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The Tempest was still quite far from the dozen pirate ships, but these ships were almost all connected.
While they were fighting over there, the looting had already begun here.
In less than half an hour, Some guards had finished collecting all the treasures.
"Captain, there's a huge log, about a hundred meters long, behind their boats. Should we pull it back as well?" one of the guards asked Haruya.
Haruya had already noticed it, but they couldn't transport it back at the moment.
If they had more time, they could probably bring it back slowly, but the main issue was that time was running out.
"Pack up all the treasures and take them back. As for the log, leave it. We don't have time for that now," Haruya shouted.
Meanwhile, Anos was still locked in a fierce battle with Camolong. He could have already defeated Camolong but chose not to, allowing his guards to finish their task.
After the guards had carried all the treasures back to the ship, Anos calmly asked, "Camolong, do you still want to fight? I don't have time to play anymore. If you don't stand down, I'll have to take your 50-million-beris bounty instead!"
Camolong, somewhat out of breath, hadn't expected the kid he hadn't seen in just two days to have grown this powerful.
He also noticed his ship being looted, but there was nothing he could do.
"Go ahead! But next time we meet, I'll kill you!" Camolong said, sounding fierce despite his cowardice.
Anos didn't care. He had already wasted half an hour here and had no desire to linger.
As soon as Anos left, Camolong collapsed onto the deck, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead.
Was Anos incapable of dealing with Camolong? The swordsmanship of the Anos could have killed him, but Anos didn't want to push him that far.
After all, if Camolong chose to go down with him, Anos might survive, but the crew of the Tempest could face dire consequences.
No one fully understands the ultimate power of Devil Fruits, and Anos wasn't willing to take that gamble. Better to leave with the treasure than risk it all.
Camolong could only watch as the Tempest disappeared in the sea, powerless to stop them.
As soon as they crossed East blue, Suzu eagerly asked, "Your Majesty, why did you let Camolong go?"
"We don't have the luxury of targeting so many people right now. The most important thing is to avoid drawing the attention of the Marines and the World Government," Anos replied.
For a notorious pirate like Camolong, his death would surely draw attention from other pirates, the Marines, and the World Government.
Let alone the fact that Tru kingdom is still in its infancy, how can we take on the world at this stage?
Suzu seemed to understand. No matter what he did, the key was to keep a low profile.
Anos already knew this. He understood the situation in the world of One Piece better than anyone.
If it were just him, he might have been reckless, but now too many people depended on him.
Although the Kingdom of Tru wasn't a major power in the one-piece world, it was still a place he had to protect in this world.
In the world of One Piece, there are only two ways to grow stronger: training hard or eating a Devil Fruit.
But this time, the attack on the Kingdom of Tru served as a wake-up call for Anos.
"Your Majesty, we managed to secure three valuable items from the Devil Pirates."
Haruya approached with three men, each carrying a small box. Haruya smiled as he presented them to Anos.
On the deck, Anos looked at the boxes curiously. Seeing their size, he mused, "Could these be… Devil Fruits?"
"How did Your Majesty know?" Haruya asked, visibly surprised.
"It's not hard to guess. The size of the boxes gives it away. It's not like I've never seen a Devil Fruit before," Anos replied with a slight smile.
"True, Your Majesty, but I've never seen these particular types before," Haruya admitted as he opened the boxes.
Inside were indeed three Devil Fruits, each with a unique shape. The one in the middle emitted a faint blue glow.
"Is this type mentioned in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia?" Anos asked Suzu.
"Your Majesty, the one on the left is the Cigarette Fruit, a Paramecia-type. It's practically useless. The one on the right is the Iron Fruit, which can turn anything it touches into steel. But the one in the middle isn't even listed in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia!"
Suzu reported, and Anos was slightly taken aback. A Devil Fruit not listed in the Encyclopedia was rare indeed.
The Devil Pirates must have found these somewhere, but now they belonged to the Kingdom of Tru.
