Chapter 87: Of Dreams and Destinies #87
Cedric drummed his fingers on the counter, his gaze fixed on Shakky's diligent search through the encyclopedias. He was eager to uncover the mystery behind the peculiar devil fruit, hoping it would be a powerful tool, or at the very least valuable enough to get him a lot of money.
After what felt like an eternity, Shakky finally paused, her eyes widening in surprise. She turned to Cedric, a mix of annoyance and bewilderment on her face. "You won't believe this, boy..." she exclaimed, her voice filled with astonishment.
Cedric leaned in, his heart racing with anticipation. "What did you find?" he asked eagerly, his eyes locked on Shakky.
Shakky took a deep breath, trying to contain her exapseration. "According to these books, this fruit... it doesn't exist," she said slowly, her voice laced with disbelief.
Cedric's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean it doesn't exist?" he asked, his voice tinged with puzzlement and curiosity.
Shakky shook her head with an exasperated sigh. "I mean exactly that. There are zero records of this particular devil fruit in the encyclopedias here..." She added, shaking her head.
Cedric's confusion turned into disappointment. "So basically... eating it is a gamble, and selling it won't bring me much money because it's unknown..." he added, dark clouds forming over his head, much to Shakky's amusement.
"More or less..." Shakky replied with a chuckle. "If you want to sell it, I might be able to push it into some shcmuck's hands and get you a good price..." She added, leaning into the counter as she lit a cigarette.
"Naturally, I'll be expecting a commission," Shakky concluded with a grin as she blew a cloud of smoke and rubbed her fingers together.
Cedric's hesitation momentarily lingered as he considered Shakky's offer to sell the fruit. The allure of a potential payday was tempting, but deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that there might be more to this fruit than meets the eye. Just as he was about to decide, a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Selling that fruit might not be the wisest choice, young man," the voice said calmly from the table behind him.
Startled, Cedric jumped back, his hand instinctively reaching for his spear as he turned to face the speaker. To his surprise, he found a man sitting there, seemingly appearing out of thin air. It was an older man with a gentle smile on his face, his eyes filled with wisdom. He wore a simple white shirt and a pair of worn-out pants.
Cedric's mind raced, wondering how someone got that close without him noticing, especially with his enhanced senses. Still, it only took him one moment to recognize the older man before him, causing him to freeze, barely holding back the urge to fanboy over one of his favorite characters from the anime.
Shakky, too, seemed surprised by the sudden appearance. She turned to the man, her eyes widening in recognition. "Rayleigh? I thought you'd be late today. When did you arrive?" she asked, smiling at him.
The man known as Rayleigh chuckled softly at his wife's words. "Well, your little discussion caught my attention, dear," he replied, his voice carrying a warm tone. "I couldn't resist raising my voice and saying something..." He added, smiling as he alternated his gaze between Cedric and Shakky.
Cedric's mind raced, struggling to comprehend the presence of such a legendary figure before him. He knew of Rayleigh's strength and knowledge, expertise in Haki, and his invaluable contributions to the Roger Pirates. Now, he stood face to face with the man himself.
In other words, seeing Rayleigh in person was both awe-inspiring and surreal, almost excessively so.
Still, Cedric quickly gathered his bearings. "Silvers Rayleigh, of the pirate king's crew... it's an honor to meet you, sir..." He said, doing his best to sound humble and throwing away the air he usually put on.
"So you really knew..." Shakky muttered to no one in particular, giving Cedric a strange look.
Rayleigh nodded, his smile widening. "The very same, young marine. Although these days, I prefer to be known simply as Rayleigh, a coating mechanic and Shakky's husband," he said, his words filled with casual carelessness and carefreeness.
"Still... I've lived for a long time, but I never imagined I'd live long enough to see the day a marine soldier would be honored to meet me..." He added as he leaned on his hand, unbothered to hide his amusement. "Even one who wants to quit..." He concluded with a hearty laugh.
Cedric felt a mix of embarrassment at Rayleigh's words. The fact someone of Rayleigh's caliber was aware of him, even if it was just in passing, was a humbling experience. He quickly composed himself and mustered the courage to speak.
"I've heard countless stories of your incredible strength and wisdom, sir. Your name resonates throughout the seas..." Cedric said, his voice filled with genuine admiration.
