After waking up, Capone Bege's subordinates noticed the room even emptier than before.
No matter how hard you search inside the room or anywhere else inside or outside their almost empty ship. Instead, where their leader was lying before all of them lost consciousness, the only thing they found was a paper note with a message written in blood.
[FULFILL YOUR PART OF THE CONTRACT, WITH OR WITHOUT YOUR BOSS]
And of course they also didn't find any trace of the demons that took their Boss and left that note in his place. Just as they arrived unnoticed at their ship, they also went back to their island a long time ago and since then they had been working hard as always.
"MUA HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
MUAAAAA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
I'M THE BEST! THE FUCKING BEST!
MUAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!!!"
But with a small and noisy handicap...
"This... I understand that he's euphoric, but...
When is he going to stop? I think he's been laughing like a crazy man for more than two hours," Perona asked, who could hardly concentrate on filling out her textbook with that annoying cliché villain laugh harassing her.
"It's difficult to say...
The last time he was in a similar state was when he perfected his hair techniques after learning how to properly use the Seimei Kikan" Answered Marlon, barely affected by that usual annoying laughter while working on the next project. "How long was Fred laughing that time, son?"
"An hour and a half...
He destroyed my ears..." Answered Stephen, seriously considering whether he should hit Fred with his hammer to make him stop... but gave up upon see that Fred was still being productive and that stopping him now would delay their new project "But in my humble opinion I think that today he'll break the record"
"Yes, it's a little... quite annoying, but let him enjoy the moment.
It's been a long time since I've seen him so happy and optimistic" Said Roxanne, trying to reconcile all the parties involved... but not at any price. "But if he continues like this for another hour we'll have to stop him... for his own good"
Those last words from Roxanne gained the immediate and unanimous consent of every human and animal in that room.
"Cheerful and optimistic...?
… …
Wait…"
Everyone except one person, Perona! Who was still mulling over a previous sentence while looking at Fred, still laughing like a madman.
"MUA HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
MUAAAAA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
BOW DOWN BEFORE ME MOTHERFUCKERS! I AM..."
"Negative Hollow!"
But paradoxically that madness made him a little more normal
"I'm shit, don't waste your time looking at me, I don't deserve it...
Oh no, I bother you with my unnecessary voice... I'm sorry...
I deserve to become extinct"
Due to that great success in completing his evil plan gaining an incredible power-up worthy of a One Piece fanfiction protagonist in the process, Fred was extremely euphoric!
So euphoric and full of positivity for the immediate and distant future that his usual negative personality was overshadowed, albeit temporarily.
And that almost unrepeatable moment was taken advantage of by Perona, who was able to confirm that her theory was true leaving Fred in his almost usual state and in the process bringing tranquillity back home and filling herself with the happiness she had just taken away from her boss
"YATA!
I DID IT!
GREAT! FINALLY! HURRAAAAA!!!" Shouted Perona, so happy that started jumping even though her legs were still somewhat numb from training this morning. However, that extreme happiness cured any existing fatigue. "I've finally defeated the villain!
Horo-horo-horo-horo-horo!
I AM THE BEST!
From now on my Negative Hol..."
She was really happy, but...
PLOM!!!
A painful rap on the head reminded her that extreme happiness and extreme depression were only temporary states
"AIIIICHHHHHHHHH!!!
THAT HURT! BULLY!" Perona shouted at Fred, the cause of her throbbing skull pain, which she wished would pass as quickly as the joy of her best feat so far.
Unfortunately for her, the pain and punishment for that depressive attack and for lying to Fred saying that she couldn't move despite jumping had only just begun.
"It'll hurt more!" Fred shouted as he grabbed Perona by the lapel as if she were a cat and sat her directly on her pedal study chair. "Now pedal while you study, like the big children!
Funny girl…"
"BUAHHHHH! "NOOOOOOO!!!!" Perona cried as she pedalled in her chair asking the rest of the family for help.
But at least right now no one was willing to be her lawyer in this lost case. There were other matters to attend to and in a way she had deserved a bit of punishment for attacking her boss.
"Now that you're more receptive, could you explain to us what happened on the boat?
Please?" Stephen asked on behalf of the entire FreedSteel family
Since Fred displayed one of the two secret applications of his power that he didn't explain on the day of his arrival, killing Bege and stealing his power, he began to laugh and rave non-stop, omitting the typical and necessary special ability explanation found in every Shonen manga or anime.
