Interlude - Devil Fruit Hunt.

"Computer, you got all the stuff ready?" "All people of interest have been marked and monitored. Devil fruits have been categorised. Awaiting orders."

I nodded.

I walked back to the revolutionaries and checked for any dead bodies left, before I leave.

"Are you sure you don't want to join us?" Ivankov asked.

"Yeah. I have work to do in another world. Besides, I just dealt with most of your problems. If you can't beat the government after this, I would be ashamed to call myself a revolutionary."

"What will you do now?" Rayleigh asked.

"Go back home. But first, I have some errands to run around here. Collect a few devil fruits." I shrugged, extending my hands as a portal opened up above me and The Exorcist dropped out into my hands.

"Mfufufufuf! Only you can say something that crazy and mean it." Ivankov laughed.

"Till next time then....Ciao!" I said jumping into an open portal.

I landed on a cold stone floor, right across an open door leading into a courtyard.

A chilly breeze blew in, snowflakes surfing along it's waves.

I could faintly hear people outside, some laughter, a bit of murmur.

Good. Let's do this.

I strode out, a skip in my step, and came face to face with a firing squad lined up, before me.

"Hm?" I intoned, curious, as I circumvented the soldiers, stealthily.

"...when they drink soup made of poisonous mushroom?

No!" I made out the voice of a man.

Clearing the soldiers, I saw him sitting down on the floor, a man with a thrice parted haybale of a hairstyle and a ridiculous bowler hat, crosses adorning his chest, holding his shirt together.

Oh, I know this one. He's ...uh....Dr. something. That quack doctor who raised Chopper. What was his name again?

Well, it doesn't matter. I'm not here here for him anyways.

He opened a briefcase beside him, and pulled out a bottle of liquor, pouring himself a cup.

"People die....when they are forgotten." He continued.

"Even after I'm gone my dream will come true!

The ailing hearts of the people will be cured-"

"Excuse me." I said, pushing past the soldiers, waving my hands.

"Excuse me. Sorry. Sorry to interrupt. I know you're having a moment here...but I kinda need something and I don't have all day, so...."

I lifted up the Exorcist, and looked about till I spotted the king, sitting on what looked like a woolly hippo?

"Ah there you are! I'll be taking your devil fruit power now, if you don't mind!" I smiled.

"Who the hell do you th-" Wapol shouted before he recognised me.

"Y-y-you! Why- How are you here?!" He cried out in fear.

"Doesn't matter." I said, walking towards him.

"Kill him! Kill him now! Dalton! What are you looking around for? Get him!"

Dalton took a step forward, and opened his mouth to speak when I stopped him, scanning the field.

"You all saw what I did to the Kizaru. And to Mariejoise. And the world powers that came to capture me. And Garp. Or maybe you didn't see that part given you were..." I looked at Hiluluk, yes, that's the name.

"...otherwise preoccupied. But let me assure you, if you fire, this will turn into a very, very bad day for your families."

The soldiers looked at me and then at each other, before putting down their guns, and making way for me.

"Good choice." I said, as I walked past them, and threw a stasis beacons at the hippo, freezing it in place.

With a twist of my hand, the bracelet on my wrist popped, revealing the telekinesis module.

"W-wait! Please don't kill me! I-i I can give you anything you want! I've doctors....and money and furs. You can even have my kingdom if you! Just please..."

I ignored his pleas though, grabbed Wapol and pulled, his body flying into my hands.

"Noooo!" He cried as he pissed himself in fear and passed out.

"Pathetic." I said, draining his power.

I turned to Dalton.

"Here's some free advice. Choose a new king and bury this guy 6 feet under before he wakes up."

"He is alive?!" Dalton asked, surprised.

"Yeah, didn't you see my broadcast yesterday?" I asked before eyeing the doctors lined up menacingly behind the soldiers, and sighed.

"Nevermind. You're clearly busy with other stuff. Get rid of him. Or don't. It doesn't matter much to me. I'm off!"

