Devil fruits are incredibly rare in this world.
And Takumi now had four of them.
The Flame-Flame Fruit, the Space-Time Fruit, the Silent Fruit, and the Long-Neck Giraffe Zoan Fruit, courtesy of the system.
Pretty amusing, really. If he kept collecting a few more, he could probably open a fruit stand.
With a calm expression, Takumi stored the Silent Fruit, which his shadow clone had brought back, into his system's inventory.
Now it was time to deal with that annoying clone.
The shadow clone removed its mask, wearing a smug look. "No need for praise. I know I did a good job."
Takumi, staring at his own face in a wig and a dress, swung his fist without hesitation.
The clone dodged quickly, just avoiding the blow.
"Whoa, whoa, easy there! We're on the same team! Let's talk this out!" the clone called, darting away. Despite knowing exactly why Takumi was mad, his tone was completely unapologetic.
Takumi's face was set in stone as he used Shunpo to easily close the distance.
He could've dismissed the clone right then and there, erasing it instantly.
But that wouldn't be satisfying. Not by a long shot.
Until he'd knocked some sense into this frustrating copy, Takumi wasn't letting him off the hook.
"Boss, I'm your shadow clone! You wouldn't seriously hit yourself, right?" The clone, unable to use Shunpo, tried playing cute, pressing his fingers against his cheeks and tilting his head. "I mean, look at me—I'm adorable! How could you possibly hit me?"
That only made things worse.
Takumi's patience snapped. He landed a punch squarely on the clone's face.
The clone staggered back a few steps, still managing to avoid most of the damage, but not fast enough to dodge completely.
"Ugh…" The clone clutched his nose, now bleeding, his expression pained. "You'd really hit yourself that hard, huh, boss?"
"Try pulling a stunt like that again," Takumi warned, throwing another punch.
The clone dodged but stumbled, saying, "I promise, next time—no, wait, not next time—there won't be a next time!"
Takumi: "…"
That slip of the tongue made it clear—this clone would absolutely try something again.
Takumi wasn't going to let that happen. Another punch flew, and though the clone blocked it, Takumi followed up with a kick that sent him flying out of the alley and onto the canal bank.
The clone tumbled before scrambling to his feet and bolting. Not a word, just a full-on retreat.
Takumi chased after him.
For a clone without Shunpo, even sprinting was like a turtle's crawl compared to Takumi. In the blink of an eye, Takumi had cut him off.
"Uh-oh. I'm screwed," the clone muttered, self-deprecatingly.
Then came the beatdown. Takumi didn't hold back, every punch landing solidly on the clone, especially targeting his face. By the end of it, the clone's once-identical face was swollen beyond recognition.
The clone tried to fight back a few times, but his counterattacks were futile.
"What's going on over there? Looks like two people are fighting."
"Geez, they're going at it hard. That guy's relentless, especially toward a girl!"
"Someone should break it up before she gets seriously hurt!"
The scuffle had drawn the attention of the nearby townspeople.
Though none of them dared to intervene. Takumi's fierce assault scared them off.
"Boss… You hear what they're saying?" the clone said weakly.
"Shut up!" Takumi roared. He unleashed Night Guy as the final blow, sending the already battered clone flying in a graceful arc far into the distance…
The townsfolk started whispering, clearly disapproving.
Takumi couldn't care less.
It was just a clone. Even if it "died" now, he could summon that shameless troublemaker again tomorrow, good as new.
As Takumi turned to leave, a familiar voice called out from behind.
"Takumi, hold up."
Aokiji had witnessed the entire fight between Takumi and his clone.
Walking over with a group of Marines, Aokiji casually asked, "That girl you just kicked halfway across the city—do you know her?"
"Nope," Takumi replied coldly.
Scratching his head, Aokiji seemed puzzled. "I've never seen you go that hard on someone before. Did she steal something from you?"
Takumi gave a slight nod.
She'd stolen his dignity, for one.
As the memories of the clone buying dresses and all the antics at the auction replayed in Takumi's mind, thanks to their shared experience, a shiver ran down his spine. Goosebumps rose all over his arms.
He should've beaten that clone up even more before sending him off…
Aokiji noticed the sheer malice in Takumi's expression and realized there must've been genuine animosity between him and that girl. Whatever their connection had been, it clearly wasn't friendly.
The Marines behind Aokiji started whispering among themselves, worried.
"Wow, we got played. She seemed so harmless before—turns out that was all an act."
"Do you think she stole the fruit? What'll we tell HQ if we lose it?"
They all turned to Aokiji, looking for guidance.
The admiral sighed, not looking forward to the task ahead. "I'll go after her. You guys head back."
With that, Aokiji partially transformed into ice and slid off on a frozen path, following the direction Takumi had launched the clone.
Takumi didn't bother paying any more attention to the Marines. He turned and continued walking.
He still had 40% progress left to complete. According to the system, he had two more tasks ahead.
Takumi was certain that at least one of those tasks had to do with either CP9 or Iceberg.
As he pondered this, Iceberg's voice called out from across the canal.
"Hey, Takumi! Haven't left yet?"
Iceberg waved from the opposite side, matching Takumi's pace as he walked.
Takumi glanced at him but said nothing, continuing on his way.
Undeterred, Iceberg kept talking. "I just got word your ship's all repaired! They've even updated the exterior. So, are you heading off soon? How about I treat you to a meal before you go?"
"Iceberg, you've got work scheduled tonight…" Kalifa reminded him, catching up.
Iceberg waved her off. "Forget that! Takumi's leaving soon. Who knows when he'll be back in Water 7? Dinner with him is way more important!"
Kalifa sighed, reluctantly conceding. "Fine. I'll cancel tonight's work."
Takumi: "…"
The lengths this guy would go to just to avoid work…