Chapter 2: Devil Fruit

"Hey, hey, is the big boss here? Please respond if you're there."

"Hmm, looks like they're not. System, are you there? If so, ping me."

"No system either? Fine, just give me anything, I'm not picky."

After mumbling to himself, Bardock felt a bit awkward. Turns out the big boss only takes care of sending people over, but no after-sales service.

He picked up the peach-shaped Devil Fruit and studied it closely. From its appearance, it wasn't clear exactly what type of fruit it was. It vaguely resembled a monkey's head, so it was probably a Zoan-type fruit. The golden aura around it hinted at its extraordinary nature. Anyway, this fruit was definitely not among the ones Oda had revealed.

Normally, a person can only eat one Devil Fruit. The only exception so far was Marshall D. Teach, also known as Blackbeard.

There's a rumor that the current Blackbeard is actually the result of the fusion of the three original Teach siblings by the previous user of the Yami Yami no Mi (Dark-Dark Fruit). The three souls correspond to three Devil Fruits, and it's said Blackbeard plans to eat another powerful fruit. Whether or not that's true remains to be seen.

"Should I eat it? The claim that 'there are no weak Devil Fruits, only weak Devil Fruit users' is a lie. I mean, how would something like the Whisper-Whisper Fruit ever defeat Kaido's Azure Dragon? Even in Zoan-type Devil Fruit awakenings, Rob Lucci's leopard form is clearly inferior to Luffy's Fifth Gear Sun God Nika form."

"Some powerful fruits that will appear in the future include the one disguised as a Paramecia but actually a Mythical Zoan, the Gomu Gomu no Mi (Rubber-Rubber Fruit); the Logia Rumble-Rumble Fruit from Enel's homeland, Birka; the Paramecia Magnet-Magnet Fruit belonging to Eustass Kid from the South Blue; and the Paramecia Op-Op Fruit, soon to be obtained by Trafalgar Law from the North Blue."

"Oh, and there's the Logia Mera Mera no Mi (Flame-Flame Fruit) that nobody in East Blue wanted. Actually, the Flame-Flame Fruit is very powerful, but unfortunately, Ace ran into Blackbeard and Akainu, both of whom were his natural nemeses."

Even though Bardock knew how awful Devil Fruits tasted, he still couldn't help but salivate. He wanted to shout, "I want them all!"

"Roar…"

A beast's roar came from deep within the forest, and from the sound of it, Bardock knew it was a big one. He quickly collected his thoughts and refocused on the Devil Fruit in his hand. No matter how powerful other fruits might be, they were beyond his reach for now. Moreover, he had to explore the forest anyway, whether to find fresh water or food. But judging from that roar, the forest was far more dangerous than he had imagined. Right now, he desperately needed strength.

"They say that Devil Fruits have their own will and choose their own host. Since you've chosen me, now I choose you!"

Bardock took a big bite out of the fruit. "Ugh…" An indescribable flavor spread across his mouth, but he forced it down. Some people have said that Devil Fruits taste worse than excrement, and Bardock had to admire their broad culinary experiences.

"One bite is enough, but both Buggy the Clown and Sun God Luffy ate theirs whole. I can't lose to them! Argh...!"

With a loud roar to bolster his resolve, Bardock finished the rest of the fruit in just a few bites. He then rinsed his mouth with water and gulped down three more swigs of alcohol to wash away the awful taste.

"I, Bardock, will not lose to anyone!"

"Ah, I can feel it. So, it's a Zoan-type, huh? Hmm… So, eating the fruit doesn't automatically reveal its name? No wonder the Mythical Zoan Nika was mistaken for the Rubber-Rubber Fruit."

In no time at all, Bardock's body began to change. He transformed into a mighty, imposing monkey. The monkey was about 1.6 meters tall (5'3"), but its presence was overwhelming. Bardock had originally been black-haired and black-eyed, but now this monkey was covered in golden fur that shone with a soft radiance. Its golden eyes gleamed with red light, as if flames were burning within them. This was no ordinary creature!

Sensing something, Bardock walked over to a tree as thick as a grown man's thigh and threw a powerful punch. With a loud "bang," the tree snapped and fell.

"My strength has increased a lot, and it doesn't hurt at all."

Bardock tapped and prodded his body all over, feeling as though his entire body had turned to metal. He could still feel sensations, but pain was completely absent.

"I'll call this ability 'Invulnerable Body.' I wonder how it compares to Charlotte Linlin's steel balloon defense, or Kaido's dragon scales. Someday, I'll have to test it!"

Though Bardock had memories from his past life, he knew that despite his newfound power, he was still weak. Even if the ability was strong, it would take time to develop. So, he remained grounded in reality.

"Next, let's try getting bigger."

Sure enough, the monkey started growing larger, stopping only when it reached five times its original size. Bardock flexed his arms, striking a muscle pose, and then picked up the tree he had just broken to test his strength. Afterward, he shrank back to his original size and lifted the broken tree again to compare the difference.

"When I grow larger, my strength increases as well. Not bad. Now, let's try getting smaller."

The monkey began to shrink, eventually becoming one-fifth of its original size.

"Not bad at all! I'll call these abilities 'Size Manipulation.' I think I can develop it further. Maybe someday I'll be able to grow as large as the heavens, and I'll call that ability 'Heaven and Earth Transformation.'"

"Ah, I'm getting hungry. Let's pick some fruit."

Bardock glanced into the forest and discovered yet another ability. His vision had become super sharp. He could see extremely far and in incredible detail. He even noticed the wings of insects flapping in slow motion. Focusing on them, he realized he could count the hairs on the insects' legs. Startled, he quickly shook his head, and his vision returned to normal.

"Good, it's controllable. Dynamic vision, telescopic sight, and microscopic sight — I wonder if there are any other powers. I'll call this ability 'Fiery Eyes.'"

Leaping lightly, Bardock jumped onto a fruit tree. He moved effortlessly among the branches, picking and eating the ripest fruits as he went. If he weren't still unsure about the island's food situation, he would have imitated the Monkey King from "Journey to the West" in the Heavenly Peach Garden, plucking and tossing away peaches one after another. He was overjoyed. The Devil Fruit he had eaten was indeed a Mythical Zoan, and now he had the foundation to establish himself in the world of pirates. He decided to name the fruit the Zoan-type Monkey-Monkey Fruit, Mythical Model: Sun Wukong.

Just as Bardock was happily eating, the beast from earlier let out another roar from the distance. It seemed to be patrolling its territory. Bardock suddenly felt provoked, as if he were the true king of this land. Without thinking, he let out a roar of his own. His majestic voice echoed through the forest, and everything fell silent. The beast did not respond.

"Ahem, ahem, ahem…" Bardock had overexerted himself and began coughing violently. To his surprise, he coughed up a cloud, which continued to expand.

"What the… It's growing larger with the wind! Could this be the Nimbus?"

Bardock watched as the cloud grew to the size of a bed and then stopped. Excited, he jumped onto it, and sure enough, it held him up.

"This is amazing! Being able to fly is crucial in a world dominated by the sea, especially since I'm now a Devil Fruit user. This island can't trap me anymore!"

While slowly guiding the cloud forward and balancing himself, Bardock couldn't help but feel like he was riding a hoverboard.

"Invulnerable Body, Size Manipulation, Fiery Eyes, and now Nimbus. This really is a Mythical Zoan! No, this truly is the power of the Monkey King. I wonder if I also have the ability to perform the Seventy-Two Transformations?"