“Who knows?
Maybe they met with some accident.”
Moge waved his hand and led the way toward the giant ship.
“Let’s go, let’s head up and take a look.
We might find something valuable.”
After the group spent half a day searching the massive vessel and regrouped, everyone was empty-handed; they hadn’t found a single thing.
Carina’s face fell, and she couldn’t help but grumble, “Such a huge ship, and I thought we’d find some treasure.
Turns out there’s nothing at all.
A total waste of effort.”
“Judging by the state of this ship, it’s been here for a long time—probably over a hundred years,” Moge explained.
“Even if there was treasure, it’s likely been taken long ago.
I doubt we’re the only ones who’ve ever made it here.”
“That’s true.” Carina nodded, her eyes suddenly lighting up.
She suggested, “Then let’s head back!
I think that beach where we docked, the one covered in shipwrecks, might be hiding plenty of treasure.
It’s better than searching here for nothing.”
Moge looked around the giant ship and replied, “Yeah, that works.
We’ve pretty much explored this island.
There shouldn’t be anything else worth investigating.
Let’s head back to the beach first.”
Then, the group returned to the place where they had come ashore.
While they were buried in the wreckage searching for treasure, a massive, strange bird suddenly dove from the sky, its sharp talons aiming straight for Toniel’s head!
“Watch out!” Moge shouted sternly.
He drew his sword in an instant and sent a Flying Slash tearing through the air.
Although the giant bird nimbly dodged the slash, the attack successfully disrupted its momentum.
Hearing the warning, Toniel scrambled to dodge, but he was a beat too slow.
The giant bird’s wing swung violently, swatting him away.
Toniel crashed heavily into the wreckage, sending splinters flying and kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
The bird’s talons grazed his scalp as they passed, plowing deep furrows into the ground.
Having missed its strike, the giant bird was about to flap its wings and take off again when Moge appeared before it.
He kicked off the ground, his body launching forward like a cannonball.
His blade, coated in pitch-black Beginner Armament Haki, swung fiercely, carving a bone-deep wound into the bird’s neck as blood spurted out.
Startled, the giant bird flapped its wings frantically, whipping up a gale as it tried to take flight quickly.
But how could Moge give it the chance?
He stomped down once more, causing the ground to cave in.
Using the recoil, he propelled himself straight into the sky.
“One-Sword Style: Meteor!”
Holding his sword in his right hand and steadying his right arm with his left, he transformed into a streak of silver light.
He pierced straight through the bird’s belly and burst out from its back, soaring into the sky.
The strange bird let out a shrill, mournful cry before its body plummeted to the ground, falling completely silent.
“Are you okay?” Carina asked as she helped Toniel up from the ground.
Toniel shook his head and brushed the dust and wood chips off himself.
“I’m fine.
I just got swatted by its wing.
No real injuries, thanks to the Captain’s timely warning.”
After confirming Toniel wasn’t hurt, the two of them walked over to Moge together.
Moge was covered in blood, but they weren’t worried at all.
They knew the blood must belong to the giant bird; after all, Moge had pierced right through its body.
With his strength, there was no way a strange bird could have injured him.
Moge was holding a treasure chest, not even glancing at the piles of treasure on the ground.
Seeing the abundance of treasure on the ground, Carina asked curiously, “Moge, what’s in that box?
And was all this treasure inside the giant bird’s belly?”
Moge’s lips curled into a smile.
“Yeah.
What I have here is a Devil Fruit, a Logia type—the Mera Mera no Mi.”
As he spoke, he pulled a fruit from the chest.
It was pineapple-shaped, entirely orange-red, and its surface was covered in the iconic spiral patterns, looking like a collection of many burning flames.
He didn’t even need to check an encyclopedia for this fruit.
After all, he remembered its appearance from the anime in his past life most clearly.
“What?
A Logia, the Mera Mera no Mi?!” Both of them cried out in shock, their eyes wide with amazement.
It was a Logia, after all—they couldn’t help their surprise.
There were only a few in the entire world, making them some of the most precious Devil Fruits.
Each one represented a power of nature.
To find one in the belly of a giant bird was completely unexpected.
Moge couldn’t hide the grin on his face either.
Anyone would be happy to stumble upon a Logia fruit for free.
He held the fruit out to the two of them.
“Which of you wants to eat it?
Don’t worry about me; I have my own plans, and this one isn’t right for me.”
He had his own ideas.
He was a swordmaster, after all.
If he were to eat one, it should ideally complement his status as a swordsman—preferably a Mythical Zoan or a Paramecia.
A Logia like the Mera Mera no Mi wasn’t quite a fit for him, and besides, the Mera Mera no Mi was countered by the Magu Magu no Mi.
Most importantly, this fruit felt a bit underwhelming to him.
On the sea, practically everyone and their mother could use fire in some way.
Even if it wasn’t the same as the Mera Mera no Mi’s ability, it still made him reluctant.
But joking aside, the Mera Mera no Mi was still a top-tier Logia fruit.
Controlling the power of combustion, it allowed for elementalization to avoid damage and the launch of powerful fire attacks.
In the first half of the Grand Line, where Haki was scarce, it was practically invincible.
Even in the New World, the Mera Mera no Mi remained a powerful ability that could provide his crew with significant combat strength.
If he didn’t eat it himself, he could give it to a crew member.
Seeing that Moge wasn’t going to eat it, Toniel immediately spoke up, “Give it to Carina.
I don’t need it.
I’m going to focus on training my body and learning Haki from the Captain.
I need to build a solid foundation first.”
Carina also hurriedly declined, waving her hands in refusal.
“No, no, give it to Toniel!
He needs the Mera Mera no Mi’s power more than I do.”
Watching the two of them go back and forth, Moge shook his head with a smile and made the final decision.
“Stop arguing.
It’s going to Carina.”
With that, he tossed the fruit to Carina.
Then he looked at Toniel seriously.
“Don’t worry.
I’ll definitely find a fruit that suits you later—one that fits you even better than the Mera Mera no Mi.”
In truth, Moge was inclined toward Carina anyway.
She had been with him ever since he saved her and was someone he trusted completely.
He was even certain that even if everyone else betrayed him one day, Carina never would; she would always stay by his side.
That was why Moge gave the fruit to Carina without much explanation.
Logia fruits offered some of the best survival capabilities.
The sea was dangerous, and having such a fruit could solve many problems while boosting her strength.
Toniel nodded.
“It’s fine, Captain.
You don’t need to explain.
I also believe there will be a fruit that suits me in the future.”