After tossing the Devil Fruit away, Ron took several steps back. He watched closely as the black mist writhed weakly, then finally disintegrated into nothingness. Only then did he exhale in relief and return to his normal vision.
From his physical perspective, the fruit he had thrown was no longer vibrant and strange but gray and decayed, as though it had rotted in seconds. When the last trace of the black mist dispersed, the entire Devil Fruit melted away, breaking into tiny motes of dust that vanished into the air.
"Just as I thought, no ability," Ron murmured, clenching his fist and shaking his head.
When his spirit had devoured the fruit's energy, he had already suspected that the process wouldn't transform his body. Now he was certain. The power inside the Devil Fruit hadn't merged with his flesh at all—it had been consumed entirely by his spirit.
He closed his eyes briefly, sensing the change within himself. His spirit had grown stronger—about five points stronger, by his estimation.
Opening the achievement system, he scanned the panel again. No new abilities appeared, confirming his suspicion. He let out a slow breath, both disappointed and satisfied.
Five points. Not much at first glance, yet still significant.
For someone whose Spirit stat had already reached seventy, such growth was far from small. A single fruit granting five points of spiritual power was astonishing. In fact, it was far better than he could have hoped for.
A grin touched his lips. "Five points per fruit… that's not small at all."
If he could gain strength from every Devil Fruit he found, then this world had just handed him a new path forward. Devil Fruits were plentiful across the seas, and the curse that limited others—the inability to swim, the "sea's hatred"—no longer applied to him.
That black mist was the curse itself, and his spiritual absorption bypassed it completely.
In theory, he could devour an unlimited number of fruits. Twenty or thirty fruits could mean over a hundred extra Spirit points. The potential was staggering.
Still, the gain was modest for a reason. He quickly deduced why.
Devil Fruits weren't raw energy stores. They were conduits, similar to the Eternal Runes, combining unique power with a trace of curse. Their true strength depended on the wielder, not the fruit's energy.
The fruit's energy alone was limited—it was only a special vessel, an incomplete eternal rune holding a tiny fraction of power.
"No matter. It's another route to growth," Ron said, smiling as he placed his recently earned achievement point into Spirit as well.
Including the fruit's bonus, his Spirit had reached seventy-six—forty-nine from achievements, five from the magic mark, and twenty-two from his own cultivation.
"Just one more achievement point to reach fifty," he muttered, glancing at the profession interface.
He suspected the next rune draw would unlock at fifty, maybe fifty-five. Probably fifty.
At this stage, progress through study alone was painfully slow. His research into third-tier magic had stalled—days of effort barely advanced him one percent. Even after all this time, he'd only explored about five percent of its structure.
As for the Guardian runes, he hadn't even begun.
If he relied solely on meditation and rune research, his power would stagnate for months. The draw system, however, could break that plateau. Any new magic, even something as simple as Earth or Water, would still be a real upgrade.
On the far shore, a ship bobbed gently in the waves. Nami stood on deck, eyes narrowed at the island ahead, worry creasing her brow.
Ron had flown there earlier, telling her to stay ready in case they needed to leave fast. She hadn't argued; she couldn't help much in battle anyway, and with Ron's flight ability, he could return instantly if something went wrong.
Still, half a day had passed.
Had something happened?
Just as she debated whether to move closer, a figure appeared in the sky.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's go."
Ron landed lightly on deck, calling out casually.
Nami gave a small pout as she moved to the helm. "You took your sweet time. What happened?"
"Ran into someone unexpected," Ron said, adjusting the sails with a flick of his hand. "A strong one. The fight took a while."
With his mind, he pulled the anchor up and loosened the ropes. Though Nami was the navigator, Ron had already learned enough about ships to manage the basics himself. To someone with a mind like his, knowledge came easily—be it navigation or magic.
"I figured as much," Nami replied. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have been gone so long. So, did you get it?"
Ron smiled. "Got it. I ate it."
"…You what?"
She blinked in surprise. "You ate a Devil Fruit? Did anything happen? I heard people who eat them can't swim anymore."
"Curse, huh?" Ron shrugged. "I'm a mage. Curses don't stick to me. Well, to be precise, I didn't really eat it. I absorbed its energy, used it to strengthen my magic."
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