Chapter 142 / Chapter 143

Upon hearing Baccarat's words, Bartolomeo was immediately excited.

Looking at Chris, his face, which resembled a demon, revealed excitement, and he hurriedly pleaded, quickly saying a sentence.

"Captain, give me this Devil Fruit."

"I don't know why, but I always feel that this Devil Fruit was created just for me."

"Of course, that must be my imagination, hehehehe..."

Desaya knew him best, and upon hearing this, he retorted irritably, "If you like it, just say so. Why beat around the bush?"

"What do you mean by 'appearing out of the blue for you,' Bartolomeo? You're overthinking it."

Carmen nodded, gave a disdainful smile, and said, "That's right, that's not how you make excuses. Do you think we're easy to fool?"

Burgess shrugged and laughed, "Anyway, it has nothing to do with me. It's fine with whoever gets to eat it."

Lafitte looked at the non-ability users, smiled slightly, and said with his usual gentle tone, "You four handle this yourselves. The Captain certainly won't interfere."

"Not interested." Cavendish seemed to have an innate aversion to Devil Fruit and had no desire to eat Devil Fruit.

Gin shook his head, his expression cold, and said, "I'm focused on offense; defensive Devil Fruit aren't suitable for me."

Kuro habitually adjusted his glasses and said, "Since none of you like it, let's give it to Bartolomeo."

"Since he values it so much, we'll grant his wish."

Upon hearing that all his competitors had withdrawn, Bartolomeo's face immediately lit up with a smile; he was overjoyed.

However, he still looked at Chris and said with utmost respect, "Captain, I choose this Devil Fruit, and I hope you will agree."

Chris, still with his arms crossed, uttered a single word, "Okay."

"Thank you, thank you, Captain..."

Bartolomeo's face lit up with ecstasy as he repeatedly thanked Chris, saying, "Captain, you've been so kind to me; I'll remember your kindness for the rest of my life."

After saying that, without the slightest hesitation, he brought the fruit to his mouth and took a big bite...

(Some readers have complained that the author isn't updating enough. This is truly unfair! The author protests. Although three chapters have been updated, each chapter is quite long, totaling over 10,000 words. There's been no lack of updates! o(╥╥)o.)

Chapter 142

"Tsk tsk~~"

Honey Queen smoothed her light blonde hair, smiled gently, and said, "I always find it particularly interesting to see others eat Devil Fruit."

Belo Betty exhaled a puff of smoke and said calmly, "Looking at his ashen face, I couldn't help but recall some unpleasant memories."

"The taste of Devil Fruit is truly unforgettable," Alvida said with a smile, carrying her large iron club.

At this moment, Bartolomeo tugged at his grass-green hair, looking disgusted, and said, "Damn it, Devil Fruit really aren't for humans to eat, damn it!!"

Desaya looked at him, scrutinized him carefully, her beautiful eyes filled with doubt, and asked him a question.

"Bartolomeo, I don't see any change in you at all. Could it be that the fruit has become useless?"

Burgess, being the most direct, glared at him and shouted, "Stop dawdling and let me see the power of the Barrier-Barrier Fruit!"

The others remained silent, all staring at Bartolomeo with curiosity in their eyes.

"Hehehehe..."

Bartolomeo opened his arms wide, his face full of excitement, laughed loudly, and said something.

"Powerful, is this the world of the strong? It's dazzling."

"Everyone, don't blink, watch carefully!"

"By simply curling your fingers, you can create Barrier around yourself."

"This is common sense that even a kid understands!"

Bartolomeo crossed his arms, index and middle fingers overlapping, and uttered a low shout, "Barrier!"

Instantly, a transparent wall appeared in front of him, shimmering and sparkling in the sunlight, looking crystal clear.

It's absolutely exquisite; it's truly a perfect work of art!!

Everyone was stunned by the sudden appearance of the transparent barrier, and they were all a little taken aback.

Just then, Van Oka raised his gun and quickly pulled the trigger, firing a shot at Bartolomeo with a bang.

The bullet struck the Barrier with a sharp clang, but failed to penetrate it, sliding off and landing on the deck.

Seeing that the Barrier was completely intact, without even the slightest crack, everyone was shocked, and their faces showed expressions of surprise.

"Wow, that's amazing!"

Apis blinked her big eyes, a sweet smile spreading across her face. Her voice was childlike and clear, very pleasant to hear.

Carina nodded, her beautiful eyes sparkling, and said with a smile, "It can even withstand Van Oka's bullets; its defense is indeed very strong."

"Now the team's strength has increased again, ha ha ha ha..." Perona floated in the air, letting out a silvery laugh.

Desaya crossed her arms, her beautiful, fair face filled with satisfaction, and said with a smile, "Very good, Bartolomeo, you've become stronger."

"I'll call Grandma then, she'll definitely be very happy, hehe~~"

Reiju stroked her delicate chin, standing gracefully with a gentle smile, "His defense is very strong. If properly developed, he could indeed become a powerful figure."

At this moment, Van Augur slung the gun over his shoulder, nodded slightly, and said expressionlessly, "It can't even be penetrated by bullets, which shows that its defensive capabilities are extremely strong."

"This is a very powerful Devil Fruit."

Burgess raised his arms, laughed loudly, and said something.

"Strong defense is the best, then when the Division Commander Challenge starts, I can fight without restraint, hahahahaha..."

Holding the demon Demonic Sword, Oni -Kikoku, Luo said with his usual aloofness, "We've only just entered the Grand Line, and we've already had good luck. This is a very good start."

Hawkins played with the cards, his voice low and deep, "This foretells that our voyage from here on out will be smooth sailing."

