Chapter 17: 17 Momo Fruit?"
"This is the power of the Momo Momo Fruit?"
As he stared at the wreckage of the warship, feeling the heat wave close at hand, Ron clicked his tongue in silent awe.
The ability of the Paramecia-class Momo Momo Fruit is straightforward: it can multiply the speed, strength, volume, and weight of any object it touches, up to a hundredfold. A bullet with its power increased by a hundred times could obliterate a warship in a single strike.
But what if it were applied to a naval cannon? The result would be terrifying—one shell could level an entire town. And if the fruit's power were used with the main gun of a large battleship, that single shot might even wipe out a small island.
If such enhanced shells were unleashed on Naval Headquarters Marineford or the Holy Land of Mariejois, the devastation would be unimaginable.
The powers of the Devil Fruits are truly dangerous, and Byrnndi World, the fruit's wielder, is a staunch rebel. It's no wonder the World Government views him as a major threat, determined to capture him alive. After all, no one wants to sleep soundly at night only to wake up to their home being bombarded.
"I'll handle Byrnndi World. The rest of you deal with the other pirates," Sengoku ordered, removing his Justice cloak as he launched into the air with Moonwalk, heading toward the pirate ship.
The World Government's directive was clear: capture Byrnndi World alive. The reason was simple: each Devil Fruit is unique. Only one exists in the world at a time, and once the current fruit user dies, the fruit reappears somewhere else in the world. Capturing Byrnndi World alive and imprisoning him in Impel Down ensures that no one else can wield the Momo Momo Fruit's powers for the next hundred years.
However, if a frozen person remains in stasis for more than a century, their bodily functions will gradually fail, eventually leading to death. That's why the most powerful Devil Fruit users are typically imprisoned in the sixth level of Impel Down. Leaving them free would pose a colossal risk to the World Government.
"Sengoku! You think you can catch me? Garp might have a better chance!" Byrnndi World grinned as he watched Sengoku approach.
He'd faced Admirals before. If capturing him were that easy, would he still be alive? With a laugh, he hurled a black cannonball.
Boom!
The shell, magnified a hundredfold, let out a deafening sonic boom as it streaked toward Sengoku. With Observation Haki, Sengoku easily dodged the incoming projectile.
Boom!
The explosion sent violent waves across the sea, and several warships were destroyed by the aftermath.
Sengoku's face darkened. Another shell followed, and he had no choice but to block it with his body. His form began to radiate golden light, and in an instant, he transformed into a towering, golden Buddha. The massive form met the cannonball head-on, but even as it exploded, Sengoku in his Buddha form was knocked back.
"Sengoku, keep dodging! But if you care about those Marines, you better stop me!" Byrnndi World sneered, launching another small cannonball toward the cluster of warships.
"Shameless!" Sengoku cursed. He wanted to end the fight quickly but couldn't get close to Byrnndi World, who had him pinned down. The two Admiral-level powerhouses clashed violently in the air, their battle sending shockwaves that rocked the warships below.
"Don't just stand there! Defeat those pirates and get out of this battle zone!" Vice Admiral Tsuru shouted, her sharp mind instantly assessing the situation.
Sengoku couldn't defeat Byrnndi World while being weighed down by his own forces. Only after the other pirates were defeated and the area cleared could Sengoku fight without restraint.
"Great Eruption!"
Sakazuki, not one to hesitate, punched forward, unleashing a torrent of molten magma that tore through the side of a pirate ship. Ron, unhurried, drew his sword. He was perhaps the most active Marine when it came to hunting pirates.
"Breaking the Military!"
With a single slash, a crimson wave cut through the clouds, slicing deep into the sea. The pirate ship was cleaved in two, sending most of the crew into the water as blood stained the waves. Yet, a few powerful figures emerged, launching themselves toward the warship.
"A Fish-Man," Ron noted, his eyes narrowing as he locked onto the blue-skinned fish man before him.
He had no particular hatred for non-humans, In his eyes, all races are divided into only two types, good and bad.
Although he has somewhat flexible morals, he will not hurt innocent people
without reason, so he will not show mercy to those who do, even if they are people who the anime portrayed in a good way, after all, this is the real world.
"Marine, you're dead!" Sebastian, the merman, roared, launching a punch at Ron. He wasn't the strongest in the Ward Pirates, but against a mere Marine Rear Admiral, he was confident.
Fish-Man Karate?
Ron's expression remained calm as he slashed forward.
The blood staining the sea seemed to be pulled into motion, forming a crimson tornado that engulfed Sebastian.
Since its evolution, Crimson Cry had awakened the ability to manipulate blood—an ability Ron now controlled effortlessly.
Sebastian, now grievously injured, stared at Ron in horror. How could this man be just a Rear Admiral?
Without hesitation, Sebastian dove into the sea. He couldn't win, but surely he could escape. Everyone knew that Devil Fruit users were helpless in the water, right?
"Fool. Do you think the sea can save you?" The scarlet blade in Ron's hand gleamed ominously.
Suddenly, Sebastian felt something terrible—a surge of blood flowing uncontrollably through his body. In horror, he looked down to see blood pouring from his wounds and even his pores.
In mere moments, the merman's blood was drained, leaving his lifeless body to float to the surface.
"Struggle all you want. The moment you're cut by this blade, you're already dead," Ron muttered indifferently.
Unless a foe possessed Haki strong enough to block his blood manipulation, they couldn't escape his power. Even the tiniest wound was a death sentence. It was the epitome of a one-hit kill.
Against him, the only way to survive was to remain completely unharmed.