The conference room falls dead silent for nearly a full minute, with the only sound being Yagi's choking to near death on his own blood, which everyone decided to ignore.
Finally, Eraserhead breaks the silence. "So you're saying you can give people quirks?"
Nezu strides over to the projector and clicks it on, revealing a PowerPoint presentation. "Exactly, Eraserhead! Kai here possesses the unique ability to absorb energy from the universe itself and convert it into fruits that embody an animal, a specific object, an element, or even a fundamental concept."
He flips to the first slide, titled Tinker Tinker Fruit. "This was the first fruit Kai created—and one he consumed himself. It lets the user embody the concept of 'Tinkering,' granting instinctive control over mechanical parts within a small sphere on the palms of their hands. It also provides secondary abilities, like generating electricity and producing blueprints."
Everyone stares at the slide detailing the information on Kai's own Devil Fruit, seeing a small video of him creating the flashlight in his interview with Nezu, charging some batteries between classes, and making the blueprint of the NEXUS in class.
"I can see why this warranted a staff meeting," Recovery Girl said, folding her arms. "A new student with an overpowered quirk, mechanical genius, and the ability to give other quirks… It's overwhelming."
The gamer guy agreed, a serious air surrounding him. "It's far too much. How can we be sure that we can trust him? I don't mean to question Nezu's intelligence, but giving people quirks doesn't sit right with me."
Kai was the one who answered this time. "You can't guarantee I'm trustworthy. No one can. The best you can do is ensure I'm not a threat and make use of my abilities. I'm completely fine being under watch—I'm aware of my destructive potential. That's why I approached Nezu in the first place."
Quest: 'Becoming an Engineering Tycoon' has updated.
Make Nezu acknowledge your abilities (99%/100%)
Nezu grinned wide, clearly pleased with his apprentice's answer. "Exactly! While I do trust Kai to an extent, we do have precautions in place, same as for anyone with power on his level. Not to mention, Devil Fruits have one glaring weakness."
With that, Nezu flipped the slide onto the next one, labeled 'Curse of the Sea'.
"As detailed, anyone who has consumed a Devil Fruit is banned from touching the ocean in any capacity. We have no idea why this is, but if a Devil Fruit wielder is every in contact with saltwater, they lose all motor functions."
Nezu then flipped to the next slide, titled Kanga Kanga Fruit.
"We tested this effect on a Devil Fruit that Kai provided for research purposes. On the day of the entrance exam, Kai gave me a Devil Fruit that grants the wielder a kangaroo-based transformation quirk, which we entrusted to Ectoplasm. Ectoplasm, would you mind demonstrating?"
At his cue, Ectoplasm stood up, walked to the front of the room, and removed his overcoat, revealing a skintight black exosuit beneath a combat vest. He began to vibrate, his form shifting dramatically. His head grew shorter, elongating into a snout. Ears emerged from the top of his head, poking free of the exosuit. His body expanded, growing nearly a foot and a half taller, with much of the added height in his powerful legs. His feet transformed into large paddles, claws replacing his toenails, while his fingernails extended into knife-like points.
Once the transformation was complete, Ectoplasm's muscles stood out clearly, like coiled steel ropes beneath his skin.
Nezu clapped in delight. "Obviously, we can't fully test the Kangaroo Fruit's capabilities in this conference room, but we can see how it interacts with Ectoplasm's quirk. If you would, Ectoplasm."
At Nezu's prompt, Ectoplasm opened his mouth, his full set of teeth visible even in his kangaroo form. After a brief pause, he began to spew clouds of white goo, which quickly spread throughout the room and condensed into three additional copies of himself, all fully transformed.
"As you can see, Ectoplasm's quirk synergizes well with his new Devil Fruit abilities," Nezu said with a pleased grin. "There are countless combinations we can explore with Devil Fruits and Quirks, which is exactly why I called you all here. Kai, would you share the good news?"
Kai stood up. "Of course, Sensei." He lifted his backpack into his lap, reaching inside and fumbling theatrically. Once he felt the moment was right, he pulled out the Walk Walk Fruit from his inventory and set it on the table.
"Next slide, please," he said, glancing at Nezu.
With a nod, Nezu clicked the NEXUS remote, advancing to the next slide, titled S.E.E.D. Protocol.
"The good news Sensei mentioned is our SEED Protocol," Kai said, gesturing to the slide. "It stands for Strategic Empowerment and Enhancement Distribution. I actually worked backward from the acronym." He smiled briefly. "In short, Sensei and I plan to equip all present staff with Devil Fruits, as well as qualified U.A. students. Any questions?"
The room buzzed with a mix of excitement and tension as Kai's words sank in.
Midnight raised her hand, leaning forward. "So, you're saying we could all gain unique powers, each as different as the quirks we already have?"
Kai nodded. "That's the idea. Each Devil Fruit grants abilities that don't overlap with existing quirks. For example, Ectoplasm's kangaroo form is distinct from his duplication quirk and actually enhances his combat versatility."
Present Mic interjected; his usual enthusiasm laced with caution. "But… what if one of these fruits conflicts with a quirk? Has that been tested?"
Nezu jumped in, clicking to a slide that read Safety Measures. "Excellent question, Mic! We've prepared for that. Each fruit will be carefully matched to its recipient's quirk to minimize any possible conflicts. And we'll start with volunteers, of course. This will be a slow, carefully monitored rollout."