I had better things to do.

I extended a hand out and an apple fell into it from a portal.

Sticking the Exorcist's muzzle into it, I injected the power into it, turning it into a devil fruit, before chucking it out a portal into my storage.

I opened a portal just as a furry little creature ran up the courtyard steps and bumped into Hiluluk.

"DoctoOooor!" He cried, nuzzling into the quack's chest, as he was petted.

"Chopper...I told you to stay away...." Hiluluk comforted the crying baby reindeer.

Oh goodness!

He was just so cute!

Fluffy fur. Little boop inviting nose. Big round eyes.

If he wasn't sentient, I would have just taken him along as a pet.

But work needs doing.

I steeled my heart and resisted the urge to pet him as I walked out through the portal.

Onto the next fruit!

.

In the upper yard, fire ravaged the trees, and lightning crackled savagely in the skies, yet on the ground the situation was far too different.

Enel stumbled, his foot snagging on an exposed root, as he fell to the floor.

"No! Nooo! Stay away! You monster! I'm a GOD!"

Enel crawled on the floor, only to smash face first into my forcefield cage.

"Oh you're a god alright. A god-damn idiot!" I snapped at him, jabbing him with the Exorcist.

I was so angry at him, I couldn't even be bothered to come up with a better comeback.

I ran a hand through my wet hair, and glared at the pretender at my feet.

"Wasted so much of my time. I had to spend three hours chasing you across the goddamn cloud sea!

And remember what I said when I first came here?"

I had offered him a peaceful surrender.

"Give me your power nicely, because if I have to take it by force and there will be consequences." I told him.

"But nooo...."

He just had to play Tarzan today.

Bastard led me on a wild goose chase.

Enel gulped, as the power of lightning disappeared from his body, and he beat against my forcefield in desperation.

"Time for your punishment!"

I opened up a portal to the blender dimension below him as my forcefield came sloely crushing down, pushing him into it, toe first.

Slowly, and steadily like meat grinder, I ran him through the portal, and Enel's dying screams echoed throughout the white white sea, much to the joy of the Skypieans.

"That....was it necessary?" An old man in knightly armor asked me hesitantly.

"You want some of that?" I asked, glaring at him.

"....n-no." He cowered, and stepped back disappearing into the trees to help fight the fire.

I sighed, panting and took a seat on a nearby rock.

"Why do these people make it so difficult for themselves?" I wondered, and shook my head.

I fumbled in my pockets and pulled out a yellow pill.

A stamina pill, for all sorts of situations.

Though I developed it primarily to sate Offee's massive .... appetite.

She was a bit too loving sometimes.

This one was a lesser dose, meant to keep me up and running on a basic level. Nothing too fancy.

I popped a stamina pill into my mouth and a jolt of energy ran through my body, filling me with power.

With another sip of mega seed juice, I wiped the sweat off my brow and stood back up, checking my contacts.

I had gathered the Munch Munch fruit from Wapol in Drum Kingdom.

The Calm Calm fruit was easier.

It was tucked away in a corner of Minion island in the north blue.

The same could be said about the Yami Yami no mi and the Swamp Swamp fruit. Both were lying untouched on their respective islands in the grand line, just asking to be picked.

All I needed to do was pluck them off the vine and chuck them into storage.

Truly, being here ahead of the storyline was a blessing in disguise.

And now, with Enel's Rumble Rumble fruit, I had gathered five of the seven fruits I wanted.

Two more to go!

I smiled and took a deep breath.

Onto the next one.

.

I exited the portal into another courtyard, time surrounded by people carrying pitchforks and torches, marching along.

"Down with the king!" A red haired boy shouted, cutlass in hand.

"Down with the king!"

The crowd chanted back.

Beside him another young boy, stood silently, watching the crowd, his face covered with a hockey mask.

Eustass Kidd and his future vice captain, Killer.

So that's how he got his devil fruit huh?

The king here had the powers of the Magnet Magnet fruit and Kidd found the fruit after killing him.

Too bad I'm here now. The Magnet Magnet fruit is mine.

Killer patted Kidd's shoulder pointing at me.

"Hey you!" Kidd shouted, calling out to me, as I smiled and waved.

Kidd jumped down and began to make his way towards me, pushing past the crowds.

Nope. No time to waste on him.

I portaled into the royal chamber, startling the king, who was packing up his valuables, stuffing them hurriedly into his suitcase.

"Wha- Who are you?!" He cried out.

"No one inportant!" I said, smashing his head with the butt of my gun, just as the crowds broke through the castle gates.

Let's make haste then. I quickly pressed the Exorcist's muzzle into the king and extracted the devil fruit essence, transferring it into another apple.

The door behind me thumped hard, before it flew off it's hinges, crashing against my forcefield.

It shattered into a thousand pieces, splintering like frag grenade, sending shrapnel everywhere.

"No!" Kidd growled, lunging at me. "That power is mine!"

"Not anymore!" I teased, flipping him the bird, and opened a portal in his path, sending him tumbling out into the courtyard again, crashing into the fountain, laid out butt in the air like a looney toons villain.

Hehehehehe.

A portal opened up beneath my feet, and I dropped in, moving on.

.

I landed on a grassy clearing in a tranquil forest, birds chirping happily, basking in the warmth of the sun.

Hmm....such a nice day to steal powers.

"Now where is La-"

I muttered, stretching.

"Shambles!"

I felt my chest seize as a cube shaped hole appeared in it and I grabbed at my chest, gasping for breath.

I turned to see a teenager holding a cube of shiny jelly, sword on his shoulder.

No. That wasn't jelly. It was...my heart!

The boy was.....

Trafalgar D Water Law!

The wielder of the next fruit on my list.

The Ope Ope no Mi. The perfect fruit for Riley.

"You stole my heart~" I joked, getting back up.

He frowned, annoyed and poked my heart.

"Tsaah!" I hissed in pain, falling to my knees.

Tch!

Kids these days!

No sense of humor!

Though something else intrigued me too.

How in the everloving fuck did he steal my heart from inside my forcefield?!

Does the Ope Ope no mi's Operating Room override my forcefield?

No, that's not possible. I made it better than this.

Then, maybe it bypasses the effect. No, overlaps it. Yes.

That's also how it teleports stuff within the Room.

Interesting! A fourth dimensional devil fruit power!

"What do you want with me?" He asked, his voice ice cold.

"What do you me-"

He poked my heart again.

"Tshaaa!" I cried out again.

This bastard!

"The truth, asshole. What do you want?" Law asked again.

I sighed.

I could just kill him but I don't know if doing that will just end up killing me too, what with my heart being under his power.

The CodeRed wasn't regenerating a new heart for me so clearly the heart in his hand was still connected to my body.

That meant I couldn't risk a fight with him. Not if I want to leave here alive.

"I want your power. The Ope Ope no Mi!" I answered.

"So you came here to kill me." He said, tightening his grip around my heart.

Tch! No choice then.

I guided my nano swarms to slit Law's wrists.

His tendons severed, Law's grip on my heart loosened and it slipped out of his hand falling through the floor into a portal, and back into my chest.

"Hwaaah!" I gasped for breath, as Law's power faltered and broke, merging my heart with my body again.

I stood back up, insteady on my feet, while I severed Law's achilles tendon too, sending him tumbling into the grass.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right now?!" I said, squatting down beside him.

"Kill me here and you'll have to hunt down the Ope Ope no Mi again!" He laughed, sure in his safety.

"You know that too huh? Smart boy!" I patted his head mockingly.

"Unfortunately for you, I have a tool the allows me to take away devil fruit powers without killing people." I smiled evilly.

"Come up with a better lie next time old man! That's not possible!" He snorted.