Rayleigh chuckled again, waving off Cedric's praise. "Ah, those are just stories, young man. I've had my fair share of adventures, but in the end, I'm just a man who lived through extraordinary times, riding Roger's coattails...." He said.
Cedric couldn't help but smile at Rayleigh's words and humble demeanor. Rayleigh was everything he had imagined and expected from watching the anime in his past life.
Seeing Cedric's genuine enthusiasm, Shakky interjected, her eyes gleaming mischievously. "Well, if we have the legendary Rayleigh here, maybe he can shed some light on this mysterious devil fruit," she suggested, a playful smile tugging at her lips.
Rayleigh chuckled once more, nodding in agreement. "Indeed, that's why I spoke up. This fruit piques my curiosity as well," he admitted, his gaze turning to the box containing the fruit. "It's not every day that we come across something completely unknown..." He added.
Cedric's interest reignited at the prospect of delving deeper into the mystery alongside Rayleigh. He couldn't think of a better person to shed light on the mysterious devil fruit. And sure enough.
"Say, young man... do you know how devil fruits come to be...?" Rayleigh asked.
Cedric took a moment to gather his thoughts before responding to the question. "I'm afraid not... I only know the basics like the reincarnation cycle of devil fruits and how some people think they are the essence of demons or devils..." He added, shaking his head.
Rayleigh leaned back in his chair. His gaze fixated on Cedric with a contemplative expression. After a moment, he spoke, his voice carrying his nostalgia. "You know, during my travels, I encountered a certain scientist who shared an intriguing theory about the formation of Devil Fruits..." He said with a smile.
Cedric patiently waited for Rayleigh to keep going, and the latter did without delay. "According to this scientist's theory, Devil Fruits are believed to be a manifestation of the possibility for human evolution. They represent the diverse branches of humanity's potential future, brought into existence by the hopes and desires of individuals."
He momentarily paused as if to let the weight of his words sink in. "The scientist said people dreamt up and imagined devil fruit before those who possess their powers could even see them..."
Cedric listened intently, his mind racing as he contemplated the concept. The idea of Devil Fruits having a link to the dreams and aspirations of individuals resonated with the theme of the One Piece world, making the theory very feasible, though he wasn't familiar with it.
"It's why devil fruit users can not swim, or so the scientist thought...." Rayleigh continued, his voice carrying a note of caution. "The sea, which we call mother nature, seems to loathe those in this unnatural state. As a punishment, those who consume Devil Fruits lose the ability to swim, forever cut off from the sea's embrace."
"Ultimately, it's just a theory made by some old coot with an egg-shaped head..." Rayleigh jokingly said with a chuckle. "But if his theory is be believed, and considering how Shakky didn't find any traces of the devil fruit in her encyclopedia..." He added, trailing off as he gathered his thoughts.
"Then the devil fruit you found was newly formed by someone's dreams and aspirations..." Rayleigh said, raising one finger. "It's either that or the devil fruit might be too powerful or special in a way, causing the world government to bury its existence..." He added, raising a second finger.
"It's not like they haven't done something like this before..." Rayleigh concluded as he lowered his fingers and leaned back on his hand.
Cedric absorbed Rayleigh's words, his mind racing with possibilities. The idea that the mysterious Devil Fruit he possessed could be a newly formed fruit, born from someone's dreams and aspirations, fascinated him. It explained why there were no records of it.
"But who could have dreamt up such a fruit? And why?" Cedric pondered aloud, his eyes fixed on the fruit as if searching for answers within its vibrant hues.
Rayleigh's smile turned wistful, his gaze distant for a moment. "The dreams and aspirations of individuals are as vast as the sea itself, young man," he responded, his voice nostalgic. "It could be anyone—a visionary seeking a power to change the world, a lonely soul longing for companionship, or even a lost soul yearning for revenge."
"Then again, it might be you who unknowingly dreamed up such a devil fruit..." Rayleigh added, giving Cedric a meaningful look. "After all, Fate works in mysterious. Almost nothing happens by accident, young man..." He concluded, shrugging as he closed his eyes, Roger's words echoing in his mind.
"Everything happens for a reason..."
...
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