Devil Fruits

Before long, the ship finally sailed slowly out of the storm.

The overcast sky cleared in an instant, and sunlight poured down without restraint, making the entire sea shimmer.

A fresh sea breeze drifted over, carrying a hint of salt as it gently caressed everyone's faces.

Lilith and the other girls lounged lazily on the deck, enjoying the pleasant sunshine and sea breeze to their hearts' content.

Lilith squinted up at the blue sky and white clouds and remarked with a grin:

"This weather is so much fun! One moment it's a raging storm, and the next the sky is completely clear. It's like riding a roller coaster!"

Nasha strolled over and replied with a smile, "That's how unpredictable the weather in the New World is. We'll run into all sorts of worse weather in the future."

Then she turned to Kakarot and asked seriously, "Captain, we've strayed from our original course.

"Should we return to our original route and continue toward Dressrosa, or follow our current course?"

Kakarot frowned slightly, thought for a moment, then said:

"Let's follow our current course! We might encounter some unusual islands along the way and broaden our horizons."

"All right, Captain. We originally expected to reach Dressrosa in about twenty days. With this change, it'll probably take a few extra days," Nasha said with a nod.

Lina waved a hand from the side and said casually, "That's fine! None of us had ever left Zou before. Getting to see more places is something we couldn't ask for more."

Kakarot, Lilith, and the others nodded in agreement.

"Oh! Captain, I almost forgot something important." Nasha suddenly slapped her forehead and said in annoyance,

"Lord Shu Laibao left two Devil Fruits in the storage cabinet in your captain's cabin, but none of us know exactly what they are."

"Devil Fruits!" Lilith and the others, who had been lying on the deck resting, cried out and sprang up as though they had been shocked.

Lilith excitedly grabbed Kakarot's arm and asked, her eyes shining:

"Brother, are those the magical Devil Fruits you told us about before?"

Kakarot smiled helplessly and soothed her:

"Don't get so excited yet. We still don't know what fruits they are, and at this stage, I won't let any of you eat a Devil Fruit."

"Okay, I'm just really curious. Let's hurry and take a look," Lilith urged impatiently.

Everyone hurried to the captain's cabin. Kakarot opened the cabinet, revealing two exquisite boxes lying quietly inside.

He gently opened the first box, revealing a small, cute, pale pink round fruit covered in spiral patterns;

Then he opened the second box, revealing a golden fruit engraved with mysterious runes, several times the size of a normal banana.

"Wow, so these are the legendary Devil Fruits!"

Lilith, Vian, Emily, Iris, Yingyue, Lina, Yueli, Simba, and Ailik gathered around, exclaiming in wonder and discussing them in hushed voices.

"All right, staring at them won't help. We'll need to find a Devil Fruit Encyclopedia later, or we won't know what powers these two fruits have."

As Kakarot spoke, he stared at the two fruits, and a sudden impulse welled up inside him.

He closed his eyes and slowly released his Observation Haki, enveloping both Devil Fruits.

Noticing what Kakarot was doing, Lina and the others thought they had encountered danger and instinctively looked toward Iris.

Iris shook her head slightly to indicate that there was no danger, but her eyes were also full of confusion.

Kakarot did this because he had read quite a few novels about the Pirate King in his previous life, many of which mentioned devils existing inside Devil Fruits.

He had always wondered whether he could sense them with his Observation Haki.

As he focused more intently, concentrating all his attention, the image of a giant that blotted out the sky and sun slowly emerged from the second fruit.

Immediately afterward, the image of a snail emerged from the first fruit.

Kakarot opened his eyes in delighted surprise and exclaimed excitedly, "I know what these two fruits are!"

"Really?"

"How did you do it?" Lina asked, her face full of surprise.

"I sensed them with Observation Haki!" Kakarot explained with a smile.

Although everyone had vaguely guessed as much, their faces were still full of disbelief.

Emily tilted her head and asked in confusion, "Big Brother Kakarot, isn't my Observation Haki stronger than yours? Why can't I sense them?"

