The colossal figure soared skyward with astonishing speed, covering thousands of meters in an instant. Beneath his mask, Roy could feel the immense power coursing through his body, filling him with awe.
'The effects of the Fusion Devil Fruit truly live up to its immense difficulty to obtain,' He muttered to himself, glancing at the information about the unique fruit displayed in his vision:
[Tyrant Winged Dragon Devil Fruit LV3].
[Fusion Materials: Ryu Ryu no Mi (Dragon-Dragon Fruit), Model: Wind God Winged Dragon + Tyrannosaurus Rex Devil Fruit]
[Devil Fruit Effect: Simultaneously combines the abilities of the "Ancient King of the Sky," the Wind God Winged Dragon, and the "Ancient King of the Land," the Tyrannosaurus Rex. This grants the fused being enhanced physical prowess and vitality. Enables three-stage Zoan Fruit transformation.]
[Devil Fruit Fusion does not alter the "Lineage Factor" of the Devil Fruits.]
Yes, this was the effect of the "Fusion Devil Fruit Ability Slots" he had recently unlocked.
In short, this slot can fuse any number of Devil Fruits of the same type or with a strong affinity. The result of the fusion is a perfect superposition of the effects of all the fused fruits.
For example, the Devil Fruit currently possessed by Youji functions exactly this way.
Its essence contained the full capabilities of the Ryu Ryu no Mi (Dragon-Dragon Fruit), Model: Wind God Winged Dragon LV4 and the Tyrannosaurus Rex Devil Fruit LV3.
As previously mentioned, the combination of Devil Fruit abilities isn't merely additive; it's far more complex than simple addition.
Take the Ryu Ryu no Mi (Dragon-Dragon Fruit), Model: Wind God Winged Dragon, for instance. While its flight and wind-assisted high-speed capabilities are exceptional, its raw muscle strength isn't particularly remarkable among similar Devil Fruits.
On the other hand, the Tyrannosaurus Rex Devil Fruit boasts unparalleled strength and vitality, but lacks agility and speed.
Fusing them created a synergistic effect, producing a qualitative transformation beyond merely complementing each other.
"Compared to wielding these two Devil Fruits independently, my overall speed and strength have at least tripled."
Simply put, the basic stat boosts of the Fusion Devil Fruit alone were enough for Roy to feel he had gotten his money's worth. However, this wasn't the most special aspect of the Fusion Devil Fruit Ability Slot.
Its most special feature is this:
[Additional Fusion Devil Fruit Effect: Ancient King.]
[As a fusion of the kings of two ancient creature types, the Tyrant Winged Dragon's aura can suppress other sea, land, and sky lifeforms. This suppression effect increases with the Devil Fruit's tier and the user's physical strength.]
[For a brief period, you can consume vast amounts of stamina to activate your Ancient Bloodline and enter "Ancient Form," unleashing enhanced power and vitality.]
[This effect grows stronger as the Devil Fruit's tier increases.]
That's right.
Devil Fruits created through the Devil Fruit Fusion slot also possess additional special effects.
For example, the Tyrant Winged Dragon Devil Fruit, which is currently being used by Youji, exhibits the effects that Robin is now witnessing.
First, a collective suppression effect nearly identical to Conqueror's Haki.
Second is a special, short-duration combat state called "Ancient Form."
"Equivalent to a Conqueror's Haki that can't be imbued with Haki and a brief taste of Devil Fruit Awakening?"
Youji quickly assessed the situation.
In the brief moment while he pondered,
Bang!
His figure pierced through the clouds once again, ascending three thousand meters higher into the White Sea. With a single glance, Youji spotted the massive island suspended in the distance.
"That must be Skypiea!"
At that moment, Robin, who was seated behind Youji, also turned her gaze toward the distant island. Although she had already guessed their destination, seeing it with her own eyes was another matter entirely.
But...
"... " *2
Both Robin and Youji fell silent.
They could both clearly see the true appearance of Skypiea.
The island was divided into two main parts. The smaller section, made of island cloud, was Skypiea proper. The larger part was a massive, earth-based island that resembled the Four Seas. The two were connected by a colossal cloud river.
Up to this point, everything matched Youji's knowledge of the island.
But the unique difference was...
"Lord Youji, it appears this island has suffered some kind of natural disaster," Robin said hesitantly.
She was right.
At that moment, she could see that while many buildings still stood on the island, every structure was covered in moss and vines. The island showed no trace of human habitation.