An explanation that Fred, now less euphoric, was willing and able to give.
"Ahem, yes..." Fred nodded after clearing his throat "As I have already explained to you several times… there's a substance or entity that I call [Parasitic/symbiotic-intangible entity] within the Akuma No Mi that, when eaten, enters the organism of the being in question, granting him extraordinary... or pitiful powers...
And when the user dies, that Parasitic/symbiotic-intangible entity it leaves the body and looks for a compatible normal fruit nearby... or not so nearby... to parasitize it and transform into an Akuma No Mi of the same type and thus repeat the same cycle."
"Oh
Is that how it works?" Asked Perona, the punished Akuma No Mi user fascinated with this piece of information "I didn't know"
"Yes, and you would know if you had paid some attention when I explain my fascinating theories!" Said Fred, looking at Perona witheringly implying that she should keep pedaling. "The point is that...
What happens to the Parasitic/symbiotic-intangible entity if someone or something eats its carrier alive?
Will it escape to find a fruit to parasitize or... will be assimilated by the one who indirectly devoured it?"
"Clearly it's the second option" Stephen responded, who after more than an hour of reflection was able to reach the same conclusion. "That's why the huge snake you created from the sword gained the Shiro Shiro No Mi powers after eating Capone Bege...
When you returned the sword to its original form, the power of the Akuma No Mi was still there but it couldn't manifest since it lacked consciousness.
The Akuma No Mi Paramecia integrated into inanimate objects cannot use their powers, but Zoan Akuma No Mi's can because they become living beings with consciousness...
That sword that consumed the Akuma No Mi Paramecia would be a normal sword in anyone's hands, but not in yours since thanks to your power capable of giving life you created a sword-snake hybrid over which you have control when it's in your hand, turning it into a sword-snake- castle hybrid
And as for the Shiro Shiro No Mi that you showed us... you simply transformed the sword into a fruit and the Parasitic/symbiotic-intangible did the rest of the work
Right?"
A 1000% correct conclusion! Not even Fred would have summed it up so well in such a short time!
"I see that you had already deduced it and just wanted my confirmation…" Fred said, somewhat sad for not being able to explain his incredible power-up and how he realized this possibility, although happy for another reason "…Although it's nice to see that someone pays attention to my fascinating theories and explanations."
During his vacation on the company's Slowagon cruise ship, Fred worked hard to find new and ingenious ways to use his newly acquired powers for direct combat. The power he acquired was extremely versatile and extremely useful in many ways both outside and inside combat, but even so it was undeniable that in comparison with other Akuma No Mi his own didn't stand out for its direct killing power.
With the image of Lerna in his hybrid mode, after analyzing the fundamentals of the activation of his ability, a lot of experimentation and with a little luck Fred discovered the way in which create hybrids between the medium and the organum by his ability
This discovery wouldn't only improve the beings he could command in combat thanks to the help of his trusted engineer, it would also allow him to animate his weapons, such as his swords, to make them more versatile, unpredictable and deadly in combat.
However, that wasn't enough for Fred! He needed more power-ups if he wanted to shake the big leagues! And he didn't want to wait several arcs to get one!
That's why Fred looked for inspiration in other similar Akuma No Mi powers and obviously couldn't help but think of Big Mom.
'For once I have to thank my slightly scattered mind'
While analyzing the use of Big Mom's Homies, Fred's somewhat scattered mind remembered again for no very apparent reason how as a child the little big Linlin devoured Mother Caramel and the rest of the children in the most turbid flashback in the history of One Piece.
And pbviously Fred also remembered that with this act of cannibalism Big Momon not only earned the hatred of the giants, but also the power of the Soru Soru No Mi that Mother Caramel had.
After remembering that piece of information and everything he knew about the Akuma No Mi's and the power of their fruit, Fred's mind began to work on a crazy revolutionary idea with potential idea with the potential to turn him into one of those OP characters that he hated so much but he longed to become.
And the rest was history...
"It's a pity that I didn't think about this during the battle against Lerna.
His Akuma No Mi was incredible..." Fred sighed, regretting not having been able to obtain that broken fruit. "Although with his immunity to poison, catching him alive to be devoured later would have been a complicated task
And I didn't have the Ophidius Ingestus in my inventory at the time."
Fred was eager to test his theory, but unfortunately there weren't that many Akuma No Mi users in West Blue to test… and of course testing his theory with Robin or Perona or some other innocent being was out of bounds. That's why he was so happy when just at the end of his vacation Bege's lackeys knocked on his door.
