"Don't spit it out! It'll be useless if you do!" Lynch said, quickly covering Tashigi's hamster-like mouth.
"Mmfff..."
Tashigi's eyes rolled back, her entire face turning red as the overwhelmingly foul taste took over. She looked like she might pass out.
Finally, just before she seemed ready to collapse, Tashigi managed to swallow the pulp. The vile flavor still lingered, though, making her shudder.
She dashed to Lynch's desk, grabbed a bottle of soda, and drink it in one gulp, desperately trying to wash away the taste.
"Ah~ I'm alive..." Tashigi breathed a long sigh of relief, and tears came to her eyes.
But when her gaze fell on the half-eaten Devil Fruit still in her hand, she froze. The thought of eating the rest made her stomach churn.
Yet, a thought struck her: If I don't finish it, wouldn't all my previous suffering be for nothing?
Tashigi hesitated
"Look! There's a supreme sharp sword outside the window!" Lynch suddenly pointed, feigning excitement.
"Where?!" At the mention of a powerful sword, Tashigi's eyes lit up, and she instinctively turned to look.
"Let's go!"
While Tashigi was distracted, Lynch seized the opportunity, grabbing the remaining half of the Devil Fruit and shoving it into her mouth.
"Wooo! How dare you trick me!" Tashigi protested, her hamster-like demeanor returning as she struggled against the awful taste.
"I feel like I'm going to die!"
After eating a whole Devil Fruit, Tashigi slumped on the chair helplessly, her eyes losing their luster.
"Brother Lynch, that was so mean," Kuina said, pouting as she glanced at Tashigi sympathetically.
"Why have I never heard that eating a whole Devil Fruit has better effects?"
"There is no scientific basis, but it is undeniable that those who eat Devil Fruit whole will have high achievements in the end."
The only two people Lynch knew who swallowed Devil Fruit whole were Buggy the clown and Luffy.
Both had eaten their Devil Fruits whole, and both had risen to become Four Emperors. If nothing else, Lynch thought, the next Pirate King would likely be one of them.
"Poor Tashigi," Kuina muttered, glancing at the Devil Fruit she had tossed into the trash earlier.
For a moment, she considered retrieving it, but she quickly shook her head and dismissed the idea. No way was she going through that.
Feeling the newfound power surging within her, Kuina stepped forward confidently. "Brother Lynch, I'm ready to help. Just let me know what you need."
"Me too," Tashigi chimed in weakly, raising her hand with a feeble determination.
"Good. Both of you, follow me," Lynch said, leading them to a training ground.
At the training site, Kuina extended her palm and activated her Gravity Fruit ability. With a sharp "swish," a wooden target hundreds of meters away was pulled by a strong gravitational force, smashing into her blade and shattering into pieces.
This was far beyond the capability of the Peacock Fruit she had previously.
Kuina formed countless tactics in her mind in an instant.
Could she use gravity to pull her sword toward enemies or, better yet, pull enemies into the sword strike?
Could she eliminate an opponent's gravity entirely, leaving them weightless and vulnerable?
"Tashigi, your turn. Let's see what you can do," Lynch said, gesturing for her to try.
"Okay." Tashigi raised her hand eagerly, imitating Kuina's movements to activate her ability.
The wooden puppet pile Kuina had pulled with her gravity was suddenly sent flying by Tashigi's repulsive force. It shot into the sky like a rocket, shrinking into a tiny black dot before vanishing entirely.
Kuina's mouth fell open slightly, her eyes sparkling with amazement. "That's incredible!"
"Now, let's take it a step further," Lynch said, moving a massive stone weighing several tons into place. "Try using your abilities on this together."
Before they could start, Lynch added, "By the way, just using your abilities without naming them feels... uninspired. Think about Kizaru—moves like Yasakani no Magatama and Ama no Murakumo Sword. Each one sounds so cool!"
Grabbing Kuina's arm, he said, "From now on, the technique you use to pull things or people toward you will be called Universal Pull."
"Universal Pull? That sounds so powerful!" Kuina repeated the name twice, clearly pleased with it.
Then Lynch turned to Tashigi, gently holding her arm. "And your technique to push things away will be called Shinra Tensei."
Tashigi's eyes lit up as she nodded enthusiastically. "Got it! Shinra Tensei. I love it!"
Tashigi had no objections—whatever Lynch said was exactly what she wanted.
"Alright, you can begin," Lynch instructed.
Kuina and Tashigi extended their arms toward the massive boulder and, in unison, called out:
"Shinra Tensei!"
"Universal Pull!"
The immense repulsive and gravitational forces collided with the boulder simultaneously, causing it to shatter instantly into countless tiny stones.
Both girls froze in shock, their eyes wide with amazement. They had only used a fraction of their power!
"Just as I thought," Lynch said with satisfaction. "The combination of the Repulsion Fruit and Gravity Fruit creates an explosive synergy that multiplies their effects."
He looked at them seriously. "Make sure you develop your abilities well—don't let the potential of these Devil Fruits go to waste."
"Don't worry, Brother Lynch," Kuina said with a confident smile. "I'm the woman who's going to become the world's greatest swordsman!"
She playfully wrapped an arm around Tashigi's neck. "And this one here—she'll need plenty of strength if she plans to collect all the world's famous swords!
Lynch remained at the training ground, sharing his Devil Fruit development insights with Kuina and Tashigi. He explained advanced techniques like "Planetary Devastation" and "Super Shinra Tensei" in detail, holding nothing back.
Kuina, a true martial arts enthusiast, soaked up the information like a sponge. Her dedication and single-minded focus reminded Lynch of Zoro. She spent the entire day tirelessly honing her skills at the training ground.
As her best friend, Tashigi wasn't spared. She went from being "Tashigi the hamster" to "Tashigi the puppy," following Kuina's relentless pace.
Later, Lynch returned to his study and opened a sealed letter. Using a cipher, he deciphered the message. It was from Smoker:
[Three years! Three whole years!]
[I've now been promoted to Vice Admiral.]
[When are we going to end this operation? If this keeps up, I feel like I might end up as an Admiral!]
[By the way, Kizaru has been looking at me strangely recently—it's driving me crazy.]
[I suspect there's a flaw somewhere, and he might be starting to doubt my identity as an undercover agent. What should I do next?]
Lynch leaned back in his chair, deep in thought, considering his next move carefully.
Thanks to Lynch bringing Smoker back to Marine Headquarters from East Blue, his strength had significantly improved over the years.
Unlike his previously relaxed life in East Blue, Smoker thrived in the challenging environment of Marine Headquarters, naturally rising to the rank of Vice Admiral.
Over time, Lynch noticed an interesting aspect of Smoker's personality.
While he appeared stern and serious on the surface, there was a subtle, almost playful side to him—a contrast that made his personality unexpectedly endearing.
Ignoring Smoker's occasional showy behavior, Lynch focused on the critical issue in the letter: the potential for suspicion.
If Akainu became suspicious, it would spell trouble. However, if it were Kizaru, Lynch wasn't overly concerned.
With Kizaru's laissez-faire attitude, even if he discovered Smoker's role as an operative under Lynch, he likely wouldn't act on it.
After all, Kizaru had always been a pragmatist, working for the World Government more out of convenience and a paycheck than any real loyalty to the Celestial Dragons.
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TO BE CONTINUED
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