Chapter 129: The Azure Dragon's Awakening
Ian gave Nami a satisfied thumbs-up. She was, after all, the cadre who had followed him the longest and was practically his stand-in. Unbound by the rigid Headquarters system, her way of thinking aligned perfectly with Ian's. In her view, there were only things that should be done and things that shouldn't; there was no such thing as what was allowed.
Nami's words plunged everyone into silence. Given Headquarters' typical style, it was entirely possible they would halt their operations upon receiving a detailed report. It was better to act now, present the evidence later—execute first, report afterward. Perhaps this was their only chance to take down Doflamingo!
Peacock: "Heh, that's our Ian for you! Nami really gets you. As your adjutant, I'll definitely follow your orders."
Skylark: "Me too. I was just thinking, why don't we boldly do the right thing?"
T-Bone: "Removing a Warlord of the Sea and an Underworld Emperor on our first day in the New World... doesn't sound bad at all."
Doll: "I promise not to question you anymore. It's completely useless anyway. Let's make a big splash!"
Speed: "I'll just say this: wherever Lieutenant General Ian goes, I follow."
The process of issuing the command went much smoother than Ian had anticipated. He snapped his fingers and unzipped Skylark's backpack, placing the two Logia fruits and the artificial fruit before everyone.
"Now, onto the second matter... becoming ability users!" Ian announced. "The Logia Snow-Snow Fruit! The Logia Gas-Gas Fruit! And an artificial Devil Fruit of unknown power! While the Snow-Snow Fruit is decent, its weaknesses are too obvious. My idea is to hold off on using it for now and focus on these two." He picked up the Gas-Gas Fruit. "T-Bone, consuming this Logia Gas-Gas Fruit will help you reach a higher level. What do you think?"
T-Bone didn't hesitate for a second. "Thank you, Lieutenant General Ian. I accept."
Becoming a Logia user was an opportunity many dreamed of but could never obtain. The power boost from a Logia was evident; just look at how Skylark had become the team's strongest support after eating her fruit. Facing the greater crises of the New World, becoming an ability user was an undeniable way to better assist Lieutenant General Ian.
"Excellent. Now, this artificial Devil Fruit with unknown effects..." Ian picked up the vibrant green fruit and placed it in Nami's hands. "...Nami, you eat it."
The other cadres fell into a stunned silence: "???"
Everyone knew the artificial Devil fruits Caesar Clown produced were merely incomplete Zoan-types. If you were lucky, you might gain a partial beast transformation like Speed. If you were unlucky, you'd just become a laughing fool. Even if the Snow-Snow Fruit had poor combat applications, it was better to save it for a future, better fruit. Why would Vice Admiral Ian give an artificial fruit of unknown effect to Nami, his closest confidante?
"Hehe, I agree," Nami said without a trace of doubt. "I trust Lieutenant General Ian's judgment. And I believe, Vice Admiral Ian... the probability of its effects being 'unknown' is zero!" Crunch, munch... With that, she bit into the green-patterned fruit and quickly devoured it.
"It tastes awful..." she grimaced. "But I feel a strange power welling up inside me..."
Nami's expression contorted in pain, a strange light flickering across her body.
"Everyone, fall back! Keep your distance!" Ian immediately ordered, ensuring the safety of those around him. The first time one consumed a Devil Fruit, especially an artificial one, there was a high risk of the ability running wild.
Hearing Ian's command, everyone swiftly cleared the area.
Ten seconds...
Twenty seconds...
A full minute passed. Nami simply patted her chest and let out a relieved sigh.
"Phew... So this is the ability!" she exclaimed, a wide grin spreading across her face. "I really have to thank you, Vice Admiral Ian. What I ate must be a Mythical Zoan, something even rarer than a Logia, right? Hehe, you're really good to me, Ia—... Lieutenant General? Huh? Where is everyone? Why did you all run so far away?"
Nami had been muttering to herself for a while before she noticed her comrades had retreated a significant distance.
Ian: "..."
No ability? She adapted to the artificial Devil Fruit perfectly on the first try? It seemed the reality was quite different from what Ian had imagined.
"Nami, show us your ability!" Ian called out, curious to see just how much control Nami had over her new power, the artificial Azure Dragon Fruit.
"Hehe, alright then, everyone!!" Nami waved triumphantly. "Back up a little further, it might get dangerous!"
Only the ability user themselves truly understood the power they wielded. Since Nami insisted, Ian led everyone back another hundred meters.
Peacock: "Nami-chan, seriously... do we need to be this far? Aren't all artificial fruits just Zoan-types? What animal could possibly be that big?"
Skylark: "Is it something like a Mammoth, like 'Drought' Jack? That's a huge, scary creature!"
Speed: "No, artificial Zoan fruits can't create Ancient Species or Mythical Zoans. I heard that for a fact on Onigashima."
Doll: "It's just an ordinary Zoan ability? I still don't understand Vice Admiral Ian's reasoning. The Snow-Snow Fruit is stronger than an ordinary Zoan, right?"
T-Bone: "But Lieutenant Nami doesn't look disappointed with her ability. I just ate the Gas-Gas Fruit. Should I demonstrate it for everyone later?"
Ian: "Hahaha, watch closely! This fruit is completely different from the half-finished products Caesar created!"
At Ian's prompting, everyone looked into the distance with bated breath.
After ensuring her companions were at a safe distance, Nami calmed her mind and activated her first Mythical Zoan transformation!
WHOOSH!
ROAR!
...!
In an instant, the majestic form of an enormous Eastern Dragon materialized, coiling through the air. It was hundreds of meters long, blocking out the sky and sun. The once-clear sky was suddenly choked with dark, roiling clouds. Bluish-white dragon horns, four powerful claws, and a body covered in pink dragon scales gleamed. An orange dragon's mane, the same color as Nami's hair, flowed from its head. Apart from the scale color, which differed from Kaido's Azure Dragon form, it was identical in every other way. Another Mythical Dragon Fruit had been born!
As the Pink Dragon danced through the air, the clouds churned beneath its claws. A fierce hurricane swept violently towards the ground. This was a creature that existed only in fantasy—the power to transform into a dragon and command supernatural forces like thunder, fire, and storms!
Before consuming the fruit, Nami had undoubtedly been the weakest member of the officer corps. Now, she had become the most destructive combatant after Ian himself!
On the ground below...
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