chapter 12

"Before we set sail, we need to plan and take stock of what we have," Rhodes declared.

The group sat together, going over their next steps.

"First of all, Rhodes, what are you going to do with that guy?" Nia asked, pointing at Bellamy, who was still unconscious in the corner.

"Didn't he claim he was trying to do something for Doflamingo? Though honestly, I think that's just wishful thinking. There's no way someone like the Shichibukai would take a small-time gangster seriously."

"Doflamingo?" Law's eyes shifted to Bellamy. He hadn't expected to hear that name again so soon after confessing his grudge to the crew.

"By the way," Pekin interjected, raising his hand, "what exactly is this 'Shichibukai' thing you've been talking about?"

Xia Qi nodded in agreement.

Ever since Law had mentioned them earlier, the two had been curious but didn't want to ruin the moment. Now that they had the chance, they decided to ask.

"Really? Don't you two read the news?" Nia sighed. "And you're planning to sail without even understanding what's out there?"

"Sorry, we've been focused on training. Besides, as long as we follow Rhodes and the rest of you, we'll be fine!" Pekin replied earnestly.

"Unbelievable," Nia muttered, shaking her head. "Alright, listen up. The Shichibukai, or 'Seven Warlords of the Sea,' are powerful pirates granted permission by the World Government to plunder freely. Each one of them is a force to be reckoned with, standing at the pinnacle of power."

"So, are we going to defeat one and take their place?" Pekin asked, his face serious.

"That… actually sounds pretty cool," Xia Qi added, nodding.

Nia let out another sigh, her patience thinning.

Rhodes, ignoring their banter, suddenly changed the subject. "Let's talk about Devil Fruits."

Everyone turned their attention to him.

"It's said that when a Devil Fruit user dies, the 'devil' within them is reborn in another fruit somewhere in the world. That's why Devil Fruit encyclopedias exist—most fruits have been documented because they've appeared before."

Nia frowned. "So? What's your point?"

Rhodes grinned. "The world is vast, making it nearly impossible to locate a Devil Fruit after its user dies. But what if we could shrink the world? Wouldn't it make finding the fruit much easier?"

Pekin tilted his head. "Shrinking the world? How would that even work?"

"You can't literally shrink the world we live in," Rhodes explained, "but you can limit the area where the user's 'devil' has to manifest. Imagine confining that space to something as small as a single room."

Law's eyes widened as realization dawned on him. "So that's why you've been pushing me to develop my abilities!"

"Exactly," Rhodes confirmed. "Let's test it out. Pekin, bring out all the fruits we have in storage."

"On it!" Pekin rushed off and quickly returned with a pile of fruits.

In the center of the room, Bellamy's unconscious body was placed. The fruits were spread out around him in a circle.

"ROOM—Isolation!"

A blue dome materialized around Bellamy and the fruits as Law activated his ability.

"This isn't like your usual ROOM," Xia Qi observed.

"No, it's not," Law replied. "This is a new technique I've developed: the Isolation Room. It completely seals off the area inside the dome, cutting it off from the outside world—even the air can't circulate. Anyone inside for too long would suffocate."

"ROOM—Baton!"

A knife flew into Law's hand, and without hesitation, he plunged it into Bellamy's heart. The group watched with bated breath, waiting to see if the devil from Bellamy's Spring-Spring Fruit would transfer to one of the nearby fruits.

Minutes passed.

"It didn't work," Rhodes sighed, though he didn't seem too disappointed. "I figured it wouldn't be that simple. Even in the original story, only Blackbeard seemed to have mastered this process."

"Wait," Law interjected, his brow furrowed. "I felt something… a shift inside the Isolation Room. It's faint, but I think the theory is sound. I just need to refine this ability further."

"Good to hear," Rhodes replied. "But your stamina is still lacking. You're already winded after holding that ability for ten minutes."

"Using the Surgery Fruit takes an incredible amount of energy!" Law shot back.

"Excuses. You need to build up your endurance," Rhodes teased.

"Shut up!"

Nia, who had been quiet, suddenly chimed in with a gleam in her eye. "If this works, we could create Devil Fruits on demand! Do you have any idea how much they sell for on the black market? At least 100 million berries each!"

Her mind raced with possibilities. "I could buy so much dried fish with that…"

"Focus," Rhodes interrupted. "We still have practical matters to address. Speaking of which, how much money did Jason give us earlier?"

Nia grabbed the cash box and opened it, her eyes lighting up. "Fifty million berries!" she announced, cheering.

"That's enough to cover our preparations," Rhodes said.

"But you're not planning to use my boat, are you?" Nia asked suddenly, frowning. "That thing is second-hand junk—it won't survive the open seas."

Rhodes waved her concerns away. "We'll handle the boat tomorrow. If all goes well, we'll have a proper ship soon enough."

The crew, now armed with a plan and renewed determination, looked toward the horizon, ready to face whatever challenges the Grand Line would throw their way.