Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Two: The Strong
At the edge of the island, a boat slowly approached the shore. A figure leaped down from the side of the vessel, landing with slightly bent legs, steadying himself.
After he disembarked, another figure descended the steps—a tall woman wearing a round hat, dressed in a jacket and jeans, with two handguns strapped to her waist.
“R4, Iss Christmas, please follow me.”
On the shore, someone had been waiting. Upon seeing the man and woman, they hurried over to greet them.
“Lead the way.”
R4 nodded and followed the guide deeper into the island.
They passed through dense woods until they emerged into a clearing where a row of buildings appeared before them. The two followed their attendant into one of the structures and walked into the backyard.
In the center of the backyard lay a massive beast, fierce and terrifying.
He recalled his battle with the beast eight months ago at Whiskey Peak. Just a shake of his head had sent him flying sideways, his arm rendered powerless.
After a long period of recovery, his arm had finally healed.
R4 was once known as Steel Fist Hecule, who had been knocked out by Xiaqiu after being personally assessed by Nico Robin eight months ago. After several missions, he had now become R4.
Heckler's gaze shifted away from the beast and landed on a figure to the side.
There stood a woman with long blue hair and a tall frame, her expression somewhat indifferent—it was Issdub1efinr.
Once his partner as R1, she was now the new Vice President. He wondered what she wanted with him.
“Issdub1efinr.”
Heckler immediately bowed slightly in greeting.
Bola smiled and said, "Hello, Heckler. I've brought you here because I need you to do something."
"Please, give me your orders," Heckler replied promptly.
Bola continued, "We are collaborating with the Alabasta Kingdom to build a casino in the Rainy District. I plan to have you and your partner, Christmas, take charge of its operations."
"Me?" Heckler said, somewhat surprised and troubled. "But I don't know how to run a business."
"You don't need to worry about the operations; there will be professionals accompanying you," Bola assured him. "I just need you and Christmas to protect our interests and eliminate any troublemakers. I will promote you to a higher rank, while Christmas's title will remain unchanged as your partner."
Heckler nodded, saying, "I understand."
"I will carry out the mission well," Christmas quickly added, his expression a bit excited.
"But your strength is insufficient."
Bola remarked, "To safeguard our interests against the Kingdom Army and the princess's subordinates, your abilities are lacking."
Heckler looked at Bola and asked, "Then…"
"But I haven't forgotten about you."
Bola smiled as he stepped aside, picked up a uniquely patterned fruit, and looked at Heckler. "Eat this."
"What is this?"
Heckler looked somewhat surprised and asked, "Is this a Devil Fruit?"
Bola nodded and said, "This is the fruit that suits you best. I specifically found it for you. Go ahead and eat it."
"Alright."
Heckler immediately picked up the fruit, brought it to his mouth, took a bite, chewed it, and swallowed.
He wanted to take a second bite, but Bola said, "Just one bite is enough. Take your time to feel it."
"Understood."
Heckler set the fruit aside and waited attentively, his eyes slowly lighting up.
With a bend of his legs, Heckler suddenly leaped upward.
Whoosh.
He soared ten meters high, still having enough strength to glide in the air instead of falling straight down.
Boom.
After gliding for a distance, his body suddenly plummeted, crashing heavily onto the ground. Stones flew out from the impact as the ground caved in, creating a large hole.
"What tremendous power."
Seeing this scene, Christmas looked somewhat astonished.
Bola explained, "This is the Kilogram Fruit. It allows your body weight to change from ten kilograms to ten thousand kilograms. For you, it should be quite suitable, right?"
"Very suitable."
Heckler clenched his fist, unable to hold back, "This fruit can increase my strength several times."
Christmas frowned and asked, "I remember there was a newly joined Intermediate Agent with this ability, right? She can also freely change her body weight."
Bola shrugged and said, "She's too foolish. I thought giving the fruit to her would be a waste, so I took away her Devil Fruit Ability."
"Took away her Devil Fruit Ability?"
Heckler's expression changed in shock; he was stunned that a Devil Fruit could actually be taken away.
Bola glanced at Heckler and said, "So you need to complete your mission well."
"I will complete the mission properly," Heckler replied immediately, feeling even more respect for Bola. He had given him the Devil Fruit, which was a tremendous favor. The fact that he also possessed the ability to take away Devil Fruits filled him with dread.
Bola stepped aside and looked at Heckler. "Then let's see your strength."
Not far away, Xiaqiu slowly straightened up, looking at Heckler and revealing his fangs.
"I am no longer who I used to be."
Heckler glanced at the giant beast and then turned to Bola, asking, "Do I really have to make a move against him? I'm afraid I might kill him..."
Bola smiled and said, "Then give it a try."
"Alright."
Heckler suddenly pushed off the ground, leaping upwards.
In that instant, his body weight dropped to ten kilograms, and he shot up into the sky, soaring a full fifteen meters.
Seeing this, Xiaqiu slowly retreated a distance before charging forward.
"Come on."
As Heckler saw Xiaqiu rushing towards him, his body transformed into one weighing ten thousand kilograms, plummeting downwards.
In the moment of descent, he raised his right arm, muscles tensing as he neared Xiaqiu, and then unleashed a powerful strike.
Xiaqiu also charged forward, lifting his horn to collide with Heckler.
Boom.
Their fists and horns clashed together, causing both of them to come to an abrupt halt. The tremendous sound made hearts skip a beat, followed by a wave of force crashing towards them.
With a weight of ten tons and gravity pulling down from above, combined with his already formidable strength, his power had more than doubled since before.
Xiaqiu's horn began to dent as the scales compressed to their limits, cracks appearing along its surface.
But the damage suddenly ceased.
In the next moment, Heckler's arm creaked under the strain.
"This is bad."
Heckler quickly adjusted his body weight, urgently reducing it.
He searched.
He was sent flying backward, crashing into the building behind him, shattering the wall, and then hitting the roof before soaring into the air.
Only then did he slowly descend, landing on the ground. After a leap, he jumped into the room, his arm hanging down, already showing signs of bruising.
"How powerful."
Looking at the giant beast before him, Heckler felt a surge of fear. Despite his increased strength, he was still no match for it. If he hadn't changed his weight in time just now, that arm would have been ruined.
Heckler opened his mouth and lamented, "I... I'm no match for him."
"That's already impressive."
Bola said without much fuss, looking at Heckler. "You've just mastered the Devil Fruit. Train hard and don't let others down."
Heckler quickly replied, "I will definitely train seriously."
"Very good."
Bola turned to iss Christmas, who wore an expression of anticipation.
Bola walked to the side, took out a box, and handed it to her. "This is for you."
"Thank you."
Christmas accepted the box and eagerly opened it to reveal a silver long gun inside.
Bola explained, "I couldn't find a suitable Devil Fruit Ability, so I purchased this firearm for four million Berries. Its power and accuracy are very high, and it comes with specialized tungsten bullets."
"Very beautiful."
Christmas caressed the firearm, a satisfied expression on his face as he quickly said, "Thank you, President and Vice President."
Bola nodded and then said, "Once you arrive in Alabasta, remember that we are partners. Try to avoid conflicts with the people sent by the Alabasta Kingdom. However, if any issues arise, do not lose our face. Make sure to gauge the situation well."
"Understood."
Heckler and Christmas responded promptly.
Bola clapped his hands, and the person who had welcomed them earlier appeared at the door. Bola said, "Go ahead and follow my people to Alabasta; our associates are already waiting there."
"Please."
Heckler and Christmas immediately followed the attendant out.
Once they were far away, Bola turned to the giant beast and respectfully asked, "How do you feel?"
"Not bad."
Xiaqiu sensed Heckler's earlier strength, which was comparable to that of the Commodore he encountered outside Alabasta. That Commodore had shattered his own scales and muscles, nearly injuring his bones.
However, after consuming both the Commodore and that Colonel, his defenses had increased again. Additionally, since Heckler's punches lacked sharp meteorite fragments, Xiaqiu's scales had high resilience. His force was absorbed by his muscles and body, resulting in only a slight crack in his scales.
