"A rare Devil Fruit?"
Hearing these words, Coby and Helmeppo nervously swallowed. Their eyes sparkled with anticipation as they waited for him to continue.
Hyaku extended his right hand behind his back. With a thought, he retrieved the Ryu Ryu no Mi from his system panel and presented it before them.
"Is this the rare Devil Fruit you mentioned, Captain Hyaku?"
With his permission, Coby and Helmeppo took turns examining the Ryu Ryu no Mi. Like Hyaku when he first saw it, they both looked at it with confusion.
"Captain Hyaku, what type of Logia Devil Fruit is this?" Helmeppo asked, instinctively assuming that a rare fruit must be a powerful Logia type.
"It's not a Logia Devil Fruit." Hyaku shook his head, "This is a Zoan-type Ryu Ryu no Mi. Ancient species, Pteranodon form."
He shared the information the system had provided him.
"Although Ancient species aren't as valuable as Mythical species, they're still quite rare. The benefit of a Devil Fruit is that it grants you tremendous power in a short time. In exchange, you'll become a hammer in water. Of course, if you're unwilling, I won't force you. It's your personal choice."
Hyaku had his own ulterior motives for wanting either Coby or Helmeppo to eat the Ryu Ryu no Mi.
It would quickly enhance their personal strength, and in turn, Hyaku would receive the corresponding reward for training loyal subordinates.
However, he had no intention of forcing them. Whether to eat it or not was entirely their decision.
Hearing his words, Coby and Helmeppo exchanged glances. Both fell silent as they weighed the pros and cons.
After a long while, Coby's gaze became determined, seeming to have reached a decision.
Just as he was about to raise his hand to tell Hyaku he didn't want to borrow power from the Devil Fruit, Helmeppo interrupted him.
"Captain Hyaku! I've decided! Give me that Ryu Ryu no Mi!" He exclaimed.
Hearing this, Coby looked at him with surprise.
"I know my own limitations. I don't want to hold you back. I'm willing to pay the price if it means getting stronger!" Helmeppo declared.
His father was the former Marine Captain "Axe-Hand" Morgan.
Morgan's past misdeeds had always weighed heavily on Helmeppo. The Marines of 188th Branch were also reluctant to accept him.
To change his situation, he needed to become stronger — strong enough to silence others. This was why he had been working so hard.
Now with the opportunity to eat a Devil Fruit, Helmeppo couldn't pass it up.
"Are you sure about this?" Hyaku asked, aware of his past experiences.
"I'm certain! I'll eat it!" Helmeppo nodded firmly.
"Very good. Rest assured, following me, you'll become far stronger than you are now." Hyaku said with satisfaction.
He handed the Ryu Ryu no Mi to Helmeppo.
Gulp!
Helmeppo steeled himself and took a bite.
"It tastes terrible!" He frowned while chewing the Devil Fruit flesh.
Although Devil Fruits could transform a person's body, their taste was nothing to write home about.
Soon, Helmeppo had consumed the entire Ryu Ryu no Mi.
Buzz!
His eyes widened dramatically as his body began to tremble uncontrollably. A powerful energy awakened within him.
Crack, Crack, Crack, Crack—
Then, Helmeppo's body began to change.
His thin frame convulsed as flesh writhed wildly. His body expanded visibly in size. His skin turned grayish-brown and grew peculiar scales while his bones twisted and deformed beneath.
Roar!!
Finally, Helmeppo transformed into a massive grayish-brown pteranodon.
The creature immediately let out a piercing cry to the sky.
"What's happening?!"
Alarmed by the sudden beast roar, nearby Marine soldiers rushed over with rifles drawn.
"What is that?"
"A dragon? A pteranodon?"
Upon seeing Helmeppo's transformed state, they exclaimed in surprise. Some even instinctively aimed their rifles at him.
Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh!
Helmeppo flapped his massive wings forcefully, creating gusts of wind that sent the approaching Marines scattering in all directions.
In the same motion, he soared into the sky.
"There's no need to worry. He's one of us." Hyaku explained with a smile.
"One... one of us?"
The Marine soldiers looked at him in confusion.
"Captain Hyaku... what should we..."
"If there's nothing else, you can withdraw." Hyaku said, dismissively waving his hand.
"Yes, sir!"
The Marine soldiers acknowledged.
After glancing up once more at the pteranodon flying somewhat awkwardly overhead, they obediently withdrew.
Whoosh!
Shortly after the Marines left, the pteranodon descended from its circling heights and landed in front of Hyaku.
"Captain Hyaku! I can feel power surging through my entire body!" Helmeppo's voice emerged from the pteranodon's mouth.
"That's natural." Hyaku gave him a sidelong glance.
The transformation from human to giant pteranodon had completely altered his body structure.
How could his strength possibly remain the same?
"With practice, you'll soon master the fruit's abilities." Hyaku added.
"Yes, sir!" Helmeppo acknowledged, "By the way, Captain Hyaku, how do I change back?"
He had just posed a critical question.
"..." Hyaku's expression turned awkward, "I've never eaten a Devil Fruit either, so you'll have to figure out the transformation method yourself. If all else fails, I could beat you up."
He added the joke to lighten the mood.
All Zoan-type Devil Fruit users automatically revert to their original form once their power depletes or if they sustain serious injuries.
Hyaku figured that if necessary, he could simply give Helmeppo a good thrashing to force the transformation.
"No, no, no! I couldn't survive more than a few hits from you!" Helmeppo shook his head frantically.
A beating from the Captain?
Helmeppo had witnessed Hyaku's strength firsthand. What if the Captain couldn't control his power and left him crippled?
"I'll figure it out myself!" Helmeppo quickly told Hyaku.
Then he flapped his wings and soared into the sky.
✣✣✣
T/N: Favorite, comment and save to your library of best reads in the world, thank you for reading this far!
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