Capítulo 113: Chapter 113: Sun God!
While Edie was on a trip in the East Blue, alarming news reached the World Government: the Rubber Fruit had been stolen.
"The little devil from the Figarland family!" one of the Five Elders growled, his voice trembling with rage.
The atmosphere in the chamber was tense. Among the many crimes committed against the World Government, this theft was especially infuriating. It was not simply about the loss of a Devil Fruit—it was about who had taken it.
Red-Haired Shanks. His true identity, long concealed, was now a topic of heated discussion among the highest echelons of power. Shanks was not just an infamous pirate but the lost son of the Celestial Dragon family—the Figarlands.
Similar to Doflamingo, he belonged to the bloodline of the World Nobles yet had chosen to live in the lower world. But there was a key difference: the Figarland family was no ordinary lineage. The current patriarch, Saint Figarland Garling, was none other than the Commander of the Knights of God—one of the most influential figures within Mariejois.
"Calm yourselves," one of the Elders finally said, his voice measured but sharp. "This is not the first time the Rubber Fruit has slipped from our hands."
Another Elder leaned forward, his tone icy. "That doesn't mean we let it go unchecked. If Shanks stole it, he will regret it. Retrieve the fruit at all costs."
"CP-9 has already proven their incompetence. Dispatch the dogs," another Elder declared. "No, better yet—send two Admirals. This is not a risk we can afford."
The room fell silent as the weight of the decision settled over them. Soon, their orders were sent to Marine Headquarters.
At the time, there were only two Admirals: Aokiji and Akainu. Both were mid-mission when the directive reached them. Upon receiving it, they immediately altered their objectives, their sights now set on retrieving the stolen Rubber Fruit.
Half a Month Later – Beehive Island
Deep within his underground laboratory, Edie stood before a Devil Fruit cultivation cabinet. The dim light reflected off the glass, illuminating two identical fruits resting on a pedestal. Both were purple, with the characteristic swirling patterns of Devil Fruits.
Edie carefully retrieved them, inspecting the fruits with a gleam of fascination in his eyes. "Cloning the Nika Fruit is proving to be more expensive than even the Azure Dragon Fruit," he mused, rolling one of the fruits between his fingers.
The cost of cloning Kaido's Blue Dragon Fruit had been astronomical—2 billion beli per fruit. Yet Edie had managed to sell it to Kaido for a staggering 50 billion. The Rubber Fruit, however, had cost 4 billion beli per fruit to replicate. Despite the expense, Edie couldn't suppress a small, satisfied grin.
"Let's test a forced awakening," he murmured, tucking the fruits under his arm and leaving the lab.
A Forest North of the Institute
Under Edie's orders, Momousagi (Gion) had brought forth a trembling pirate prisoner. The man knelt on the ground, terror written across his face as he eyed the three Earthly Branch clones surrounding him. Any hope of escape was blocked by their ominous presence.
The prisoner stammered, his voice shaky. "W-what do you want from me?"
Edie stepped forward, his expression cold and clinical. Without a word, he tossed the two identical Rubber Fruits onto the ground in front of the man, as if they were nothing more than trash.
"Eat," Edie commanded flatly.
The prisoner's eyes widened. "T-Two Devil Fruits?!" He recoiled, glancing frantically between Edie and the fruits. Every fiber of his being screamed that consuming two Devil Fruits meant certain death.
Chenlong, standing nearby, snorted. "Didn't you hear? The Heavenly Father gave you an order. If you don't eat them, you'll die anyway."
The prisoner's breath quickened, his heart pounding in his chest. Death seemed inevitable, but a small, desperate thought flickered in his mind: This is an experiment. Dr. Edie must be testing something… maybe I'll survive.
Chenlong's voice cut through his hesitation. "You have three seconds."
"I'll eat!" the prisoner cried, snatching up one of the fruits and swallowing it in one gulp. The taste was revolting, but before he could process it, he grabbed the second fruit and shoved it into his mouth.
The moment he swallowed the second fruit, his body convulsed violently. A deafening drumbeat echoed from within him, reverberating through the forest. His body began to glow with a radiant white flame-like aura, and the air seemed to hum with energy.
The transformation was instant.
The Nika Fruit had awakened.
The man's silhouette stretched and warped as he transformed into a Nika-like form, his laughter ringing out uncontrollably. "Hahahahaha!"
Edie observed with a detached calm as the prisoner's will was overtaken by the overwhelming force of Nika's will. The once-terrified pirate was now laughing maniacally, his movements erratic and unpredictable.
"Suppress him," Edie ordered, his voice steady. "Even the Sun God from eight hundred years ago must control himself before me."
The Earthly Branches moved swiftly, surrounding the prisoner. Chenlong, his form towering and imposing, stepped forward, ready to subdue the chaotic power.
Edie crossed his arms, a glint of triumph in his eyes. The experiment was a success—but this was only the beginning.
With the awakening of Nika's will, the prisoner burst into uncontrollable, wanton laughter.
"Dânânâ…ânâ¤â¤â¤â…!" His distorted voice echoed through the forest, unnerving even the hardened combatants around him.
Though the prisoner's body remained the same, his presence had completely transformed. The glimmer of human consciousness was gone—replaced by something primal and chaotic.
Edie observed coldly, giving a simple command: "Begin."
The three Earthly Branches moved in unison, their expressions calm yet focused. Chou charged in first, a towering figure of raw power, his punch aimed squarely at the prisoner's back.
The prisoner's laughter didn't falter. As if he had eyes on the back of his head, he spun and countered with a punch of his own.
The two fists collided with a thunderous impact, creating a shockwave that rattled the surrounding trees. For a brief moment, there was a stalemate—until Chou's overwhelming strength pushed through, sending the prisoner flying like a rubber ball through the forest.
The prisoner crashed into a massive tree. But instead of splintering under the impact, the trunk bent unnaturally, absorbing the force and springing him back like a slingshot.
"This ability…" Snake muttered from above, watching intently.
The Nika Awakening had taken full effect, assimilating the environment and turning everything into rubber.
"Ha ha ha ha!" The prisoner cackled madly, his voice distorted, void of any rationality.
As he bounced back toward Chou, he lunged forward with his head, attempting a headbutt. Chou's frown deepened as he braced himself, but before contact could be made, Chenlong stepped in.
In his hybrid dragon form, Chenlong swung his massive mace, coated in Advanced Armament Haki, with ruthless precision.
"Thunder Bagua!"
The blow connected with the prisoner's head, flattening it momentarily as the sheer force of the attack sent him flying hundreds of meters through the forest. The sound of the impact echoed for miles.
Snake grinned, his sharp teeth glinting. "What a foolish ability… but interesting nonetheless." His black wings spread wide as he launched into the air, pursuing the white figure hurtling through the trees.
Chenlong and Chou followed close behind, moving swiftly. Edie, his hands buried in the pockets of his white coat, floated to a high vantage point, watching the battle unfold like a spectator at a performance.
The prisoner finally crashed into a massive boulder with a loud bang. The rock didn't shatter but dented inward, trapping him momentarily before springing him back.
Still, he laughed uncontrollably. "Dâââ…!"
But before he could react, Snake appeared above him in mid-air, his shadow casting over the prisoner.
"What's so funny?" Snake sneered, grabbing the prisoner's head with one hand. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the prisoner into the sky, following up with a blast of fire from his mouth.
"Boro Breath!"
Chenlong, now in full dragon form, roared as a crimson pillar of flame erupted from his maw, engulfing the prisoner mid-air.
The flames twisted and raged, charring the prisoner's rubberized form. For a moment, it seemed like the prisoner might finally succumb. But as he fell back to the ground, his body regenerated, reverting to its white Nika form.
A rhythmic sound began to emanate from the prisoner, like the beating of a drum.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The drumming intensified, accompanied by an explosive surge of Conqueror's Haki that rippled through the forest.
Chou wasted no time. Leaping into the air, he caught the prisoner mid-fall. Clasping both hands together like a war hammer, he channeled Advanced Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki into a devastating blow.
Boom!