Recovery Girl folded her arms, her brow furrowed. "And what about the side effects? This 'Curse of the Sea' sounds like it could be deadly."
Kai looked directly at her. "Yes, it's a real risk. Anyone who eats a Devil Fruit will be unable to swim or even touch saltwater without becoming incapacitated. That's why we're being selective. This isn't for everyone."
Nezu nodded approvingly. "Our goal is to empower the faculty and the most promising students while maintaining U.A.'s safety standards."
The room fell silent as everyone digested this new reality.
After everyone had been given time to digest the news, the man in the firefighter's suit spoke up. "So, what does that fruit do? And most importantly, who gets it?"
Nezu clapped his hands and walked over to grab the fruit. "Great question, Pyre! This fruit had already been assigned before we got here. It's Snipe's, if he wants it. As for what it does, Kai, would you care to explain?"
Kai stepped forward, clearing his throat. "This is the Walk Walk Fruit, which embodies the concept of walking. I know what you're probably thinking—'That sounds weak,' or 'What's the point of that?' Believe me, I thought the same. But after digging deeper, it revealed itself to be incredibly powerful. This fruit allows the wielder to walk on any surface—walls, ceilings, water, even the air—just as if it were solid ground. There's also a secondary effect: you can instantly pathfind to anywhere you've been or can see."
Pyre, still skeptical, raised an eyebrow. "Walk anywhere? Sounds like a fancy way to say you can climb walls."
Kai nodded, a faint grin forming. "It's more than that. Picture this: walking on air or moving freely without being limited by terrain. The path-finding effect lets you get to any place you've been or can see, no matter the distance or obstacles. It's like having an inbuilt GPS that doesn't rely on roads or paths."
Nezu smiled, glancing at Snipe. "Kai thought this would be a perfect fit for you, Snipe. Fast movement, better positioning for long-range shots…"
Snipe, looking intrigued, took a step forward. "How long do the effects last?"
Kai considered for a moment. "As long as you're moving, the abilities are active. Stop walking, and you lose the connection to your chosen path. But it's easy to start again."
"Well, guess it's mine then," Snipe said, with a grin, taking the fruit from Nezu. "I'll see what I can do with this."
Nezu nodded approvingly. "I believe it'll serve you well. Now, everyone else, feel free to enjoy the rest of your day."
As the room began to clear, Kai's mind was still buzzing. He couldn't help but wonder if there were more fruits like this—seemingly simple but with endless potential in the right hands. He was brought out of thoughts by a system notification.
Quest: 'Becoming an Engineering Tycoon' has updated.
Make Nezu acknowledge your abilities (100%/100%)
You have completed 'Becoming an Engineering Tycoon'
Distributing Rewards: Check Inventory!
"Inventory" Kai muttered.
Inventory
Small Recon Drone
Advantage Devil Fruit Spin
Canon Devil Fruit Spin
Extra Fruit Capacity Voucher (Nezu)
'So the character-specific voucher was for Nezu. Makes sense, the quest was about him, after all.' Kai thought. 'I should save the spins for when I get home. You never know what could happen. On the other hand, it couldn't hurt to spin one of them here. Yeah, I can just spin the Canon fruit here. It'll be fine.'
Kai slipped his hand into his pocket and subtly opened his inventory. He slowly pulled out the Canon Fruit Spin ticket, and it disintegrated in his palm. A neon-rimmed wheel appeared before him, slowly spinning into view. Unlike the Random Wheel, which had over a thousand options, this one had only about two hundred.
'Spin,' Kai thought, and the wheel began to zoom around, the colors blurring together. After about ten seconds, the wheel started to slow, but Kai couldn't make out the fruits on it just yet. He watched intently, caught up in the spinning rhythm, until—
"Kai!" Nezu shouted from right in front of him, his voice sharp. "Are you okay? You've been staring into space for thirty seconds. What's going on?"
Kai blinked and quickly snapped out of his trance, realizing everyone except Snipe had left the room.
"Sorry, Principal. I just got another fruit."
A system notification appeared in his vision.
[Congrats! You've Pulled the Human Human Fruit!]
Type: Zoan
Details: A fruit once owned by Tony Tony Chopper, it's now in your capable hands. This fruit allows the wielder to transform between their base form, a Human Hybrid, and a Full Human. Pretty much useless for a human to eat though.
Nezu's sharp gaze flicked around the room, considering the possibility. His grin widened as he caught on. "Ah, I see where you're going with this. It's a fruit that would have no effect on you or Snipe... but perhaps there's someone else who could benefit from it."
Kai nodded slightly. "Exactly. Someone who might be able to use it in ways we haven't considered. Perhaps even to blend in, in situations where their identity could be... advantageous."
Nezu chuckled softly, clearly impressed. "Well, you're not wrong. This is an interesting suggestion, Kai. I'll keep that in mind. We may have just found a unique opportunity here." He paused, eyes glinting with intrigue. "I'll leave the decision up to you. After all, you've shown remarkable foresight today."
Kai then smiled. A genuine, happy smile. He slid the fruit to Nezu. "Then I welcome you to Humanity, Sensei."
At that point, both Snipe and Nezu bit into their Devil Fruits.