Chapter 4: Borrowed Power for Revenge, and the Gravity Devil Fruit Ability
After Akane was forcefully suppressed, perhaps because Akane was a Devil Fruit user and therefore extremely valuable, Akane became a high-priority captive.
But Akane witnessed Cang Kingdom soldiers burning, killing, looting, and carrying out a massacre in Gu Yue Village.
That towering rage made Akane lose all reason and erupt in the fiercest resistance.
Even while wearing Sea-Prism Stone handcuffs, Akane continued launching Moonlight slashes through the Moonlight Gu, attacking the Cang Kingdom soldiers.
For a time, Akane inflicted massive casualties on the Cang Kingdom!
But once again, Akane was suppressed by the powerful Cang Kingdom general.
Later, the Cang Kingdom's king felt that Akane was an extremely special type of Devil Fruit user, perhaps worth a very high price.
So he reported the situation to the World Government, hoping to sell Akane to them in exchange for a reduction in Heavenly Tribute.
After all, the World Government had always been harvesting promising seeds from across the world, along with rare races.
After Saint Saturn of the Five Elders learned of Akane's special condition, he also became very interested and agreed to the Cang Kingdom king's request.
A Devil Fruit user who could still activate abilities while wearing Sea-Prism Stone handcuffs.
If they could research any breakthrough from this, it would be an enormous benefit to the Celestial Dragons' Devil Fruit users.
...
At the bow of the Heavenly Tribute warship, Akane recalled the simple, honest villagers of Gu Yue Village and couldn't help letting out a deep sigh.
Whether it was Gu Yue Village from a past life, or Gu Yue Village in this world, Akane didn't want to forget either of them.
So when Rocks asked Akane's name, Akane instinctively took Gu Yue as a new surname.
Maybe Akane wanted, like Gu Yue Fang Yuan, to become a great demon of an era, a Great Love Immortal Venerable.
To climb to the absolute peak.
To never allow anyone else to control Akane's life again.
Not even fate or destiny.
...
"Weak is weak! What do you mean, 'only the beginning'!"
"From today on, train properly. I don't need useless subordinates.
Honestly, your physique is even weaker than those soldiers!"
Rocks shot Akane a contemptuous glance. Even a five-year-old from the Clan of D would probably have a stronger body than Akane.
His first partner, his \(001\) officer, was way too weak.
If not for that ability to foresee the future...
"Rocks, help me kill one bastard from the Cang Kingdom!!"
"I'll tell you which strong people you'll be able to recruit successfully in the future!"
Akane suddenly looked at Rocks seriously and made a first request and trade, voice heavy with determination.
"Wororororo! Already thinking about revenge that fast?"
"No problem!"
Rocks laughed wildly and agreed immediately.
Originally, he had planned to spend ten or even twenty years using Davy Back Fight to seize the strong people he fancied from all over the world.
Now that he had Akane, someone who could see the future, helping him—
The time needed to plunder and gather subordinates would be drastically reduced.
Because across these seas, many strong people would rather die than submit, especially those with Conqueror's Haki, who would rather be killed than abide by the Davy Back Fight contract and become someone else's subordinate.
That meant Rocks would likely waste huge amounts of time sailing around and killing those stubborn, defiant monsters.
"Lord Rocks is going to deal with the Cang Kingdom?"
"Please take us with you!"
The prisoner-soldiers spoke excitedly one after another, their eyes full of longing.
This was the most evil pirate, someone who could even take down a Navy admiral.
Maybe he really could break the Cang Kingdom.
"Hmph. I only promised Akane I'd kill one guy from the Cang Kingdom."
Rocks raised an eyebrow with a grin. He didn't have time to avenge these worthless soldiers.
Unless Akane was willing to provide more valuable information.
Like information about the three Ancient Weapons...
Rocks had planned to rob the Heavenly Tribute warship and then, following the names on the wanted posters, sift through the pirate crews in Paradise on the Grand Line first.
But since Akane had spoken up, they would head straight for the Cang Kingdom.
To vent for his first officer.
...
Akane looked at the deep-blue Moonlight Gu in Akane's hand and the eight plump white soul insects, eyes flickering.
Right now, Akane could still obtain eight more Devil Fruit abilities.
When Akane faced that Cang Kingdom powerhouse back then, Akane felt the soul insects develop an intense craving for that Devil Fruit user.
That craving was just as strong as the soul insects' earlier craving for the Moonlight Devil Fruit.
It gave Akane a shocking new guess.
Maybe the soul insects could directly devour and fuse the abilities of Devil Fruit users.
The thought nearly drove Akane mad.
Akane desperately wanted to verify it.
Akane now wanted to follow behind Rocks, pick up the leftovers, and deliver finishing blows—searching for Devil Fruit abilities Akane wanted.
To become stronger as quickly as possible.
On Rocks' ship, whether it was the powerful Devil Fruit users Rocks was about to challenge, or the terrifying three types of Haki within Rocks himself, they were all things Akane wanted.
That was one of the key reasons Akane abandoned the path of lying low and joined Rocks so decisively.
To be honest, if Gu Yue Village hadn't been destroyed, Akane would have even wanted to become a jailer, infiltrate Impel Down, and grow in the shadows.
