The pirate now lay weakly at the water’s edge, while the vines and branches that had bound the others had completely disappeared.
Only now did everyone realize that what Nero had said was true.
The pirate lying in the seawater could do nothing but glare angrily.
He no longer even had the strength to speak.
Nero slowly walked over.
Worried that the pirate might regain his abilities once the water receded, he immediately ordered the burly men who had just been freed,
“Kick him back into the sea.
I saved this bastard, and he actually wanted to eat me?
What a piece of trash…”
Without hesitation, the guards grabbed the pirate by his arms and legs and threw him into deeper water.
Now that there was nothing to worry about, Nero stepped into the shallows as well.
A sinister smile appeared on his face as he looked at those behind him.
“Bring me my fruit plate.
And a knife.”
“Lord Nero, let me handle this kind of thing.
There’s no need to dirty your hands.”
One of the guards hurriedly spoke up.
“Stop talking and do as you’re told.”
Nero replied.
No one dared argue any further.
Soon, everything was prepared.
Holding a faint smile, Nero slowly walked toward the pirate lying helplessly in the water.
“I didn’t expect to end up in the world of pirates.
How did I not realize it all these years?
And now you’ve conveniently delivered something this valuable right to me.
I just don’t know if it’ll actually work…”
Despite his thoughts, Nero showed no mercy.
He couldn’t kill the pirate safely on land, but the sea was another matter entirely.
The others watched quietly, worried that something unexpected might happen.
Yet Nero stepped forward and mercilessly plunged the knife into the pirate’s chest.
At this point, the pirate couldn’t resist at all.
Like a fish on a chopping block, he could only accept whatever was done to him.
The moment the blade pierced his chest, one of the maids screamed in shock.
She had clearly never witnessed anything like this before.
But Nero wasn’t paying attention to anyone else.
Instead, he quietly observed the fruit plate.
As blood trickled from the pirate’s mouth and his body slowly began sinking beneath the water, Nero fixed his gaze on the fruit.
Although he wasn’t completely certain, he personally picked up the plate.
Bananas, apples, and several other fruits rested upon it.
He stared at them without blinking.
Then the result he had hoped for finally appeared.
One of the apples began changing.
It slowly withered as though decaying with age.
Strange spiral patterns formed across its surface, while its color and texture transformed into something resembling rotten wood.
“Lord Nero, what’s wrong with that apple?”
One of the guards immediately cried out in surprise.
None of them had ever seen a Devil Fruit before.
Even within the Tru Kingdom, very few people had likely laid eyes on one.
Yet one had just appeared before them.
Nero didn’t answer.
Instead, he stared blankly at the newly formed Devil Fruit.
Excitement surged through him.
However, before he could fully enjoy the moment, a voice suddenly echoed inside his mind.
“Ding!
Congratulations, Host.
The system has been activated.
Would you like to initialize it?”
Nero froze.
The excitement in his eyes was visible to everyone around him.
The servants and guards looked at him in confusion.
To them, he had simply killed someone.
Yet now he looked happier than ever.
None of them could understand what he was feeling.
How could they?
At this moment, the Devil Fruit in Nero’s hand suddenly seemed far less important.
He quickly retreated toward the shore.
The pirate he had just killed had already been completely forgotten.
Although killing someone for the first time had made him somewhat nervous, the appearance of the Devil Fruit had already pushed those feelings aside.
Now, the system’s sudden appearance had caused him to ignore everything else entirely.
“Hurry back to the palace!
We’re leaving immediately!”
Nero shouted.
He couldn’t wait to uncover what this system was.
However, he also worried that something unusual might happen to his body, so returning to the palace was the safest option.
The palace wasn’t far away.
At most, it was only a few miles from the beach.
The servants assumed Nero was excited because of the strange fruit in his hand, so none of them questioned him and immediately followed behind.
Unfortunately, before they had even covered half the distance, Nero was exhausted and ended up being carried back by the guards.
Meanwhile, inside the palace, a different scene was unfolding.
Several men wearing white coats emblazoned with the word “Justice” stood within the hall, discussing something with the old king.
The moment Nero returned and saw them, he immediately guessed who they were.
Now that he knew he was living in the world of One Piece, it wasn’t difficult to identify the organization represented by that symbol.
Still, he had no time to care.
The moment he entered the palace, he rushed straight toward his room.
Unfortunately, the strange voice in his mind had vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
“Nero!
Why are you running so fast?”
The old king immediately noticed his son.
Ignoring the Marines around him, he hurried over with a smile.
Nero was still carrying the Devil Fruit.
At the old king’s shout, the Marines instinctively turned their attention toward him.
The moment they saw what he was holding, several expressions changed.
“A Devil Fruit?”
One Marine exclaimed in shock.
Everyone’s gaze shifted from Nero’s face to the fruit in his hands.
