Creak—
The wooden door slowly opened with a crisp sound.
The palace interior was spacious and bare, without any extra decorations—completely empty.
At the very end stood a rectangular stone table, about one meter high, and atop it were two wooden boxes.
"Boss, there's a knife on the table—and a Devil Fruit,"
Padon jumped onto Chris's shoulder, grinning as he explained.
Baccarat looked at Padon with bright eyes and a charming smile.
"Little guy, how do you know all that?"
"There were originally two Devil Fruits here," Padon said proudly. "I already ate one, so only one's left."
"An animal eating a Devil Fruit… now that's something,"
Betty puffed on her cigarette, sizing Padon up with curiosity.
"As expected—anything's possible on the Grand Line! Wahahaha!"
Burgess laughed heartily.
Chris now understood—
The Mythical Zoan Tanuki Fruit had been found right here on this island.
Then what about the other fruit?
The group approached the stone table and began to observe.
The long box clearly contained a blade.
The short one—no doubt—held a Devil Fruit.
"Hope it's not another Zoan… cough, cough…"
Doc Q looked hopeful, his weathered face full of anticipation.
"Logia types are rare. I'll be happy if it's just a Paramecia!"
Burgess smiled.
Without hesitation, Chris opened the small box.
Inside was a completely blue, apple-shaped Devil Fruit.
"Captain, what kind is it? Is it a Logia?"
Burgess had never eaten a Devil Fruit and had no clue how to tell.
Betty furrowed her brows.
"A blue Devil Fruit… what kind of ability could that be?"
"Most likely Paramecia,"
Chris replied, tossing the fruit to Burgess before opening the second box.
Flash! A red glow.
A surge of killing intent burst forth.
The air itself felt colder.
"Boss, that sword is weird. I… I don't even dare touch it,"
Padon sat on Chris's shoulder, tail twitching, clearly terrified.
Baccarat gently shook her head.
"That kind of bloodlust… it's too heavy. Ordinary people can't wield it. It may even be cursed."
"I'm curious what grade this blade is."
Betty examined the crimson blade carefully.
"At the very least, it's a Great Grade. It might even be a Supreme Grade."
Chris stared at the sword in silence—then reached out and gripped the hilt.
Buzz—
The red blade trembled lightly. A wave of killing intent surged into Chris, trying to invade his mind.
"Captain—!"
"Chris—!"
The crew members were all on edge. This sword was clearly… dangerous.
Chris narrowed his eyes and glared at the blade.
"Submit to me!"
A surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted from him, crashing into the red sword.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The sword vibrated wildly, as if resisting, trying to break free from his grip.
After a few seconds, the killing aura receded. The sword quieted.
It had submitted.
It had chosen Chris as its master.
"Very good."
Chris raised the sword and nodded in satisfaction.
He was very pleased with this blade.
"The Captain is amazing! Wahahaha!"
Burgess was overjoyed to see Chris grow even stronger.
Doc Q smiled faintly.
"With this, our crew just got even scarier."
Betty and Baccarat stayed quiet, their gazes fixed on Chris.
In Betty's eyes: admiration.
In Baccarat's eyes: affection.
Just then, a subordinate reported:
"Captain! We've searched the entire palace. Nothing else was found."
Chris turned, lifting the red blade and walking outside.
"Let's move out."
"Aye aye, Captain Chris!"
The crew followed him out of the palace, heading toward the edge of the island…
Five Days Later
The sky was blue, clouds drifting lazily. The sun blazed down, and seagulls cried overhead.
It was a beautiful day.
Across the vast sea, a large ship cut through the waves at full speed.
Inside the training room—
"Chris is really working himself hard. Doesn't he ever take a break?"
The Sweetheart Queen lounged back in her chair, legs crossed elegantly, eyes locked on the man in front of her. Her voice was sweet, her smile sweeter.
Two days ago, the Chris had entered the West Blue and docked at Kanaro Town.
It was there that Sweetheart Queen had joined the crew, personally invited by Chris himself.
"He's a training maniac—I'm used to it,"
Betty leaned on the table, cigarette dangling from her lips, looking relaxed.
Baccarat gently brushed her deep crimson bangs aside, her exquisite face calm and composed.
"On this ship, the strong make the rules."
"If Chris doesn't push himself, once more powerful crewmates join, he might not be able to hold onto the captain's position."
She glanced at the other two and reminded them gently:
"If either of you want to become squad captains, you'd better train harder. Otherwise, you won't even have a shot."
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T/N:
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