Fred would just need to provoke him into paying him a visit, beat him up, extract every from that gangster and finally prove his theory.
And the rest was history...
"Yes, a shame, but that means…"
More or less among the Steel family the origin of the power-up has become clear. Now there were other questions running through their minds right now and not without reason.
"From now on are you going to hunt down Akuma No Mi users to obtain their powers and thus distribute those powers among your trusted people?" Roxanne asked, partly conditioned by her own intrinsic generosity.
"And you will transform them into legendary weapons with special powers and fantastic production machines that will make you more richer and powerful?" Asked Marlon, the adult engineer with the soul of a child, whose eyes with the anticipation
"Will you sell the Akuma No Mi that you get at a high price... possibly to people likely to be hunted by you in order to repeat that process many times?" Stephen asked, more aware than anyone else of his brother's worst intentions.
And the answer was...
"That...
Yes, exactly, all that...
That's a pretty good summary, family who don't let me explain my brilliant plans and ideas and who know me too well for my own good." Fred said, not hiding how much bothered him to be so predictable and not having justifiable opportunities to explain his masterplans. However, he knew that this wasn't the only thing his family wanted to ask him, so he went ahead "But don't worry because I know you're worrying, I'll only collect the Akuma No Mi powers… collaterally killing... from bad people like Bege
I would never do anything to a good person... no matter how powerful, incredible, convenient, versatile or beneficial their Akuma No Mi's powers are...
If they're not bad people...
Obviously..."
That statement of intention appeased some of the most immediate concerns of the living beings that usually inhabited that house… and would have appeased everyone if his words and body language weren't a little out of sync...
For some reason, Fred was looking at a certain person from the corner of his eye.
Very intensely... Too intensely...
Spookily intensely!!!
"I SWEAR I WILL BE A GOOD GIRL! I WILL STUDY AND TRAIN EVERY DAY!" Perona screamed, cried, pedaled and studied at full capacity for fear that Fred would be too tempted to extract her fruit. "AND I WILL EVEN LISTEN TO YOUR BORING THEORIES!"
"Don't bully Perona!" The rest of the Steel family shouted in unison as they beat Fred repeatedly for obvious reasons. "DEMON!"
A comical beating incapable of doing much harm to someone who had tortured himself day and night to endure the tortures
"Hahahaha!
I'm sorry, I couldn't resist" Fred said, taking that beating without complaining as he felt a little guilty. "Forgetting my joke... I have no intention of hunting down Akuma No Mi users for now."
"Eh why? Have many items with Akuma No Mi powers sounds really cool!" Marlon said somewhat heartbroken as he kicked Fred as a family until Perona stopped crying. "Think about it!
Even if it's indirectly, you'll became the bearer of more than one Akuma No Mi!
We would be super powerful!"
"That's precisely the problem...
I have an incredible power in my hands and if I draw too much attention many people will come for me... and not with good intentions... especially the people at the top of the world like the World Government or the Yonkou.
These motherfunkers will see me as a threat that must be eliminated as soon as possible or as the hen that lays the golden eggs that must be locked in a cage" Fred said, finally getting up from the ground after Roxanne ordered a ceasefire. "There will come a day when I won't have to fear that situation, but for now we have to keep a relatively low profile about his power"
"Even if you say that I suppose you'll collect them anyway and use them when the situation is really screwed up." Said Stephen, who, like his parents, stopped hitting Fred to talk civilly around the table. "But let's forget for the moment about the Akuma No Mi that we don't have.
Let's focus on the one we have now...
What're you going to do with them, are you going to weaponice them?"
In front of him, on the table was the chest that contained the Akuma No Mi that Bege had kept inside his body, the Akuma No Mi book that previously belonged to Bege with which they were able to identify the fruit and last but not least the sword that contained the power of the Shiro Shiro No Mi.
Finally, after several hours of delay, they would finally know what use they would give to those almost magical items.
"No, I'm not going to turn them into weapons.
Although the fruit that Bege ... gift us... has potential as a weapon, I think it would be more suitable for a future member of the company, a very specific kind of member that if we're lucky we could recruit in two months" Answered Fred with some disappointment. He was eager to use more than one Akuma No Mi at the same time right now, but he couldn't let his wet dreams override his interests. "As for the one Bege gave me, more of the same.
It's quite useful, but I think we'll waste it if I use it as part of my equipment or arsenal.
