Chapter 33: Challenge #33
Sitting in my inn room, I began to unpack the contents of my backpack, inspecting each item closely. After Artur Bacca's demise, I had felt something stir within it, but given the circumstances at the time, delving into my belongings didn't seem prudent. Now, however, seemed as good a time as any.
"Not this... nothing different here either," I murmured, running my hands over my clothes and the various bone weapons tucked away. Despite minutes of searching, nothing seemed out of place or displaced.
Just as I was about to abandon my search, my eyes landed on a small ornamental wooden chest. It was the same chest Sif had led me to on Tutorial Island.
"Might as well take a peek," I muttered, lifting the lid slowly. I anticipated finding the same apple-shaped, white, transparent fruits I had discovered before. But to my astonishment, one of the fruits had undergone a peculiar transformation. No longer white or transparent, it had taken on a light green hue, resembling a water droplet with countless swirling patterns covering its surface.
"Isn't this...?" I murmured, my thoughts swirling with uncertainty as I observed the peculiar fruit. In the anime, a deceased person's devil fruit ability supposedly reincarnated into a regular fruit, typically appearing in a distant location.
It was a theory I had formulated on my own since collecting devil fruits would have been too easy otherwise, and no one would be shocked by the actions of Black Beard and his crew of killing devil fruit ability users and collecting their fruits.
But now, faced with this transformed fruit, I couldn't help but wonder: was this Artur Bacca's devil fruit?
The fruit's altered appearance certainly bore resemblance to a devil fruit, and its water droplet shape seemed too deliberate to be mere chance, given Bacca's ability to liquefy his body and other objects.
"In that case, aren't these fruits like devil fruit power magnets...?" I pondered aloud, my gaze drifting to the remaining two white fruits, still untouched by transformation. They had been hidden deep within Tutorial Island, and their significance was becoming increasingly apparent.
"Sif really gave me a treasure... I should treat her to something good," I remarked with a chuckle, feeling a swell of gratitude towards the oversized wolf.
Yet, my attention quickly returned to the transformed fruit in my hand. "I wonder what I should do with this thing..." I mused, tossing it lightly, weighing my options carefully.
It was undeniably a potent fruit, but the thought of consuming it myself didn't sit quite right. Despite its formidable power, I preferred to rely on my own abilities to navigate and conquer the challenges of this world.
The mysterious nature of devil fruits, coupled with their inherent weakness of rendering one unable to swim, made me hesitant to partake in their consumption.
"I suppose I'll either sell it or offer it to a future crewmate... Perhaps a skilled shipwright could make excellent use of it," I mused aloud, carefully returning the devil fruit to its resting place within the ornamental chest and stowing it away in my backpack alongside my other belongings.
With my gear packed away, I was about to venture out and enjoy some leisure time in town when a knock interrupted my plans. "Just a moment," I called out, swiftly donning my coat before making my way to the door. As I swung it open, my curiosity piqued at the sight of Bepo's nervous demeanor in the hallway.
"Bepo? What's the matter?" I inquired, noting the jitteriness in his expression.
Scratching his head anxiously, Bepo met my gaze. "L-Law sent me to fetch you... He said he needed to speak with you at the docks. It's important..." he relayed, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
I couldn't help but chuckle at how nervous he looked delivering such a simple message. "What's got you all nervous, anyway? It's not like I'll eat you or anything..." I said crossing my arms.
Bepo's expression turned downcast, and he instantly bowed his head much to my chagrin. "I'm sorry!" he declared, his shoulders slumping in a practiced motion, the very image of depression.
"Just lead the way..." I said with an exasperated sigh, rolling my eyes at the meek demeanor of the polar bear mink.
...
Arriving at the docks alongside Sif, Blake's curiosity was piqued as he spotted Law standing on an elevated platform, his Katana at the ready. The presence of Bepo, who quickly distanced himself from Blake, added to the intrigue, but Blake held his tongue, waiting for Law to explain.
"You mentioned you wanted me to follow you. Is that still your intent?" Law's inquiry cut through the air, prompting Blake to offer a casual nod in response.
Law's next question, however, carried a weighty implication. "Are you prepared to call me your comrade, knowing I have an irreconcilable grudge with one of the most powerful Warlords sanctioned by the World Government?" He asked. "He is a figure with influence surpassing many sovereign rulers, backed and relied on by countless influential allies?" Law's words rang out, their gravity unmistakable.
Blake couldn't help but chuckle at the dramatic flair. "I don't understand what this is all about, but I've already stated my stance," he replied, trailing off slightly before continuing. "Give me enough time and the likes of Doflamingo will become little more than a roadside pebble to be kicked away at any time..." he added with a nonchalant shrug, a grin forming on his face.
Law's response was swift and decisive, his grip tightening around his katana's sheath. "Then prove to me that your words hold weight and aren't mere bluster," he demanded, unsheathing his blade and pointing it squarely at Blake. "Prove to me that you are a captain worth following!"
Blake's grin widened as he stretched his neck, emitting a faint crack. "I'm up for a bit of fun, but..." he began, trailing off with a quizzical glance at Law. "Haven't we danced this dance already?" he taunted.
Law's response was a scoff. "Indeed we have, but this time comes with a twist. You won't be fighting me alone," he announced. "It's me, Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi against you. Last thirty minutes without taking a hit, and you've earned yourself a crew. Fail, and we part ways here," he outlined.
Blake maintained his smile, his eyes sweeping over the trio who had encircled him. Sif's growl hinted at her apprehension as she prepared to fight, but Blake's reassuring pat on her head eased her tension.
"Easy there, girl. I've got this," Blake murmured, prompting the wolf to reluctantly withdraw. "Your terms are accepted. When do we begin?" he inquired, his grin lingering as he shifted his attention back to Law.
"Right now," Law declared, conjuring his Room ability to envelop the area in a transparent dome. Without preamble, Shachi swiftly drew a flintlock pistol and aimed it at Blake, firing off a shot without warning.
With a swift tilt of his head, Blake narrowly avoided the oncoming bullet, watching it vanish as it passed him. In its place, Bepo materialized mid-air, already spinning to unleash a powerful kick.
Blake deftly evaded the attack, seizing Bepo's leg and redirecting him toward Penguin, who was barreling in. Before the collision could occur, Law intervened with his Devil Fruit ability, swapping Bepo and Penguin's places, and shifting the polar mink's trajectory to hurtle back toward Blake.
Impressed by Law's quick thinking, Blake still evaded Bepo's incoming kick swiftly, only to find himself facing another threat as Shachi took aim and fired his flintlock pistol.
Learning from his earlier mistake, Blake launched into the air using Geppo, but his maneuver left him surrounded by an array of floating debris, levitated by Law's Takt ability. Suddenly, a piece of wood in his path vanished, replaced by the same bullet Shachi had fired, hurtling toward him with undiminished momentum.
"Now that's just fucking unfair..." Blake grumbled caught off guard by the sudden attack. Employing Kami-e, he twisted his body to evade the projectile, only to be confronted by Bepo's reappearing form, poised for another attack.
Using Geppo, Blake propelled himself away, but he soon found himself beset by more bullets and flying debris flying toward, adding to the chaos of the confrontation.
Cursing under his breath, Blake made his movements as erratic as possible, attempting to stay one step ahead as he dodged bullets and debris, staying guarded against the sudden appearances of Bepo and Penguin to attack from unexpected angles.
...
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