"Despite all the time I've lived, this is the first time I've witnessed such terrible power and such an unreal event!" Dr. Kureha exclaimed with a sigh, before taking a swig from her liquor bottle. Her gaze fell upon the fruit basket Sebas Tian was holding.
Among all the fruits, two had a peculiar shape. It wasn't something that went unnoticed, and Kureha wasn't an idiot; she knew those two Devil Fruits belonged to Wapol and his brother.
"Sigh… I was wondering why your butler was carrying a fruit basket on the way here," she said with a mocking smile. "It seems you had this all planned out. In fact, you can obtain Devil Fruits by killing their owners… now that's magic, and certainly something that has never happened before in history."
Dr. Kureha took a long swig from her liquor bottle and then looked at Rody with a mixture of curiosity and bewilderment. She thought, "Well... I really don't know what changes this guy will bring to the world, but it'll be interesting to watch."
"Oh well," she said, shrugging with a smile, "those aren't things I should be worried about. Those who should be worried are the ones in power at the World Government... they might soon have problems because of your arrival, hahaha."
Kureha took another sip from the bottle as she pondered with her usual indifference.
"With the power Lord Rody has demonstrated, defeating Crocodile shouldn't be a problem... But the fifteen billion berries that Alabasta will have to pay afterward will certainly be a major headache."
"Although... Alabasta could raise that sum relatively easily, the resettlement efforts and aid to the citizens affected by the long drought and civil war will put a heavy strain on the kingdom's coffers." Vivi sighed, frowning, as these worries swirled in her mind.
"Wow! That was way too exaggerated and incredible! Captain, you're the strongest. No one should be able to stand up to you now." Bumblebee looked at Rody in admiration, his headlights flashing with admiration, remembering that scene where he expanded his domain and literally changed the entire map of the place.
"Hahaha… Since the captain is so strong, as one of his most important people, I can walk around freely here, right?" Bumblebee asked, trembling with excitement, little stars spinning in his headlights.
"Hmmm… whatever," Rody replied with complete disdain, without even looking at him.
"FANTASTIC!" Bee shouted, throwing his arms up and starting to dance with ridiculously exaggerated movements, waving his hands and feet like he was at a party.
"Me too, me too!" Leo and José exclaimed, reacting instantly. Upon hearing Bumblebee, they snapped out of their shock and joined the dance, twirling and jumping as if the epic battle of just moments before had never happened.
"What a bunch of idiots," Rody thought, watching Leo, Jose, and Bee's ridiculous dance.
STEPS
"Sir Rody, your power is truly unparalleled," Sebas Tian said, approaching with a firm step, respectfully taking the Devil Fruits from the basket, and handing them to Rody with a bow.
Rody took Wapol's Baku Baku Fruit and the other one, shaped like a mushroom, which belonged to the pink-haired type. He held them in his hands, squeezing them lightly; at that moment, he could feel the dense pulp beneath the shell, as if they were bursting with incredible juiciness.
Even so, despite all this, he knew that these things were never good, no matter how appetizing they looked.
"By the way... could there be a Logia-type Devil Fruit, like the 'man shit' type or something?" Rody thought, frowning curiously. "It should be possible, right?"
A smile spread across his face. It didn't seem like such a crazy idea; this world was so absurd and magical that anything could exist.
He shook his head inwardly and stopped thinking about "that shit," turning to face Bumblebee, who was still dancing like an idiot next to Leo and José.
"Okay, stop making a fool of yourself," Rody said dryly. "Bee, it's time for you to become the most important one under my command. Come here… and eat this Devil Fruit."
Upon hearing Rody call him, Bumblebee stopped his dance and excitedly ran toward him.
When he arrived, his headlights flashed with curiosity at the sight of the Baku Baku Fruit in Rody's hand.
Rody watched it intently. At that moment, a shadowy hole slowly opened beneath his feet, and the darkness began to ripple like a living liquid.
Without taking his eyes off Bee, Rody threw the other Devil Fruit he was holding directly into the portal, sending it plummeting into his shadow storage. Afterward, the shadow portal closed and vanished without a trace.
Bee frowned and said bitterly, "I-is this the Devil Fruit? Why does it look like a piranha? It certainly doesn't look appetizing… Why don't you give it to Butler Sebas, Captain? Since he came all the way to Drum Island just for this fruit, its power and value must be immense. Besides… Captain, Butler Sebas has never eaten a Devil Fruit before, has he?" There shouldn't be a problem, right? His tone was nervous, as if he were seriously debating whether or not to eat it.
"Bee, if Lord Rody asked you to eat this Devil Fruit, he must have his reasons," Sebas Tian said with a slight smile.
"Without a doubt, Sebas is right," Rody added calmly. This fruit isn't suitable for him. In fact, no one on our ship is... except you. Didn't you complain that you could only drink motor oil and not eat our food? Now you have your chance. The decision is yours; I won't force you.