The strike smashed the prisoner into the ground with unparalleled force, creating a crater nearly 100 meters wide. Dust and debris erupted into the air, obscuring the battlefield momentarily.
From above, Edie observed the scene with mild interest. He tilted his head slightly and murmured, "Why didn't he just rubberize the ground to bounce back? Did he forget, or was he too slow?"
Despite the chaotic power of Nika's awakening, the prisoner was clearly no match for the coordinated assault of the Earthly Branches. It was a one-sided beating, and soon, Chenlong and the others managed to subdue him.
When the dust settled, the prisoner was pinned to the ground, his once-wild laughter silenced. He writhed and struggled like a trapped animal, his eyes wide and empty, devoid of rational thought.
Snake pressed his boot against the prisoner's head, looking back at Edie. "Shall we bind him in seastone cuffs, Heavenly Father?"
Edie stepped forward, his expression unreadable. He studied the prisoner carefully, noting the hollow, lifeless gaze.
The experiment… had succeeded.
But it had also failed.
Forcing the consumption of two Nika Fruits had indeed awakened Gear 5 instantly. However, the human will was completely suppressed by Nika's overwhelming presence. Worse still, Joy Boy's consciousness had not manifested, leaving only an empty husk in its wake.
Edie knelt beside the prisoner, placing a hand on his head. A faint glow surrounded his fingertips as he released tens of billions of ghost particles, infusing them into the prisoner's soul. Slowly, the prisoner's erratic movements ceased, his body going limp.
"Fascinating," Edie muttered to himself. Even with his intervention, the prisoner could not return to human form. His white, rubber-like body remained locked in Nika's shape—a tragic imitation of the Sun God.
"What's your name?" Edie asked coolly.
The prisoner blinked sluggishly, his mouth opening and closing with no coherent response.
"Nothing, hmm?" Edie mused, his voice laced with irony. "Then we'll call you… White."
The lifeless figure remained unresponsive.
Edie stood and tossed a blood collection needle to Snake. "Extract a sample and secure him with seastone cuffs. Lock him away for now."
Without another glance at the prisoner, Edie turned and walked off, his coat fluttering behind him. His mind was already racing, analyzing the data and preparing for the next step in his grand experiment.
A Flawed Awakening
Edie stood in his lab, his sharp eyes fixed on the results of the blood analysis. The samples taken from White, the failed experiment of Nika's awakening, yielded no extraordinary findings.
"How do we solve the problem of failed awakenings?" Edie muttered, pacing. The issue gnawed at him. "Is it the human factor?"
White had been an average pirate, with a bounty barely reaching 200 million. Yet after awakening the Nika fruit's power, his combat instincts and resilience had skyrocketed. Even though he lacked rationality, his capabilities showcased the unparalleled potential of the Nika fruit.
But could a stronger individual with greater willpower resist being consumed by the fruit's will during awakening? Someone like Zishu, perhaps?
With no immediate answers, Edie returned to the bloodwork. The deeper he delved, the more questions arose. No abnormalities. No clues.
A Call from Kaido
Breaking his concentration, Momousagi entered the lab holding a transponder snail. "Kaido's on the line."
Edie raised an eyebrow but took the call. Kaido's deep, gravelly voice came through, tinged with an unusual mix of excitement and urgency.
"Edie, I'm ready."
"For what?" Edie responded dryly.
"To eat the second Azure Dragon Fruit. I'm prepared to complete my awakening!" Kaido's voice brimmed with confidence.
Edie smirked. So he's finally made up his mind. "You need my help, don't you?"
"Tch… I don't need anyone's help! But it'll be less chaotic if you're there."
Edie chuckled inwardly. Kaido's pride was as stubborn as his scales, but even he knew the devastation an uncontrolled awakening could cause—especially in Wanokuni. The last time King awakened, Kaido himself had to intervene to contain the destruction. An awakened Mythical Azure Dragon? That could level islands.
"Fine," Edie said. "But don't regret this."
Kaido replied, his voice more serious now. "I've been preparing for months—training, adjusting my body. I'm ready to push myself to the limit."
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder