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"Hoo hoo hoo—"
On a pitch-black night, the wind howled fiercely.
The sky was shrouded in thick, oppressive clouds, creating a suffocating atmosphere.
"Tap tap tap…"
Raindrops the size of thumbs poured down relentlessly, splashing against the surface of the sea and creating countless ripples.
The gloomy ocean churned violently, causing even the sturdy Warship to sway slightly.
"Lord Ichi, Sister Isabelle, do you think this will be a problem?"
Wensney asked with some concern.
The climate of the New World was notoriously treacherous. Countless ships sank beneath its waves every year.
Isabelle smiled reassuringly as she explained, "Don't worry. Remember, Germa's Warships are themselves exceptional 'weather experts' on these seas, capable of detecting changes in weather conditions well in advance."
The giant sea slugs bred by Germa were among the finest navigators in existence, possessing an innate ability shared by most animals to sense subtle shifts in the weather.
Whenever an enormous storm or other insurmountable natural disaster approached, they would sense it beforehand and frantically flee toward safer waters.
Moreover, the route they had chosen was considered one of the safer "horizontal channels." Over the years, they had traversed between the New World and the Calm Belt multiple times, entering the West Blue without incident. Thus, Ichi harbored no significant concerns.
Meanwhile, in another part of the New World, far removed from where Ichi and his crew sailed…
The climate here stood in stark contrast to the raging storms elsewhere.
A refreshing sea breeze swept through the area. The night sky glittered with stars, and a full moon hung high above, offering no hint of impending storms.
A large pirate ship lay anchored at sea, its sails fluttering proudly in the wind. A Jolly Roger flag atop the mast flapped vigorously in the breeze.
"Cheers!!!"
"This time's haul was quite impressive…"
"Haha, congratulations, Captain! Your bounty has increased yet again!"
"Jajajaja! From 315 million Berries all the way up to 357 million Berries—Marine Headquarters sure knows how to flatter me, huh?"
"…"
The pirate ship buzzed with activity as raucous laughter and chatter filled the air. Groups of pirates gathered around tables laden with food and drink, celebrating under bright lanterns.
"But come to think of it, what kind of ability could this thing possibly have? Could it be a Paramecia-type?"
"Blood Butcher" Geoffrey held up a Devil Fruit—a pale purple orb shaped somewhat like a pineapple, with spiral ridges resembling a snail's shell. His voice carried both curiosity and excitement. "Even if it turns out to be lackluster, it's still a priceless treasure worth hundreds of millions of Berries, right?"
Clearly, Geoffrey wasn't familiar with the specific distinctions between Zoan, Paramecia, and Logia-class Devil Fruits. While Logia fruits were exceedingly rare and precious, he didn't dare hope that this fruit belonged to such a category.
And even if it did turn out to be a Logia-type, he wouldn't be able to consume it himself.
After all, "Blood Butcher" Geoffrey was already a Devil Fruit user—the Zoan-type Bug-Bug Fruit (Mantis Form) granted him formidable abilities.
No matter how extraordinary this new Devil Fruit might be, consuming it would mean certain death for him unless he wished to end his life prematurely!
"Captain…"
"Are we going to auction it off?"
"Just look at its appearance—it should fetch a pretty penny, don't you think?"
"Haha, I bet it'll sell for more than two hundred million Berries!"
Though many of the crew members eyed the fruit greedily, none dared to openly request it.
They understood their captain all too well. Despite his jovial demeanor now, "Blood Butcher" Geoffrey was a domineering, cruel, and selfish man. Anyone who angered him faced dire consequences.
The chilling title "Blood Butcher" alone spoke volumes about his ruthlessness. Entire villages and towns had been wiped out directly or indirectly by his hand, and countless innocent civilians had met horrifying fates under his blade.
Whether they were civilians, pirates, or Marines, anyone who provoked him would suffer a fate worse than death—flayed alive while still breathing.
"Auction it off? Of course not—"
Geoffrey took a long swig of alcohol, then rose to his feet with a boisterous laugh. "Jajajaja! We just wiped out the Flying Bird Pirates and seized plenty of treasure. Money isn't an issue for us, so there's no need to squander something so valuable!"
Hidden beneath his laughter was a trace of disdain and mockery. Having spent years navigating the New World, Geoffrey could easily discern that more than half of his subordinates coveted the fruit.
But these useless fools weren't worth his consideration. Many had followed him for years in the New World, yet none boasted bounties exceeding 100 million Berries. Giving the fruit to them would only be a waste.
He intended to keep this Devil Fruit for now.