Anos stepped forward, inspecting the fruits. Apart from the Iron Fruit, he wasn't sure what the Cigarette Fruit could do. It seemed useless.
But the blue-glowing fruit intrigued him; it felt eerie and cold to the touch, clearly something powerful.
Anos gently placed his hand on it and, closing his eyes, asked the system in his mind, "System, can you tell me which series this Devil Fruit belongs to?"
[ The system requires a fee of 100 million beris for an answer. Do you want to pay? ]
The system's voice echoed, surprisingly asking for money. Despite his frustration, Anos responded, "Pay."
With a "ding," his account balance dropped significantly.
[ The fruit is a Paramecia-type Space Space Fruit, capable of manipulating space. It allows for space defence, attack, and movement. After awakening, it can fold space, traverse worlds, and more ]
Anos was stunned. He hadn't expected to stumble upon such a rare power. He had always planned to grow stronger through hard work, avoiding the use of Devil Fruits, but this one was on another level.
He had hit the jackpot. Although they had lost a ship full of goods, the treasures and these three Devil Fruits, especially the Space Fruit, made up for it a hundred times over.
"What's wrong, Your Majesty?" Suzu asked, noticing something off in Anos's expression.
"Huh?" Anos snapped out of his thoughts and smiled.
"Are you alright, Your Majesty?" Suzu asked again.
"Yes, I was just thinking," Anos replied with a grin.
Without further hesitation, he picked up the blue-glowing fruit. The glow was eerie, but compared to the future potential, what did that matter?
"Your Majesty, we're not sure of this Devil Fruit's powers yet. Are you sure you want to eat it?" Suzu asked, surprised by Anos's intent.
"It doesn't matter. As for the other two Devil Fruits, see if anyone's willing to eat them. If not, we can auction them off later," Anos said, smiling.
"Very well, Your Majesty. But have you considered the consequences? Eating a Devil Fruit means becoming a landlubber!" Suzu reminded him, concerned.
"Yes, Your Majesty, we know you're determined, but this Devil Fruit isn't even in the Devil Encyclopedia. If it turns out to be useless, there's no second chance!" Haruya chimed in.
Anos had already taught them the one important rule: you can only eat one Devil Fruit in your lifetime.
But Anos just smiled and, in front of everyone, took a bite of the glowing fruit.
"Ugh…"
The moment he bit into it, a wave of nausea hit him. The taste and texture were beyond disgusting.
Though he almost gagged, Anos swallowed it.
After eating, his face turned green, and he sat down, trying to catch his breath. He tossed aside the remaining half of the fruit.
The others weren't surprised. Anos had already warned them about the horrific taste of Devil Fruits. You only need one bite to gain the power.
But strangely, after consuming the Space Fruit, Anos didn't feel any immediate change.
"What ability did you gain?" Suzu asked eagerly.
"You'll have to guess," Anos teased.
"Can't you just tell us, Your Majesty?"
Anos had no intention of revealing his ability yet. Better to keep it secret and strike when least expected.
Despite having gained the Space Fruit's power, Anos remained cautious. The true strength of the World Government's top figures was still a mystery.
This uncertainty weighed on Anos's mind.
"Let's set sail, Barlow. The kingdom is waiting for us," Anos commanded.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Barlow replied.
No one knew what abilities Anos had gained from the Devil Fruit, not even those closest to him.
The Tempest sailed on calm seas. Though the journey was slow, the atmosphere aboard the ship was entirely different now.
It would take more than a week to reach their kingdom in the South Blue. During that time, they would have to keep in touch with the Kingdom of Tru through the Den Den Mushi.
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Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Tru was under heavy siege by the Royal Kingdom and several pirate groups.
Even the royal city was stretched thin, forced to send more soldiers to combat the pirates.
Yet, despite the kingdom's recent economic boom, they had lost two islands within days.
The Kingdom of Tru had grown stronger in recent years, both in terms of military and economy. But even so, they struggled to fend off the onslaught from so many pirate crews.