But now, Saint Saturn of the Five Elders had already set his sights on Akane.
Akane could only take a different road.
If Akane wasn't mistaken, the Cang Kingdom general's Devil Fruit ability should be the Gravity Fruit.
That crushing gravitational suppression was still burned into Akane's memory.
But that man's strength was far inferior to Issho in the future.
Issho hadn't even been born yet. In the future, Issho also seemed to be from the Cang Kingdom, rising to become captain of the Cang Kingdom security force.
But the warlike Cang Kingdom was eventually destroyed by an even stronger nation.
Issho, as a war criminal from a fallen country, fled to the West Blue. Later, he obtained the Gravity Fruit and the Supreme Grade Blade, Gokudo Fireline.
But now, Akane had arrived.
All futures would be changed.
Akane didn't care whether the future changed or what kind of butterfly effect it might cause.
Akane only wanted to become stronger.
As for whether Issho would even be born, Akane cared even less.
That had nothing to do with Akane.
Speaking of which, Gokudo Fireline was probably still in Wano right now.
Because next year, Shimotsuki Kozaburo, Shimotsuki Furiko, and Fugetsu Kizaburo would violate Wano's laws, leave Wano illegally, and sail out to live across the world.
Shimotsuki Kozaburo carried the Great Grade Blade Wado Ichimonji and Sandai Kitetsu, and together with Shimotsuki Furiko, the elder sister of the Ringo daimyo Shimotsuki Ushimaru, took three years to reach the peaceful East Blue, where they established Shimotsuki Village.
Fugetsu Kizaburo carried the Supreme Grade Blade, Gokudo Fireline, and ended up drifting into the West Blue.
Shimotsuki Kozaburo and Shimotsuki Furiko married and had children locally.
Kozaburo had a child with a local woman, giving birth to Koushirou, whose future granddaughter would be Kuina.
Furiko married Roronoa Arashi and became the grandmother of Roronoa Zoro.
...
After several days.
The Heavenly Tribute warship that had left the Cang Kingdom not long ago returned to the Cang Kingdom.
But this time, it was a vengeance-seeker returning to settle blood debts—bringing back a devilish monster.
The war ended quickly.
Under Rocks' terrifying strength, the Cang Kingdom general and tens of thousands of soldiers had almost no power to resist. They were stunned by Rocks' Haki and crippled with brute force.
"Wororororo! Akane, I'll leave it to you!"
"My plan starts next. I want my subordinates to be the top-tier powerhouses of these seas!"
Laughing wildly, Rocks tossed the Cang Kingdom general in front of Akane, letting Akane take revenge personally.
The Cang Kingdom general never imagined that the brat he had casually suppressed before would become his executioner.
If he had known, he would have killed Akane on the spot. Now he felt nothing but regret.
The eight soul insects on Akane's body were already impatient, craving to devour and fuse the Devil Fruit ability within the Cang Kingdom general.
Akane directed one of the soul insects to devour the Gravity Fruit ability.
"This is revenge for the villagers of Gu Yue Village, and also for my future path!"
"On the road to the underworld, remember my name. I am Akane—Gu Yue Akane!"
With icy eyes filled with vengeance and craving, Akane cut down the Cang Kingdom general with a single strike.
The pure soul insects seemed even more alluring than Devil Fruits themselves.
The ownerless gravity power even fused into the soul insect on its own.
That plump white soul insect transformed into a purple, tiger-shaped little insect.
Rocks, witnessing everything, was stunned.
Akane really was extraordinary.
He had thought those little things were simply part of Akane's ability.
But he never imagined they could devour Devil Fruit powers too.
What kind of race was this?
A soul race?
The Gu race Akane spoke of?
Akane had nine soul-flame insects in total, which meant Akane could possess nine abilities in the future.
Damn it.
Even Rocks felt jealous of that racial talent.
He wanted that kind of terrifying mutated gift too.
...
But Akane had one extremely serious problem.
Akane's physique wasn't strong. Even with many abilities, it would be difficult to unleash real power.
The Moonlight slash was the perfect example.
It wasn't even better than an ordinary swordsman.
Rocks frowned, hoping Akane wouldn't become addicted to the huge temptation of multiple abilities.
Because a powerful body and powerful Haki—that was true strength.
As Akane's soul insect obtained the Gravity Fruit ability and became the Gravity Gu, the Gravity Soul—
Under Akane's control, the Gravity Gu fused into Akane's body and turned into a tiger-shaped mark on Akane's arm.
With the newly acquired gravity power, a purple ring of light erupted, and Akane personally crushed every Cang Kingdom soldier who had butchered Gu Yue Village into bloody paste.
In the end, even the Cang Kingdom king who had tried to sell Akane to Saint Saturn was mercilessly slain by Akane.
Akane didn't care whether the Cang Kingdom would descend into civil chaos afterward.
Right and wrong, Akane no longer cared to debate.
Akane only knew that the Gu Yue Village where Akane had lived for over two years had been destroyed, and the familiar kind old man and woman, along with the villagers, had been slaughtered...
Whatever future power struggles and suffering the Cang Kingdom might face had nothing to do with Akane.