"You seem… a bit interested in that man. What's so special about him?" Uchiha Madara glanced at Is and asked.
Is shook his head slowly. "I wouldn't call it interest. Just a casual question. As for what's special… hmm? In the future, he'll be a key pillar on the Marines' side."
"The Marines? So… one of our own?"
"You could say that."
"That's good then. That guy is pretty solid."
Is nodded and didn't elaborate further.
…
After regrouping with Tatsumaki and Acnologia, Is and the others began their return to Mary Geoise.
What surprised Is was that not a single Celestial Dragon had left—they had all stayed behind, waiting for him.
The journey back was uneventful. Once they returned to Mary Geoise, everyone went their separate ways.
"Master, would you like to dine earlier today?"
The moment he stepped inside, Roz·Meini ran over and asked softly.
"No need. Just keep it at the usual time," Is replied calmly.
"Understood, Master. Then would you like to take a bath and relax?" she asked again.
"No. I'll be training in the backyard. Go ask Tatsumaki and the others if they need anything."
With that, Is headed straight for the backyard. Though it was still in ruins, it didn't affect him in the slightest.
"Next… I'll focus on mastering the Paper-Paper Fruit and the Flame-Flame Fruit."
For the next several hours, Is trained wholeheartedly. Even when it was time to eat, the maids simply stood at a distance, waiting—they didn't dare disturb him.
Fortunately, it didn't take too long for Is to fully adapt to both abilities.
Host: Aurelius D. Virel Is
Excavation Level: 1 (70/200)
Excavation Attempts: 0 (3/7)
Physique: Advanced Body Techniques (50%) — no side effects at 100%
Characters: Uchiha Madara (35%), Tatsumaki (20%), Acnologia (20%)
Abilities: Paper-Paper Fruit (Burn Attribute) (1999/2000), Flame-Flame Fruit (20/1000), Conqueror's Haki ( /1000), Armament Haki (860/1000), Observation Haki (796/1000)
Excavation Location: [Unavailable due to insufficient attempts]
Inventory: None
After glancing over the panel, Is's eyes didn't linger on the Flame-Flame Fruit—but instead locked onto the Paper-Paper Fruit.
"1999 proficiency… so just one more point and it'll reach the next stage," Is muttered.
No sooner said than done—Is immediately set out to push that final point.
Proficiency was unpredictable. Sometimes it rose quickly, sometimes painfully slow.
Like now—just one point away, yet…
Before long, dusk arrived.
Is was drenched in sweat, countless sheets of paper swirling around him.
"Damn it!! Forget it—I'm starving."
He cursed under his breath, tidying up his clothes as he prepared to leave.
And right at that moment—
The system's mechanical voice rang out in his ear.
"Ding. Paper-Paper Fruit proficiency has reached the requirement for advancement."
Is froze in place for several seconds.
For some reason, he had the strange feeling the system had been messing with him—but he had no proof.
"Whatever. At least it's finally done," he muttered.
Without hesitation, he continued:
"Begin advancement."
"Ding. Advancing…"
"Ding. Inheriting previous enhancement: Toughness +50%"
"Ding. Inheriting previous ability: Burn Attribute"
"Ding. Gained: 100% reduction resistance against Seastone-type suppression"
"Ding. Gained: Devil Fruit Awakening"
At first, Is was about to complain about the lack of new attributes—but when he saw the last line, his eyes lit up instantly.
"Awakening?"
The moment he spoke, a flood of new knowledge surged into his mind—memories tied directly to Awakening.
Is closed his eyes.
He could clearly sense everything around him—even living beings.
When he opened them again, he stepped forward and stopped before a tree.
Reaching out, he touched it.
In the next instant, the tree transformed into countless sheets of paper, scattering through the air.
"Turning everything around me into weapons I can control…"
He murmured, stepping forward again.
The ground beneath him instantly turned into thick layers of paper.
Then—
Flames ignited on his feet.
And in the next moment, the paper ground burst into fire.
"So the two Devil Fruits can be combined as well… not bad."
He nodded to himself and deactivated his abilities.
This wasn't a place where he could go all out—one mistake and the entire area would be reduced to chaos.
That was enough for today.
He had spent quite some time just for that last point of proficiency.
Thankfully, it paid off. Otherwise, it would've ruined his entire night.
As Is walked back in from the backyard, Roz·Meini approached him again.
"Master, is your training finished for today?"
"Mm." Is wiped the sweat from his body and responded.
"The food has gone cold. I'll prepare a fresh meal for you right away."
"No need. Cold food is fine."
To him, it didn't matter.
"Then I'll prepare your bath."
"You?"
"Do you dislike me, Master?"
Roz blinked at him.
"Do whatever you want."
Leaving those words behind, Is walked straight toward the bath.
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