Chapter 37: Dog-Dog Fruit, Arctic Fox Form (2)
In truth, Yuriko felt conflicted about her burden. On one hand, it somewhat hindered her training, which vexed her, but on the other hand, Lord Ren seemed to like it, which made her feel faintly smug.
While Yuriko was lost in thought, she saw Ren walk in, holding a Devil Fruit. She quickly swam to the edge of the hot spring, propped herself up with her hands, and looked up at him.
She had seen Devil Fruits before, but she could not recognize this one.
"Lord Ren, what kind of Devil Fruit is this?"
"A Zoan-type Devil Fruit, Dog-Dog Fruit, Arctic Fox Form," Ren said, placing the fruit aside. Yuriko was still soaking in the hot spring, and eating the Devil Fruit now would only leave her body weaker and more uncomfortable.
The hot spring was not seawater, but it still contained Sea Stone factors, which suppressed Devil Fruit users to a certain extent. In this world, even water vapor contained trace Sea Stone factors, with the degree of suppression depending on their concentration.
After a while, they finally emerged from the spring. After drying off and changing clothes, they followed Ren outside, where the samurai of Onigashima had already prepared dinner.
Originally, they wanted Ren to stay overnight, but he felt it was better to depart under the cover of night.
"Eat first, then consume the Devil Fruit," Ren said. "Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll be too nauseated to eat anything."
Ren himself had never eaten a Devil Fruit, but the saying that they "taste like shit" was deeply ingrained in common knowledge.
After dinner, Yuriko finally took a bite of the Devil Fruit. Only the first bite was needed to obtain its power; eating the entire fruit was nothing but suffering.
"How do you feel?" Ren asked.
"V-very unpleasant," Yuriko replied weakly, pressing a hand to her chest as she suppressed the urge to vomit.
"You should be able to use the ability now, right?"
"Yes, Lord Ren. After eating it, I just… understood. It feels like an instinct that suddenly appeared," Yuriko said softly after recovering somewhat.
She glanced at Ren, and for some reason, that look carried a faintly alluring quality, like that of a vixen.
It seemed that even in human form, she was already being subtly influenced by the Devil Fruit. For adults, their outward appearance usually did not change much, but those still growing often developed animal traits or physical alterations after consuming a Zoan-type Devil Fruit.
Jasmine squatted nearby, her eyes shining with excitement, eager to see her mother transform.
"First is—"
Before Yuriko could finish speaking, her body began to change. A white tail emerged from behind her, her already full figure becoming even more captivating.
Her eyes narrowed, and sharp claws extended from her slender fingers.
"So amazing! Mama, you grew a tail and ears! Even your hair turned white!" Jasmine exclaimed.
She desperately wanted to reach out and touch them, as they looked incredibly soft, but remembering that this was her mother, she restrained herself.
Yuriko's body was now covered in white fur, making her resemble a fox-type Mink, though her mouth and nose had not yet protruded.
This was not merely a partial transformation with just ears and a tail. Even so, her appearance was not unpleasant at all. On the contrary, the soft fur gave her a unique and captivating beauty.
Otherwise, why would so many people like Carrot?
Beyond physical changes, her temperament had also shifted. The transformed Yuriko appeared even more alluring, as though a single glance could steal one's soul.
"Mama became even more beautiful! I want to eat a Devil Fruit too!" Jasmine said enviously.
"Then you'll have to work hard," Yuriko replied, reaching out to gently stroke her daughter's head.
"Mama, can I touch your tail?" Jasmine asked expectantly.
"No. The tail is very sensitive," Yuriko said seriously, straightening it.
"Then…"
"The ears are off-limits too."
Jasmine felt as though her will to live had been crushed.
"Yuriko, there's another transformation, isn't there?" Ren asked.
"Mm." Yuriko nodded.
At once, the white fur spread rapidly, covering her entire body. Her facial structure shifted, her mouth and nose elongating as her body grew slightly smaller.
Moments later, her kimono collapsed, and a pure white Arctic fox leapt out, landing lightly before curling up in Ren's arms.
"She really turned into a fox!" Jasmine cried out in delight.
Forgetting everything else, she rushed forward and began stroking the fox.
"So soft and fluffy, so cute! If Saori and Saya saw Mama like this, they'd definitely love her to death!"
The Arctic Fox rolled its eyes in a very human manner, then swept Jasmine aside with its tail.
Saori and Saya loving her was one thing, but she was not an actual fox.
Saori and Saya were the sisters bought by Yukiko who loved fluffy animals and were currently responsible for raising den den mushi and snails in the Daimyo's Mansion.
"Lord Ren, after eating this Devil Fruit, I feel much better," Yuriko said, her voice still clear even in fox form. "It feels like my whole body is filled with strength."
"That's amazing! Mama can even talk like this!" Jasmine exclaimed.
The Arctic Fox twitched an ear irritably. This child really needed a beating.
"Jasmine, Mama isn't a real fox," Yuriko said, clearly annoyed at being treated like one.
"All right," Ren said calmly. "It's time for us to depart."
In truth, there was no real urgency. Kurozumi Higurashi would remain in the Flower Capital for about a month, and even if Ren did not return within that time, she could continue impersonating him in Kuri.
Besides, everyone already knew that the Daimyo of Kuri had gone out to sea.
Still, Ren wanted to move quickly.
The objectives of this journey were clear. First, confirm the existence of Redfield. Then, have others search for Suigu Town, as he would not personally waste time searching for a small town.
The remaining goals were the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and the gold of Skypiea.
Eneru's homeland was a Sky Island called Birka, which he later destroyed himself. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit was most likely located there.
As for the locations of other Devil Fruits, Ren did not have clear information and could only proceed step by step.
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