A few more days passed.
Ignis and his group finally found Trans Town, an abandoned town shrouded in gray mist.
"An ancient town, huh!"
Rocks, landing on the island, saw the ancient characters in the town ruins, and a glint flashed in his eyes.
A Devil Fruit hidden in an ancient ruin, it probably wasn't anything simple, right?
Too bad this guy Ignis hadn't revealed the fruit's true name.
It was like he was afraid Rocks might snatch it.
As long as it wasn't the Sun God Nika fruit or the Dark-Dark Fruit, Rocks wasn't interested in eating it anyway.
This kid Ignis was projecting his own small-mindedness onto a gentleman!
"The ruins are so big. Where do we even look?"
Barbel looked at the dim surroundings. 'Why did it feel like the Florian Triangle?'
"Head for the main castle!"
Seven soul flames floated around Ignis's shoulders. The Moonlight Gu had already reverted to the crescent mark on his forehead, and the Gravity Gu to the tiger-shaped tattoo on his arm.
He planned to use the soul flames' sensitivity to Devil Fruits and ability users to find the Vampire Fruit.
"Newgate, you'd better stay away from me for now."
"Your Tremor-Tremor ability also attracts my soul flames!"
Ignis's soul flames had an instinctive, eager desire for nearby Devil Fruit users, an instinct Ignis himself couldn't control.
"I hope you fill up your soul flames soon. I don't want to be constantly targeted by you. It's not a pleasant feeling."
Newgate raised an eyebrow and simply chose to stay and watch the ship.
"Hehe, don't worry, we're good brothers. Why would I ever do anything to you!"
Ignis spread his hands with a smile and nimbly flew towards the center of Trans Town on the island. The seven soul flames around him sensed the subtle demonic aura and laws.
Rocks had developed some interest in the ancient characters on the island. He had Sunbell help him make rubbings of them.
He planned to take them back to God Valley for study.
Barbel was responsible for protecting Ignis, lest anything happen to him.
Even with his Moonlight and Gravity abilities now, Ignis still wasn't considered a strong fighter!
.....
"Vice Captain, will I really become the strongest fish-man to shake the seas?"
Barbel also wanted to make a name for himself, to become the most famous big shot from Fish-Man Island.
After plundering enough treasure, he would return to the upper-class district of Fish-Man Island, buy a mansion, and settle down.
"Absolutely no problem! You'll become one of the senior executives of the world's number one pirate crew."
Ignis floated in the air, the seven soul flames extending to their maximum distance from his body, sensing for the Vampire Fruit.
"I'm definitely going to become a big shot on Fish-Man Island, second only to the royal family!"
Like commoners from other races, Barbel considered the royal family an unbreachable class.
"Why second only to the royal family?"
"If you don't even dare to surpass the royal family, how can you dare to go after the Celestial Dragons?"
Ignis smiled faintly. This big fish-man's courage still wasn't bold enough.
"Uh..."
Barbel was speechless. If not for the Rocks Pirates appearing, his lifelong wish might have been just to become an upper-class figure on Fish-Man Island, enjoying warm sunshine and ample food.
As Ignis and the others reached the Gothic-style main castle in the town center, Ignis's soul flames soon became slightly agitated.
It was as if some force was attracting them.
"Need to decipher the ancient characters to find the Devil Fruit!"
"Has this fruit been sealed for over 800 years?"
Rocks frowned. This Devil Fruit Ignis was seeking seemed far more than he had imagined.
'What kind of evil ability was worth sealing like this?'
"Can Devil Fruits last for centuries? Don't they rot?"
Sunbell had never seen a Devil Fruit and thought they were similar to ordinary fruit.
Even if they lasted a bit longer than ordinary fruit, they surely couldn't last centuries.
And wouldn't insects eat a Devil Fruit?
"Once it becomes a Devil Fruit it never decays, though the flesh tastes putrid. I've heard it's as hard to eat as dung."
"Maybe the power itself causes the flesh to turn rotten."
Rocks laughed. He had seen many records and heard descriptions from ability users; Devil Fruits are universally revolting.
This guy Ignis, merging the ability with his soul flames, skipped the step of eating the fruit. Lucky him.
Ignis ignored the others and focused on sensing.
He drew the Shichiseiken and carefully split open every ancient wall and stone altar that might seal a Devil Fruit.
Ignis knew the Vampire fruit was hidden within these castle ruins.
Even if he had to tear down the entire castle, he would find the Vampire Fruit!
"Damn it! I don't believe I can't find you just because I can't read ancient characters!"
After searching for most of the day, Ignis got angry. Activating his Gravity ability, he lifted the entire castle into the air!
He dismantled it piece by piece, sensing with his soul flames bit by bit!
"The Vice Captain's ability is so strong!"
Sunbell watched the floating castle, a hint of envy in his eyes.
But between a Devil Fruit ability and becoming unable to swim, he still chose not to eat one.
After all, his skills depended on Fish-Man Jujutsu and Fish-Man Karate. Becoming unable to swim would mean starting from zero.
It took another full day.
Ignis had dismantled most of the ancient castle. Finally, his soul flames emitted an excited, eager emotion.
One after another, the soul flames surged into a gap.
"Found it?"
Rocks perked up. He wanted to know what this Devil Fruit ability was.
As long as it wasn't the Sun God Nika fruit or the Dark-Dark Fruit.
If Ignis dared to deceive him, he would have to seriously reconsider their cooperative relationship.
Before Ignis could split open the wall further, one dark red bat and six white soul flames flew back.
"Already merged? That fast!"
Ignis smiled easily. He hadn't even seen the Vampire Fruit, and one of his soul flames had already completed the devouring and fusion.
This efficiency was amazing.
Ignis loved it!
"A bat?"
Rocks quickly spotted the transformed soul flame and rapidly searched his mental Devil Fruit encyclopedia for a matching ability.
Given Ignis's attention to it and the ancient ruin's seal,
it definitely wasn't some ordinary or ancient zoan bat ability.
It should be a Mythical Zoan or a Paramecia.
The Paramecia Shadow-Shadow Fruit also seemed able to create bat-like forms.
"Got the ability, let's go!"
Ignis dropped the castle ruins and flew out. The blood-sucking bat rushed into his body, forming a bat-shaped imprint on his chest.
The next moment, a pair of demonic bat wings appeared on Ignis's back, and even his teeth elongated slightly.
"What ability is this?"
"Bat Fruit, Mythical Zoan Type: Vampire!"
In response to Rocks and Barbel's questions, Ignis didn't hide the ability.
"That ability?"
Rocks's eyes narrowed. 'Didn't this mean Ignis could maintain eternal youth?'
'No wonder this little brat valued this Mythical Zoan so much.'
'And why he didn't want to recruit the Shiki first.'
'He was genuinely worried someone might covet this Devil Fruit!'