Early the next morning, on the deck of the Storm Petrel.
Baby-5, dressed in a fresh white dress, pursed her lips nervously.
Before her sat Dier, Perona, and Lami in a row on the deck.
She had squeezed in to sleep with Perona the previous night. After breakfast this morning, Dier proposed to observe her abilities.
The two curious girls, Perona and Lami, came to watch.
"Don't be nervous. Just do your best—transform into the strongest weapon you can."
"Okay, Lord Flame Devourer."
"Just call me Dier."
"Okay, Lord Flame Devourer Dier."
Dier: "..."
Baby-5 took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and fully activated her Devil Fruit Ability.
Her right arm turned into a grayish-white fluid, twisting and changing shape until it finally settled into... a wooden stick.
"Oh!!"
Perona and Lami gasped softly.
Though they'd seen many abilities before, this was their first time witnessing a transformation-type power.
Why was it still a stick?
Dier frowned in confusion. She had eaten enough, hadn't she?
"Can you turn into anything else?"
"Y-yes!"
The stick dissolved back into fluid and twisted again, this time forming... a hoe.
Perhaps afraid Dier would be dissatisfied, Baby-5 then transformed it successively into a shovel, a rake, and a sickle.
All farming tools—though they could also serve as weapons.
Dier roughly understood the situation.
The Arms Fruit seemed incapable of transforming into weapons the user didn't comprehend.
The island where Baby-5 grew up was extremely impoverished, lacking proper weapons. When conflicts arose, people could only fight with farming tools.
As for kitchen knives...
The sickle probably doubled as one.
Having figured this out, Dier immediately brought over a longsword and several different types of firearms.
While they lacked unconventional weapons like laser cannons, conventional arms like swords and guns were plentiful.
He drew the longsword and handed it to Baby-5.
"Try transforming into this."
Baby-5 nodded vigorously, widening her eyes to study it intently.
Soon, her right arm morphed again, finally taking the shape of the longsword.
Both Baby-5 and Dier brightened.
"Now try this one."
Her arm twisted once more, this time forming a pistol.
"Wow, just one look is enough? Can you fire it?"
"Fire it?"
Baby-5 looked utterly lost.
Bang!
Dier picked up the pistol and fired a shot into the air as demonstration.
Baby-5 remained bewildered.
She had only mimicked the external shape, failing to replicate the internal mechanisms.
By definition, her arm had become a hammer or club with an unusual design.
"It's fine. Change back for now. I'll have someone explain it to you later."
Seeing her dejected expression, Dier patted her head reassuringly.
She was only seven—no need for such high expectations.
Besides, once she understood the firing mechanism, she should be able to replicate it.
Somewhat challenging, but not overly difficult.
He didn't know much himself—just how to pull the trigger and load bullets.
Things like rifling, hammers, flash holes, and vents were completely beyond him.
That shot just now was his first time firing a gun since leaving Colon Island.
But someone aboard the Storm Petrel would know.
Maintaining cannons and firearms was practically a required course for ordinary pirates.
Since they lacked such formidable strength, firearms and artillery became particularly important.
Dier summoned a pirate familiar with firearms to give Baby-5 some extra lessons.
Perona and Lami found it boring and wandered off to play somewhere.
Madson took his wife, child, and a group of pirates back to the island to search for the village where Baby-5 had previously lived.
A small rule of the sea: never underestimate the natives.
Who knows, they might casually pull out some groundbreaking technology.
Madson didn't expect advanced science—this island had no foundation for scientific development.
He only hoped to find some traditional remedies, hoping to draw parallels and discover a solution to Platinum Lead Disease.
Robin was lounging nearby in a deck chair, writing in her journal about Baby-5's Devil Fruit Ability while pondering how to change the latter's overly accommodating personality.
"Seems like someone's missing."
Dier walked around the deck and eventually found Hina in a secluded corner.
Along with a cigarette she was about to light, dangling from her lips.
"Ahem!"
A heavy cough rang out.
Hina stiffened, pressing the lighter in her hand. A flame flickered to life, only to be snuffed out the next second.
She was done for!
