131 Torch

After Ori and the Heavenly Demon's had eaten, they all made their way to dock 1 to say their final farewells to Tom, Bai and the other shipwrights.

"Shaya, you said you've already seen the new ship?"

"Ori, can you just use a little bit of patience. We'll be at the dock in a few minutes!"

Knowing that he was going to see his Pirate Ship, the same ship that he'll use to traverse the New World, Ori found it hard to suppress his excitement.

"But…"

"No buts!"

"Fine!"

As the crew arrived at the docks, they saw Tom standing with Bai, Franky and Iceburg waiting for them. Ori could see the cautious faces of Franky, Iceburg and Bai and understood they were worried about him after hearing about Roman.

"Haha Ori, you finally arrived. I thought you were going to mope around in that crater for the rest of your life."

Bai and the other 2 apprentice shipwrights gawked at their mentor's candid words. Ori could only smile wryly at Tom's words. He knew he was doing it to break the ice. Between that and the fact that it was Tom who managed to bring him out of his sulk, Ori didn't take it to heart.

"Haha I'm just sorry we were late to the unveiling of our own ship."

As he said that, Bai and the others couldn't see any of the so called pain or heartache Tom had described to them. Ori looked at Bai as he smiled and said.

"Shaya wouldn't give me any of the specifics, but she did say you really outdid yourself this time."

The obese craftsman scratched the back of his head as he replied.

"It can't compare to uncle Tom's ships, but it's not bad for a first attempt."

Tom slapped the young fat man on the back knocking him 3 steps forward as he said.

"Don't be modest. It's a truly great ship fitting of the Heavenly Demon's!"

Malia who had been quietly standing at the side was studying the large fishman intently as if she recognised him but didn't know where from. Suddenly a light seemed to go off in her head.

"It really is you!"

None of the others present understood what Malia was talking about, but Tom quite clearly did. He looked at the attractive female former assassin apologetically as he said.

"I caused you a fair bit of trouble."

"A fair bit?! Because of your request I ended up clashing with the Big Mom Pirates and being forced out of the league!"

When they heard that, they all seemed to understand what she was referring to. Katakuri had said that she had stolen the Heat fruit under someone else's request.

Tom looked at the former assassin now pirate and said wryly.

"I did warn you that if you're caught it will be the Big Mom Pirates chasing you, but at least you've found yourself a crew who actually cares about you now…"

Malia just snorted in response. Although she was chased down by one of the Yonko's crews and was more than likely now high on the League's most wanted list, she really did feel like she found somewhere she belonged, despite having only been a Heavenly Demon for under a month.

She reached inside her robe and pulled out an orange fruit with golden patterns engraved on it and tossed it to Tom indifferently.

Seeing Tom catch the fruit that re-emerged in the world as a result of Roman's kill, Ori couldn't help but wonder.

"Why did you want the Heat Fruit anyway? Although it's a powerful fruit, it's not worth annoying Big Mom."

"It's not for me!"

As he said that, Tom handed the fruit over to Bai who stared at the fruit then up at his shipwright mentor in confusion.

"For me?!"

Tom nodded with a smile as he said.

"You may have inherited your talent as a forger from the blood of the Kitetsu's that runs through your veins, but that's only half of your blood."

When he heard that, Bai seemed to have understood why Tom was giving him this fruit.

"You mean…?"

Tom let out a satisfied nod as he said.

"That's right. This is the only way I could think of to activate your bloodline as a descendent of the Torch family."

When they heard that, Shaya's, Benji's and Malia's jaws all dropped as they looked at the obese forger.

"You…

You're a descendant of the…"

"Torch Family?!"

Ori, Sabo and Silk looked at Shaya and the others in confusion not seeming to have heard of the Torch family before.

"Torch family? Are they famous?"

Malia turned to look at her unaware captain.

"The Torch family are recognised as the most powerful "Royal" family! And one of the most powerful factions in the New World under the 10 strongest factions."

Benjiro continued.

"They're said to be an extremely militant family who fear no one, not even the 10 strongest factions. The World Government don't even dare to cause trouble with them lightly."

Shaya who was still looking at Bai in shock finished by saying.

"The one common trait of the Torch Family is their obesity. But in their eyes, the fatter they are the more powerful they are."

Sabo looked at Shaya in confusion as he asked.

"The fatter they are, the more powerful they are…

How does that work?!"

It was Bai who answered this time.

"My ancestor ate the Fat Burning Fruit. It gave him the ability to perfectly burn his fat transforming it into power. His raw strength was able to match that of a giant and his speed matched the Lightning Devil Fruit user of that time. In terms of physical ability he was said to be second to none!"

Silk looked shocked by Bai's description.

"That incredible?!"

Bai nodded with a hint of pride, which then turned into a self-mocking smile.

"My ancestor became almost unrivalled when he became a Transcendent with his Devil Fruit. Since then, my family have inherited the fat-burning bloodline. With every generation, all the youths will compete for the throne. The winner become's the crown prince/princess and the losers become the Torch Kingdom's Imperial Protector's."

Ori frowned as he heard that.

"Shouldn't the bloodline dilute with every generation?"

Bai nodded as he replied.

"Ordinarily that would be the case, but my family made sure to keep the Fat Burning fruit in the family. It's given to each crown prince/princess the day they come of age and officially take their seat as King or Queen of the Torch Kingdom."

Ori then nodded in understanding as he said.

"Making sure that the Fat Burner ability of the Torch Bloodline is inherited perfectly with each generation."

Ori looked at the obese forger who was nearing 9" and asked.

"With your size you must be from the royal family of the Torch Kingdom."

Bai nodded as he smiled wryly.

"I'm the oldest son of the current king of the Torch Kingdom. But I'm the smallest member out of all my siblings."

"SMALLEST?!"

Ori, Sabo and Silk all hollered in unison.

Bai looked down at the ground embarrassed as he said.

"Even the smallest of my cousins have cleared 10 feet and their bloodlines aren't supposed to be as powerful as ours."

Ori looked at the forger with his eyes scrunched.

"As your father inherited the former king's bloodline and then ate the Fat Burner Fruit surely you should have a near enough perfect level bloodline? Even if the bloodline's of your siblings surpass yours it shouldn't be by much and it definitely shouldn't be surpassed by your cousins…"

Bai shrugged helplessly as he replied.

"I don't know why, but ever since I was young I've always been far weaker and smaller than those in my generation and to make matters worse I can't even activate the fat burner ability of the Torch bloodline without burning my blood essence as a price.

Both 1st and 2nd generation Torch descendants can burn their fat without worry. After tests run on me as a kid I was deemed an anomaly. My innate strength pre-transformation surpassed my siblings and was only slightly less than a king who'd eaten the fat burner fruit, but because I can't burn my fat without burning my life force I'm considered an overpowered 3rd generation Torch descendent."

Everyone could hear the self-deprecation in his tone. Tom patted his students back with a laugh as he said.

"That was before today! Previously you could only use your bloodline ability by using your life force to burn the fat, but if you used the heat fruit to burn your fat I believe with your innate strength, you'd easily surpass your siblings becoming a Torch that stands above the others!"

When he heard that, Bai felt himself tearing up. Ever since he'd arrived on Water 7, Tom had looked after him as if he were really his long lost son. He didn't know why, but he could feel the sincere warmth Tom showed him.

Tom patted the teary-eyed forgers shoulder with an encouraging smile as he said.

"Hurry up and eat it then!"

Bai didn't hesitate any longer. He swallowed the fruit whole in anticipation.

He waited a couple minutes for anything to happen, but it never did. Just as he looked up to Tom, preparing to ask what the hold up was, his face paled.

Sabo looked on with a sadistic grin plastered to his face.

"Finally I can enjoy this from the view of a spectator!"

Ori and the others who heard his words could only shake their heads helplessly.

Bai keeled over and began throwing up in disgust at the unexpectedly horrifying taste of the Heat Fruit!

After a few minutes he was finally able to supress his urge to vomit. He rolled onto his large back looking up at the sky in a daze.

"I've heard the stories about how bad a Devil Fruit tastes. Even so I still wasn't expecting that!"

"Haha forget about the taste, was it a success? Are you able to activate your bloodline without using your life force?!"

As he heard Tom's question, he stood up shaking himself off. He looked at the large fishman with a confident smile.

Suddenly Bai's body glowed bright orange. The fat on his body disappeared almost instantly and his previously tight fitting clothes turned exceedingly baggy.

He went from an obese giant to a slim ordinary sized man, with charming chiselled features.

He looked at Tom with a gentle smile as he replied.

"It was a success!"