Chapter 68: Taking Care of Business

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"A Devil Fruit?" Momousagi blinked, staring at the open box Ian had presented to her. She was puzzled. "I'm already a swordswoman. Wouldn't eating another Devil Fruit just give me another weakness to the sea and seastone?"

"You've taken down quite a few pirates these past months, including Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords. You must have racked up a considerable amount of merit points. Why not exchange them for a Supreme Grade sword for me?" she added playfully, pouting slightly.

Her words carried a subtle hint. Before their departure, Ian had, in a fit of generosity, exchanged his merit points for several Meito for Tashigi, storing them in his Garganta. Now, with even more merit points at his disposal, he might actually consider procuring a Supreme Grade sword for her.

He had considered exchanging his own points for Devil Fruits to absorb and boost his fusion rate. However, that would inevitably expose his secret, leading to his capture and dissection by the World Government. The time wasn't right yet.

Moreover, Marine Headquarters didn't possess any particularly remarkable Devil Fruits besides the Logia types wielded by the Admirals and Sengoku's Mythical Zoan. The other Vice Admirals mostly had Zoan-type abilities, and Smoker's Smoke-Smoke Fruit was likely an exception due to its inherent limitations. Given his rank and strength, it was highly unlikely he had exchanged merit points for it.

Otherwise, Momousagi and Chaton would have acquired powerful Devil Fruits for themselves long ago, considering their impressive merit records.

"True, swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, and Haki, when honed to perfection, can rival any Devil Fruit. But what about the right combination of abilities? An ordinary Devil Fruit might sell for a few hundred million berries, but in the hands of the right user, its value can increase exponentially."

Imagine Zoro wielding the Hana Hana no Mi, creating thousands of arms and blades…

The right Devil Fruit, in the right hands, could unlock unimaginable potential. The One Piece world was filled with examples of powerful Devil Fruits wasted on incompetent users, while others searched their entire lives for the perfect match.

"The Paramecia-type Flag-Flag Fruit allows the user to manipulate the elasticity of anything they touch, making it either incredibly soft or incredibly hard. It seems perfectly suited for you, don't you think?" Ian said, taking a sip of tea.

"..." Momousagi and Tashigi stared at him, dumbfounded, their eyes wide with surprise.

The Clear-Clear, Flag-Flag were all highly coveted by swordsmen, their unique properties offering tactical advantages that outweighed the inherent weakness to water.

"It's a perfect fit. But isn't that the ability of Diamante, an executive of Doflamingo's Donquixote Family? He was a fairly skilled swordsman himself, wasn't he?"

Momousagi questioned, and Tashigi sat up straighter, anticipating Ian's explanation. After all, she had witnessed Ian kill Diamante with her own eyes. How could his Devil Fruit ability have respawned so quickly, and how had Ian obtained it?

"Yes, I killed him. Devil Fruit abilities randomly reappear somewhere in the world after the user's death. I happened to find it nearby. I was surprised by my luck as well."

"Anyway, consider it a gift, a token of my gratitude for allowing me to join the Marines." Ian explained.

Just having Tashigi around was worth ten Devil Fruits. He even entertained a bizarre thought: what would happen if he gave Garp the Gura Gura no Mi?

Garp, already at the pinnacle of human physical prowess, might even be able to shatter space itself with such power. However, revealing so many Devil Fruits at once would undoubtedly lead to his capture and experimentation. He dismissed the idea. It was far too early to expose his secret.

"..." Momousagi didn't respond. She suspected Ian harbored secrets, and she understood the potential repercussions of revealing them, even with his strength rivaling Mihawk's. There is also the Admirals, the Yonko, the Fleet Admiral, and the Five Elders.

Tashigi remained silent as well.

While the chances of a Devil Fruit respawning were incredibly slim, even Doflamingo, with his vast underworld network, had spent two years searching for Ace's Flame-Flame Fruit. As for Blackbeard's acquisition of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, he likely possessed a method for instantly extracting and consuming the ability. Otherwise…

He wouldn't have remained hidden for over twenty years, only to betray and kill his crewmate, Thatch, after he found the Dark-Dark Fruit, then capturing Ace and triggering the Marineford War. His ability to wield multiple Devil Fruits was likely due to his unique physiology.

He never seemed to sleep.

His patience and cunning were truly remarkable, surpassing even Orochi's. One had manipulated Oden, the other Whitebeard. One sought only to become a shogun, while the other craved world domination.

"Thank you, Kid." Momousagi finally said, picking up the Flag-Flag Fruit. She took a small bite, and Tashigi, as if anticipating her reaction, offered her a cup of tea.

"Ugh, it's disgusting…" Almost immediately, Momousagi tossed the partially eaten fruit across the room.

She rinsed her mouth with the tea, and Ian wondered why Luffy had found it so palatable.

Perhaps it was due to his dulled senses. After all, it wasn't the first time he had eaten something disgusting in the original story. Yet, he possessed an incredible talent for combat.

"But it was worth it!" Momousagi drew her Meito, and, using her newfound ability, manipulated its shape, causing it to ripple and undulate like a spring before snapping forward with a sharp crack.

If she hadn't held back, refraining from imbuing it with Haki and her full strength, it would have pierced through the walls of his office. It could slice through flesh and shatter armor. A true swordsman's weapon.

"The Tongue Sword, now a Spring Sword! As expected of Gion-mama, you've mastered this new ability so quickly!" Ian complimented, only to be met with a chilling glare from Momousagi. Tashigi stifled a giggle.

Who would dare address such a beautiful woman in such a manner?

"No, beautiful sister…" His survival instincts kicked in, forcing him to correct his words.

"Don't get smart with me, little brother." Momousagi retorted, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I remember Diamante could even manipulate the earth with his ability. I wonder if I can do the same?"

She slammed her hand onto the ground, and not only did Ian's office shake violently, but the offices of several nearby Vice Admirals trembled as well.

"Damn Kid! You come back to work, and this is how you behave?! Even with your Mythical Zoan resilience, you can't just wreak havoc like this!"

A furious roar echoed from the top floor, including a shout from Admiral Akainu. Ian wasn't surprised by Akainu's anger. However, given his personality, shouldn't he have stormed down and delivered a flurry of magma-infused punches, sending Ian sinking to the bottom of the sea?

Why the sudden change in demeanor? Considering Akainu's hatred for pirates and his opposition to the Seven Warlords system, it was likely due to Ian's impressive record: defeating Moria and Crocodile, and holding his own against Mihawk.

Perhaps his opinion of Ian had changed?

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Word Count [1255]

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To Be Continued..

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