Since Amado chose to join the crew, he never thought he needed someone's approval to get on board.
That was how confident he was. He believed in himself completely.
In this era, he believed he could gain real power using only his brain.
But he didn't want to go that route. From the moment he joined the crew, he had full trust in both his own skills and his own beliefs.
Because the man standing in front of him now was the one who started a new era—the one who gave normal people like him a chance to step into the history of the ninja world.
It might sound harsh, but that's just how the world works. Ordinary people don't even get to become a small footnote in the history books.
But Amado was ready to prove to the world that even as a regular person, he had what it took to stand next to Shanks. That was the source of his pride, his self-confidence, and his trust in Shanks.
When he saw the look of surprise and excitement in Shanks' eyes, Amado hid his own happiness.
Because that look was true recognition. Shanks had truly accepted him, a normal man. His intelligence had earned him a spot at the top of this era. And with the tech in his hands, he would lead the world into a new age.
Others didn't feel anything special about what Amado said. At least, when Shisui and Haku looked at him, all they showed was respect and admiration.
There was no trace of surprise on their faces.
Only Yahiko, in that moment, felt like he had finally woken up from a dream and truly felt the crushing pressure.
Until now, whether it was Shanks, Shisui, or Zabuza, they had all acted way too easygoing and relaxed.
But when Amado claimed to be the top scientist in the world—when this man, who looked a little nerdy, suddenly gave off a commanding presence that made everyone take him seriously, and nobody around seemed to doubt him—
That's when Yahiko truly felt the fear.
Shanks looked like a carefree guy, and half the time he even acted like a drunk.
But this man had the terrifying ability to clearly see the big picture and easily break down the chaos of the ninja world. His vision and intelligence were on a whole other level.
On top of that, he was also one of the strongest fighters in the world.
And Amado, who looked like just another sharp-tongued geek, was the greatest researcher of this era—a man capable of changing the world.
As for Shisui, he gave off the vibe of a cheerful and kind older brother, someone who didn't try to stand out.
But Shisui was Shanks' true right-hand man, the captain of this ship, and one of the strongest people in the world. His talent for learning Ninjutsu was also terrifying.
In less than a day, he had already mastered the Edo Tensei technique they got from Orochimaru. That's the kind of person Shisui was.
And Haku? This boy, only thirteen or fourteen, had a gentle and kind personality.
But he also had top-level intelligence, along with serious fighting power.
Whether it was intelligence, strength, or mental maturity, Haku had it all at the highest level.
At this moment, Yahiko truly snapped back to reality.
Everyone on this ship had the power to change the world. These people were the strongest forces in existence.
"Nagato, that guy…"
As Yahiko finally came to his senses, he felt the full weight of the pressure.
Facing it directly was a completely different experience.
It was like back in high school—sitting in the back row with your buddies, chatting and goofing off during class. Even if you knew your classmates were all top students, it didn't really sink in.
But when the test scores came out and everyone around you got perfect scores while you didn't even pass—that's when it hits you.
That's exactly how Yahiko felt right now.
"Damn it… what kind of place did Nagato send me to… these people…"
While Yahiko was still in shock, he suddenly felt someone looking at him. He looked up and saw Shanks watching him.
Shanks gave him a smile, and that finally snapped Yahiko out of it.
"Devil Fruits and chakra actually come from the same source. Both are powers born from the God Tree.
So the change in chakra nature can actually be reversed into Devil Fruit awakening, though the process is a lot more complex than chakra transformation."
"In simple terms, the nature of a Devil Fruit's power is just an extension of its ability's core idea."
"The God Tree's power is strong enough to challenge the world itself. That's why, when it invaded the ninja world, things like the Dragon Veins and Seastone appeared."
Amado kept explaining his research. What he was talking about used to be just theories—but now, they were fully proven facts.
"So when the God Tree came to the ninja world, the world's own will clashed with it, and that clash caused the sea to develop a natural resistance against those with powers.
But at the same time, it proves that Devil Fruit users do have the potential to raise their powers to world-changing levels—which, like I said earlier, is what awakening is: an extension of their ability's nature."
As Amado spoke, Shisui and Haku both nodded in agreement.
They more or less understood, and so did Haku. But right now, he still wasn't capable of doing it.
"In other words, Devil Fruit users have the power to twist reality itself.
Take my ability, for example. Right now, it's just basic ice—freezing things like seawater. But if you stretch the idea of freezing further, it could even freeze things you can't see."
"Like... life itself."
Haku asked.
Hearing Haku's words, Amado nodded.
"That's right. Rather than calling it Devil Fruit awakening, it's more like using the will of the world.
The world makes the ocean the ocean, and the sky the sky. But a Devil Fruit user who's awakened can turn the sky into the ocean, and the ocean into the sky."
"That's the awakening of a Devil Fruit—using the will of the world.
But all power comes at a price. If your strength isn't high enough, an ordinary person can't handle the power of the world's will."
As he said this, Amado glanced at Shanks.
To put it simply, Shanks had reached the level of standing against the world's will.
From Amado's research into Devil Fruits, that level—what Shanks had reached—was the limit of Devil Fruit power.
It's a terrifying kind of power—the power to change reality itself.
And Shanks had already mastered this ultimate power. Calling him the strongest of this era is completely fair.
Even when the new era arrives, and more Devil Fruit users awaken, Shanks will still be the man standing at the top.
Though by then, the gap between him and others might not be so wide.
But that's a good thing.
Because that's exactly what they need.
"Besides that, there's another strange thing happening during this process—fusion Ninjutsu."
"Reverse Ninjutsu is used to help grow Devil Fruits, but besides regular Ninjutsu, there's something called fusion Ninjutsu.
And based on the core formula of Ninjutsu—which says that the Chakra Fruit holds all forms of Ninjutsu—it means that when different Ninjutsu clash, new ones can be created."
"But fusion Ninjutsu is extremely rare. Many types of Ninjutsu just can't mix."
Shisui shook his head. He didn't know much about Amado's theory, but he did know a lot about Ninjutsu.
Just because fusion Ninjutsu exists doesn't mean all Ninjutsu can be combined.
The Chakra Fruit stands for "all techniques becoming one." But in reality, the Ninjutsu people can actually use still needs to be slowly discovered through trial and error.
"Shisui, you're wrong."
"Not being able to use something doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
People are different. Everyone has a different level of compatibility with Ninjutsu, so some Ninjutsu just aren't meant for humans to use."
"But... that doesn't mean they don't exist. The Divine Tree can fully handle all of them."
"And the easiest way to make that happen is through Ninjutsu collisions.
As long as there are enough people involved, these Ninjutsu clashes will start producing all kinds of strange Devil Fruits."
As Amado said this, he turned and went back into his lab.
A short while later, he came out pushing a box.
"But to create a Devil Fruit, you need reverse-engineered Ninjutsu to keep the process going, and the Divine Tree itself doesn't use Ninjutsu."
"So, I created another version of the Divine Tree's cells that can use Ninjutsu—though it's still not fully developed."
When Amado said this, Shanks was stunned.
Wait a second… could it be that what's inside this box is…?
"This is what I wanted to talk about next—the greatest invention to come out of the New World."
Amado opened the box. When Shanks saw the pale figure inside, he was completely shocked.
"White Zetsu?"
Shanks stayed quiet, but inside, he was screaming.
No way. How does this guy even know how to do something like this? Is the gap in intelligence between people really this huge?
"But right now, this thing is just a Divine Tree clone with no mind of its own. It has all the functions of a human body, but no thoughts.
So either you move a soul directly into it, or you use a power that comes from the Divine Tree but has its own will."
"Like… a Tailed Beast?"
That's when Hakufinally realized why Amado had been talking about the Tailed Beasts earlier. So this was the reason.
Hearing Hakusay this, Amado gave a small nod.
That's all it would take—once this thing is activated, the world of Shinobi will see a new wave of Devil Fruits.
And not just the usual ones—some of them will be exactly what people expect, and way beyond normal Ninjutsu.
The era of Devil Fruits is already here.
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