A few more days passed.
Fang Huo and the others finally located Shui Gu Town, a derelict settlement shrouded in gray mist.
An ancient town—who would have thought!
Stepping onto the island, Rocks spotted ancient characters amid the ruins; a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes.
A Devil Fruit hidden inside ancient ruins couldn't be anything ordinary, right?
Too bad Fang Huo never revealed the fruit's real name.
It was as if he were worried someone might snatch it.
As long as it wasn't the Sun God Nika Fruit or the Dark-Dark Fruit, Rocks couldn't be bothered to eat it.
That little punk Fang Huo was gauging the heart of a gentleman with his own petty measure!
"The ruins are huge—where do we even start?"
Babel looked around at the gloom; it felt like the Florian Triangle.
"To the main castle!"
Seven wisps of Soul Fire drifted above Fang Huo's shoulders; the Moonlight Gu had reverted to a crescent mark on his skin, while the Gravity Gu formed a tiger-shaped tattoo on his arm.
He would rely on the Soul Fire's sensitivity to Devil Fruits and ability users to track down the Vampire Fruit.
"Newgate, keep your distance for now."
"Your Tremor-Tremor Fruit power is seriously attracting my Soul Fire!"
The Soul Fire instinctively craved any Devil Fruit ability nearby; even Fang Huo couldn't suppress that hunger.
"Hope you fill those flames soon; I hate being coveted every day—it feels awful."
Newgate raised an eyebrow and simply stayed behind to guard the ship.
"Heh, relax—we're brothers; why would I ever move against you?"
With a grin, Fang Huo shot toward the heart of Shui Gu Town, the seven flames scanning for faint devilish pulses and principles.
Rocks took an interest in the ancient script and had Sunbell help make rubbings of the characters.
He planned to take them back to God Valley for study.
Babel was tasked with protecting Fang Huo in case anything went wrong.
Even with Moonlight and Gravity powers, Fang Huo still wasn't a true powerhouse.
"First Mate, can I become the mightiest Fish-Man on the seas?"
Babel yearned to rise above the rest and become the most famous figure from Fish-Man Island.
Once he'd plundered enough treasure, he'd return to the upper tiers of Fish-Man Island and settle in a lavish mansion.
"Absolutely—you'll be a senior Executive in the world's top pirate crew."
Hovering in mid-air, Fang Huo extended the Soul Fire to its maximum range, searching for the Vampire Fruit.
"I swear I'll become the second most important man in Fish-Man Island, after the royal family!"
Like most commoners of every race, Babel saw the royalty as an unclimbable peak.
"Why only second to the royals?"
"If you don't dare surpass the royal family, how will you ever take on the Celestial Dragons?"
Fang Huo chuckled; this big Fish-Man still lacked boldness.
"Uh..."
Babel was speechless; without the Rocks Pirates, his lifelong dream might have stopped at living in the upper tiers of Fish-Man Island with warm sunlight and ample food.
When the group reached the Gothic keep at the town's center, Fang Huo's Soul Fire stirred restlessly.
Something seemed to be calling to it.
"You need to decipher the ancient text to find the fruit?"
"Hasn't that thing been sealed for over eight hundred years?"
Rocks frowned; the fruit Fang Huo sought was clearly beyond his expectations.
What kind of evil power warranted such sealing?
"A Devil Fruit can sit around for centuries? It won't rot?"
Sunbell had never seen one and assumed it was like ordinary fruit.
Even if it kept longer, centuries seemed impossible.
And weren't there bugs that ate Devil Fruits?
"Once it becomes a Devil Fruit it never decays, though the flesh tastes putrid—like excrement. Some say the ability itself corrupts the pulp."
"Maybe the power turns the fruit rotten."
Rocks laughed; records and ability users alike described the fruits as revolting.
Fang Huo had fused devilish powers through Soul Fire and skipped eating the fruit—lucky bastard.
Ignoring everyone, Fang Huo focused on sensing.
He drew the Seven-Star Demon Sword and carefully split every old wall and stone altar that might seal the fruit.
Fang Huo knew the vampire lay hidden somewhere inside the ruined keep.
Even if he had to tear the entire castle apart, he would find the Vampire Fruit!
"Damn it! I refuse to believe I can't find you just because I can't read ancient text!"
After half a day, Fang Huo, in frustration, activated his Gravity Fruit and levitated the entire keep!
He dismantled it piece by piece, sensing every inch with Soul Fire.
"The First Mate's power is insane!"
Sunbell watched the floating castle, envy flickering in his eyes.
Yet between Devil Fruit powers and being a hammer in water, he chose to stay fruit-free.
His skills relied on Fish-Man Jujutsu and Fish-Man Karate; becoming a hammer would force him to start from zero.
Another full day passed.
Fang Huo had demolished most of the keep when his Soul Fire finally burned with eager desire.
Flame after flame rushed into a newly exposed gap.
"Did you find it?"
Rocks perked up, curious what ability this was.
So long as it wasn't the Sun God Nika Fruit or the Dark-Dark Fruit.
If Fang Huo had lied, their partnership would need re-evaluation.
Before Fang Huo could swing again, a crimson bat and six white soul-flames flew back.
"That fast? It's already merged!"
Fang Huo grinned; without even seeing the fruit, one flame had devoured and fused with it—efficiency at its finest.
Exactly the way he liked it.
"A bat?"
Rocks quickly matched the altered flame to an entry in his mental Devil Fruit catalogue.
Given Fang Huo's emphasis and the ancient seal, this wasn't a common or ancient bat model.
It had to be a Mythical Zoan or a Paramecia.
The Shadow-Shadow Fruit could also manifest bats, but...
"Ability secured—let's move!"
Fang Huo dropped the ruined keep and glided away; the vampiric bat merged into his chest, forming a bat sigil.
In the next instant, demonic wings sprouted from his back and his canines lengthened.
"What power is that?"
"Zoan Type, Bat-Bat Fruit, Mythical Model: Vampire!"
Fang Huo hid nothing in response to Rocks and Babel's questions.
"That ability...?"
Rocks's eyes narrowed; did that mean Fang Huo could now stay eternally young?
No wonder the brat prized this Mythical Zoan so highly.
And why he'd refused to recruit Shiki the gangster swordsman first.
He'd genuinely feared someone might covet this fruit!