Additionally, it's not as easy to use as you think, especially if It's not active full time"
"What do you mean?" Everyone asked about this half-constructed information, as is typically done in shonen mangas and animes.
And following the typical dynamic of shonen mangas and animes, Fred continued the conversation to provide all the information "When I touch a living being created by me, I am able to transmit my will to it and in a certain way control its actions, but it requires a lot of my concentration to do so under normal circumstances
You can understand that it becomes even more difficult if I have to indirectly use an Akuma No Mi"
"The more complex the actions that one can perform with his Akuma No Mi are, more concentration one needs" Stated Perona, as an Akuma No Mi user she knew what she was talking about, even if it was just a little "It's not as easy as it looks.
You need a lot of training"
Although it may seem easy to control certain types of Akuma No Mi, it wasn't that easy. Some had a long learning curve specially to use them in combat in a minimally correct way and it was even more difficult to achieve mastery like some advanced users
You just have to remember how Tashigi couldn't control Smoker's fruit when Law swapped their bodies!
At first, Perona could barely correctly control two Negative Hollows at the same time and now that she had almost mastered the technique, there was still a limit to how many ghosts she could create and control at the same time efficiently and without feeling tired.
In short, controlling certain Akuma No Mi wasn't easy and required training and a lot of concentration. If that's true for a normal user, for Fred, who wasn't even the actual user of that fruit was even more complicated
But other inconveniences were added to the previous one
"I have only been able to test with one, but I think my theory is totally correct" Agreed Fred, who granted Perona amnesty from continuing pedaling for the moment after that good intervention. "Not only do you have to keep in mind that I have to somehow control a living being that influence his actions and Akuma No Mi powers as I want.
The less intelligence the creature in possession of the Akuma No Mi is, the more difficult it's to use the Akuma No Mi.
"Like a professional blacksmith trying to melt good steel in a furnace that barely heats up" Marlon said, trying to simplify the message so that any member of the Steel family could understand it, or so he thought. "If the furnace doesn't work, I wouldn't even be able to forge a horseshoe."
"Yes, more or less…" Fred nodded before continuing after that somewhat unnecessary interruption. "The vast majority of animals don't have a high IQ, except in rare exceptions… and there's no need to talk about plants, which make things even more complicated
However, contradictorily, the greater intelligence the being that I create and try to command has, the more difficult it's to control.
Unless we have established a good relationship, which isn't easy either…"
"Yes, like..."
"We have all understood, Uncle Marlon" Said Fred, interrupting the interruption. "In addition, my concentration power and ability to carry out several processes at the same time is limited… although you may not believe that for my excellent multitasking no jutsu
Although I haven't tested it yet, I am aware that my brain is incapable of using infinite Akuma No Mi at once while paying attention to my opponents, the environment, myself...
Anyway, there're reasons to be optimistic, but not to believe that I have become invincible by being able to control hundreds of cheated Akuma No Mi at the same time."
"Ohhh…" Stephen and Marlon sighed in disappointment at the same time. "So sad…"
While Fred had been in his weird trance, father and son read the book where practically all the Akuma No Mi that humans had encountered and consumed were recorded.
Both begun to fantasize about the weapons they could create incorporating many of the incredible Akuma No Mi they had read about and imagined how Fred could use them all at the same time as if he were some kind of humanoid super mecha.
A nice and ostentatious dream that didn't last too long
"HEY! Don't get depressed in my presence!
I'm the most disappointed here!" Said Fred, who now tried to be a little more positive to lift his engineer's spirits. "As you can understand, there's a balance point between these factors that I have to find.
I suppose I'll improve with training, but I think that... at least efficiently... the best thing would be to control only fruits with simple powers that don't require much sophistication or mental processes, especially if I want to use several at the same time."
"I see that controlling an entire castle through the brain of a newly summoned animal isn't so easy or so practical." Stephen responded after regaining his spirits a little and... placing his eyes once again on the sword that he himself created and that now had a magical power locked inside it. "What will you do then with the Shiro Shiro No Mi?"
"Hehe…" Laughed Fred while turning that sword into the Shiro Shiro No Mi and answered "I think I have the perfect candidate for this one"
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You'll be able to see 8 chapters in advance in my Pa-treon
pa-treon.com/user?u=83938371
Second part in few days. It's going to be a pretty long second part.
I hope you like reading this story as I do writing it and that you leave me your comment, review and vote if that's the case.