She spat the cigarette onto the ground, stood up calmly, and tried to walk away as if nothing had happened—but her feet wouldn't budge.
Telekinesis...
"Hand it over."
"Fine... Hina is depressed."
Dier took the cigarette and lighter but kept his gaze fixed on someone's chest.
Pouting, Hina reached into her Four-Dimensional Pocket and pulled out two more packs of cigarettes.
"I'll hold onto these for you."
Dier flipped his hand and stashed the cigarettes and lighter into his Storage Space.
"I'll return them to you next March."
Hina's birthday was March 3rd.
By then, she'd be a proper adult, free to do as she pleased, and Dier wouldn't have to worry about her setting a bad example for the kids.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out.
Success!
Dier's face lit up, and he dragged Hina back to the deck.
There, Baby-5's right hand had transformed into a pistol, smoke curling from its barrel.
Seeing Dier approach, she immediately waved her gun-hand excitedly.
"I did it!"
Now she wouldn't be abandoned by Lord Dier.
In front of her lay a completely disassembled pistol.
Using the Arms Fruit's ability wasn't difficult.
Once she understood the gun's structure and function, she easily transformed her hand into one.
Compared to the farming tools she'd transformed before, firearms were far more intricate.
This complexity made the transformation more taxing—she could only turn her right hand into a gun, not her entire arm like she could with tools.
In time, as her stamina improved, she'd be able to transform her whole body into a weapon.
And with further mastery, she could discard the external form, firing bullets from just a barrel.
Dier had high hopes for her future.
Today, a gun. Next year, a cannon. The year after, a laser gun. And eventually, a Star Destroyer Cannon.
But all this required Baby-5 to understand their structures and functions.
"Hmm... Aunt Leia will teach you to read tonight. From now on, you'll be the ship's Weapon Scientist."
After the ship's doctor, the Storm Petrel finally had its second proper profession.
A scientist—or rather, a Weapon Scientist.
Not to invent new weapons, but simply to understand how they worked.
Without any explanation or instruction manual, understanding how it worked undoubtedly required some relevant knowledge.
So literacy and education were still very important.
"I... I'm actually needed by Lord Dier."
Baby-5 covered her mouth, a faint blush appearing on her fair little face.
Having work proved she was a valuable person, someone needed by others.
"I'll go find Aunt Leia to study right now!"
"No need to rush. She's not even here right now. Wait until evening."
...
Nighttime.
At the dining table aboard the Storm Petrel.
Madson tossed a notebook to Robin.
She caught it and asked curiously, "What's this?"
"I noticed you've been writing logs and such. You can use this for reference."
Madson swallowed a mouthful of fried rice and explained,
"Today I found some villagers, but no local medical remedies.
Since I had nothing better to do, I made some conjectures about the origins of the Flame Devourer legend based on the island's circumstances."
Hearing this, Dier also leaned over, eating while glancing at the notebook.
"Origins of the Flame Devourer Legend.
A combination of opposites and criminal incidents.
1.
The Flame Devourer's white hair.
All villagers on the island have black hair and are unaware of other hair colors, so they imagined the monster's hair as the opposite of black—white.
2.
Appearance identical to humans.
The island has no land animals, only some insects, birds, and fish in the sea.
When creating the Flame Devourer, people combined these three categories with humans themselves.
The island also has legends of fish Flame Devourers swimming in fire, insect Flame Devourers farting flames underground, and bird Flame Devourers dropping flames from the sky.
However, none are as widespread as the humanoid Flame Devourer.
3.Consuming all food and seducing women.
Personal conjecture: combined with theft incidents.
Food is scarce on this island, with frequent cases of theft or robbery. The victims are mostly single women, who are more vulnerable to persecution.
4.Burning the land
Originates from the island's abnormal climate.
The exact source isunknown, possibly natural phenomena like underground coal seam fires.
These circumstances, combined with years of rumors, gave birth to the monster known as the Flame Devourer."
Knock knock knock~
A knocking sound came from outside.
Before Dier could invite them in, the person outside pushed the door open and then—
Tripped and fell to the ground.
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