"You've gotten stronger again, that's something to celebrate." Lafitte held his cane up in front of him, smiling broadly, and said in a very gentlemanly manner.

"The situation is thriving, everything is getting better and better, all that's left is to reach the Alabasta Kingdom, defeat Crocodile, and become Shichibukai."

Just then, Nami burst into laughter and quickly gave a reminder.

"Attention everyone, we're about to reach the highest point, then we'll begin our descent, haha~~"

Nojiko gazed at the white mist on either side, her beautiful eyes sparkling, a smile blooming on her pretty face. She murmured, "It's so high, we've even surpassed the clouds."

Makino nodded slightly and sighed, "Yes, it's truly breathtaking."

Suddenly, with a whoosh, the Chris soared past its highest point, kicking up countless waves, and took to the air.

Wow~~

Screams erupted from the ship; everyone's faces were filled with excitement and joy.

With a loud bang, the Chris landed on the ocean current, splashing up a lot of water, and quickly drifted downstream, as if hitching a ride.

The sea breeze brought coolness, blowing away all worries and making everyone laugh, with cheers rising and falling.

"Charge! Charge into the Grand Line! La la la..."

Carina stood by the railing, waving her little hands, her beautiful, fair face filled with excitement, and she shouted loudly.

"Grand Line, here I come!" Honey Queen exclaimed excitedly, placing her hands to her mouth as she joined in the shout.

Reiju looked at Baccarat, her delicate eyebrows arching, and smiled gently, saying, "After being at sea for so long, we've finally reached this sacred moment. Everyone is very happy."

Baccarat smoothed her Deep Red hair and said gently and gracefully, "Everything in the past was just trivial matters."

"From now on, it's a new chapter, and naturally, I'm very excited."

At this moment, Burgess waved his hand and declared with great pride, "The Grand Line, I've finally stepped into it!"

"My name will surely spread to every corner of the Grand Line! Hahahaha~~"

Gin, carrying the two oddly shaped weapons, spoke with utmost seriousness and conviction.

"My bounty will exceed 500 million Beli!"

Cavendish gripped Durandal's hand and solemnly declared, "I will become the Great Swordsman, renowned throughout the Grand Line!"

Van Augur tapped his shoulder with his gun and said calmly, "My goal is to become the world's number one sharpshooter!"

Lafitte twirled his cane, smiled slightly, and said politely, "Everyone has made some bold statements; that's quite impressive."

Then, turning to Chris with a broad smile, he said, "Captain, at such an exciting moment, aren't you going to say something?"

Kuro nodded and said calmly, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Captain, you really should say a few words, just to leave us with a good memory."

"I'm all ears," Luo replied, holding the Demonic Sword Kikoku, his demeanor as aloof as ever.

The others remained silent, all staring intently at Chris, eager to hear what he would say.

"What's with all this sentimentality from a grown man?"

After Chris finished speaking, he didn't hesitate at all. He put his hands in his pockets and walked straight towards the Training Room.

Looking at his tall and imposing figure, everyone couldn't help but shake their heads, utterly speechless.

Carmen shrugged and said with a wry smile, "Come on, what can we expect from this guy?"

"He's still as cold and ruthless as ever, I'm speechless." Carina covered her forehead, looking defeated by Chris, and complained.

Kaya flashed a sweet and adorable smile, and said with a grin, "Lord Chris is absolutely right! No emotion is the best emotion, isn't it? Hehe~~"

Makino patted her little head Gentle, saying, "You seem to know the most."

Belo Betty took a drag of her cigarette, then strode towards the Training Room, saying casually, "Since there's nothing else to do, I'll continue Cultivation."

"Let's go, let's continue Cultivation our Observation Haki." Desaya was spurred on by Bartolomeo and secretly resolved to double his Cultivation.

After all, the two of them went to sea together, and if he didn't get stronger, he would definitely be scolded by his grandmother.

This is not the situation Desaya wanted to see.

Without hesitation, the women chatted and laughed, and one by one, they left with elegant steps.

"(Prince Zhao) Did you hear that?"

Burgess glanced at them coldly and said disdainfully, "What are you thinking, grown men? Get back to your Cultivation."

After saying that, he walked to the side and began to Cultivation Armament Haki.

Gin nodded with admiration, saying with utmost respect, "The Captain is absolutely right, that's true."

Instead of spouting a bunch of complaints and grievances, it's better to focus on Cultivation and improving your strength.

Without saying a word, he walked to the side, brandishing the two weapons in his hands, and began to diligently practice.

Kuro habitually pushed up his glasses with his palm and said calmly, "The Captain is still as cold and ruthless as ever, sparing with his words, never saying a word more than necessary."

"It seems this important moment has been wasted. What a pity."

Van Oka, with a serious expression, said, "That's fate, Nian!"

Lafitte adjusted his top hat and said politely, "The Captain at least said one thing, and that's enough."

"After all, the Captain is a ruthless man of few words, so it's truly rare for him to say something like that."

(Yay, 13 already! Just 7 more to minus 1, and we can create a group! So happy! A beautiful blue-haired girl will appear in the next chapter. Can you guess who she is? (￣￣).)

Chapter 143

Five hours later.

Inside the Training Room of the Chris.

"This is the Grand Line. The climate is indeed unpredictable; it's truly bizarre."

Nami stood by the window, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds. She wiped the sweat from her brow, a look of emotion on her pretty face, and murmured something to herself.

"It was pouring rain just a moment ago, but now it's sunny and hot. The climate has completely reversed. No wonder people always say this is a dangerous sea area."

Nojiko nodded, sighed, and said with a wry smile, "The weather changes so drastically, one minute it's unbearably hot, the next it's snowing heavily."