Secret societys

"Hey brat, you better finish all this by tomorrow. Or else, Il trow you in the pigpen, got it." A big ball of a man shouted toward Zen.

"Of course sir. Il get on it right away. Oh and here are the books and documents on the subjects that you ask for." Zen said with an exaggerated enthusiastic smile.

The man took a half step back, before he stop with a look of pure disgust mix with a little wariness, right before his face morph in distaste. He held his head up high and gave a sneer. "Good, I see that you have begun to accept your place among us. Be sure to pray too are benevolent mighty lord, for showing you the path." He then turn around with a confident swagger. Unfortunately for him, it look more like an oddball badly swaying away from side to side.

Zen keep his smile fix on his face, he didn't let the man walk set off his urge to laugh. He was already on thin ice as it we're, discreetly looked around making sure he was alone. He finally relax a little, but still remained alert. Moment later he finally let out a sigh, he then drop his happy maniac face mask. "It just had to be a bunch of fucking occultist, to have the info I need." He looked around at the underground huge library, the place was huge,a real maze of books and scrolls containing enough info to almost rival Ororah.

Back a few months after he manage to find a small fishing boat, he learn some frustrating news. His small bounty went up, he was now worth, five hundred bellies. Someone had spotted him as he made his escape last time. So he did the only thing he could, he found a new organization to hide in. In short he joined a cult, not because he believe in any of their crazy views, but because they had access to info he needed.

During his trip in the boat, and again once he found some land he studied his power. The verdict was not encouraging. He was piste off, on not getting a powerful boost in power. In all those web novel, the protagonist always manage to get his hands on a item, knowledge or power that created, some powerful plot armour that would help them in smithing down all enemy standing in there way. Instead he got the digesting devil fruit, as far as he could tell, the only thing he'd done with it of note. Was heal from malnourishment, repairing a few kinks, scars and hidden wound he had not been aware he had. So in essence, ever since he had it, he was now the healthiest he had ever been. Even his gut wound was completely healed, he no longer had any stabbing pain when any form of heavy or spicy food were digested. All that remain was a faint scar, even that was slowly healing away.

Zen creep slowly toward the books shelves, to pick out a book he had looked over many times. He brought it back to his desk, where he open it to different sections he'd been going over and over, hoping to find something he'd overlook.

"My tour too the best restaurant on all seas By Edward L Centrum, this is terribly depressing." Zen had poured over this book after he found the devil fruit book index in the library. This was the only reason he had stayed as long as he had here in this cult.

These idiots wanted to replace the current world government, by praying to a demonic entity. Oh lets not forget that they we're convince of being mages, sadly they had mistaken observing haki as some kind of prophetic power. Good for him, since he got to learn about haki, along with anything else he wanted. Thank in big part, from the various tomes in this library. It also had a few more, cryptic books on some of the hidden void history.

He lost interest in them quickly, when he found that they were written in a languages he couldn't read, translate or research. The only reasons he knew what they talk about was because, someone had manage to translate the titles. But for an unknown reasons, had not keep going. For all the knowledge this place had, they lack the books to even begin on understanding those books. Nor could he ask for help since technically, he was only supposed to keep an eye on the library, do research for any senior member, and keep the place clean. One could argue, that with all the time he had it should be fine to read one or two books.

The original librarian had died of a heart attack, from old age last week. Not many member had wanted to be stuck underground, in what could be argued to be called a dungeon. Away from any outside light, sitting at a desk with only getting the rare person coming down looking for knowledge.

The last librarian had obtain a weird reputation by doing anything for his guest/prisoner, in order for them to stay. He went from reciting long poem, tying people down in a chair, braking their legs to offering sexual advancing all in the hope of getting them to come back and see him.

As the embarrassing rumour was quietly being whispered around. The master had come down in the dungeon/library, in order to get to the bottom of a few disturbing rumour and reports about the librarian. A few members had heard some shouting coming from the dungeon/library. They were expecting a good show. Instead they found the librarian on his knees. With a derange expression, he was gripping the master lower wast line, the master lower robe had been ripe apart with pieces lying on the floor. The librarian was struggling in removing the master underwear. All while he was yelling, about how he could just satisfy him if he just stop struggling. The master had literal tears and snot on his face, he also had two panda eyes, a bloody lip and what seem like some broken fingers on his left hand.

As the master fought off the librarian with one hand, he keep begging and pleading the librarian to release him. The whole incident was stricken from any record, and the next week the librarian died from a 'heart attack', at least that was the official announcement. It was back up by a few new council elders. With that kind of rumour running around, not many had jump at the chance to be the new librarian, letting Zen take this spot with very little objection.

