Chapter 17: Cute and a Little Gross
After a long deliberation, everyone finally reached a decision.
Hashirama would take the Mori Mori no Mi, Tsunade would consume the Ope Ope no Mi, and Orochimaru would take the Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: Yamata no Orochi. As for Tobirama, he set his sights on the Soru Soru no Mi.
While this point initially took Yumesaki by surprise, it made perfect sense after some careful thought.
Tobirama was the man who had created the Edo Tensei and various soul-sealing techniques. In the field of soul research, he could arguably be called the number one authority in the world of Naruto.
Targeting the Soru Soru no Mi was the logical choice.
The problem, however, was that the current user of the Soru Soru no Mi was the leader of the Big Mom Pirates and one of the Four Emperors, Charlotte Linlin.
For Tobirama, obtaining that fruit would be no easy feat.
If Hashirama were still alive and in his prime, defeating Charlotte Linlin wouldn't have been an issue. But the reality was that Hashirama Senju was currently among the dead.
Even though Orochimaru had resurrected him through the Edo Tensei, he remained a reanimated corpse. His current power didn't even reach fifty percent of his peak. Killing Charlotte Linlin under these conditions would be far from simple.
Facing Yumesaki's doubts, Tobirama spoke calmly: "Killing her isn't the only way. If Vegapunk could use Kaidou's lineage factor to create a new Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu, then Orochimaru, little Tsunade, and I combined should be able to use Charlotte Linlin's blood to create a new Soru Soru no Mi."
"And if that truly isn't possible, we can always abduct Vegapunk from Egghead Island and collaborate with him to crack the secrets of the Devil Fruits ourselves."
Yumesaki thought about it for a moment. Tobirama, Orochimaru, and Tsunade were all top-tier experts—especially in the fields of scientific research, human body modification, and medical science. They were the absolute pinnacle of existence.
Perhaps they really could unravel the mysteries of the Devil Fruits.
With that in mind, the dream of obtaining the Ope Ope no Mi, Mori Mori no Mi, and Soru Soru no Mi wasn't such a far-fetched goal after all.
At that moment, Yumesaki turned his attention toward Kabuto and Shizune, asking, "What about you two? Which Devil Fruits do you want?"
Shizune pondered for a bit before answering, "If it's possible, I'd like the Warp Warp no Mi."
A ninja paired with the ability to teleport instantly would be a total massacre on the battlefield.
In the past, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had relied on the Flying Thunder God Technique to build a legendary reputation during the war. Unfortunately, the Flying Thunder God Technique was far too difficult; she hadn't been able to learn it.
But now, there was a shortcut. Simply by eating the Warp Warp no Mi, she could master instant teleportation. It would be useful in any situation she might face in the future.
Kabuto pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and said, "What I want most right now isn't a Devil Fruit, but a man named Blackbeard. I want to research why he's able to consume two Devil Fruits."
Orochimaru's eyes instantly lit up. He flicked his long tongue and hissed, "Kabuto is right. Blackbeard is the key. We must capture him, study his body, and understand it. Once we do, we could potentially consume two, or even many more Devil Fruits."
A single Devil Fruit was already formidable. But if one could consume two that complemented each other, the resulting power would be truly unbelievable.
Tobirama made the final call: "Indeed. Our immediate priority is to research the power of the Devil Fruits first. Once we've cracked their secrets, we'll capture Blackbeard to study his anatomy."
Hashirama, Tsunade, Orochimaru, Kabuto, and the others all nodded in agreement.
With the plan set, the next step was execution. And for that, they were entirely dependent on Yumesaki. After all, only Yumesaki could lead them across worlds.
Fortunately, Yumesaki didn't refuse. He located a large door within Orochimaru's hideout and connected it to the world of One Piece.
Behind the door was Nico Robin's bedroom, just as before.
However, this time, Robin wasn't in the room. She was likely busy attending to other matters. But Robin was incredibly thoughtful; to prevent Yumesaki from being unable to find her upon arrival, she had placed a glass box specifically on the balcony.
Inside the glass box was a Transponder Snail, along with some of its favorite food. Taped to the side of the box was a small slip of paper with a simple message: "Call me."
Tobirama and Orochimaru circled the Transponder Snail a few times. Although they had seen these creatures many times in the manga, this was their first time seeing one in the flesh.
It was hard to imagine that this creature, which looked exactly like a common snail, could function as a telephone. The lifeforms in the world of One Piece were truly diverse; it was no wonder things like Devil Fruits existed here.
Yumesaki looked down at the Transponder Snail in the box. In the manga, these creatures looked quite cute, but seeing one in real life gave him a very strange expression.
Because, while you could call it cute, it was also a little gross. It was a mix of "gross-cute" and "cute-gross." In short, it was a very unique sight.
After taking a few deep breaths to overcome the slight revulsion in his heart, Yumesaki picked up the Transponder Snail and placed a call to Nico Robin.
A moment later, the call connected.
The Transponder Snail instantly mimicked Robin's expressions and posture. Even its mouth began to produce Robin's voice. Seen like this, the creature felt even more bizarre.
"You're back."
On the other end of the line, Robin saw the Transponder Snail in her hand take on Yumesaki's features, and a small smile played on her lips.
Yumesaki asked, "I'm back, and I've brought a few assistants this time. Where are you right now?"
Robin replied, "I'm preparing a surprise for you. Just wait a bit; I should be back by tonight. Also, I've left some money at the house. If you all get bored, feel free to head over to Rain Dinners to play. I recall Tsunade has quite the love for gambling—any losses are on me."
Upon hearing this, Tsunade's eyes sparkled with excitement.
However, in the next second, she felt a sharp gaze land on her face. Tsunade turned her head to see Tobirama staring at her with eyes as sharp as daggers.
She immediately looked away. There was no helping it; her granduncle's glare was just too piercing.
Tobirama gave a cold snort before slowly shifting his gaze toward his older brother. If he remembered correctly, his brother was the original gambling addict who had frequently taken a young Tsunade in and out of various casinos.
The fact that Tsunade turned out the way she did was a responsibility his brother could not escape. If the top is crooked, the bottom will follow. He should have put a stop to it back then and saved little Tsunade from that path.
Unfortunately, it was too late for "what-ifs."
Thinking about it made Tobirama feel a wave of sadness. He couldn't understand what was so appealing about gambling. Besides being a waste of time, it was, more importantly, a waste of money.
His older brother never won, and little Tsunade was even worse—eventually earning the nickname "The Legendary Sucker" in the shinobi world. It was truly a disgrace to the Senju clan.
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