Put The Blame On Others And Eat The Op-Op Fruit!

"Have you obtained information about that ship?" Sengoku inquired urgently, already en route to North Blue with a warship. No mishaps could be tolerated at this critical juncture.

"There's no pirate flag, and the ship's bow appears damaged, possibly from a fight or intentionally," reported the Marine on the surveillance ship, providing characteristics of the Iron Rod Pirate Ship. However, due to the distance, the photos captured were unclear.

"It's not a pirate ship. It's near our location but anchored at sea. Who could it be?" Sengoku pondered, perplexed. He instructed the surveillance ship to continue monitoring, especially for any new arrivals.

"When my forces arrive, whoever it is, I'll identify them during the review," he asserted.

Meanwhile, on the shore of Mignon Island, Rosinante struggled to carry the seriously ill Luo forward.

"Hey, hold on! I've confirmed there's Op-Op Fruit here. Eating it will cure your illness!" urged Rosinante.

Luo, his face flushed with fever, spoke through blurred consciousness, "Corazon, let me go. I can't be saved."

"Don't speak nonsense! Op-Op Fruit will save you," Corazon insisted, tears streaming down his face. For Luo's sake, he had betrayed his brother Doflamingo and benefactor Buddha Sengoku. Even if it meant his own demise, he was determined to secure the Op-Op Fruit for Luo.

Because this fruit was the sole hope for curing Luo. Unaware of this critical development, time traveler Lao Liu had already landed ashore simultaneously with Rosinante and was making his way to Barrelus' stronghold.

"I remember they were hiding in ruins," Arias recalled the plot and swiftly navigated the island until he found the right location. Approaching the ruins with utmost stealth, his Immortal Thief Liuku concealed his presence like a ghost.

"Dolly! Fetch the wine!" echoed laughter from within the ruins. "Five billion Baileys! Is Marine insane? Paying so much for a Devil Fruit!"

"With that kind of money, who needs the pirate life? Enough to live in luxury!" Arias concluded that he had found the right spot as he peeked inside the house, witnessing a pirate toying with a red-threaded Devil Fruit.

"That's the Op-Op Fruit!" Arias thought, preparing to intervene. However, he sensed an unusual sound approaching—Rosinante walking toward the scene.

As a Silence Fruit user, Rosinante moved without making a sound, evading the attention of the pirates in the ruins.

"Luo, I'll secure your hope right now!" Rosinante whispered, aiming to snatch the Op-Op Fruit amidst the chaos. Arias, hidden in the darkness, wasn't about to let him succeed so easily.

A stone displaced, alerting the pirates immediately.

"Who?"

Rosinante, quick to respond, shot one person directly with his pistol. The enraged pirates rose to fight him, but Rosinante's skill proved formidable. Despite sustaining serious injuries, he managed to eliminate all the pirates except for Barreiros.

Just as he prepared to deliver the final blow to Barreiros, a stone struck his wrist, causing him pain. Recognizing the presence of others nearby, Rosinante abandoned the last strike, seized the Op-Op Fruit, and limped away.

Arias, disregarding Barreiros, the crucial witness, silently trailed Rosinante. Once away from the ruins, Arias emerged from the shadows, ready to strike swiftly.

"Who are you?" Rosinante, startled, recalled the mysterious assailant with the stones in the dark.

What was this person's motive?

Despite Rosinante's strength, he was severely injured and defenseless. Arias swiftly silenced him, then picked up the red fruit from the ground.

Is this the Op-Op Fruit?

It was Arias's first encounter with a Devil Fruit. Without hesitation, he swallowed it in one gulp.

Vomit!

The taste was truly unpalatable—like chewing wax, Arias thought, offering the best possible evaluation of its flavor. Despite the nausea, he suppressed it and swallowed the pulp.

Thankfully, Devil Fruits only required one bite, and the initial bite was the crucial one.

A strange sensation filled his heart. Pressing down gently with one hand, he uttered, "Room!"

An invisible spatial envelope expanded around him, granting him the power to manipulate anything within its confines.

Observing Rosinante's body, Arias executed a swift palm knife slash, cleanly dividing the body into two halves without a drop of blood.

Picking up a pebble from the ground, he tossed it, instantly exchanging places with the small stone. Within the room's cover, he could manipulate the positions of any objects.

With a mere thought, a ray of electricity appeared at his fingertips—a manifestation of the Gamma Knife.

Amidst his skill experimentation, Arias sensed the rapid depletion of his physical strength. Yet, the Liuku Immortal Thief's formidable physical conditioning rendered him least afraid of abilities that consumed energy.

A distant sound hinted at Marine forces landing. Time was limited, preventing further skill experimentation. Arias swiftly collected Rosinante's divided body, the bitten Op-Op Fruit, and, utilizing his Earthly Immortal ability, burrowed into the ground.