Kakarot smiled and patted Emily's head, explaining patiently:

"Everyone has different talents. Your talent in Observation Haki focuses on range, while mine leans more toward sensing emotions."

After hearing this, Emily nodded thoughtfully and said nothing more.

"Hurry up and tell us what these two fruits actually are!"

Lilith tugged eagerly at Kakarot's arm, urging him in a wheedling tone.

"Of these two fruits, the first should have something to do with snails."

Kakarot rubbed his chin and thought for a moment before his eyes suddenly lit up.

"I remember now! Den Den Mushi! The first one is the Den Den Mushi Fruit, but judging by its appearance, it doesn't look much like a Zoan. It looks more like a Paramecia."

Lilith pursed her lips in disappointment. "Oh... that doesn't sound particularly powerful! What about the second fruit?"

The corners of Kakarot's mouth lifted slightly into a mysterious smile. "The second fruit is quite good. I sensed the image of a giant inside it.

"This should be the Zoan Human-Human Fruit, Giant Form, though I'm not yet sure whether it's a Mythical Zoan."

He recalled what he had just sensed. There had been no obvious signs of elements or special powers around the giant.

Lilith still wasn't particularly enthusiastic after hearing this. After all, she wasn't very interested in that sort of ability.

After discussing it, the group decided to go train and improve their strength.

Lina had intended to go with them, but Kakarot stopped her. "Sister Lina, wait a moment. I have something to tell you."

Hearing this, Lina stopped, but she felt inexplicably uneasy.

Ever since drinking Kakarot's blood last time, she had felt something special toward him, and being alone with him made her feel somewhat awkward.

"Sister Lina, contact Big Brother Shu Laibao. I have something to tell him," Kakarot said.

Lina nodded and dialed Shu Laibao's number:

"Sister Lina, you should have set sail by now, right? Is something the matter?" Shu Laibao's familiar voice came from the other end.

"Big Brother Shu Laibao, it's me, Kakarot. Sister Lina is here too. Thanks for collecting those Devil Fruits!" Kakarot said into the phone.

"What is there to thank me for? It's my honor to work for our 'Light,'" Shu Laibao joked with a laugh.

"Haha! Big Brother Shu Laibao, don't say that."

"Here's the thing: I have a way to identify Devil Fruit types.

"I think this Paramecia Den Den Mushi Fruit we have here would be more useful in your hands," Kakarot said seriously.

Hearing this, Shu Laibao's eyes immediately gleamed, and he asked eagerly, "Can it breed Den Den Mushi?"

Kakarot shook his head, then continued, "More than that. I suspect this fruit might be able to modify Den Den Mushi and breed ones with other special functions."

Shu Laibao instantly understood its value and said excitedly, "That would be wonderful!"

"We'll reach Dressrosa in a month. You can send someone there, and I'll hand the fruit over to him," Kakarot said.

"Then I'll look for more Devil Fruits in the future. Since you can identify them, we might be able to find some good ones," Shu Laibao said.

"Sure! Thanks for taking on the work!" Kakarot said.

"No problem. I'll arrange the manpower right away!" Shu Laibao hung up after speaking and began considering his next plans.

"Now that we're done talking, I'm going to train too. Lately, I feel like there's room for another breakthrough in my strength!"

Lina stretched her limbs as she spoke, brimming with fighting spirit.

Kakarot nodded, his gaze resolute. "I need to keep improving my strength too."

Afterward, everyone threw themselves into intense training.

Kakarot went to the side of the ship, took a deep breath, and leaped into the sea.

As soon as he entered the water, he began controlling the pores on his body, opening and closing them to breathe like fish gills. Wearing specially made weights weighing five thousand jin, he slowly sank toward the seabed.

On the seabed, he felt the immense pressure of the sea and gazed at the boundless ocean around him. A surge of heroic spirit rose within him, and he began focusing on cultivating his Vast Sea Fist Intent.

Every punch set the surrounding seawater surging, as though he had become one with the ocean, constantly challenging himself and pursuing greater power.