"Old man?! Who's an old man, huh? I am 22! 22!" I flicked his forehead in annoyance.

"And haven't you seen my broadcasts the last few days, on the den den mushi?"

"I don't have a den den mushi. Lost it in the sea last month." He replied.

"I see. Well it's real. Watch."

I jabbed Law with the Exorcist, and pulled the trigger, as a grey white essence drained out of Law into the tube.

Law's eyes went wide, as fear flashed in them briefly.

"There we go." I said, standing back up.

I opened a portal to leave.

"Ciao!" I said, to a confused Law.

"You're not going to kill me?" He asked.

"What do I get from killing you? You are practically paralyzed here, in the middle of the forest. Even without me killing you, you will die all on your own. So Ciao!" I said, again, and walked into the portal.

"Wait!" Law cried out.

"What?" I asked.

Law went silent for a moment with an expression as of he was choking down an extra juicy bedbug.

"I....please don't leave me here like this! I have a dream. I have someone I want to kill. To take revenge."

He said, voice shaking.

Looks like someone learnt to swallow their pride and say the magic words huh?

"I can't die before that. Please. Save me. I'll do anything! I won't complain. I'm sorry I tried to kill you! I wasn't going to actually do it! I beg of you...Please!" He sniffled, burying his face in the grass, in a seiza, supporting himself on his elbows.

I looked at him crying, and felt pity for the boy. I knew his story. Ot was one I could sympathize with.

I sighed.

"Fine." I agreed, injecting him with a CodeRed, while simultaneously lacing his brain with my nanites in case he tries something like this again.

"You'll be fine to walk within the hour. But don't go looking for me. Or try anything like this again. Next time, I won't be as merciful." I warned.

Law nodded, reluctantly and bowed again, as I left. Time to go home. Nack to the mothership!

.

Imu skulked across the cracked marble floor, gliding wordlessly through the many halls now buried deep below Mariejoise.

His destination, the secret hatch down the Red Line and out into Marineford.

The shaking had long stopped now, yet a few clutters made themselves known every so often, dusting his clothes and pelting his head.

That did not stop him though. He had a job to do.

He reached a dead end in the hall, only a painting on the wall, and pressed into the eyes of the painting.

Gears clicked behind the wall, and the bricks shifted, shuffling aside, dragging the painting with them, into a slit in the architecture.

Before him stood now utter darkness, and a staircase leading deep down into it.

Imu pulled out a lantern from his robe, it's wick almost spent, and sighed.

It wouldn't last him long.

7840 steps. Imu recalled.

7840 steps down the dark passage before he reached Marineford.

He had built it himself. An emergency plan he didn't expect to ever need.

And why would he, the true king of the world ever need to run?

He was above all. Inviolable. Untouchable. Invincible.

And yet, he was now reduced to this.

He steeled himself, taking a deep breath.

Looking back he saw the ruined halls and buckling ceilings and felt a deep rage gnaw at his heart.

He had ruined everything. The man in the lab coat. The world traveler.

Jay Walker.

How Imu hadn't seen him coming was beyond even himself.

This wasn't rare. No.

This was impossible.

Or it was supposed to be, until he came into the picture.

Now, the grand tapestry was ruined, blotched, disfigured, stained by his influence.

Things needed to be set right.

A balance needed to be achieve once more.

A great cleansing, yes. That was what was needed.

Another great cleansing, after so many centuries.

It was time once more. For Joy Boy to fall.

And so, he took his first step into the dark, deep stairwell. A first step to the rebirth. Of a new world order. Of HIS new world order. One. More. Time.

___________________

MC gathers all seven dragon ba- devil fruits!

Imu plots nefarious schemes, not knowing they are prefoiled for him.

Now back to Worm for a grand finale.

Next time, the perfect shard is born.

Till then, thanks for reading.

Donate your powerstones.

And see ya later!

Also, if you want to support me, buy me a cho of coffee or read ahead, try my

www.patre-on.com/goldenfingers