The blue notification screen hovered in my vision like a neon sign advertising the universe's another dad joke.
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[ You've received the Quake Quake Fruit ( Weakness to Water Removed ) ]
[ This Paramecia-type Devil Fruit allows the user to create vibrations, or "quakes", making the user a Quake Human. This fruit is fearsomely reputed to be able to destroy the world, and is considered to be the strongest Devil Fruit within the Paramecia class, having powers no weaker than those of a Logia Devil Fruit ]
[ Alert! The weakness to water has been removed ]
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I stared at the glowing text, my brain doing cartwheels trying to process what I was seeing. The Gura Gura no Mi. The fucking Tremor-Tremor Fruit. The same Devil Fruit that Whitebeard used to nearly sink Marineford and make the entire One Piece world collectively shit their pants whenever he decided to throw a tantrum.
And apparently, the gacha system had decided I deserved it for surviving Lady Sitri's sadistic sparring session. Without the water weakness, which was basically like getting a sports car with unlimited gas and no speed limits. Totally worth every broken rib and near-death experience.
I mentally commanded the system to accept the reward, extending my hand palm-up like some kind of discount magician. Reality rippled, and suddenly there was weight in my hand, a fruit materialized out of thin air with a sound like cracking glass.
The Gura Gura no Mi sat in my palm, and damn if it wasn't exactly like the wiki descriptions I'd read in my previous life. A blue pear, but not the one you'd find in any grocery store. The top half looked normal enough, smooth and rounded with that distinctive pear shape and a green stem sprouting from the crown.
The lower portion had this crystallized, lighter blue appearance, like someone had flash-frozen it mid-mutation. And running through that crystallized section were cracks. They pulsed faintly with internal light, as if the fruit was barely containing the devastating power locked inside.
I turned it over in my hand, feeling the smooth texture of the top half to the rougher, almost glass-like surface of the crystallized bottom. It sized enough to sit comfortably in my palm, deceptively innocent-looking if you ignored the whole "cracks in reality" aesthetic.
In closer inspection, it really does look like an ordinary fruit that decided to have an identity crisis and became a weapon of mass destruction instead, but the real ones know how this little devil taste like.
GULP.
I steeled myself, took a deep breath, and bit into the fruit. The moment my teeth broke through its skin, my entire mouth staged a rebellion. The taste hit my tongue like tasting a rotten fish, mixing it with sewage, and then leaving it to ferment in Satan's armpit for a few decades.
I immediately winced, but I gulped it down anyway, refusing to let something as trivial as the worst taste stop me from gaining literal earthquake powers.
One bite was enough, I didn't need to subject myself to the rest of this culinary war crime. I quickly stored the remainder of it in my dimensional storage, where it could live out its days in peace, far away from my abused taste buds.
I extended both arms in front of me, closing my eyes and focusing inward. There it was, a new sensation flowing through my limbs, a vibration that resonated in my bones. It felt like standing next to a massive subwoofer playing at frequencies just below human hearing, except the subwoofer was inside me.
My muscles tingled with potential energy, waiting to be released. This wasn't like the temporary rush from potions or the focused sharpness of haki. This was permanently woven into my very existence.
I clenched my fists, feeling the power respond to my will. The air around my hands shimmered slightly, distorting like heat waves rising from summer asphalt.
Getting up from my bed, I rolled my shoulders and cracked my neck. Time for the field test. I need to try this power somewhere far away from Kuoh because I genuinely don't want to accidentally flatten this beautiful town and have Sona hunt me down with homicidal intent.
---
FWOOOOM!
The magic circle beneath my feet flared purple and black before depositing me in the middle of absolutely nowhere. I stepped out onto cracked earth, surveying my new testing ground with satisfaction.
The abandoned valley stretched before me like nature's own demolition site, jagged rock formations jutting from the ground at odd angles, dried riverbeds cutting through the landscape like scars, and not a single living thing in sight for miles.
Perfect.
If I accidentally created a crater the size of Tokyo, nobody would care.
The sky above was a washed-out blue, the valley walls rose on either side, creating a natural arena that would contain any... excessive demonstrations of power.
I planted my feet shoulder-width apart, taking the stance I'd seen Whitebeard use in the anime. Right fist clenched, left hand braced against my right wrist for stability. The power arised in my arms, eager to be unleashed.
CRACK!
I punched the air in front of me, and reality had a minor breakdown. A sphere of condensed vibration formed around my fist, visible as a vibrating bubble of distorted space that made the air look like broken glass. Then I released it.
BOOOOOM!
The shockwave exploded outward in a pure destructive force. The ground in front of me shattered. Stone and earth erupted in a wave of debris, chunks of rock the size of cars flying through the air like pebbles. A trench carved itself into the valley floor, fifty meters long and deep enough, it's edges still smoking from the sheer friction of displacement.
Damn. That was just a basic punch, no real technique behind it, and I'd just created devastation that would make most High-Class Devils pause and reconsider their life choices.
