https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1127-Those-Are-Family-Friends-and-Brothers-/13541399/
Chapter 1128: A Bounty of Devil Fruits
Chapter 1128: A Bounty of Devil Fruits
Kuro was in no mood to listen to anything. The sudden appearance of these bewildered Devil Fruit users had already annoyed him beyond measure.
This was only happening out of respect for the World Government's member state status—if circumstances were different, Kuro would have sunk the island without hesitation.
Though Kuro had explicitly forbidden Harvey from speaking, Harvey still blurted it out in the end.
In short, this Edmund had once been a noble-hearted king. When he first ascended the throne, Dominica hadn't yet unified these islands. Despite being a new conqueror, he genuinely sought prosperity for all Dominicans. With the support of a close friend, he initiated construction of the Underground Train.
Originally meant to facilitate exchange among Dominicans, the train allowed significantly faster communication between regions. It had also been his friend's dream.
Later, however, World Nobles arrived—specifically the one killed on Kemorike Island. His presence brought the Underground Train project to a halt. The most infuriating part? Civilians whose land the train would cross, fearing damage to their property, banded together and captured the king's friend, delivering him directly to the World Noble.
Curious about this man, the World Noble took him away.
And then... nothing more.
In the end, the Underground Train was completed through sheer violence and bloodshed. From that moment onward, Edmund underwent a complete transformation, becoming a tyrant.
That was essentially the story—a tragic tale of camaraderie turned to vengeance. A righteous king corrupted by his best friend's death, swearing bloody retribution against both his people and the World Nobles.
After all, with his best friend now vanished without a trace, it was safe to assume the World Noble had him executed.
Kuro listened with disinterest.
Such tragedies were common across the Grand Line. What could he possibly say?
He was merely a Navy officer here to execute a mission.
"Forget it. I originally planned to bring you to Mariejois for formal charges, but you're headed straight to Impel Down instead. Better that than letting the World Nobles finish you off." Kuro glanced at Edmund before waving dismissively, "I assume you can't pay the bounty money anymore. I'll just collect it myself. After all, you're no longer fit to be king. Kas, Wilbur—search the premises."
"Understood!"
The two saluted, dragging a group of Navy soldiers to scour the palace.
"Doflamingo, Borsalino—you two take him to Impel Down. I'll handle the official report." Kuro pointed at Edmund, addressing the two Vice Admirals.
"Understood."
The two nodded. Doflamingo hesitated before suggesting, "Kuro Admiral, perhaps we could—"
Though he left the sentence unfinished, the meaning was clear.
Avoiding complications, eliminating Edmund immediately would be simplest.
"No need. Once he's inside Impel Down, what chance does he have to escape? Deliver a message to Magellan—this prisoner must be guarded with absolute priority." Kuro replied.
With Seastone restraints already secured, Kuro wouldn't have minded killing Edmund outright. The man's ability—Language Trap, a Rules Class Devil Fruit—was indeed troublesome. Eliminating him would resolve matters efficiently.
But who knew where this Devil Fruit might end up?
He couldn't guarantee Lida's "small shoulder bag" would remain functional. Speaking of which...
Kuro flicked his finger, and Lida's floating shoulder bag drifted toward him.
"My bag! Kuro, what are you doing? Are you hungry?" Lida reached for it, then paused suspiciously when she saw Kuro's handiwork.
"I'm inspecting it."
Kuro flipped open the bag, peered inside, then raised his eyebrows in surprise at Lida.
"What? Want a snack? Don't look at me like that—help yourself." Lida waved a hand in mock generosity, though her reluctance was evident.
All that food was emergency rations.
"You've been quite the jackpot today."
Kuro clicked his tongue and reached inside, pulling out a Devil Fruit.
Another Devil Fruit.
Then another.
And another!
In total, Kuro retrieved six Devil Fruits from the bag.
Six!
Including the grudge spirit from Kemorike, he'd only defeated eight enemies total—yet six Devil Fruits had dropped all at once.
There was no need to guess—the Devil Fruit users here were the source.
"Well then, today's haul just grew significantly."
Kuro sighed, staring at the Devil Fruits piled on the ground. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Inedible and undrinkable, yet unsellable too.
Each of these fruits posed a potential disaster.
Every one of these fallen foes had been tied to rigid rules—particularly that prophecy and the ability to awaken resentment-fueled grudges. All highly dangerous.
He couldn't be sure whether their powers were contained within these fruits, but regardless—better to keep them secure.
"Kas, I'm claiming the Devil Fruits as spoils. You can divide the rest amongst yourselves."
Kuro ordered Klah to secure the fruits, turning to Kas who was about to enter the palace depths.
"Understood." Kas nodded firmly.
"We'll pass on the spoils too. It's meaningless to us."
Doflamingo and Borsalino had no shortage of funds, and they'd only come at Kuro's request. Money held little value for them.
"Fine. Return to headquarters and file your reports. Let's wrap this up."
Kuro waved his hand, leading the way toward the Underground Train Tower.
As for the kingdom's future governance, that was their nation's decision—or the World Government's.
Either way, it had nothing to do with the Navy.
As Kuro prepared to depart, Kas and Wilbur entered the castle depths, grabbing a servant to demand the treasury's location.
When they opened the vault...
The gold was modest—about half a room's worth of coins.
But the other contents...
Wilbur picked up stacks of small boxes—over twenty in total. Opening one revealed...
"Devil Fruits!" Wilbur exclaimed, hastily opening the others.
They were all Devil Fruits!
"How is there so many Devil Fruits?!" Kas frowned. "What exactly was this king planning?"
"That doesn't matter", Wilbur replied, examining the fruits. "Kuro instructed us to divide the spoils as we saw fit. We can give the money to the soldiers, but these Devil Fruits—we must have them. Especially for Dressrosa..."
The others had refused their share, and Kuro had explicitly allowed them to distribute the spoils. These fruits belonged to them now.
The gold could be divided among the troops, but these fruits represented power.
This could significantly boost Dressrosa's combat strength!
They couldn't forget their sacred mission.
With these Devil Fruits, Dressrosa's power would grow exponentially. They could cultivate their own native Devil Fruit users rather than relying mostly on pirates for high-end combat power.
Wait a minute... pirates.
Wilbur's eyes lit up. "I know how we'll handle this nation!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
