Boom—!
An explosion roared.
Kingpin's eyelid twitched.
When he struck with his fist, it carried explosive force.
But Qin Xiao had only used a single finger—and still produced the same terrifying blast.
"The power of the Bomb-Bomb Fruit doesn't lie in your physical strength," Qin Xiao said calmly.
"As long as your body makes contact with something, it can generate that level of explosive force.
Your physical condition has already reached the peak of human limits—there's no more room for improvement there.
But the Bomb-Bomb Fruit… has limitless potential.
Right now, the explosive force in your punch is less than that of a hand grenade.
But imagine this—what if your punches carried the power of C4?
Or even the force of a missile?
At that level… how many people could still stand against you?"
Qin Xiao spoke like a true devil, steadily feeding Kingpin's ambition.
"The Bomb-Bomb Fruit can really reach that level?" Kingpin asked, his eyes gleaming.
This world was dangerous.
That was why he relied on his intellect to deal with enemies.
But his desire for personal strength had never faded.
That was why he sparred daily with the world's top fighters.
Yet none of them could last even a minute against him.
His personal strength had long hit its ceiling.
Now, the Bomb-Bomb Fruit offered him a new path forward.
And its upper limit… seemed to depend entirely on himself.
"I told you—the power of the Bomb-Bomb Fruit depends on your development.
And it's not just your body. Even the air you exhale can be turned into an explosion.
For example—like this."
Qin Xiao took a breath and blew it toward Kingpin.
"Boom—!"
The invisible air detonated like a grenade right beside him.
Kingpin's massive body tensed instantly.
With a swift movement completely disproportionate to his size, he leapt aside.
His expression turned serious as he stared at Qin Xiao.
"You shouldn't attack me without warning. That could lead to misunderstandings."
Qin Xiao replied casually,
"I wasn't attacking you. I was just demonstrating how to use the fruit.
The air you breathe—after passing through your lungs—can also become a bomb.
And haven't you noticed? You're immune to explosions."
Kingpin's pupils shrank.
He quickly checked his condition.
Despite being caught in a blast equivalent to a grenade, his body was completely unharmed.
"This… is also part of the Bomb-Bomb Fruit's power?"
Now, he was genuinely shocked.
"That's right. From now on, ordinary explosions won't harm you.
However, both the power you can unleash and the damage you can withstand depend on how much you develop the fruit.
The greater the explosive force you can produce, the greater the explosions you can endure.
As for the upper limit…"
Qin Xiao paused slightly.
"…you might even reach the level of a nuclear explosion."
Kingpin's expression changed drastically.
A nuclear explosion!
If he could truly push the fruit to that level—
Who in the world could possibly oppose him?
Nuclear-level power!
With such strength, everyone would kneel at his feet.
Armies?
He could wipe them out single-handedly.
Even nuclear weapons themselves would no longer threaten him.
At that point, he wouldn't just be the king of the underworld—
He would be the ruler of the entire world.
The one and only king!
But then, a chill ran through his heart.
If Qin Xiao could produce such a fruit, then he likely possessed the same kind of power.
An agent of an Eastern devil…
His strength was unfathomable.
The thought of resisting Qin Xiao—and the so-called Eastern devil—was quietly buried deep in Kingpin's mind.
Until he understood Qin Xiao's limits, he wouldn't act rashly.
"Qin… envoy of the devil," Kingpin said solemnly,
"I will personally ensure my people fulfill your request.
You will become a major shareholder of Stark Industries—
perhaps second only to Tony Stark himself."
This time, his tone was completely serious.
"Good. As long as you understand," Qin Xiao replied.
"Now, focus on developing your Devil Fruit."
With that, he turned and walked toward the door.
In truth, even Qin Xiao didn't fully know the upper limits of the Bomb-Bomb Fruit.
After all, its original user, Mr. 5, had practically wasted it.
Aside from blowing air from his mouth and picking his nose to create explosions…
He had turned it into a joke.
With even a bit of proper development—or slightly stronger physical skills—this fruit could make others beg for mercy.
Among the several fruits the system had matched for Kingpin, this was the most suitable.
With just a few hints, someone as intelligent as Kingpin would undoubtedly push it to new heights.
And when that happened, Qin Xiao would receive even greater returns from him.
As he reached the doorway, Qin Xiao paused and glanced back.
"Remember—do not deceive the devil excessively.
Otherwise… it will take back your power."