The dust settled slowly, revealing the new canyon I'd carved into the landscape. My arms still held with power, barely tapped. This wasn't like using potions where I could feel my reserves depleting. The Gura Gura no Mi's power was mine, permanently, limited only by my stamina and imagination.
I grinned like a maniac and cracked my knuckles. Time to see what else this could do.
I raised both hands above my head, palms facing outward, and focused on creating vibrations in the atmosphere itself.
*VWOOM!*
The air in front of me cracked. Literally cracked, like someone had taken a hammer to a pane of glass that happened to be made of reality. Fissures of white light spread through the atmosphere, and then the shockwave hit.
A wall of compressed air slammed outward, flattening everything in a hundred-meter radius. Rock formations that had stood for thousands of years were sandblasted into gravel. The dried riverbed was scoured clean, exposing bedrock underneath. Even the dust was blown away, leaving nothing but bare stone gleaming in the sunlight.
The destructive potential was insane, but what really got my attention was the versatility. I could make the vibrations travel through air, through ground, probably through water if I wanted to create tsunamis. I could adjust the magnitude, the direction, the point of impact.
The Gura Gura no Mi wasn't just the strongest Paramecia because of it's destructive power, it was the strongest because of how many ways you could apply that power.
Time for the big one. I wanted to try the signature move, the attack that had made Whitebeard a legend.
I grabbed the air itself. My fingers closed around empty space, but with the Gura Gura no Mi's power flowing through them, I could feel resistance. The atmosphere had substance, texture, like invisible force waiting to be torn. I pulled, and the world tilted.
*CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!*
Massive fissures of white light spread through the air around me, and then I yanked it all of a sudden. The entire valley lurched sideways like a drunk trying to stand up. Gravity went sideways for a moment, then reasserted itself with vengeance. The ground bucked, rising and falling in waves that would make a roller coaster enthusiast weep with envy.
Boulders the size of houses were tossed into the air like toys. The remaining valley walls collapsed completely, unable to withstand forces that made earthquakes look gentle. Even the sky seemed to ripple, clouds distorting and fragmenting as shockwaves propagated through the atmosphere.
When the dust finally settled, I was standing in the center of what used to be a valley and was now more accurately described as a devastating natural disaster. The landscape had been completely transformed from a relatively intact abandoned valley into something that looked like the aftermath of asteroids bombardment.
Clenching my fist, I surveyed the destruction with satisfaction. My fight with Riser is going to be one hell of a beatdown that the whole Underworld is going to witness. That fire chicken bastard thinks he's hot shit because he can regenerate? Wait until he experiences being hit by an earthquake directly to the face.
Repeatedly.
The mental image of Riser being ragdolled by shockwaves brought a smile to my face. Phoenix healing was impressive, but even his immortality had its limits.
I took one last look at the aftermath before I stepped into the magic circle, reality folding around me as I teleported back home.
Time to get back to work. I still had potions to brew and an Underworld trip to prepare for.
---
CLINK!
In the afternoon, I wiped sweat off my forehead as I corked the last of the twenty glass vials with glowing purple liquid. The Essence Alchemy's results in my living room looked like a mad scientist's fever dream.
I dropped onto the couch with a satisfying sigh, letting my aching muscles relax. The brewing process had taken an hour of constant attention, precise temperature control, and ingredients. But the results were worth it, twenty doses of high-quality regeneration potion, on par with Phoenix Tears level.
I no longer require Kalawarner's assistance now that I have access to The Honored One potion. Don't get me wrong, her help with potion brewing would definitely keep my stock from running dry, but working solo like this? It felt like my control over Essence Alchemy was growing significantly. Each batch was smoother, more efficient, the magical resonances easier to manipulate. Sometimes you had to struggle alone to truly master something.
Kalawarner appeared in the doorway, holding a glass of fresh orange juice. She crossed the room and took the spot on the opposite couch, as she passed it to me with a curious look on her face.
"Thank you" I said, accepting the glass and downing it in one go.
"You look pleased with the results"
"I am" I said, setting the empty glass down "I succeeded in brewing another potion that will replace Phoenix Tears in the Underworld, providing serious competition. It will help us gain a major foothold in the Underworld market"
Her eyebrows rose slightly "Really?"
"With this, We'd be positioning this as the affordable alternative, the option for Devils who can't afford to drop small fortunes on healing. I know for sure, it will replace the Phoenix Tears in no time"
Kalawarner nodded slowly, processing the business strategy. Then her expression shifted "What would it serve? Isn't giving such potions would bring unnecessary troubles from not just Phenex family but from other Devil clans who want to get their hands on it?"
I leaned back as I explained her reasons for with holding such potion.