The most shocking thing of all were the massive scars crisscrossing the island... deep, colossal rifts stretching as far as Youji could see, nearly shattering Skypiea's massive landmass into pieces.
"..."
Youji remained silent in response to Robin's question.
Instead, he flapped his wings and soared toward a nearby earthen island, hovering just beyond Skypiea.
Unlike pristine, white Skypiea, this earthen island teemed with life, its surface blanketed in towering trees.
Youji wasn't surprised by this sight.
He knew the island wasn't originally part of Skypiea but rather a fragment of Jaya Island carried up by the Upstream Current four centuries ago. According to the original plot, the ancient City of Gold, Shandora, which he had been pursuing, was located on this island.
Youji quickly found the site of Shandora, or rather, the place where it had once stood.
Deep fissures crisscrossed the land here, too. Youji could see remnants of the past within these cracks: collapsed shrines, massive stone foundations, and scattered gold fragments.
But the magnificent golden city itself had vanished without a trace.
"No wonder Enel chose to go to the Blue Sea," Youji murmured to himself as he landed in humanoid form and observed the scene.
The truth needed no elaboration. He had arrived too late. Everything here had already been taken.
And...
Not just a little too late.
Youji's gaze swept over the surrounding remnants. Even without professional expertise, he could make a rough estimate. Based on the thickness of the moss and sediment on the cover, he could estimate that these items had been removed at least several decades ago.
"Judging by the massive rifts outside, could Skypiea have suffered some kind of natural disaster decades ago? Is that why its people abandoned the island?"
"And did they take the gold with them when they left?"
Youji speculated, his mind racing as he recalled the countless fissures crisscrossing the entire island.
Robin's mindset, however, was entirely different.
"This architecture is incredibly ancient, it is at least 1,100 years old."
She stood beside the ruins of an altar bisected by a rift that had destroyed part of it but left its overall form intact. As an archaeologist, Robin had a far more precise sense of time than Youji did, and her sense of urgency grew with each passing moment.
"Such invaluable relics... but... hm?"
Robin leaned closer to the altar, searching for valuable traces that might have been left behind. Soon, her voice took on a puzzled tone.
"Lord Youji, this... this mark is..."
Her voice trembled slightly with gravity.
"Mark?"
Hearing her words, Youji, who had been lost in thought, frowned. He approached the altar and saw what Robin had noticed.
Part of the altar beside the rift had been destroyed. However, the edges of the destroyed section were polished to an extremely smooth finish, clearly not a natural formation.
"It's not just the altar," Youji murmured, his gaze darting down into the dark chasm below.
At first glance from above, one might assume the massive rifts on the island were caused by a natural disaster. Upon closer inspection, however, one would see that the edges of these rifts were also polished to an extreme smoothness.
"They were cut by something unimaginably sharp," Youji realized instantly.
Then, an even more jarring sense of incongruity struck him.
"A slash this sharp... Did a powerful swordsman engage in combat here?"
"No, that's not right. If it were a battle, the marks wouldn't be so uniform."
Youji keenly sensed the discrepancy.
Judging by the clean cut and the sheer scale of the slash, he was certain that the swordsman responsible far surpassed his current understanding of swordsmanship. Even Shimotsuki Kōshirō, the strongest great swordsman he had ever met, and "Momousagi" Gion could not have produced such a flawless cut.
If such a formidable figure had engaged in combat here, the aftermath would be far more extensive than this single, monotonous slash.
Consider his own battle with Zephyr on Martial Exercise Island—if not completely razed, Skypiea would at least have been half-destroyed, leaving far more savage scars.
Therefore...
"No battle occurred here. These marks were left by the swordsmen themselves."
The moment this realization struck him, Youji leaped to a conclusion.
"Could it be...?"
Wings erupted from his back.
[Tyrant Winged Dragon Devil Fruit — Human-Beast Form]
In the next instant, he soared skyward once more.
Under Robin's bewildered gaze, he climbed higher and higher until he reached a nearly cloudless sky. From this vantage point, he gazed downward.
Then...
"!!!"
Even Youji, who had already suspected something, felt his pupils constrict sharply beneath his beast-headed mask.
From this height, he could see the entirety of Skypiea spread out before him.
It was an unbelievable sight.
The vast, boundless White Sea had transformed into a colossal easel.
The sprawling island of Skypiea below served as its canvas.
And upon that canvas, the countless massive fissures crisscrossing the island's surface had become brushstrokes.
They etched a message from the past:
[Partner, I haven't forgotten our promise.]
I hope you haven't either.]
—David D. Xebec]
(End of Chapter)
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