The Decision to Eat the Fusion Fruit
"Okay, Barrett, let's put aside the matter of consulting with Eli for now. There's something you need to decide on your own."
Shifting the topic, Caesar spoke to Barrett while placing a peculiar-looking fruit in front of him. The fruit had a swirling pattern, its surface a mix of deep violet and silver streaks—an unmistakable Devil Fruit.
"This is the Fusion-Fusion Fruit, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit. If you eat it, you'll gain the ability to merge and integrate all objects with yourself, making them an extension of your own body."
Caesar's tone was calm but carried weight. "Eating this fruit will instantly enhance your strength, but the cost is that you'll lose the ability to swim—you'll become a landlubber."
He leaned slightly forward, studying Barrett's expression. "This is a powerful fruit, but there might be even better ones in the future... or there might not. That's why I want you to decide for yourself. Will you eat this fruit?"
Caesar recalled the memory of Barrett consuming this fruit, but he still granted him the right to choose.
Barrett, who had been caught up in the adrenaline of battle moments ago, gradually calmed down. His gaze fell upon the Fusion-Fusion Fruit, his brow furrowed in hesitation. He could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on him.
The others around them sensed the importance of the moment and stepped back, giving Barrett space to consider his choice.
But soon, his hesitation faded. Barrett raised his head, locking eyes with Caesar, his expression resolute.
"Captain, I've decided not to eat this fruit—for now," Barrett declared firmly. "I know that eating it would quickly increase my strength, but I believe I should take it step by step. I don't think I'm fully prepared yet. I want to continue training as I am, relying on my own strength first!"
Caesar's lips curled into a small smile, nodding in approval. He was pleased with Barrett's maturity in making this decision.
"I agree," Caesar responded. "There's no need to rush into eating a Devil Fruit. Building a strong foundation first will make you even stronger in the long run. Besides, you might come across a better fruit in the future."
"Eh?! Barrett, why aren't you eating it? That's a really powerful Devil Fruit!"
Lily, surprised by Barrett's decision, couldn't help but voice her confusion. Before Barrett could answer, a voice interjected.
"Lily, you don't understand," Wei Na said, standing beside her with arms crossed. "You saw his fight against Eli earlier. This kid is no ordinary fighter. Even without a Devil Fruit, he has the potential to become a monster."
With Barrett recruited onto the crew and the Fusion-Fusion Fruit safely stored away, Caesar's group had no reason to linger in the war-torn country. Their journey had to continue.
After making the necessary preparations, the next morning, the Rex set sail, leaving the land engulfed in endless conflict behind. As the ship disappeared beyond the horizon, the temporary ceasefire in the warring nation crumbled, and battle resumed, as if peace had never been an option.
Perhaps, in a land known as the Country of Endless Wars, conflict was all its people knew.
---
Half a Month Later – The Growth of the Crew
It had been over two weeks since they left the war-torn country. In that time, Barrett's strength had grown at an astonishing rate through daily training.
He wasn't the only one. The entire crew trained relentlessly, using an area created by Lily's Cloud-Cloud Fruit. Five floating Island Clouds, each about one square kilometer in size, served as their personal training ground.
On one of the clouds, Gnaly and Brook—both swordsmen—clashed in an intense sparring match. It was less of a fight and more of a lesson, with the more experienced Gnaly mentoring Brook.
Nearby, Brad and Hades battled fiercely. Brad, a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user, relied on brute strength, while Hades, a skilled Fish-Man Karate user, manipulated the surrounding water vapor Lily had condensed to aid his techniques. Their duels were evenly matched, each pushing the other to their limits.
Further away, Yakexi and Wei Na exchanged blows, testing their respective martial arts—boxing versus kick-based combat. Meanwhile, Regina faced off against Arnold, her mastery of daggers and throwing knives proving to be a challenge for Arnold, who specialized in long-range firearm combat.
Arnold, however, struggled in close combat. Once Regina closed the distance, he had little room to retaliate. This flaw was glaringly evident as he continuously lost their matches.
"Tsk, this is frustrating! Regina, if I could've kept my distance, the outcome might have been different!" Arnold grumbled after another defeat.
Regina wiped the sweat from her brow and smirked. "That's just it—if you could've. But battles don't always go your way."
Caesar, who had been observing, stepped forward. "Regina is right. As pirates, we don't fight under ideal conditions. Arnold, as a sniper, close combat is your weakness. The enemy will try to close the gap—you need to be prepared for that."
Arnold sighed, laying on his back. "I know... but improving my close combat skills isn't easy. I just don't have a way to handle it effectively."
Caesar paused, deep in thought. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he used his Devil Fruit power to retrieve several chunks of metal from the ship's storage. He molded and refined them with his psychic abilities, shaping them into something new.
Within seconds, four weapons materialized—two short-barreled pistols with attached blades, a high-powered assault rifle, and a long-range sniper rifle.
Arnold's eyes widened. "Are these... guns? I've never seen designs like this before!"
Caesar handed them over. "Try them out."
Eager, Arnold grabbed the sniper rifle, aimed at a distant cloud, and pulled the trigger.
BOOM!
A deafening gunshot echoed across the sky. A powerful muzzle flash burst from the barrel, and in the next instant, the white cloud in the distance had a gaping hole through it.
Arnold stared at the weapon, his hands still tingling from the recoil. His excitement was palpable.
"These guns... they're incredible!" Arnold exclaimed, quickly testing the others. The rapid-fire assault rifle, the agile pistols—each had power and precision unlike anything he'd ever used before.
Caesar smirked. "These are just prototypes. They'll wear out quickly, so modify them as you see fit. Once you've perfected the design, I'll create better versions using high-quality materials."
Arnold barely heard him. He was already too absorbed in examining the weapons, modifying them to suit his needs.
Soon, the rest of the crew, having witnessed the raw power of the firearms, grew interested as well.
"Caesar! Make me one too!" Lily exclaimed, eyes gleaming.
Caesar chuckled. "If you want one, get Arnold to help design it. Everyone's grip, arm strength, and fighting style are different, so the guns need to be customized."
With that, everyone flocked to Arnold, each requesting a weapon tailored to their specifications. Arnold, despite his usual laid-back nature, threw himself into the task with enthusiasm.
By the following day, Arnold had completed the modifications. Caesar then used high-strength alloys to create the final versions—firearms built to withstand the harshest of battles.
With their new weapons in hand, the Caesar Pirates' strength had taken yet another leap forward.
And as always, the Rex continued its journey across the vast sea, carrying its ever-growing legend forward.
Subscribe to Patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters