บท 95: Chapter 95: The Mythical Zoan's Power
"Shakky, go ahead," Kuke encouraged the excited Shakky.
Shakky didn't hesitate. She took the Mythical Zoan Vampire Devil Fruit and took a bite.
Everyone watched her, wide-eyed, as she ate the entire fruit.
Kuke suddenly felt something was off. An experienced pirate like Shakky should know that only one bite was needed to gain a Devil Fruit's power. Eating the whole thing was unnecessary, especially given how awful it tasted.
Sure enough, with Kuke feeling a headache coming on, Shakky said charmingly, "The fruit the captain gave me tastes pretty good."
Kuke was speechless.
It was even worse than earlier. "Don't pin this on me," he thought. "I didn't even touch the Vampire Devil Fruit!"
"Shakky, how do you feel?" Gion quickly changed the subject, breaking the awkward atmosphere. They could tease Kuke all they wanted, but in the end, she'd be the one dealing with the consequences.
Shakky wiped the juice from her lips, feeling the changes in her body.
Kuke also watched the panel showing Shakky's power level.
Before eating the fruit, Shakky's power level was around sixty thousand.
At that level, she was already a strong figure in the New World. Many of the top officers in pirate crews weren't that powerful, even with Devil Fruits.
Now, Shakky's power level started to rise.
It increased by over thirty thousand, reaching a total of 93,861.
"Only a bit over thirty thousand increase?" Kuke frowned.
It was less than he expected. When Stussy ate the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, her power level increased by almost seventy thousand because it was a top-tier Logia Fruit, the strongest kind at the start.
When Gion got her Mythical Zoan Phoenix Fruit, her power also increased by over fifty thousand. Both fruits were in the same category, yet Shakky's increase was much lower.
"Is the Vampire Form that much weaker than the Phoenix Form?" Kuke doubted it. There shouldn't be such a big difference, even if they weren't identical.
"I feel stronger... but," Shakky muttered, assessing her condition.
Her body was definitely enhanced, but it didn't meet her expectations. The enhancement wasn't enough to fully restore the strength lost due to her age.
"The Vampire Form lets you absorb others' blood and lifespan to make yourself younger again. Even your abilities return to what they were in your prime. Shakky, you haven't fully used the fruit's powers yet," Kuke realized.
"Got it," Shakky said, looking towards the town on the other side of the island.
Kuke nodded. "Every town has its dark side—no need to feel bad about it."
"Captain, I used to be part of the most ruthless pirate crew on the seas. I'm no saint." Shakky's arms turned into bat wings, and she flew towards the town.
About ten minutes later, she returned with a bit of blood still on her lips.
Everyone looked at Shakky curiously. There wasn't much change in her appearance—Shakky always looked well for her age, despite being the same age as Whitebeard and other legends.
But now, the traces of time on her face had vanished, and her skin was as smooth as a young girl's.
"Shakky, you look younger than any of us," Gion and Stussy said, envious.
"Really?" Shakky beamed, clearly feeling the difference herself.
"Thank you, Captain," she said to Kuke.
"You being stronger benefits the whole crew. No need for thanks," Kuke replied casually.
Shakky, however, couldn't stay as calm as Kuke. Eating the Devil Fruit hadn't fully sunk in until she felt her youth restored. She had spent five minutes in the city alone, stunned.
To be young again—
The power her former captain, Rocks, had dreamed of was now hers.
Kuke watched as Shakky's power level changed once more. It went from ninety thousand to around one hundred and twenty thousand, increasing by another thirty thousand.
In just one day, Shakky's power had doubled, going from sixty thousand to one hundred and twenty thousand. It wasn't just because of the Vampire Form; part of it came from Shakky's own latent potential.
"At her peak, Shakky must have had a power level of seventy or eighty thousand," Kuke thought. She was down to sixty thousand due to her thirty-year retirement.
Seventy to eighty thousand was close to the strength of a Yonko Commander, which made sense given her status as a former senior officer of the Rocks Pirates.
Now, with her youth restored and the power of the Mythical Zoan, Shakky had received two major boosts. Her total power level was now one hundred and twenty thousand, and she was still growing stronger.
The Sun and Moon Pirates had gained another top fighter.
Kuke checked the panel.
The power levels of all the crew members were displayed clearly:
Captain: Kuke
First Mate: Gion [Zoan-Type Bird-Bird Fruit, Mythical Phoenix Form; Bounty: 1.2 billion Berries; Power Level: 271,563]
Gion had been training with her Phoenix Form for almost a year, and her abilities had improved greatly. Her power level was now close to when Kuke had fought Red-Haired Shanks. She was one of the closest to reaching admiral level.
"Gion can go toe-to-toe with an admiral now," Kuke thought confidently.
While her raw attack power was still slightly below admiral level, Gion's Phoenix Form gave her several unique abilities—control over fire and wind, and most importantly, the power to absorb.
Kuke initially thought the Phoenix Form granted rapid regeneration like the Mythical Bird, but it wasn't quite that.
The Phoenix Form's core ability was absorption—absorbing the enemy's stamina and energy during battle to strengthen herself.
With the inherent traits of a Zoan, Gion was one of the best at prolonged combat. If her opponent couldn't defeat her quickly, she would grow stronger as the fight went on.
Once she reached a certain threshold, even if she was defeated, Gion had the chance to be reborn from the flames.
A terrifying power.
That was why the Five Elders were devastated when they lost the Phoenix Fruit. They lost their appetite for days.
Combined with the Sun and Moon Pirates' ability to revive once a month, Gion could even battle an admiral to the death. Initially, she might be at a disadvantage, but the outcome was uncertain. The admiral was more likely to die than Gion.
Gion's bounty was also the highest in the crew—the first to reach 1.2 billion Berries.
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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 144+ at patreon.com/Emik01.
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