Of course, while he matched the Commodore in strength, that Commodore did not have as long a preparation time. The concentration of power was similar to how Heckler tensed his muscles.
If Heckler were to throw a punch directly, it would indeed be powerful but would not reach the force of that previous strike.
Moreover, the Commodore could use Moon Step and shave, which required high speed and mobility.
If he could master other Six Styles, his strength would further increase.
For now, his abilities still fell short of that Commodore. If the two were to battle, given the opponent's speed, he might not last long against their attacks.
However, Heckler had just acquired the Devil Fruit, and he had yet to fully harness its abilities.
In terms of Devil Fruit abilities, Heckler might eventually be able to manipulate a much greater weight, not just from ten kilograms to ten thousand kilograms.
Additionally, the Kilogram Fruit's power allowed for the body’s weight to become lighter while maintaining its structure. After lightening up, Valentine’s Day could fly with just an umbrella.
Heckler's inherent strength combined with reduced weight and gravity would significantly enhance his speed.
His extensive combat experience meant that after some time honing his Devil Fruit abilities, becoming a Commodore was well within reach.
If he could continue to break through his limits and develop his powers further, his future would be limitless.
Moreover, he possessed a resilient character. According to reports, he trained daily to improve himself and was diligent in his responsibilities.
He respected the strong and aspired to become even stronger.
Such a person was exactly what was needed.
Thus, Xiaqiu prepared dozens of fruits and eliminated the original owner of the Kilogram Fruit from Baroque Works to transfer the Devil Fruit.
The previous Valentine’s Day was too weak; their abilities were lacking and only allowed them to fly up and drop down to attack enemies.
It was better to give it to someone more valuable, and Heckler was a qualified candidate.
Heckler's partner, Iss Christmas, also had commendable strength.
Her marksmanship was precise, and her shooting speed was quick, far surpassing the two Gunner she had previously taken down.
Xiaqiu couldn't find suitable fruits for her, so she could only purchase guns and ammunition to enhance her combat power through equipment.
But it wasn't enough; at least she didn't match the strength of her partner.
However, if she could demonstrate her value and prove herself worthy of cultivation, then he would consider helping her strengthen her abilities.
In this way, his strong subordinates would be essentially established.
Feng Kelei, Bola, and Heckler were the strongest among his subordinates. As of now, their strength was decent enough to handle many situations.
But it still wasn't sufficient; he needed a decisive powerhouse.
The positions of r1 and partner were still vacant. r1 was meant for someone strong enough.
Yet Xiaqiu couldn't find suitable candidates to fill those roles. The others in Baroque Works didn't even reach the level of Feng Kelei and the others.
Cultivating someone was too difficult; what about gathering candidates?
He knew there were several capable individuals ahead in Alabasta, but they didn't reach Feng Kelei's level and wouldn't join Baroque Works anyway.
Behind Alabasta, there were many powerful individuals, but they were unlikely to join him.
Moreover, if he sought out stronger individuals directly, he might not be able to fully control them. Feng Kelei, Bola, and Heckler were already the limit of his control.
It seemed he could only search slowly and see if anyone was worth cultivating.
"Although r has obtained the fruit, I don't believe he can defeat Vivi."
Bola sighed, "As for Vivi's strength, apart from you, my lord, no one in Baroque Works can stand against her."
I can't either!
Xiaqiu felt frustrated; if it weren't for the Water Surface, she wouldn't be able to defeat Vivi.
But it wouldn't be wise to kill her. She was the key to their cooperation, of noble status, and currently in charge of managing the casino.
The value of the casino was immense, even greater than what the pirates at Whiskey Peak could gain from collecting treasures. Especially after the involvement of the Alabasta Kingdom, Xiaqiu hoped that the new casino would be larger than the one previously run by Crocodile, serving as a major source of funding for Baroque Works in the future.
With cooperation in place, there would be no immediate conflict between them, so she could only ignore the situation for now.
However, it seemed that Vivi had once joined Baroque Works, right?
Could there be a way to…
Even if she couldn't join, Xiaqiu needed to find a way to involve her in her plans.
Comment 0 Comment Count