A soft click suddenly came from the desk. Sengoku set down his teacup and looked at Garp. "Garp, is your breathing weighed down by Seastone today? It's so heavy."
Garp jolted back to reality, swallowing back the secret that had nearly spilled out.
No way... If Sengoku found out about Ace's identity, he'd be the first to launch a Buster Call!
Forget it, forget it...
He bit down hard on the last piece of senbei. As long as that brat didn't cause any major disasters... he'd keep it from Sengoku for now.
"What are you muttering about?" Sengoku suddenly looked up, his gaze as sharp as an eagle's behind his glasses.
"Wahahaha!" Garp burst into exaggerated laughter, then stood up. "I was just wondering if I should dip tonight's senbei in chili sauce!"
Amid Sengoku's helpless sigh, Garp laughed his way towards the door and left.
The moment the door closed, Garp's smile vanished.
He stood silently facing the Marine flag in the hallway for a long time, eventually just pressing down the brim of his dog-hat, hiding all his secrets within its shadow.
...
Late at night,
The Moby Dick swayed gently on the moonlit sea like a slumbering giant whale.
The crew's snores drifted through the oak cabin walls, but Ace sat alone, cross-legged on his hammock, the system interface clearly displaying his sign-in reward in mid-air:
[Reward: Dual Devil Fruit Physique!]
[Note: After fusion begins, you must remain asleep during the physical reconstruction period]
[Fusion Time: 12 hours]
[Recommended to perform in a safe environment]
[Special Trigger Condition: This reward can be applied to any target!]
Shock!
The moment he completed the sign-in at Marineford that day, he almost thought he was hallucinating. The system had casually shattered the ancient, unbreakable iron rule of these seas!
"A person can only eat one Devil Fruit..." he murmured to himself, a storm raging in his heart. "The system has rewritten the very rules..."
Fortunately, he hadn't immediately fused the reward. Ace glanced outside the cabin door. If he had started the fusion back at Marineford, he'd probably have been shipped off to a Marine laboratory for dissection.
"What a powerful system."
Ace once again felt the profound, unfathomable nature of the system. Even a reward like 'Dual Devil Fruit Physique' could appear, completely defying common sense and overturning his understanding of the world.
He couldn't help but wonder what unimaginable miracles the system might bring in the future?
The thought flashed through his mind, both thrilling him and stirring a faint unease.
But at this moment, what filled his heart wasn't excitement, but an unprecedented hesitation.
If this were just an ordinary ability reward, he would undoubtedly choose to absorb it himself.
But the 'Dual Devil Fruit Physique' was special—it wasn't bound to him. The target could be someone else, or even something not necessarily human.
The system's description was clear and shocking: unlimited targets.
This 'unlimited' was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, sending ripples through his heart.
He instinctively thought of Whitebeard, his 'Pops'.
In recent years, Pops's health had been declining. Years of accumulated injuries and deteriorating physical condition forced the once-dominant powerhouse of the seas to show signs of weariness.
Though he remained as formidable as an insurmountable mountain, Ace knew better than anyone that his body was slowly breaking down from within.
What if... this 'Dual Devil Fruit Physique' could be used on Pops?
Once this thought surfaced, it refused to subside.
If Pops could possess the power of two Devil Fruits simultaneously, perhaps he could consume a Mythical Zoan-type Fruit.
Those legendary mythical beasts not only possessed world-shaking power but often also contained astonishing vitality and regenerative abilities.
By then, not only surface injuries but even the old ailments that had plagued him for years might be cured.
As for himself, Ace was acutely aware that he didn't urgently need a second Fruit right now.
He hadn't yet fully developed the power of the Mera Mera no Mi, and more importantly—he had a sign-in system!
This meant countless possibilities in the future; stronger abilities, rarer rewards, might appear sooner or later.
But the 'Dual Devil Fruit Physique'... might very well be a one-time opportunity.
On one side was an easily attainable power boost for himself;
On the other was the chance to save the man he regarded as a father, the man he was willing to follow even to death.
He clenched his fist, emotions churning in his eyes as the system screen flickered silently before him. The choice that would shape his future lay heavy on his shoulders.
In the silence,
Ace's gaze fell once more on the flashing text on the system screen: 'Dual Devil Fruit Physique, unlimited targets'.
He took a deep breath, finally reached out, and slowly picked up the Den Den Mushi on the table.
The moment his fingertips touched the shell, he felt as if he had returned to his childhood—whenever he was confused or faced a difficult decision, he would instinctively seek out the most trusted person—Big Brother Ron.
Buru—Buru— The Den Den Mushi mimicked the connecting sound. Ace unconsciously tightened his grip on the receiver.
"Hello, Ace?" Ron's calm, familiar voice came from the other end. "Calling at this hour... did the system give you something new again?"
"Big Brother," Ace said, his tone heavy, "I completed the sign-in at Marineford... The reward is 'Dual Devil Fruit Physique.'"
"'Dual Devil Fruit Physique'?" Ron's voice held clear surprise. "A physique capable of bearing two Devil Fruit abilities simultaneously? The system even gives out something like this... it's truly beyond comprehension."
"And that's not all," Ace continued, "This physique... it doesn't necessarily have to be used by me. The system states 'unlimited targets,' which means... it can be given to someone else."
"What?! To someone else?!"
Even Ron was momentarily speechless. "Anyone can use it... this is practically challenging the very rules of this world."
He pondered for a moment, his voice gradually regaining its composure. "What are your thoughts?"
"I... I'm very hesitant," Ace admitted honestly. "If I use it, I will indeed become stronger. But Pops's health has been deteriorating over the years, and the old injuries from battles have always lingered. If he had dual Fruit abilities, for example, by eating a Mythical Zoan Fruit..."
He didn't finish, but Ron understood completely.
"I understand your dilemma. A second Fruit for you would be like giving wings to a tiger, but not indispensable—after all, you have the sign-in system, and there will be many opportunities in the future."
"But if it's used on Whitebeard... perhaps the entire landscape of the New World would undergo a massive change!"
Ron left another thought unspoken: with this favor, and with Ace in the future, the Whitebeard Pirates would also be his allies!
He paused, his tone growing more profound. "This might not just be an 'enhancement,' but 'salvation.' Some choices, once missed, are gone forever."
"Ace, only you can decide this matter."
"But remember one thing: don't ask about gains or losses, only listen to your true heart."
"You only need to make the choice you won't regret in the future. That is enough."