invisible spiderweb, covering a vast area and maintaining the highest level of vigilance.
Suddenly, Kong's eyelids twitched sharply. Beneath his closed