With a small population and widespread fear, the kingdom's situation was dire.
The only hope for the Tru Kingdom now lay in the swift return of their leader, Anos, and the Tempest.
Word had spread of their successful plundering of the Devil Pirates, which offered a glimmer of hope to the citizens.
But the looming threat of the Roya Kingdom and their pirate allies was relentless. They had formed a coalition that had no intention of stopping until the Kingdom of Tru was completely subdued.
In the royal city, Barlow's brother, Darian, was overseeing the defence efforts. He stood at the city walls, looking out at the encroaching enemy forces. His heart sank at the sight of the Roya Kingdom's flag flying in the distance.
Despite his best efforts to hold the front lines, their forces were dwindling, and morale was at an all-time low.
"Captain, the enemy has breached the eastern gate!" one of the soldiers shouted, rushing towards Darian.
Darian clenched his fists. "Send reinforcements! We cannot let them reach the royal palace!" he shouted.
The palace, where Anos and the royal family resided, was the heart of Tru. If the palace fell, so would the kingdom.
However, Darian knew they were running out of time. He could only hope Anos would return soon.
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Back aboard the Tempest, Anos was deep in thought. Although the Space Fruit had granted him incredible power, he wasn't fully accustomed to it yet.
The ability to manipulate space was unlike anything he had experienced before.
While training hard had been his primary path to strength, this fruit had opened up a realm of possibilities that seemed almost limitless.
During the voyage, he had begun experimenting with his new abilities. At first, it was difficult to control.
He could create small pockets of space that allowed him to move objects or shield himself momentarily.
But as the days passed, he found that his power expanded the more he practised. He could bend space around him, creating portals that allowed for instant travel across short distances.
Yet, the real challenge was in learning how to control the advanced abilities that the fruit promised. Anos knew that mastering the fruit's full potential, such as folding space or even traversing different worlds, would take time, discipline, and caution.
On the fourth day of their journey, Anos called his crew to the deck.
"Everyone, gather around. There's something I need to show you."
Suzu, Haruya, and the rest of the crew assembled before him, curious about what Anos had in store.
Anos held out his hand, and with a focused expression, he began manipulating the air around him.
At first, it seemed like nothing was happening, but then a shimmering distortion appeared.
Slowly, the distortion grew until it formed a fully visible portal in front of the crew.
The crew gasped in amazement.
"This… this is incredible!" Haruya exclaimed.
"Is that…Devil Fruits power?" Suzu asked, her eyes wide.
Anos nodded. "Yes. It's one of the powers of the Space Fruit. With this ability, I can move across vast distances in an instant."
He stepped through the portal and reappeared on the other side of the ship. The crew was stunned into silence.
"With this power, we can move faster than any ship on the sea. But this is only the beginning. Once I master the fruit's full potential, we'll be able to travel between worlds."
"Between worlds?" Haruya echoed in disbelief.
Anos smiled faintly. "That's the long-term goal. For now, I need to focus on defending our kingdom."
The crew nodded, impressed and reassured by their captain's growing power. If anyone could save the Kingdom of Tru, it was Anos.
Finally, after more than a week of travel, the Tempest approached the shores of the Kingdom of Tru. The once-thriving coastline was now in ruins.
Smoke billowed from several areas, and the distant sound of cannon fire echoed through the air.
"Captain, we're home, but it looks like the battle is still raging," Barlow said grimly, staring at the devastation.
Anos stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene. "Prepare for battle. We're going to retake our home."
The crew swiftly armed themselves, ready to fight for their kingdom. Anos, feeling the weight of his new responsibilities and powers, took a deep breath.
This was it the moment that would define the future of the Kingdom of Tru.
As the Tempest sailed into the war-torn harbour, Anos knew one thing for certain: with the power of the Space Fruit and the loyalty of his crew, they would not only reclaim their land but also step in a new era for the kingdom.
The battle for Tru was about to begin.
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