Bee looked at him in surprise as Rody added in a tempting voice,
"Eat this Devil Fruit and you'll not only be able to enjoy our food... but also anything you desire."
...
"Is that true, Captain?!" Bee exclaimed, his car's headlights flashing with excitement. "I only said that as a playful complaint; I didn't expect the captain to remember it and take it seriously! As expected... I'm his favorite, he even worries about my captain, waaah!"
Rody's lips trembled, and he was speechless at Bee's nonsense. In the end, he said nothing and waited for Bee to make his own decision.
Bumblebee scratched his head, took the Baku Baku No Mi, from Rody's hands, looked at it with a gleam of excitement and anticipation… and swallowed it in one gulp, eager to finally taste all that delicious food he'd always dreamed of.
…
"So, Bee? What's it like to eat a Devil Fruit?" Rody asked curiously, even though he knew this thing tasted like "crap." Still, he wanted to ask; after all, he was really curious.
"Yeah, what's the texture like, Bee? We haven't tried it yet. Is it as bad as the rumors say?" Everyone looked at Bumblebee curiously, especially Carmen, Leo, and José, who were straining to listen carefully.
Bee touched his chin, thought for a moment, and then said slowly, "How to put it…? It's… a very strange feeling. I don't know how to describe it."
"Tsk," they all sighed, disappointed. After all, Bee hadn't said much.
Carmen, still not giving up, stared intently at Bublebee and asked curiously, "Bee, think about it. The Devil Fruit is worth at least one hundred million Bells. If you eat something that expensive, it must taste magical."
Bee touched his chin and, after a few minutes of deep thought, spoke slowly:
"How to put it...? It's... a very strange feeling. I don't know how to describe it."
"Huh? What kind of description is that, Bee?" they all said in unison, their faces adorned with bewilderment.
Carmen, still reluctant, stared at him and asked again, not wanting to give up yet:
"Bee, think about it carefully. The Devil Fruit is worth at least one hundred million Bells! If you eat something that expensive, it must surely taste magical, right?"
...
Bee rubbed his chin again, squinting as if trying to "taste with his mind" every nuance of the fruit. He meditated for several minutes, rocking slightly on his rear wheel, as if each thought needed time to settle.
Finally, he spoke with a sigh:
"The taste is... truly magical, without a doubt. But no matter how much I think about it, I don't know how to describe it to you. After all, I'm a motorcycle. I usually only feed on gasoline. Unlike you humans, who can eat so many delicious things and enjoy a wide variety of flavors, I don't have that privilege. I always taste the same thing... always gasoline, so, as far as flavors go, I don't know how to describe it."
Upon hearing this, Carmen, Leo, and José felt utterly dejected, and a sad silence fell over them. After all, as chefs, they were always curious about all sorts of flavors, and even the most repulsive ones would undoubtedly try them just to satisfy their curiosity.
But Bee couldn't give them any more details, so they were certainly somewhat disappointed.
However, Bee wasn't finished. His headlights began to glow with enthusiasm, and his voice took on a tone of pride and overflowing energy:
"But that's over from now on, muahaha! Although I can't describe the flavor exactly, the Devil Fruit is, without a doubt... a truly magical object! After tasting it, I knew immediately that I can now eat anything... anything! Hahaha..." Bee spun around, raising a wheel in the air as if celebrating a triumph, and continued:
"From now on, I won't have to look at you with envy while you enjoy your delicious meals!" "I won't have to hide in a corner drinking gasoline like an outcast anymore... because now I can eat anything!" Bread, meat, sweets... anything! Muahahaha...!
Leo and José exchanged a look that was both astonished and amused, while Carmen couldn't help but sigh, a mixture of frustration and tenderness. Although disappointed, she was happy for her biker friend.
"Well..." Carmen murmured. "I think our friend is finally happy... although the way he says it is... a little exaggerated."
"What the hell?! You call someone else an exaggerator, when you're the very definition of exaggeration," Rody thought, speechless.
Bee jumped for joy, spinning around, his headlights flashing like party lights, as he exclaimed:
"That's right! I'm Bumblebee, the gluttonous motorcycle in the world! And now nothing will stop me! I'll eat whatever I want!" Ha ha ha!
The group watched the small motorized vehicle dance and celebrate, its wheels spinning in circles. Although they didn't fully understand its enthusiasm, they couldn't help but smile at their companion's pure, absurd joy.
"Well, whatever… we'll talk about it later," Rody interrupted, a hint of impatience in his voice. "Bee, tell me about the abilities you've acquired." His eyes sparkled with curiosity as he gave instructions, eager to see what Bee was capable of. After all, even though this guy was a bit of a simpleton, he was anything but.
"Alright, Captain," Bee began enthusiastically. "After eating the Devil Fruit, I instinctively knew I could eat anything and turn it into part of my body, or even synthesize it into something completely new. I could even eat myself, reassemble myself, and improve myself!"
Rody watched him calmly, a flicker of interest in his eyes.
