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In this space barrier, Devil Fruit abilities can only be attached to fruits within the chamber.
Otherwise, there is no way to break through this space barrier.
This limitation was once a mystery, one that even the world's top scholars couldn't fully explain, but now that barrier stood before them like an unbreachable wall of reality.
The very existence of the fruits in this space was a revelation. Yet, for Anos, the young king of Tru Kingdom, it was simply another step toward his grander ambitions.
"Daiki, what do you think of this?" Anos smiled, picking up the Devil Fruit in his hand and offering it to his lifelong friend, Daiki.
The fruit glistened under the dim light of the underground chamber. Its strange patterns, swirling and uneven, made it appear otherworldly as if it didn't belong to the natural world.
Its skin was rough, almost uninviting, but the power it contained was unmistakable.
Daiki hesitated before responding, his mind racing to comprehend the implications of what he was seeing. "Your Majesty, I feel like I'm dreaming right now. I didn't expect you to be able to extract a Devil Fruit from these corpses. This… this is unprecedented."
He glanced around the underground chamber, his eyes tracing the glowing blue light that surrounded them, emanating from the walls, flickering like a distant storm. "And this blue light… it's not the same as before. What exactly is it?"
Daiki didn't finish his sentence. His mind was too clouded with questions, each more daunting than the last.
How had Anos, his king, managed to manipulate the space within this chamber so effortlessly? How had he obtained the knowledge to harness such power?
Anos chuckled softly, his calm demeanour betraying none of the immense burdens of the secrets he carried.
He had never been one to flaunt his power, but this moment was different. He could see the curiosity and even the fear in Daiki's eyes.
It was natural. After all, the power of the Space Fruit was not something to be trifled with. Few had ever seen such abilities wielded in such a manner.
"Yes," Anos said, his voice steady. "This is the power of the Space Fruit, but it's not quite what you imagined, is it? It's far more complex than just opening portals or warping across distances."
Daiki swallowed hard, trying to push back the awe rising in his chest. "Your Majesty, how long have you had this ability? This is… this is incredible. With such power, Tru Kingdom…"
"Ah, but that's exactly why I'm telling you this now, Daiki," Anos interrupted, his smile fading. "You've always been by my side, and because of that, I trust you with my life. What you see here, the fruits, the barrier, and even my powers, must remain a secret."
"Not a word to anyone. Our kingdom is still far too weak. If word of this spreads, if the world catches even a whisper of what we've done here, we will be crushed under the weight of their greed."
The air In the chamber grew tense as Anos's words sank in. Daiki knew the truth behind them.
The world was vast, and the forces that controlled it were ruthless. The Yonko, the Marines, and even the revolutionary army would come bearing down on the tiny island kingdom of Tru if they learned of this.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I swear by my life that I will not let a third person know what happened today," Daiki replied with a serious tone, his voice steady with conviction.
He wasn't just speaking as a loyal subject he was speaking as a man who had been by Anos's side since they were children. He would die before he betrayed him.
"Good," Anos nodded. "Devil Fruits are a blessing, but there are far too few of them. This," he gestured to the fruits on the ground, "is only the beginning."
Daiki glanced toward the other pirates, unconscious but still alive, lying haphazardly on the stone floor. His hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword, the steel glinting in the eerie blue light.
"Your Majesty, what about these pirates? They've seen too much, haven't they?"
Anos' eyes flickered with something cold as he looked at the group of captives. "Kill them. There are two Zoan-type users among them, decent but not worth much. You can take their fruits if you like, but their abilities are weak. I'll find better ones for you later, fruits more fitting of your abilities."
Anos spoke with the air of someone discussing something as trivial as the weather.
To him, these pirates were nothing more than pawns, their lives expendable in the face of his ambitions.
Daiki, understanding this, unsheathed his sword with a smooth, practised motion.
"Yes, Your Majesty…" he said, though the excitement in his voice betrayed him. Daiki had never thought about gaining a Devil Fruit ability before, but now that Anos had opened this door, it was impossible to resist the temptation.
If his king was willing to share such power, then who was he to deny it?
With swift, efficient strokes, Daiki dispatched the pirates. They were weak, no match for someone of his skill, and the deed was done in mere moments.
Their blood pooled on the cold stone floor, but Daiki felt no remorse. These were pirates, after all, men who had pillaged and murdered without a second thought.
Their lives held little value in the grand scheme of things.
As the pirates continued dying, the fruits in the chamber began to change. One by one, they morphed, their surfaces rippling as if alive, and in a matter of minutes, seventeen new Devil Fruits had materialized from the corpses.
Daiki watched in awe, the process still a marvel to him despite all he had seen today.
Anos observed the fruits with a calm, calculating expression. "They're not top-tier fruits, but they're useful nonetheless," he said, more to himself than to Daiki.
Once the fruits were collected, Daiki turned back to his king. "Your Majesty, how should we deal with the bodies?"
Anos glanced at the seventeen corpses strewn across the floor. With a flick of his wrist, he dispelled the space barrier, his fingers glowing faintly with blue energy.
He stretched his left hand out toward the bodies, and in an instant, they were enveloped in the same faint blue light.
"Exile…" Anos whispered the word, and with it, the bodies vanished as if they had never been there at all.
Far away, somewhere in the depths of the sea, the corpses dropped one by one into the cold, dark waters, sinking to the bottom where no one would ever find them. It was as if they had never existed.
The power of the Space Fruit had limitless potential, and Anos was only beginning to unlock it.
If fully developed, he could become a force unlike any the world had ever seen. He could bend the very fabric of reality to his will.
Daiki, overwhelmed by everything he had witnessed today, could hardly contain his thoughts.
He knew now that his king was destined for something far greater than ruling a small kingdom in the South Blue. With powers like these, Anos could take on the world itself.
There were now more than a dozen Devil Fruits in the possession of Tru Kingdom, and when combined with those stored in the palace, the total reached nearly thirty.
Though many of the fruits were weak or useless, the sheer number of them was enough to build a formidable army.
A force that could stand against even the most powerful pirate crews.
But Daiki knew the kingdom's resources were limited. They couldn't risk revealing their strength too early. For now, secrecy was their greatest ally.
Anos led Daiki out of the underground chamber, the cool night air a stark contrast to the heavy atmosphere they had just left.
The moon hung low in the sky, casting a pale light over the landscape.
As they walked, Anos spoke again. "How far have you progressed with your Haki training?"
"Your Majesty, I can now coat my weapons with Armament Haki, but my Observation Haki is still lacking. Sometimes I can sense things, but I can't focus on specific details. It might take me another two years before I fully master it."
Anos nodded thoughtfully. "You haven't been training for long, and you've made good progress. But from now on, your role will expand. You won't just be the captain of my guards anymore. You'll oversee the entire army."
"Domineering power must become the standard among our forces. Haki is the key to survival, far more reliable than Devil Fruits."
Daiki understood the gravity of his words. Haki was rare in the Four Seas, and even on the Grand Line, it was a skill few possessed.
Yet here, in a quiet corner of the South Blue, they were planning to incorporate it into their military training.
"But Your Majesty," Daiki said, his brow furrowing in concern, "we lack a proper training ground. You've said before that the practice of Haki and the Rokushiki must remain a secret, but we haven't found a suitable location to conduct this training."
Anos paused, looking out over the horizon. The kingdom lay in the distance, its walls and towers faintly illuminated by the soft glow of the moon.
He took a deep breath, feeling the cool wind brush against his face.
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