"Well, we can't lead our group with no resources and connections to other factions. I know it sounds weird coming from someone who says 'freedom, freedom' like a certain straw-hat boy. But you have to understand, the one who provides value is valued way more in any society than the one who doesn't. Targeting their major money investments will get us more benefits. Styx touch is great, but not so great currently. Phoenix tears was the right choice to replace"
Kalawarner nodded in affirmation, her expression thoughtful "So you want to establish a business relationship with them by offering decent quality but significant potions. Is that all, or is there more to it? Because from what I can see, you are basically closing one of the doors to gaining favor from Ajuka Beelzebub, who would be absolutely fascinated by previous creation of yours"
"My potion brewing ability is enough for achieving it. Individuals like Ajuka are far more fascinated by how it's done than what's done. The process, the theory, the underlying workings, that's what gets their attention. Besides, I can't be offering my special potions to everyone. It's not how the world works, Kala"
Scarcity created value. If everyone had access to The Honored One, it wouldn't be special anymore. It would just be another potion. But if I kept it rare, kept it exclusive, it would become something people would kill for. And on that list, the first one would be me.
Kalawarner's expression shifted, a hint of disappointment creeping into her voice "What about me? Aren't you going to give me one as well?"
I smirked "You'll get it if you work to deserve it"
She blinked, confusion replacing disappointment "What do you mean by that?"
"You still haven't landed a win against Syr yet, if I remember correctly" I said "And giving you this potion would be unfitting if you can't even defeat my familiar. No offense to Syr, she's strong but she's still a familair. And, If my familiar is beating my second in command, then it's a problem"
Kalawarner's eyes flashed "So if I succeed in defeating her, will you give it to me?"
"Absolutely" I nodded "Beat Syr in a fair fight, and it will prove you're the strongest one after me in this group, and The Honored One is yours"
She clenched her fist, violet eyes blazing with determination "I will prove myself worthy of it"
Perfect. She's motivated now. Nothing like a little competitive spirit to drive improvement. Kalawarner was already skilled, but she'd been far from strong one. This would push her to actually rise beyond her comfort zone.
Also, watching her and Syr go at it is always entertaining as hell.
---
The next few days blurred together in a productive haze.
Kalawarner's training sessions against Syr had become the highlight of my afternoons. The Fallen Angel was getting her ass kicked repeatedly, and her refusal to admit that she might not be the strongest after me in the group was both admirable and hilarious.
Their latest bout had ended with Kalawarner frozen in a block of darkness (courtesy of Syr's new darkness breath) while Syr sat on top of the darkness block.
"Again!" Kalawarner had said through gritted teeth when I'd thawed her out. "We go again"
"Maybe tomorrow" I'd suggested "When you've developed a better counter-strategy instead of just trying to overwhelm her with light spears"
Asia had been making remarkable progress with her everyday school life. The former nun had initially been terrified of Japanese high school culture, but she'd adapted with surprising grace.
Her defensive magic was coming along nicely too. She could now create barriers strong enough to stop a car, and her wind magic had progressed from "gentle breeze" to "troublesome tornado". She was still far from combat-ready, but give her another month and she'd be able to handle herself in a real fight.
---
Finally the day, we were going to the Underworld arrived.
I arrived with Asia and Kalawarner flanking me, both dressed for travel. Asia wore a simple blue dress with a white cardigan, looking every bit the innocent transfer student. Kalawarner had opted for dark jeans and a white shirt.
Sona and her peerage stood by the entrance to the train platform, all wearing their student council uniforms despite this being technically a weekend trip. Sona's attention to formality never wavered.
"Motohama-kun" Sona greeted me with a nod, her violet eyes scanning our group with professional assessment "Punctual as always"
"Wouldn't dream of keeping you waiting" I replied, matching her formal tone. "Where's your mother? Isn't she coming to the Underworld with us?"
"She will be meeting us at—"
"Motohama-kun!~"
WHOMP!
Arms wrapped around me from behind, and I was experiencing the full-body tackle that Lady Sitri apparently considered an appropriate greeting. Her impressive chest pressed against my back, and her breath tickled my ear as she spoke.
"You missed me that much?~"
"Mother!" Sona's voice cracked with embarrassment "Could you please maintain appropriate boundaries?"
Lady Sitri laughed totally unbothered by Sona's retort, before releasing me and stepping back. She was dressed in elegant black dress that graciously highlighted her well built physique underneath.
I sighed internally, turning to face her with what I hoped was a neutral expression. Of course she would show up like that. Lady Sitri seemed to take genuine pleasure in flustering her daughter and everyone else in the vicinity.
"I wasn't aware I'd given that impression, Lady Sitri" I said.
"Oh, but you looked so disappointed when Sona said I wasn't here yet!" Lady Sitri's violet eyes sparkled with amusement "I simply had to reassure you of my presence!"
Sona pinched the bridge of her nose, her other hand adjusting her glasses in what I'd come to recognize as her "dealing with family nonsense" gesture "Perhaps we should board the train before Mother decides to cause a scene"
"Too late for that" Saji muttered from somewhere behind Sona. Tsubaki shot him a warning look, and he wisely shut up.
Lady Sitri just smiled wider, as she draped her arm around my shoulders taking both of us ahead of everyone, clearly enjoying herself immensely.
This was going to be one hell of a trip.
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