"Alright, try something with that first, and then we'll see what you're capable of," he said, gesturing to the castle ruins he had deliberately left undisturbed for this very moment.
"Since you insist, I'll do it, Captain! Even though I know I can eat this, it feels weird when I have to," Bumblebee said in an odd tone as he walked toward the castle ruins.
Standing before the rubble, Bee's mechanical mouth, though he didn't usually use it for speech, was clearly shaped like a mouth.
Suddenly, to everyone's astonishment, it flew open, reaching the size of a sink.
Swooosh!
With a metallic roar, he began devouring the castle ruins scattered across the ground, crushing stones and wood with an insatiable appetite.
Chew!
Chew!
Dust billowed in clouds as Bee tested her newfound abilities, and debris vanished one by one into her mouth like mere crumbs. Leo, José, and Carmen couldn't help but take a few steps back, their eyes wide with surprise.
"Wow…!" Carmen whispered. "This… this is truly incredible…"
Bee, meanwhile, ignored everyone's astonished stares, emitting a soft, satisfied hum as she continued devouring the terrain, savoring each "bite" with a mixture of excitement and pride.
"Look at me, look at me, I'm a genius!!" Bee thought enthusiastically.
"What do you think? Isn't it incredible? Want me to find you a Devil Fruit?" Rody asked Nami, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close as he watched Bumblebee devour the castle ruins.
"It's truly amazing, but if I end up looking like Bee, no way! I prefer being the way I am now!" Nami replied, glancing with disgust at Bumblebee's gaping mouth as he devoured everything in sight, while simultaneously snuggling even closer to Rody.
"Hahaha, how is that possible? Even if you don't want to eat it, I won't accept it. I've already thought of a Devil Fruit that would suit you," Rody replied, ruffling Nami's hair.
"Bad boy!" Nami pouted and muttered in dissatisfaction.
"I'm not going to eat it." While Rody and the others were talking, Bumblebee had already devoured all the ruins, and his body had grown enormously, with a metallic sheen reflecting his newfound strength.
"What do you think, Bee? You ate the whole castle!" Rody asked, intrigued. "Besides your huge body, do you notice any other changes?"
"Hahaha, Captain," Bee replied enthusiastically, "besides growing, I feel like my body has become much stronger."
"Oh, really?" Rody asked. "Alright, let's see what you can do after eating so much," Rody said, looking at Bee with gleaming eyes, while the others watched expectantly.
"No problem, Captain. Don't be surprised... hahaha!" Bee said, his voice full of excitement and energy.
"Super Motorcycle Factory!"
Suddenly, inside Bee, metallic pieces began to assemble, transforming into new arms, wheels, and other mechanical reinforcements. Bee glowed as if awakening a completely new power. Everyone watched, eyes wide with anticipation, as the motorcycle rearranged itself.
Bumblebee was incredibly excited, and suddenly his enormous body transformed, revealing a large door on one side. The door flew open, and out appeared a huge, gleaming green SUV with a design completely unfamiliar to those present.
"Wow!" Leo and José exclaimed in unison, touching and examining the new vehicle with enthusiasm. "Bee, wow, this car is…" Incredible, we've never seen anything like it!
Nami and the others watched intently, amazed. While cars existed in the world of One Piece, modern vehicles were practically unknown on the Grand Line, except on a few very wealthy islands where some quite good cars could be found.
However, while the Grand Line boasted more advanced cars, the cars in the East Blue, for example, were mostly old models from the previous century. It was no wonder Nami and the others were so surprised. They had never seen anything so advanced and powerful, except on Egghead. A car like this was, without a doubt, something never before seen on the entire Grand Line.
"Hehe, I built this off-road vehicle based on a friend of mine from my world named Shockwave," Bee said proudly.
"Wow, so… you'll also be able to build the Thunderbolt sports car and the supersonic fighter jet you told us about?" Leo asked, remembering the stories Bee used to tell about his world full of mechs.
"Of course," Bee replied enthusiastically. "Besides sports cars and planes, I can build all kinds of weapons and equipment, and even upgrade existing models."
"I also discovered that the alloys I use for these vehicles are much harder than ordinary metals. And not only that: they possess a memory function, which allows them to repair themselves after sustaining damage."
"Haha… I called this special alloy Memory Alloy. What do you think? Sounds cool, right?" Bumblebee exclaimed, beaming with pride and excitement.
Rody nodded, satisfied, very pleased with Bee's performance. He knew that this guy, although a bit slow, wasn't just anyone, even if the name of the new alloy, Wapol, was certainly somewhat redundant. But those were minor matters at the moment; a smile of anticipation spread across his face.
"Awesome! It seems that in the future we'll be able to drive all kinds of vehicles. Bee, show us what you're capable of!" Leo and José exclaimed, their eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Hehe… it's good for you to know that my ability is truly powerful. Don't blink, because a surprise awaits you! I'm going to show you something even more incredible!" Bumblebee replied with complete confidence, as the all-terrain vehicle seemed to radiate its own energy, ready for the demonstration.