"Don't really know how long I have, before they come to their senses, and replace me with someone else. But while I'm here, I might as well as get the most out of it. Sigh if only, my power was something else, instead I get the perfect food critic power. Sure it had some interesting ability, sadly all of then are only passive." Zen close the book in frustration, in the book the author had explain in great detail how many nobles express their envy in his luck at getting this devil fruit power. He had smack his head on the desk when he read that part. He was terribly depressed in losing a fortune to his short-sighted greed.

He look to the book he had pulled from the library. The book was a journal slash documentary, inside it was a step by step method of a long expressive twelve-year journey. The author had noted down everything he did and discover about the digestive devil fruit. Their was a very small number of books likes this one in the library and in the world, all of them had something in common. All the devil fruit power we're of those to be considered weak devil fruits. Its not to say, that books on more powerful devil fruits were never made. No all those we're either destroyed, or keep by those who held consider great amount of influence or power, in various faction.

Zen read for the hundred timed the same lines, hoping that the author had missed something. The author and user of the digestive power, explain a set of exercises he plan to further test his power. In it, he found that

When Zen first read this he was excited, it was soon followed with disappointment. In the book, the author tried various tests and training. Turn out the training regiment was all in the name of gaining a beautiful body, the author explained that thanks to this devil fruit powers he needed very little exercise and he could gain great improvement to his physic.

The author when through all kinds of training, all to see if this power help in anything else. Sword training, shooting a few hands to hands combat. Some of what was explained seem suspicious almost like the author had trained in rokushiki. Unfortunately, he never went into detail about the specific of those exercises only some vague references. Zen had looked in desperation for any book about rokushiki, only to be met with disappointment. The author then explained that he would tour the world eating at restaurants along the way, he would also challenge some opponents in order to see if his devil power would have any unexpected side effect in combat.

He obviously lost more then he won, his victory was often more about him just outlasting the other fruit user. Many a times the other just collapse from exhaustion, on the side of the author's stamina it was only half exhausted. Sure his body did grow stronger, but besides a better and stronger body, his devil fruit power never seemed to grow or present a clear path to getting better.

"After all that, he committed suicide after he wrote this book. After gaining such a strong body he came to delude himself that with such a powerful body he could swim. Drowning seemed like a harsh way to go." Zen just shook his head.

Inside the book in the final pages, the author started raving about getting some passive endurance from drowning. He then explain that he would throw himself in the sea so that he could swallow seawater. Once his body digested the seawater, no doubt he could resist the sea power over devil fruit user. In the end, the final part was added by someone else, it simply explain that many tried and failed to stop him. The author took a small boat rowed out to sea alone, and jump in, his boat was found two hours later. His body was found, he was pronounce dead after a quick examination. It was noted by the doctor that he had never seen a bigger diluted idiot in all his years.

"The only thing he ever found about this power is that, I could gain a powerful body if I put a lot of effort in eating and training." He closed the book as he let his eyes wander around. Suddenly he froze, the dead light in his eyes started to shine, growing stronger.

"Wait, is that it? I need to make sure." Zen scrambles out of his chair, he zoomed toward the medical section. Quickly searching until he spotted the book he was looking for, grabbing it off the shelve. He frantically turned page after page until he found what he was looking for. He read the part over and a grin spread across his face.

"So just like home, this is true here as well. Now all I have to do is test it." Zen place the book down on the floor keeping it open at the page he just read. He then stood straight bringing his right hand up to his face, closing his eyes he dug deep into is power. He created an image of what he wanted following half instinct and guesswork. He push out, he felt a weird sensation from his hand, but he keep going. Finally he stop, he was gasping he felt like he had run a marathon, he slowly open his eyes.

"Yes, it worked! They were wrong! Oh this is rich, I'm going to have so much fun. Wait it not all good. Just this little bit and I'm almost dead tired on my feet. This mean, anything I do will require a lot of training." Zen was feeling a high like never before, the power he thought was useless. Was in fact miss understood, and had been never properly wielded, Edward L centrum had been close but he had gone down the wrong path since the very beginning.

With a maniacal look on his face, Zen was staring at his right hand, he could feel that his muscle tissue was now a little denser than before. "If I'm right, this means I can divert all that energy I consume from food into rebuilding my body into something monstrous. Only it going to take a lot of food and time." He smiled as he pictured himself wielding strength like Saitama, well probably not but it would no doubt be beyond what everyone else could attain.