Chapter 14: It's Better To Explain Clearly
He wasn't an old man like Whitebeard, whose body was so ravaged that even moving had become a burden. Dino Maxim was young and active, his body brimming with strength that needed occasional release.
The constant growth of power felt exhilarating. As a Devil Fruit user, he had a clear goal: awakening. Devil Fruit users could achieve higher levels of ability through continuous development of their powers.
He recalled carefully that the abilities used by Whitebeard and Blackbeard with the Tremor-Tremor Fruit didn't seem to differ much except in raw power. That made sense since Blackbeard had only just obtained the fruit during the war. Whitebeard hadn't shown any signs of awakening during that battle either.
Without a clear direction, Dino had no roadmap for developing his Devil Fruit to awakening. He'd have to figure it out on his own.
Different types of Devil Fruits produced different effects when awakened. Zoan types gained amazing recovery power, allowing users to stand back up even after near-fatal injuries. Paramecia types could affect things beyond the user's own body. The Tremor-Tremor Fruit, being the strongest Paramecia-class Devil Fruit, had immense potential.
Dino sat cross-legged on a large boulder, deep in thought while his body emitted weak vibrations. To his perception, tremors weren't just simple waves but had dimension: points, lines, and planes. Each had its own form. The magnitude of power and range were all controllable, and mastering this control was his current focus.
Sound was another avenue. Sound itself was a form of vibration, which meant it could be weaponized.
"BOOM!" The ground shook violently, sending birds and beasts scattering in panic through the forest.
"Damn! Too much power! Again!"
"BOOM!"
"Again!"
After refining his abilities, Dino turned to physical training. There was truth in the old saying that your body is your foundation. After searching through Fairy Tail's library, he'd actually found some useful training manuals.
They were physical conditioning guides, not grimoires. Only about ten percent of people in this world possessed the magical container needed to use magic. Some without magic had created these training methods to compete with mages on more equal footing.
The results were mixed at best. Only mercenaries and close-combat mages bothered with such training.
Using Devil Fruit abilities also demanded tremendous physical stamina. The stronger his body, the longer he could fight. After all, not every enemy went down in one hit.
As for magic, Dino wasn't sure if he belonged to the lucky ten percent or the other ninety. After he'd woken up in this world and eaten the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, its power had settled deep within his body.
The Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power was overwhelming. Even if he'd originally possessed a magical container, it had either been shattered or suppressed beyond use. Either way, he couldn't learn any magic. Dreams of wielding magic in one hand and tremor power in the other were just that: dreams. The upside was that he could focus entirely on developing his fruit abilities.
In a remote, abandoned city within the Kingdom of Fiore, a young man who appeared eighteen or nineteen walked down the street. Black-haired and handsome with striking purple eyes, he wore a dark coat emblazoned with the Fairy Tail guild mark. This was Dino Maxim, who had found himself in the world of Fairy Tail.
Abandoned cities like this weren't uncommon in Fiore, though they weren't everywhere either.
Most had been destroyed by monster attacks or other catastrophes. Rather than rebuild, the residents relocated. While most people left, some remained, either too stubborn to go or seeing opportunity in the chaos. These cities existed in a state of near-anarchy. Only two or three people walked the streets, mostly thugs and gangsters.
Why call them gangsters? The excessive metal rings piercing their noses, ears, and lips made it obvious. The sneers on their faces practically screamed "I'm a bad guy."
"Excuse me," Dino approached a group of them. "The Dark Guild called Phoenix Guild should be in this city, right?"
"That's right. Who's asking?" The thugs paused, momentarily surprised. They'd been considering whether to make a move, and here their target had walked right up to them.
"Me? I'm a good person."
Hearing this, the group burst into laughter. "A good person? Hahaha! Well then, good person, how about helping us out? We're a bit short on cash right now, so hand over everything you've got."
The gangsters surrounded Dino openly on the street. Anyone asking about a Dark Guild must be there to request a job, which meant money. Possibly a lot of it.
Dino remained calm. "Is this a robbery?"
"Kid, some things don't need to be spelled out so clearly." They grinned maliciously.
Dino's expression turned serious. "No, some things are better explained clearly."
"Fine! Yeah, we're robbing you!"
Dino smiled. "Oh! You should've just said so. That makes things simple."
"Listen up, brat! Hand over the money now, or don't blame us for what happens next. People die in this city all the time, you know." The gangsters pulled out daggers.
The air rippled.
BANG BANG BANG!
"Gah!" Their bodies jerked as if struck by an invisible hammer, and they all flew backward with screams.
"What the hell just happened?!" The gangsters sprawled on the ground, completely bewildered.
"Alright then." Dino's smile didn't reach his eyes. "If you don't want things to get dangerous, hand over everything valuable you've got. You know, it's normal for a few people to die in this city."