At this point, Whitebeard paused, seemingly recalling the countless battles of his past.
Then he turned toward Jozu, his tone becoming even more resolute.
"But you’ll be fine. The Diamond-Diamond Fruit grants you unparalleled durability, a body as hard as diamond itself."
"In that case, the backlash caused by the Tremor-Tremor Fruit can almost be ignored."
"Your physique is strong enough to withstand it."
Jozu’s eyes immediately lit up at Pops’ praise.
"Hahahaha! Thanks, Pops!"
Nearby, Vista ("Flower Sword" Vista) had gone red-eyed with envy after witnessing the Tremor-Tremor Fruit’s overwhelming destructive power.
"My turn! My turn!"
"..."
The atmosphere was absolutely frenzied.
However, no one fought over the fruits.
The reason was simple.
Everyone would eventually get their chance.
What followed was the remaining single-fruit enchantment process.
After a long period of testing, all the Enchanted Devil Fruits had finally been distributed and consumed.
The final result:
Eight successful Tremor-Tremor Fruit Users.
The outcome wasn’t exceptionally good, but it certainly wasn’t bad either.
Ron had estimated seven successes, so getting eight was already a pleasant surprise.
Everyone did their best to suppress their excitement.
They couldn’t keep fooling around here.
With so many newly empowered Devil Fruit Users gathered in one place, Ron’s Research Facility would probably be demolished within minutes.
"Gurarararara! Brats, go find somewhere quiet and get used to your new powers. Let Ron rest."
After Whitebeard spoke, the crowd once again expressed their gratitude toward Ron.
Some even knelt down to thank him.
Without Ron, many of them would have remained ordinary pirates for their entire lives.
They would never have obtained Devil Fruit powers.
Much less powers on the same level as Whitebeard’s legendary Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
To them, Ron had practically given them a second life.
That bow of gratitude was more than deserved.
Marco walked over and casually draped an arm around Ace’s shoulder.
Raising his right fist slightly, he activated his newly acquired Tremor-Tremor Fruit power.
A translucent spherical force field instantly enveloped his hand.
"Ace, want to test it out?" Marco teased.
"Hmph."
Ace shot him a dissatisfied look.
"Marco, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit’s attack power may be incredible, but my Flame-Flame Fruit isn’t weak either. You really want to compare?"
During the earlier enchantment process, Whitebeard had actually suggested that Ace try obtaining Tremor-Tremor Fruit powers as well.
Ace had refused without hesitation.
The reason was simple.
The Flame-Flame Fruit wasn’t just another Devil Fruit to him.
It was a companion that had accompanied him through countless days and nights, through life-and-death battles and endless hardships.
Ever since he began his journey as a pirate, it was the power of flames that had repeatedly helped him overcome impossible situations.
Whenever danger appeared, those blazing flames had carried him through.
Again and again.
Without the Flame-Flame Fruit, there would be no Portgas D. Ace standing here today.
To him, that bond had long surpassed mere dependence.
It was something closer to a connection between souls.
More importantly, Ace’s entire fighting style revolved around his mastery of fire.
Switching to another Devil Fruit ability would mean rebuilding everything from scratch.
He would lose the advantages he had spent years developing.
Because of that, Ace had never considered abandoning the Flame-Flame Fruit.
That was why, while everyone else eagerly sought Tremor-Tremor Fruit powers, he had remained on the sidelines without the slightest hesitation.
"Of course I do."
Marco grinned.
"Relax. With my Phoenix Powers, I definitely won’t accidentally kill you."
Ace immediately slapped Marco’s arm off his shoulder.
"Fine. Let’s do it."
"My Flame-Flame Fruit is going to make you suffer."
"Hahaha! We’ll see about that!"
The moment everyone heard that the two were about to fight, their interest exploded.
The surrounding pirates quickly followed after them.
Watching a battle between two Division Commanders was exciting enough.
Who knew? They might even learn a trick or two.
Soon, everyone had left.
The area finally grew quiet.
Ron returned to his room and sat alone in a reclining chair.
Closing his eyes, he focused inward.
A familiar system panel appeared in his mind.
[Congratulations! Mission Completed!]
[Rewards Issued:]
[1. New Technology Unlocked: Devil Fruit Replication Technology]
[2. Martial Technique: Heaven-Splitting Draw Sword Technique]
[3. Armament Haki Automatic Training]
"The system really went all out this time."
Excitement flashed through Ron’s eyes.
As he reviewed the rewards, streams of warm energy surged through his body.
The energy flowed through every limb, filling him with strength.
At that moment, it felt as though both Haki and martial techniques had become second nature.
Still, he forced himself to calm down.
Research first.
Celebrate later.
A short while later, Ron opened his eyes.
Shock filled his expression.
Taking a deep breath, he muttered:
"This new technology is ridiculous."
"Devil Fruit Replication Technology can perfectly copy another Devil Fruit User’s abilities."
"And that so-called drawback isn’t even a drawback."
"It simply replaces your existing ability."
"How is that a disadvantage?"
"If someone originally has a useless Devil Fruit, replacing it with a stronger one is practically a direct path to greatness."
Ron’s gaze shifted toward the second reward.
The newly acquired martial technique.
Heaven-Splitting Draw Sword Technique.
Its description was absurdly simple.
Just six words:
"Capable of splitting the heavens and shattering the galaxy."
"That’s ridiculously brief."
"Then again, from experience, the stronger the technique, the simpler the description."
Ron slowly raised his right hand.
Bringing his fingers together, he casually traced a line through the air.
At that moment, an indescribable power began stirring within his body.
As his focus sharpened, the energy rapidly condensed.
Eventually, it transformed into a phantom sword aura.
The sword aura appeared nearly transparent.
Yet the sharpness radiating from it sent chills down his spine.
It wasn’t merely powerful.
It carried a terrifying killing intent.
As though a single swing could sever everything standing before it.
As time passed, the sword aura became increasingly solid.
What had begun as a vague outline gradually transformed into something resembling a genuine blade suspended in midair.
Its power continued to grow with every passing second.
But such power came at a cost.
Maintaining this highly condensed energy sword consumed tremendous amounts of stamina and mental strength.
The longer it remained active, the faster Ron’s energy drained away.
Beads of sweat gradually appeared on his forehead.
He immediately realized the weakness of the technique.
If he failed to finish his opponent quickly, he would likely fall into an unprecedented state of exhaustion afterward.
Using this move required extreme caution.
He would need to maximize its effectiveness while ensuring his own survival.
A slow smile appeared on Ron’s face.
"Looks like I just gained another trump card for staying alive."