"That's right, this is the second Devil Fruit," Whitebeard laughed.
Kaido and Big Mom exchanged a look, their expressions solemn.
"Whitebeard, how can you prove this is what you claim it is?" Kaido asked. "What if it's just an ordinary Devil Fruit?"
After all, even the most expensive Devil Fruit in history, the Op-Op Fruit, sold for only 5 billion Berries—a quarter of the asking price.
"Gurararara..." Whitebeard laughed upon hearing this. "I wouldn't bother with such a despicable trick. Luffy! Please demonstrate your power for them."
Luffy nodded.
"Okay!"
"Huh? Isn't that the recently famous Straw Hat boy?" Big Mom asked, surprised to see him on Whitebeard's ship.
"It is," Katakuri confirmed. "The user of the Gum-Gum Fruit."
Everyone watched as Luffy twisted his rubbery body to an unbelievable degree before snapping back to normal.
"Indeed a rubber user," Big Mom mused. "So what's his second ability?"
"Yosh!" Luffy grinned, striking a dramatic pose as he shouted.
"Invisibility!"
The next moment, he vanished from sight.
"Eh?" Big Mom, Kaido, and their crews were stunned.
"He's invisible! He's really invisible!" they exclaimed.
Those with strong Observation Haki could still clearly sense Luffy's presence, but their eyes could no longer see him.
It was proof of a second Devil Fruit ability.
"Mmmamamama, not bad!" Big Mom said, her shock giving way to a smile.
It seemed Whitebeard really had done it.
Kaido also nodded approvingly, looking deeply at Whitebeard and suppressing the excitement in his own heart.
"We'll take the fruit," Big Mom declared, though she bit her lip, clearly pained by the cost.
"Katakuri, give him the 20 billion!"
"Yes, Mama." Katakuri stepped forward, completing the transaction.
"Damn it, we just gave him back all the money he paid us," Big Mom grumbled as she watched the treasure chests disappear.
"Gurararara, since the transaction is complete, we'll be taking our leave," Whitebeard laughed heartily, clearly in a good mood.
With this money, they could produce more second-generation Devil Fruits and greatly enhance their strength.
"Wait a moment, Whitebeard," Big Mom called out. "To be safe, we need to test this Devil Fruit right here, right now. What if you can make the real thing, but gave us a fake to fool us?"
Whitebeard nodded calmly.
"Alright. Go ahead."
Seeing Whitebeard's composure, Kaido and Big Mom felt a little more at ease.
They both looked at the second Devil Fruit, a flicker of desire in their eyes, but they were deeply skeptical.
They both wanted the power but didn't dare to eat it themselves, afraid it might be a dud—or worse, a normal fruit that would cause them to explode.
At the same time, neither wanted to give the opportunity to the other, in case it was real.
They were trapped in a dilemma of mutual distrust.
"How about this, Kaido," Big Mom said. "Let one of my children try it. After all, I initiated this alliance and handled the transaction."
Kaido frowned but eventually nodded in agreement.
Even if Katakuri gains a powerful new ability, it doesn't pose too much of a threat to me, he reasoned.
And it's their crew that bears the risk.
"Alright," Big Mom smiled, then looked at her children.
"Who wants to eat it?"
As the words fell, no one stepped forward. Perospero, Smoothie, and the others looked at each other nervously, some already breaking out in a cold sweat.
"I will do it, Mama," Katakuri said solemnly, stepping forward as his siblings remained silent.
"Good, good! That's my son!" Big Mom's gloomy face broke into a smile.
"Then let's look forward to your transformation."
Katakuri nodded and, without hesitation, bit into the Devil Fruit.
At that moment, everyone became tense. Kaido and Big Mom held their breath, staring intently, afraid he might explode.
But he didn't.
First, Big Mom breathed a sigh of relief.
She might not value all her family ties, but Katakuri was her most capable son.
Since there was no explosion, it meant the fruit was real.
So, what was his new ability?
"Katakuri, is there any change?" she asked impatiently.
Katakuri frowned, then nodded.
"It seems there is, Mama."
As he spoke, his body transformed into its usual mochi state.
Then, his gaze hardened, and the huge mochi body instantly crystallized, turning into countless glittering diamonds.
"The Diamond-Diamond Fruit?!" Big Mom and Kaido were stunned.
It was the ability of the 3rd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Diamond Jozu, a fruit renowned for its incredible defense.
At that moment, Jozu who's watching from the Moby Dick, felt a pang of sadness.
"I never thought my unique ability could be duplicated..."
Whitebeard sighed with emotion.
"That Katakuri is a lucky man."
"Mamamama! Katakuri! You did very well!" Big Mom was overjoyed.
Kaido, however, felt a pang of regret.
If he could have obtained that ability, combined with his already abnormal physique and dragon form, perhaps no one in the world could have broken through his defenses.
He would have been truly invincible.
"Gurararara, well now, I didn't deceive you, did I?" Whitebeard grinned.
"If you need more in the future, we can cooperate long-term."
With that, he turned back to his ship.
"Let's go, my sons!"
.....
As the Moby Dick sailed away, Big Mom's face sank slightly.
"Kaido, I didn't expect that old man to have such skills. This changes things."
"Yeah," Kaido agreed. "Should we continue to buy from him in the future?"
They both felt uneasy staking their fate on Whitebeard's conscience.
"Judge," Big Mom called out.
Judge, Caesar, and Queen stepped forward, their faces showing a hint of despair.
"We will strive to break through the technical difficulties of this second Devil Fruit as quickly as possible," Judge said slowly.
"Alright," Kaido grunted. "Get back to work. If Whitebeard's crew can develop it, so can we!"
After that day, it was as if the entire sea had fallen silent. Pirates everywhere hid themselves away to observe the changing world.
The Marines seemed to halt its aggressions, and even Whitebeard, the protagonist of the coming war, became extremely low-key.
Everyone was silently accumulating strength, waiting for the great battle to come.
Time flew.
In the blink of an eye, the day of the war arrived.
******
Marines Headquarters, Marineford.
The sea breeze blew, and the seagulls representing justice circled overhead, the sound of their powerful wings beating against the wind.
Below, 100,000 of the Marine's elite soldiers stood in formation, their gazes stern, a cold, solemn atmosphere permeating the air.
To demonstrate the Marine's might, countless Video Den Den Mushi were aimed at the execution platform, broadcasting the scene to the entire world.
.....
"The war is about to begin!" countless civilians whispered, trembling in front of huge screens.
This was a colossal battle involving nearly 200,000 people.
No matter which side won, the world would be changed forever.
Pirates all over the sea cheered, looking forward to the chaos.
"Fight! It would be best if the Marines was wiped out!"
.....
On desolate islands, the crews of Kaido and Big Mom watched the broadcast coldly.
"Originally, the Marines had the upper hand," Big Mom grinned hideously.
"But now that Whitebeard has the second Devil Fruit... he might just have a fighting chance."
Kaido snorted. "No matter who wins or loses, we will have our part to play."
.....
On the Red Force, Dragon looked at Shanks.
"Who do you think will win?"
Shanks smiled. "On the surface, it's the Marines. But that man, Whitebeard, can't be underestimated. He must have trump cards prepared. If the Marines isn't careful, their boat could capsize. I'd say the odds are about 60/40, but it's anyone's guess."
All over the world, from the Supernovas to the Dark King Rayleigh himself, everyone was watching.
-----------------------------
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