After dealing with those things, Joshua glanced at the Devil Fruit that he had placed under the tree, which had a touch of sunlight on it. He walked over, but didn't pick it up. Instead, he passed it directly and went to another tree that was at least 10 feet away.
Joshua bent down, used his dull sword, and began digging into the dirt. In no time, he pulled out a fruit with strange patterns.
Yes—it was a Devil Fruit that Joshua had buried there some time ago.
Flashback—
It all happened on a day when the weather was bleak, the surrounding trees seemed a little dull, and the air felt slightly depressed. Joshua was doing his training when he heard—
"Groowwwl…" The sound of Joshua's stomach rumbling told him he was hungry.
"It seems like I'm going to make lunch a little earlier today," Joshua said as he stood from his squat position.
He dried his face, picked up his sword, and went into the woods. It didn't take long to reach them, since his small house was built nearby.
Many of the villagers often looked in that direction with strange expressions. No one from the village ever went into the woods when they needed something—they would always find another way. The continuous howling heard at night kept them living in fear; they didn't dare enter. Only those so-called fierce men who thought they could cover the sky with one hand because of their little strength would go.
They would arrogantly enter the woods just to prove to others that they could handle any beast that came their way. But they were never heard from again.
This only made the rest more determined not to enter, afraid of losing their lives. So when they saw the little boy living near the woods, they wondered—How is he not dead?
That question made their expressions even stranger when they saw him.
The surrounding woods were somewhat dark, and from time to time, the screeching of black birds could be heard. Snakes hissed, and bushes rustled every now and then. However, in the midst of all this, a small creature with two big white ears could be seen hopping around while munching on a carrot.
Right near it stood a short, slim figure, watching the rabbit coldly—like a hawk studying its prey.
That person was Joshua. From the moment he entered the woods, he had been watching the rabbit for five minutes, waiting patiently for it to show a flaw or get distracted, then he would strike.
Joshua didn't fear these creatures. However, there were one or two deeper in the forest that made him wary. He wasn't stupid enough to think he was omnipotent just because he had done some physical training. So he moved cautiously in these woods.
At that moment, the carrot dropped from the rabbit's hands, and it hurried to pick it up.
Now.
Joshua vanished from his original spot. In the blink of an eye, he appeared beside the rabbit.
Instinct kicked in. The rabbit sensed a dangerous threat from behind and tried to flee. But it couldn't escape. Joshua grabbed it by the throat and applied pressure repeatedly.
It struggled desperately to break free, but couldn't. Joshua stared coldly at it, a faint murderous intent in his eyes, showing no signs of mercy.
Death came slowly. The rabbit's struggle weakened, and then he chopped off its head—blood spraying like a fountain.
Just as Joshua was about to leave, he spotted something peculiar—something that didn't belong in this environment. Slightly curious, he went to a nearby bush, parted it, and on the ground surrounded by vines lay a strange fruit.
Joshua stared at it in surprise, then his eyes lit up.
"Devil Fruit," he said, still stunned, as he picked it up.
The fruit was shaped like a pear, with a grey and burgundy mix and a small lipid stem.
Who would have thought a Devil Fruit would be found on the island, near where Joshua lived?
"System, what kind of Devil Fruit is this?" Joshua asked.
"This is a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit—one of the rarest," the system replied.
Joshua was shocked again.
Flashback End—
Joshua held the fruit in his hand as he walked back to where the other one was.
Back then, he thought about eating it, but pushed the idea aside. He still had a gift pack, and he might receive a better fruit than the one he had. Now, he had two Devil Fruits in his possession.
"System, does the 'Curse of the Sea' apply to the Black Flame Fruit I received?" Joshua asked.
"No. Because it came in the form of a gift pack, the 'Curse of the Sea' was removed," the system replied.
Joshua was surprised. Just as he was about to get excited, a dark thought flashed in his mind, and a glint appeared in his eyes.
This speculation made Joshua drool, and an excited tremble ran through his body.
If this is true, then…
"System…"
"Yes…"
"If the sea curse was removed… then does that mean I can eat another fruit? Because whatever it was in the second fruit that would cause me to explode—would've been taken away too? So I would be able to eat a second Devil Fruit?" Joshua asked, his lips trembling.
No reply came for nearly two minutes. Even though Joshua's face remained calm, a faint anxiety stirred in his heart.
"That is correct, Host. But if you take in another fruit, you will receive the Curse of the Sea," the system said coldly.
Even though Joshua heard everything the system said, he ignored it.
He couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into maniacal laughter, facing the sky—his voice so loud that the surrounding birds fled in panic