"We don't have an exact location. Everyone spread out and search from different directions. You've all seen the picture of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, so let's do a thorough search," Kuke instructed.
He wasn't sure where the fruit might be located. There was no guarantee that the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was even on Birka right now. It might not appear for several years and could end up being eaten by Enel. There was a high chance that this trip could be in vain. Still, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was worth spending a few months searching for, even if it ended in failure.
"Gion, Hancock, Stussy, you three will lead the teams and make sure to protect everyone," Kuke said as he split them into groups.
To ensure the safety of the weaker members, each team was led by one of the stronger crew members.
Kuke ventured off alone, heading toward the central city of the Sky Island.
"First, I'll try to find Enel. His home and the surrounding area are the most likely places where the Rumble-Rumble Fruit might be," he thought as he walked along the cloud-like streets, which felt as soft as walking on wool.
From the kind-hearted island natives, Kuke learned where to find Enel, who was quite well-known on Birka—not because of his wings (he didn't have any) but because of his arrogance and personality.
As Kuke entered a small alley, he overheard a heated argument.
"You mere mortals! Why do you not kneel when you see a god?" came the haughty voice of someone clearly full of themselves.
"Enel, you've lost it again! You're no god!" someone retorted angrily.
Kuke spotted Enel, clearly standing out from the others, arrogantly pointing at a group of people. "You sinners who defy a god will face punishment. Sooner or later, you'll all pay the price!"
Even the most patient individuals had clearly had enough of Enel, and they gave him a thorough beating.
Lying on the ground, Enel glared at their backs, his eyes full of malice as he muttered, "I'll kill you all one day. I'll destroy this place."
Kuke squinted his eyes, observing the scene. Enel was little more than a delusional maniac. Yet this lunatic would one day obtain the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, one of the most powerful Devil Fruits in the entire world.
Birka's fate would also eventually be sealed, as Enel's angry words foretold—he would indeed destroy this place.
When Enel caught sight of Kuke, his eyes narrowed. "Another mortal has arrived! Why do you not kneel before your god…"
Before Enel could finish, Kuke grabbed him by the throat and lifted him effortlessly. Dragging a terrified Enel behind him, Kuke made his way to Enel's house and began tearing through everything, searching every inch.
Enel could only watch in furious silence as Kuke searched through his home. But there was no sign of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
Next, Kuke dug up Enel's yard, leaving no stone unturned. Still, there was nothing.
Expanding the search area, the rest of the women were also conducting a thorough search, covering every corner of the island.
After a good night's rest, Shakky joined the search as well. It was a slow and tedious process, as Haki couldn't be used to sense lifeless objects like Devil Fruits.
Ten days passed, and the entire city of Birka had been combed through, but there was no sign of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit anywhere.
"All that's left is the forest," Kuke said, pointing to the area behind them.
After nearly ten days of fruitless searching, everyone's initial excitement had gradually turned to disappointment. By now, no one was expecting much.
Even Kuke had lowered his expectations. "If it's here, it's here. If not, it doesn't matter."
He led the group into the unique fruit tree forest. There was another option, albeit a crude one—wait for years and monitor Enel. According to the original timeline, Enel would eventually eat the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. But waiting years was not an option. A few months of waiting might be acceptable, but years were too long to waste.
"If we don't find it now, perhaps in the future, I can use the Dark-Dark Fruit to extract the Rumble-Rumble Fruit from Enel," Kuke thought as a last resort.
"Maybe the Rumble-Rumble Fruit is somewhere in this forest?" Kuke tried to lift their spirits.
"Even if we don't find the fruit, the journey to Sky Island was still worth it," he added.
The group began their search in the forest. The ground was littered with green fruits, each about the size of a fist—native to Sky Island and making the search even more difficult.
One by one, they picked up the fruits, each time full of hope. "Not this one."
"This one's not it either."
Days went by as the forest was gradually searched, thousands of fruits picked up and examined.
Just as Kuke was about to give up, Makino excitedly cried out, "I found it!"
She held up a strange fruit in her hands. It was entirely blue, with lightning patterns running across its surface.
In an instant, everyone rushed to her side.
"It's the Rumble-Rumble Fruit!" they exclaimed.
Comparing it to the picture they had seen in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, it was unmistakably the Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
"Makino, you're my lucky star," Kuke said with a wide smile.
Makino's face flushed bright red with embarrassment.
"It's real?" Shakky muttered, her mouth slightly agape, the cigarette falling from her lips in shock.
She had been on countless treasure hunts before, and most had ended in failure. Many rumors of legendary treasures were nothing more than myths. She had believed this would be another one of those wild goose chases. Shakky had thought Kuke had simply been chasing after some false information. But now, to her utter astonishment, the legendary Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit was real.
"Captain, you should eat it right away!" Makino said eagerly, holding the Rumble-Rumble Fruit in front of Kuke.
It was said to be the most powerful ability. Even a child who ate it would instantly gain incredible strength.
Everyone watched Kuke with eager eyes, more excited and happy than even he was.
Kuke took the Rumble-Rumble Fruit in his hand. And to everyone's surprise, he handed it over... to Stussy!
"Me?" Stussy was stunned.
Her reaction mirrored that of Belo-Betty when she had been given the Ope-Ope Fruit, but Stussy was even more shocked, even more disbelieving. The Ope-Ope Fruit's fame was not as widespread, but the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, despite not being seen for many years, was widely known as one of the strongest abilities in the world.
Its reputation was legendary.
"Kuke, why me?" Stussy bit her lip, trying to keep her emotions in check.
Kuke didn't eat Devil Fruits himself, preferring to give them to his crew members. She had suspected this would be the case, but she had never imagined the Rumble-Rumble Fruit would be given to her.
Stussy had always felt a bit of insecurity due to her past, having once been a member of CP0, the secret agency of the World Government.
The Sun and Moon Pirates' greatest enemy had always been the World Government. From her perspective, she didn't believe she deserved Kuke's complete trust.
"Because you're the most suitable person," Kuke replied with a smile.
Most of the crew members were already Devil Fruit users. The non-users were Shakky, Stussy, Makino, Koala, and Guina.
Shakky didn't need the Rumble-Rumble Fruit; she was destined for the Mythical Zoan Vampire Fruit. Makino was too frail for the power. Koala and Guina were still young, and Guina's dream was to become a swordswoman, not a Devil Fruit user.
As for Kuke, he had no desire to become a Devil Fruit user yet. His plan was to empower his crew members with the right fruits, increasing their strength and thus his own, creating a double benefit. Only after his crew had all the appropriate abilities would he consider whether he should become a Devil Fruit user.
So, if Kuke wasn't going to eat the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Stussy was the most fitting candidate.
No one else came close.
Stussy was already incredibly powerful, second only to Gion aboard the ship. She was even slightly stronger than Hancock at the moment. With the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Stussy's strength would increase dramatically.
"Your Observation Haki is already quite strong, and the Rumble-Rumble Fruit amplifies that ability. It suits you perfectly," Kuke said as he firmly placed the fruit in Stussy's hands.
Stussy's lips trembled as she tried to contain the flood of emotions she was feeling.
"But Captain, my past..." she began.
"You have no other past. You only have one identity now—you're a member of my crew."
The Queen, Stussy, bowed her head slightly, taking a moment to compose herself.
When she lifted her head again, she was all smiles, her face glowing with joy. In that moment, all the ties to her former life and identity faded away completely from her heart.