Even the old king was surprised.
But after only a moment, the joy of seeing his son disappeared from his face.
A deep frown replaced it.
His concern wasn’t directed toward Nero.
Rather, it was because the Marines were here.
The kingdom had finally obtained such a precious treasure, yet now those people were staring at it like hungry wolves.
Keeping it would not be easy.
“Little one, where did you get that?”
The speaker was a man who looked to be in his twenties.
His build was powerful, and his stern expression alone was enough to intimidate most people.
“Nero, this is Rear Admiral Sakazuki.”
The old king calmly introduced him, though traces of regret lingered in his voice.
“Rear Admiral Sakazuki, my apologies for my rudeness earlier.”
Nero immediately lowered his posture and saluted respectfully.
“I picked this up on the beach.
It looked rather strange, so I didn’t expect someone like you to be interested in it.”
His tone was polite and respectful.
Inside, however, his thoughts were entirely different.
Damn it.
I didn’t expect to run into Akainu here.
What rotten luck.
Sakazuki frowned.
Clearly, he had no intention of letting the matter end there.
Just as he was about to continue questioning him, another Marine behind him stepped forward.
This man also wore a Justice coat.
His skin was darker, and his presence was clearly even more imposing than Sakazuki’s.
He casually patted Sakazuki on the shoulder.
“Business first.”
he said sternly.
Then he turned toward Nero and smiled faintly.
“You’re quite lucky, kid.
Take good care of what you’ve obtained and use it to protect your people in the future.”
“Of course.”
Nero replied with a smile.
Those words immediately reassured him.
At the very least, it meant no one intended to snatch the Devil Fruit away.
The old king visibly relaxed as well.
“Father, you continue discussing official matters.
I’ll head inside first.”
Nero spoke in a childish voice.
“Right, right.
Hurry along.”
The old king nodded repeatedly.
He now wanted his son out of sight as quickly as possible.
Even after leaving the hall, Nero could still feel several pairs of eyes fixed on his back.
The feeling of being watched so closely was deeply unpleasant.
Only after putting enough distance between himself and the hall did he finally relax.
Back inside, the conversation continued.
Sakazuki approached the Marine who had stopped him.
“General Zephyr, that Devil Fruit looked like a Logia-type.
Why didn’t we—”
“Do you know what our priority is right now?”
Zephyr interrupted coldly.
Sakazuki immediately fell silent.
As a Rear Admiral, he naturally understood the importance of their current mission.
No matter what thoughts he had, he couldn’t pursue the matter further.
The old king heard every word clearly.
This was the era of the Marines.
Even in his own kingdom, there were many things he dared not say.
He could only stand there silently.
Stepping forward, Zephyr said,
“King Genji, we came today simply to notify you in advance about a Marine operation.
I hope you understand.”
“Of course.
As long as it doesn’t affect the Tru Kingdom or innocent civilians, I hope no unnecessary harm comes from it.”
The old king replied with a smile.
As ruler of a weak nation, there was little else he could do.
“King Genji, the Marines always act according to justice.
We do not harm innocent people.
You may rest assured.
However, this operation is significant.
We hope you will keep all related information strictly confidential.”
Sakazuki added.
“Please don’t worry.
We understand our responsibilities and won’t leak a single word.
Carry out your operation as you see fit.”
Even while facing what was effectively an order, the old king could only nod politely.
Had his kingdom been stronger, things might have been different.
Zephyr remained expressionless.
After receiving the answer he wanted, he turned and left.
The other Marines followed him out of the hall.
Once they were gone, the old king slowly sat back on his throne.
He sighed deeply.
Watching the Marines depart, he knew this matter was unlikely to end peacefully.
But there was nothing he could do.
Meanwhile, back in his room, Nero’s attention was entirely elsewhere.
The Devil Fruit he had brought back had been casually tossed beside the bed.
Sitting down, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Everything that had happened replayed in his mind.
“System… System…”
He repeatedly called out in his thoughts, afraid the opportunity might disappear.
His heart pounded nervously.
He sat there anxiously, waiting for a response.
Finally, after a long silence, the familiar mechanical voice returned.
“Does the host wish to activate the system?”
To Nero, the cold mechanical voice sounded more pleasant than any music.
“Activate!
Activate it!”
he replied immediately.
“The system is activating.
Please wait…”
The voice sounded again.
A blue vortex appeared before Nero’s eyes.
Deep and mysterious, it rotated endlessly.
It looked as though something was about to emerge from within.
Moments later, Nero felt as if he had entered an entirely different world.
Everything around him seemed suspended in space, waiting for him to choose from it.
Then, as the system completed its initialization, the mechanical voice spoke once more.
“Initialization complete.
Host confirmation successful.
Current world identified: One Piece World.
System designation: Myriad Worlds Mall.
This system can provide…”