[Zoan-type - Neko Neko no Mi, Model: Behemoth: 100,000 Berries Reputation Value!]
[It possesses the greatest, most invincible power on land! Known as a Child of the Earth, it gains limitless stamina as long as it stands upon the ground!]
Reading the description of the Devil Fruit, Ryuuto knew this was the one he had been searching for.
"Redeem!"
With a silent command, a flash of light appeared, and in the next instant, a coarse fruit shaped like a watermelon materialized in his hand. Its peel was a swirl of ocher and grayish-brown, interwoven with deep crimson spiral patterns that spread irregularly across its surface, like solidified lava on the earth. It had an ancient, steadfast appearance.
Moreover, the green leaves attached to its thick stem shimmered with a golden luster.
It looks truly extraordinary! Ryuuto thought to himself as he examined the Devil Fruit.
"Huh? Where did that Devil Fruit come from?" Bonney, who had been watching Ryuuto closely, couldn't help but ask with curiosity.
Of course, the most astonished of all was Burgess. Though he didn't know where Ryuuto had produced the Devil Fruit from, he had a premonition that it might be for him. The thought sent waves of excitement through his heart.
After all, the entire reason he had followed Blackbeard in the first place was to obtain a Devil Fruit.
"Burgess, this is a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit. Eat it! And then I want you to send these Celestial Dragons flying!" Ryuuto said, handing the fruit over to Burgess, who was staring with eyes full of anticipation.
"Ah... Is it really... really for me?"
Hearing Ryuuto's words, a surge of overwhelming joy flooded Burgess's mind, leaving him nearly incoherent.
Ryuuto didn't speak, simply giving him a slow nod.
Staring at the Devil Fruit in his hands, Burgess was completely captivated. The spiral patterns seemed impossibly beautiful.
Then...
He took a huge bite.
Instantly, an incredibly foul taste exploded in his mouth. But thinking of the hard-won fruit, Burgess forced himself to endure it.
At the same time, a warm current began to flow into his body.
Soon, Burgess could feel a magical transformation taking place within him.
Vwomm!
A tremor ran through his mind as a tremendously powerful will surged into his consciousness. It was domineering, ancient, and filled with a primordial aura, like a king of the earth itself.
Burgess's mind fell into disarray...
He lost all sense of where he was, his entire being sinking into a dazed state.
Bonney and the others watched Burgess with nervous tension.
After two minutes, Burgess finally managed to withstand the onslaught of that powerful will. As he regained his senses, his body began an unstoppable metamorphosis.
ROAR!
With a furious bellow, a grayish-brown light erupted from Burgess's form. His body began to expand at a terrifying rate, and a heavy, oppressive aura washed over them.
"Such powerful energy!" Sabo watched in shock, murmuring to himself. "Is this the power of a Devil Fruit?"
When the light faded, Burgess's new form was revealed. He was a terrifying existence standing thirty meters tall, a veritable mountain of flesh and bone. His breaths were like thunder. His head was a fusion of a great elephant and a lion, crowned with a pair of massive, gnarled horns. His body looked as if it were carved from gray-brown rock, and his tail resembled a giant, withered tree that had been ripped out by the roots.
Simply by standing there, Burgess projected an aura of insurmountable might.
"Go, Burgess!"
Ryuuto nodded in satisfaction, giving him a quiet command.
"I'm overflowing with power!" Burgess's voice boomed. The injuries he had sustained earlier were already healing, thanks to the incredible vitality of a Zoan-type fruit.
He then stomped heavily on the deck and made his way steadily toward the ship's hold.
This was the nature of the Behemoth.
Steadfast, unstoppable!
Ryuuto stroked his chin as he watched, then rushed toward the hold himself. Inside, Gunshi was already unleashing a storm of bandage-like red arrows, firing them relentlessly at Nami and Vivi.
An invisible shimmer surrounded Nami. Under the effect of the Luck-Luck Fruit, Gunshi's arrows continuously missed their mark, slamming into the ground and blasting out massive craters one after another.
Vivi, meanwhile, was steadily closing in on Gunshi.
The wine that permeated the air coalesced before her, forming shield after shield to block the barrage of red, bandage-like arrows.
Gunshi's brow furrowed deeper.
After fighting for so long, she found herself unable to land a decisive blow on either Nami or Vivi.
However, seeing Vivi approach again, she didn't remain idle. The bandage-like arrows began weaving together beneath her feet, lifting her higher and higher into the air.
"Arrow Blades!" Gunshi grunted coldly.
In an instant, the arrows that had been bombarding Nami and Vivi shot backward. The entire sky was filled with countless bandage-like projectiles. Not only that, but the edges of each arrow now glinted with a sharp, metallic sheen.
This sky-spanning assault was aimed directly at Vivi, who was now just a short distance away.
"Thunderbolt!"
Nami's eyes narrowed at the sight. She immediately brandished her Sorcery Clima-Tact. With a sharp cry, a golden bolt of lightning shot forth from the staff, transforming into a massive thunderclap that blasted toward Gunshi.
A powerful, destructive aura erupted.
"This disgusting energy again!" Gunshi's eyes filled with revulsion.
But she knew the power of that lightning. She immediately directed more than half of her arrows to form a defensive wall in front of her.
This instantly reduced the pressure on Vivi.
"Drunken Fist Barrage!"
Vivi roared, and a series of fists formed from liquid wine appeared before her. Coated in Armament Haki, the fists turned a glossy black, like obsidian, crackling with arcs of black lightning. The barrage of black fists slammed violently against the incoming arrows.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A cacophony of collisions rang out. Shockwaves swept across the area, and the space was filled with the brilliant light of explosions.
When the dust settled, Vivi had landed back beside Nami, though this time, several wounds had appeared on her shoulders. As her stamina drained, her power began to wane.
Gunshi looked down at them with a cold, indifferent expression.
"Nami, this isn't working. I can't even get close enough to touch her!" Vivi said, frustrated.
It had been Nami's idea to touch Gunshi and use the effect of her Lucky Coins to nullify one of her abilities. But so far, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't land a finger on her.
"If only the captain were here!" Nami's expression was grim as she thought of Ryuuto.
The aloof, terse Gunshi looked down at the two of them, her face growing visibly impatient. The prolonged struggle had worn her patience thin.
"Now, you will die!"
Gunshi had made up her mind. Even if it meant getting injured, she would end them here and now.
After all, she possessed the gift of immortality, bestowed upon her by Lord Imu himself.
THUD!
But just then, the sound of a massive footstep echoed, and a towering figure charged into the hold. It was Burgess, coming from the deck.
"Burgess?"
Feeling a familiar presence, Nami and Vivi called out his name.
"Rock Spikes!"
Burgess's voice arrived before he did. With a fierce shout, huge spikes of rock erupted from the ground, thrusting upward toward Gunshi's position. Black lightning crackled at their tips, speaking to their immense power.
"Is that... a Mythical Zoan?"
Gunshi's eyes narrowed as she saw Burgess's form, her expression turning grave. She instantly guessed his power. Only a Mythical Zoan could grant such a terrifying aura.
However, she wasn't the least bit flustered by the Rock Spikes.
Gunshi casually flicked an arrow, placing it directly in the path of the attack. A strange ripple emanated from it, and the massive rock projectile abruptly veered, making a sharp ninety-degree turn.
And just like that, Burgess's attack went completely wide, disappearing into the wall of a nearby room.
This was the ability of Gunshi's Arrow-Arrow Fruit.
It could guide people and attacks, forcing them to follow the direction of the arrow.
"Looks like that won't work!"
"Power of the Earth!"
Seeing his attack completely redirected, Burgess roared and stomped his foot hard on the ground. A torrent of energy from the earth flowed into his body.
His skin immediately became thicker and tougher, taking on the appearance of solid granite. In that moment, Burgess's defensive power was raised to an unprecedented level.
This was the Behemoth, the Child of the Earth.
"Nami, Vivi, let's go together!" Burgess shouted to them. He lunged forward, swiping his sharp claws, which were wreathed in dramatic arcs of black lightning, straight at Gunshi.
"Right!"
Nami and Vivi exchanged a glance, then leaped into the air, rushing toward Gunshi.
CLANG!
As expected, Burgess's claws collided with Gunshi's bandage-like arrows, producing a deafening sound.
Two powerful streams of black lightning clashed and tore at each other.
This was exactly what Burgess wanted. He suddenly lunged forward, and using the immense strength of the Behemoth, he seized the red bandage-arrows in his hand.
These arrows were being projected directly from Gunshi's body.
"Now!" Burgess bellowed.
Seeing this, a smile appeared on Nami and Vivi's faces. They instantly understood his plan.
"What do you think you're doing!"
"Arrow Blades!"
Seeing the grin on Burgess's face, Gunshi felt a sense of foreboding. She roared and flung a dozen more bandage-like arrows at him.
In an instant, the bandages' edges sharpened like blades and slammed into Burgess's body.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew from Burgess's form. Enhanced by the Power of the Earth, the durability of his body was terrifying.
Screech!
Then, arcs of black lightning erupted, amplifying the power of the Arrow Blades as they continued to hammer against him.
Spurt!
Blood splattered through the air.
This time, Burgess couldn't block it all. Blood began to stream from wounds all over his body, but his figure remained as unmovable as a mountain. With his free hand, he continued to grab at the arrows in the air, managing to snatch seven or eight more.
It was clear—Burgess was trading injuries for an opportunity for Nami and Vivi to attack.
Under the effects of the Power of the Earth, the Behemoth possessed incredible regenerative abilities, making him a true tank among tanks. These wounds were nothing more than flesh wounds to him.
"So that's your plan?" Gunshi's expression was grim. She understood Burgess's intentions. Ignoring him, she directed her remaining arrows toward Nami and Vivi.
Nami and Vivi were leaping through the air, using Sky Walk. With Vivi's help, Nami had activated her Luck-Luck Fruit's power, allowing her to approach Gunshi unscathed.
One hundred meters!
Fifty meters!
Twenty meters!
Ten meters!
An invisible distortion warped the space around Nami. The arrows seemed to be blind to her, all of them flying past and slamming into the ground below, forcing Gunshi to constantly redirect them.
Vivi wasn't so lucky. She was struck by a single arrow and sent crashing to the floor. But there was no pain on her face; her eyes were fixed on Nami's movements.
Watching Nami grow larger in her vision, Gunshi drew back her right fist. While martial arts weren't her specialty, a direct physical strike was now the most effective way to deal with Nami.
Black lightning crackled around her fist.
Nami, meanwhile, discreetly took out five Lucky Coins.
Five meters!
Three meters!
Two meters!
Gunshi locked onto Nami, waiting for her to come closer.
One meter!
ROAR!
At that very instant, Burgess let out a massive roar and yanked on the bandage-arrows in his grip, pulling Gunshi toward Nami's position.
In a flash, Nami was sent flying forward.
BAM!
With a sickening thud, Nami took the full force of the punch. Blood sprayed from her mouth as she was sent hurtling backward.
"Hahahahahahaha..."
But suddenly, Nami began to laugh.
Because in that brief moment of impact, all five Lucky Coins had been successfully placed on Gunshi.
...