NOVEL NEXT Chapter 182: 182 Devil Fruit Remover, Between Flowers
A flash of light filled the room as a white machine, over three meters tall and two meters wide, appeared.
The Devil Fruit Remover had arrived!
Lynch immediately called Kuina over. She was the perfect candidate to be the first to use it.
Back then, she was given a basic Zoan Peacock Fruit, not for combat, but to ensure she wouldn't meet an untimely end due to something as trivial as falling down the stairs.
In hindsight, Lynch's decision proved wise—without the fruit, Kuina might have been defeated by the Supreme Express long ago.
Later, Koshiro, overcome with fear, had the cursed staircase and the old wooden house burned down in a raging fire.
Now, Lynch could replace Kuina's Devil Fruit with a far superior one whenever he wished.
"Brother Lynch... I'm a little scared," Kuina admitted softly. For someone usually so fearless, the ominous hum of the machine filled her with an overwhelming sense of loneliness. Her small hands clutched at Lynch's clothes for reassurance.
"Don't be afraid, Kuina. Brother Lynch would never harm you," Lynch said gently, patting her head.
"Buzz~"
With a low rumble, the machine powered down. A dull roar echoed, followed by a burst of white light illuminating the chamber.
A chill ran down Kuina's spine, as if something was about to be lost.
For a moment, she thought about smashing through the machine, knowing she had the strength to do so, but thinking of Brother Lynch's words, Kuina held back.
The five minutes felt like an eternity, but they passed quickly.
With a hiss, the machine's cabin door slid open, releasing clouds of white smoke. Kuina took two weak steps and almost collapsed to the ground. Before she could fall, Lynch caught her in his arms.
"Are you okay? How do you feel?"
Being held in Brother Lynch's arms at such a close distance, a trace of shyness flashed across Kuina's sassy face. She struggled to stand up, but unfortunately failed.
"It feels like something was pulled out of me... My Devil Fruit ability is gone," Kuina said, recalling the strange sensation. She could no longer feel the power of the Peacock Fruit within her.
"I'll take you back to rest," Lynch said gently. "In a few days, I'll find a more suitable Devil Fruit for you."
"N-No need!" Kuina stammered, her face flushing as she imagined herself being carried like a princess. "Just help me sit down for a bit. I can leave on my own after I've rested."
"How is that possible?" Lynch replied with mock seriousness. "You're this weak because of me. I can't feel at ease unless I take you back myself."
Kuina's face turned even redder as she let out a soft, embarrassed, "Yeah~."
Lynch stretched his arms, and Kuina hugged her into a princess carryamidst Kuina's exclamations.
Meanwhile, far away in East Blue, Zoro inexplicably felt as though his hair had gotten even greener today.
Back in the room, Tom the cat, lounging lazily on the piano, watched his owner leave.
A wave of nostalgia washed over him. If only I had my master's skills in charming girls, Tom thought wistfully. That little white cat would've been mine for sure...
It wasn't as though Tom lacked skill—he had romanced countless female cats across the globe.
But Jerry's constant meddling had always been his downfall.
If not for that troublesome mouse, he'd have won over the little white cat ages ago.
Reflecting on his once-glorious days, Tom Cat suddenly grew nostalgic.
Out of nowhere, he donned a sleek black tuxedo, sat upright at the piano like a true maestro, and adjusted his tie with a flourish. Lighting a cigar, he lowered his gaze, his paws gliding over the black and white keys with effortless grace.
The room filled with the dramatic notes of Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, a performance so flawless it could rival any human virtuoso.
Nearby, the doorman froze, his jaw dropping in disbelief. A cat playing the piano? It was as if he had just seen a ghost.
The doorman, who had been playing piano since primary school for over 10 years, was utterly dumbfounded. He couldn't match the skill of this cat.
"Ridiculous!" he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
Meanwhile, Tashigi passed by, smiling brightly. "Good morning, Brother Lynch. Kuina, morning to you too!"
Caught off guard in Lynch's arms, Kuina's face turned crimson. Embarrassed, she buried her head deeper into his chest, wishing she could disappear. This is so shameful!
"Morning, Tashigi," Lynch replied casually, his tone calm and composed.
After ensuring Kuina was safely back in her room, Lynch turned serious, issuing a decisive order: "Prepare for a pirate eradication campaign in West Blue."
Shikamaru and Tsunade were appointed as the top commanders for this operation.
The main reason? A shortage of Sin Points.
As king, Lynch receives a portion of points from every villain killed under his command. While it doesn't match the reward of personally killing down enemies, the accumulated total adds up over time.
Pirates are like weeds—cut one batch, and another sprouts up the following year.
Strangely enough, only the pirates killed by Tom, that silly cat, will get 100% of the points earned back to Lynch.
Sanji's father, Vinsmoke Judge, unexpectedly arrived seeking a partnership. Accompanying him were two of the Vinsmoke brothers.
Judge's main purpose was to confirm whether Lynch truly lived up to the legends. Hearing stories was one thing, but seeing was believing.
Considering what he intended to offer, Judge approached with great caution.
From the moment he set foot in West Blue, Judge had lost count of how many times he'd been shocked.
The technological level of West Blue has actually developed to such an extent that it far exceeds that of the other three sea areas.
The integration of advanced technology into everyday life in West Blue is far more impressive than its use in the military. In fact, the region's development is centuries ahead of the other seas.
Later, Judge encountered Gion again. The intensity of her gaze made him break into a cold sweat. At that moment, Judge became fully convinced of the truth behind the rumors and decided to cooperate with Lynch.
"Cooperation? Yes, but first, help me create nine clones as a sign of sincerity."
It was a fortunate coincidence. Lynch had been planning to find Judge anyway.
By handing over the DNA tissue of the nine giant Rear Admirals to Judge, the two parties made a gentleman's agreement.
The condition for cooperation was to show sincerity by creating the clones.
Judge didn't stay the night and left immediately, heading back to the Vinsmoke family.
Meanwhile, in the dark, luxurious room in the Holy Land Mariejois, everything was still.
The only movement came from a reward notice for Lynch, lying quietly on the ground beside a pair of exquisite scissors.
Suddenly, a crystal-clear jade foot emerged from the darkness, stepping on Lynch's reward notice without hesitation.
The small, delicate foot rolled it left and right until the bounty order was twisted and shattered.
Then, a pair of wheat-colored legs appeared from the shadows.
A woman with a slim figure, dressed in gauze, stepped forward.
A faint fragrance of flowers filled the air around her, and a flicker of emotion passed through Im's three eyes as she gazed at the broken bounty notice with disdain and disgust.
Im slightly parted her lips and murmured, "Lynch?"
"A person with the qualifications of a king on the sea is as common as a crucian carp crossing the river. Conquerors are nothing, and you are nothing."
Below her, the Five Elders knelt in a row, their heads lowered, too afraid to look at Im or show any sign of disrespect. Sweat beaded on their foreheads.
Anyone who saw this scene would be shocked.
From the outside world, the Five Elders are the masters of the world.
And this master would actually kneel down to a woman, so what kind of identity is this woman?!
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TO BE CONTINUED
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