Chapter 93: Devil fruit selection
"Bro, 235."
Seeing Nicholas reveal three Aces, Tony put down his mixed 235 on the table, almost on the verge of tears.
"It's okay; let's try again."
Seeing the cards on the table, Nicholas smiled generously and said,.
But his grip on the knife tightened.
...
"Bro, flush QKA. Can you give me a break? It's too scary."
Looking at the flush JQK on the table and Nicholas's grim expression, Tony even added a hint of crying in his voice.
He had forgotten how many times this had happened; Nicholas had him beat every single time.
Even if his heart were big enough, it couldn't handle much more. Strictly speaking, he had already won back at least fifty lives from Nicholas, but what if this old man decided he needed fifty-one?
Power always resided with the strong; they made the rules, and those without strength could only follow them.
...
Nicholas's appearance in the Sabaody Archipelago was quickly noticed by some, aside from Shakky, as it was evident that the sudden disappearance of four out of the five supernovas, combined with previous rumors, pointed to who was behind it.
Some people, aside from gloating, are also worried about the trouble Nicholas's sudden appearance might bring to the Sabaody Archipelago.
In the New World, where chaos reigned, most pirates were driven by madness, expanding their territories and constantly fighting each other. Among them, the remnants of the Rocks Pirates were the most noteworthy.
Since the death of Rocks, no one in the New World has been able to suppress these unleashed beasts.
In the Sabaody Archipelago, one person paid particular attention to Nicholas's movements.
His name was Byrnndi Byojack, a former officer of the World Pirates and the elder brother of Byrnndi Waldo.
He was in the Sabaody Archipelago to search for an opportunity to rescue Waldo and to hide his own tracks.
As the saying goes, the most dangerous place is also the safest. Positioned at a crucial point, the Sabaody Archipelago served as a gateway to the New World, with Fish-Man Island lying ten thousand meters below, providing access to both the New World and the Grand Line, making it an advantageous location.
Moreover, the surveillance by the Marines was not too stringent here.
The Marines once considered turning the Sabaody Archipelago into a fortress to cut off pirates coming from the Grand Line through Fish-Man Island from entering the New World.
However, this plan was soon met with resistance from the pirates and was eventually abandoned, turning the Sabaody Archipelago into a gathering place for various factions.
"Albert Nicholas..."
Byrnndi Byojack looked at Nicholas's wanted poster, contemplating whether to make contact with him.
"Forget it; I won't make contact."
Byojack shook his head in the end. Even if Nicholas was willing to help them, rescuing Waldo would likely lead to conflict due to their personalities.
...
Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's Office.
"Admiral, Dragon has returned to Marine Headquarters."
A Marine with sunglasses stood straight in front of the desk, reporting to Kong.
"Oh? He's back?"
Kong raised his head slightly, somewhat surprised.
"Yes."
The Marine with sunglasses nodded solemnly and continued his report: "Additionally, according to the reports from our Marine branch in the Sabaody Archipelago, a person named Bedeck brought the bodies of the supernovas Fearmonger Mar, Gunslinger Woodrow, Jack the Ripper, and Blast Bear Ralph to exchange for bounties."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Kong raised an eyebrow.
It wasn't unusual for supernovas to meet their end in the Sabaody Archipelago, given its chaotic nature. However, to have four out of the five supernovas die all at once was indeed surprising.
Such a situation was unprecedented.
"Knock knock."
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in..."
Before Kong could finish, the office door was pushed open from the outside.
Kong's forehead bulged as he looked at the intruder.
It was none other than Garp, wearing a Marine coat and carrying a bag of dango, swaggering into the room.
Behind him followed the somewhat helpless Sengoku and the smiling Tsuru.
Lastly, there was today's protagonist, Dragon.
"Garp, if you dare to barge in here without knocking next time, I'll smash your head in."
After his subordinate, the Marine with sunglasses, left the room, Kong clenched his fist, gritting his teeth.
"Old man, at your age, you still talk like that. Be careful not to break your bones. Come on, Dragon, take a seat; make yourself at home."
Garp gestured for Dragon to sit down, patting the seat next to him.
However, Dragon seemed to ignore Garp's words and remained standing there.
After all, in the presence of Fleet Admiral Kong, Vice Admiral Sengoku, and Chief of Staff Tsuru, as well as his own rank, Dragon couldn't sit on equal terms with these seniors.
Moreover, given Dragon's position, he still needed to show respect to his superiors.
Because not every vice admiral was as special as Garp.
"Dragon, I called you to Headquarters this time because the World Government has allocated three logia Devil Fruits to the Marines."
As Kong spoke, he took out a delicately crafted box from the drawer under the desk. Opening it, three devil fruits lay quietly inside.
"Choose one."
Kong looked at Dragon and said,.
And Sengoku and Tsuru smiled at Dragon from the side.
It could be said that Dragon was like their own son, although most importantly, Dragon's upbringing, training, and education were overseen by Sengoku and Tsuru.
Dragon's gaze was drawn to the three Devil Fruits.
"These three Devil Fruits, according to the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, are the Magma Fruit, the Sparkle Fruit, and the climate Fruit. Each of them is quite powerful, so, Dragon, what's your choice?"
Kong explained from the side.
"I'll take this one."
Dragon picked up a devil fruit from the box. Its skin was a pale blue color, surrounded by leaves with wind patterns, resembling a hurricane swirling around the fruit.
"The climate Fruit, huh? Not a bad choice."
Seeing Dragon's selection, Kong nodded.
However, nobody was aware of how special this fruit was or would become at the time.
Then he put away the remaining two Devil Fruits, waiting for another potential rising star in the Marines.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone