Chương 71: Chapter 71: Spending Too Much Time with Them—Flaring Tempers
After the playful antics, all eyes turned expectantly toward Belo Betty.
Slowly, she opened her mouth and took a bite of the Ope Ope no Mi.
"We need to find a way to make sure Belo Betty can achieve immortality too," Kuke thought to himself. The Immortality Surgery couldn't be performed on the user themselves, and Kuke didn't want to lose any of the crew members who had wholeheartedly joined him. He didn't want to lose a single one of them.
Crunch!
Belo Betty took a few quick bites and swallowed the Ope Ope no Mi. Her cheeks puffed out, and her face turned green. She struggled to get it down.
"I almost choked to death," she gasped, patting her chest.
More was revealed as she patted herself, causing Kuke to turn away helplessly.
"Hahaha! The captain's embarrassed!" Belo Betty noticed his reaction, pointing at him and laughing.
Kuke was utterly speechless.
Belo Betty looked like a temptress on the outside, but her personality was something else entirely.
"Is the captain blushing?" Belo Betty teased, getting even more excited and leaning closer toward him.
With the outfit she was wearing and the fact that she hadn't zipped up, her posture made everything completely visible.
"Get out of here," Kuke grumbled, pushing her cheek away.
Belo Betty fell onto the deck, laughing and slapping the wooden floor.
The other women couldn't help but smile, each with a different expression—curiosity, amusement, and even a desire to join in.
"You all should be like me—liberate your body to free your mind!" Belo Betty said proudly, showing off her bold and unconventional attire.
Makino quickly turned around, her face flushing red, and covered the eyes of Koala and Guina, who were too young to see such things.
Hancock, deep in thought, wondered, "Does Kuke prefer this sort of thing?"
"If you keep acting crazy, I'll throw you into the sea," Kuke warned, irritated.
Belo Betty immediately shrank back. "I'm sorry, Captain!"
"Now that you've eaten the Ope Ope no Mi, start experimenting with its abilities. Figure out how to develop its powers and strengthen yourself," Kuke instructed, his tone serious.
There was no other choice. If he let the conversation drift, with a ship full of women, who knew where things would end up?
"I don't feel any different," Belo Betty said, examining her hands. She didn't sense any special abilities yet.
"The Ope Ope no Mi is a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit," Gion explained. "Paramecia fruits can generally be categorized into four types: body modification, creation, special Paramecia, and superpowers. Most types show immediate effects after consumption, but superpowers usually take time to develop. The Ope Ope no Mi seems to fall into the superpower category."
"So how do I develop it?" Belo Betty wondered, feeling a bit lost.
Kuke thought for a moment and suggested, "Start with its spatial abilities. The Ope Ope no Mi can create a space in which you can cut, swap, or reattach anything—even swap people's hearts and minds."
He then explained the development path from the original story, detailing how Trafalgar Law used the fruit.
Belo Betty listened intently, completely absorbed. The others were also shocked by how extensive and terrifying the Ope Ope no Mi's abilities were.
Gion was visibly moved. The power to manipulate space, to teleport at will—it was a superpower no strong fighter could ignore.
"Captain Kuke, how do you know all this about developing the Ope Ope no Mi?" Belo Betty asked, inching closer to Kuke like a curious child.
"Just try it out based on what I said and find the path that suits you best," Kuke replied nonchalantly, pretending not to notice her creeping closer.
There was no need for her to follow Law's path exactly.
"I'll give it a shot," Belo Betty said eagerly, spreading her arms. "Operation Room, activate!"
Nothing happened.
She changed her stance, crossing her arms. "Operation Room, activate!"
Still nothing.
She bent her knees, preparing to summon the power with all her might.
"Stop, stop!" Kuke couldn't take it anymore and stepped forward to correct her. He gently grabbed her right hand, positioning her fingers just so. "Don't use such silly poses or shout those silly commands. Just say: ROOM. Then focus on the energy inside you."
"ROOM!"
A faint breeze swirled in her palm, and for a moment, space seemed to stretch. But it quickly faded.
Even so, it was a sign of progress. It was a successful start.
"You're amazing, Captain! You even set me up perfectly for success. I didn't have to do anything!" Belo Betty exclaimed, looking at Kuke with admiration.
Kuke's mouth twitched slightly.
"ROOM."
"ROOM!" Belo Betty continued experimenting, excited about her new abilities.
"Does Captain Kuke know everything?" Nico Robin asked quietly, standing next to Gion. While everyone else was still clueless, Kuke had already given such detailed and precise instructions.
Even the smallest details seemed flawless.
"Well, Kuke's pretty mysterious. It's best not to overthink it," Gion said with a knowing smile. She had gotten used to it by now.
Nico Robin nodded. "I understand. I won't pry into the captain's secrets."
"That's not what I meant. I'm worried if you watch him too closely, you might fall for him," Gion teased.
Robin blushed. "I won't."
"Not so sure about that."
…
Kuke distanced himself from the group of women. Spending too much time with them was dangerous—it was hard to keep his temper in check.
"So the Ope Ope no Mi only increased Belo Betty's power by less than 10,000?" Kuke pondered as he sat alone at the bow, checking her stats.
Doctor: Belo Betty (Paramecia-type, Ope Ope no Mi user, Combat Power: 17,320)
Belo Betty had been training hard. Before eating the Ope Ope no Mi, her power level was around 8,000. After consuming the fruit, it had risen to just over 17,000.
Belo Betty was the second crew member to eat a Devil Fruit after joining the ship. The first had been Gion, who ate the Mythical Zoan-type Phoenix fruit, instantly boosting her combat power by 50,000.
That was five times the increase provided by the Ope Ope no Mi.
"Mythical Zoan fruits are incredibly powerful, but the Ope Ope no Mi's potential shouldn't be underestimated," Kuke reasoned. "It's because it's a Paramecia-type fruit."
Paramecia fruits required more development to unlock their true potential. At first, they couldn't compare to the quick results offered by Zoan or Logia fruits. But once fully developed, the Ope Ope no Mi would be just as formidable.
Kuke had no doubts about the fruit's power. He was looking forward to seeing how strong Belo Betty would become with it.
Yawning, Kuke stretched and leaned back to rest. They would soon be entering the Grand Line, and quiet moments like this would become rare.
"Kuke?"
Gion had quietly slipped away from the others and sneaked up behind him. Sitting next to him, she carefully reached out her hand with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Gah!"
Kuke gasped in shock, staring at the bold Gion.
It was broad daylight, and everyone else was still on deck!
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