One Piece Talk King: Starting with Commentary on Devil Fruits

The protagonist in the story was still eating and drinking, stuffing all kinds of food into his mouth. The rubber man seemed to have a bottomless stomach, desperately replenishing his food. If you didn't know that Rayleigh was eating and living with him, you would think that he had been abused for the past two years. Look how hungry this child is.

"What else can he learn if not Haki? The latter half of the Grand Line belongs to Haki. If he doesn't master all three types of Haki, he won't go very far with his personality."

"Are the three types of Haki really that useful? Luffy ate a Devil Fruit; he should focus on developing his Devil Fruit abilities. As for Haki, enough is fine."

Neither Rayleigh nor Bucky could convince the other in their argument, each believing they were right. Since their ideas clashed, they decided to have a real-world contest to see who was right.

"Barrett, I've taught you so much these past two years. Use your new skills to mess with Rayleigh. That old guy Rayleigh's thinking is still stuck in the last era."

Barrett put down the barrel of wine in his hand and stood up from his seat. He had been out of prison for two years and had never found a worthy opponent. Today was the perfect opportunity to practice on his former first mate. "Rayleigh, it's been a long time since we fought. I wonder if your skills have deteriorated. I won't hold back for you later."

Nakime had the Infinity Castle prepare a venue for them.

"Yes"

The kneeling woman in a kimono plucked the strings of her biwa, and the sound of the strings acted as a switch, causing the interior scene to rotate and change. Logically, some unsupported buildings would fall from the sky, but the entire space was frozen by the power of the Devil Fruit, allowing this executive named Nakime to manipulate it at will.

After a minute or so of changes in the venue, the seats where everyone was eating and drinking were raised, and a flat, circular area was formed in front of them. Then, with a melody of a zither, the Infinite City stopped operating.

"I'm all old and frail, and I still have to fight you before I die. I should have just stayed in seclusion."

"Rayle, you can't have this mentality. I won't hold back later."

Barrett and Rayleigh were brought to the battleground for today. The two were already in position, and the three spectators on the stage were ready to see their spectacular performance.

"Rayleigh, let me show you my newly developed Devil Fruit ability!"

Although Barrett claimed to be using his Devil Fruit ability, he didn't actually attach anything to his body. He went straight for Rayleigh in close combat, while Rayleigh drew his sword, covered it with Armament Haki, and clashed with the oncoming fist.

The battle lasted for more than ten rounds. Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and Conqueror's Haki were all used continuously on the field. Luffy stopped what he was doing and watched Rayleigh's true strength intently. He had never seen Rayleigh use his true strength before.

Clown Baji stood beside Luffy, observing the battle between the powerful figures that were destroying the terrain, and said to the little dwarf beside him, "After watching for so long, have you noticed anything wrong?"

Luffy watched Bullet and Rayleigh fight for dozens of rounds. This level of combat between strong fighters made him realize the gap in strength between himself and such strong fighters. However, when asked what he had specifically seen, he shook his head and looked at Buggy with starry eyes, hoping that the other party could give him a satisfactory answer.

"It's simple. Observe Rayleigh's attack moves. That old guy's stamina and Haki are slightly decreasing. Don't you think Barrett is getting stronger and stronger?"

Rayleigh, who was fighting offstage, strongly agreed with Bucky's point of view. Although his swordsmanship could damage Barrett's body, something still felt off. The guy was getting stronger and stronger as the fight went on, and all his physical stats were improving. Logically speaking, both of them had used their full strength from the very beginning.

Rayleigh never realized that Barrett was using the Fusion Fruit. Actually, it's not Rayleigh's fault. In the past, when Barrett used his Fusion Fruit, he would create a monster-like body inside which he would pilot. That tall body was fine for dealing with grunts, but it would be completely destroyed in a few moves against any strong opponent.

Barrett's strength lay in his physical body and Haki. Eating the Fusion Fruit actually created a weakness for him. Because of his failure, even fewer people on Roger's ship ate Devil Fruits. This spirit was later carried forward by Shanks.

“Rayleigh, I’ve been using the Fusion-Fusion Fruit from beginning to end. The damage you inflicted on me has become one with me; the damage has been converted into special energy and entered my body. This is the idea that Captain Buggy gave me.”

Barrett's powerful body, growing stronger with each battle, absorbed Rayleigh's sword techniques. No matter how much damage his opponent inflicted on him, he absorbed the damage and converted it into energy to replenish himself. His wounds healed faster, and his stamina, Haki, and mental strength were all greatly replenished, making him a tireless fighting machine. This kind of close-quarters combat was perfect for him, allowing him to fully utilize his own advantages.

"That really is an unfair ability," Rayleigh finally cleared up his doubts. He hadn't expected the Fusion Fruit to be developed in this way, allowing Barrett's strength to rise by at least one level. He knew that continuing the fight was pointless; a prolonged battle with such a monster was simply asking for trouble.

"Stop it, you monster! I'm an old man, I don't want to get hurt. I want to live a few more years!"

"I've only just warmed up, no, no, fight me a little longer," Barrett insisted, continuing to throw punches, determined to keep fighting Rayleigh. He felt restless if he didn't fight for a day.

"Barrett, stop. If you keep fighting, it'll hurt our feelings. You and First Mate Rayleigh, come aboard together."

Bucky's order instantly cooled Barrett down from his frenzied battle-fighting state. He glanced at the captain on the high platform, then glared at Rayleigh in front of him. "What a disappointment today. It was a complete waste of my time."

Rayleigh, the handsome old man, regained his smiling face. Fighting was out of the question; he never wanted to fight in his life. For a retired old man, victory or defeat was meaningless.

Chapter 73 The Navy is plunged into deep doubt

Naval Headquarters Marineford

The newly appointed head of the intelligence department doesn't need to worry about losing his official position. No one cares about setting the pirate bounty too low anymore. Compared to the other information revealed by the light screen, no one cares about his little mistake.

Only a few high-ranking Navy officials and the World Government knew about Nico Robin's ability to read the Poneglyphs. Now that this "Devil's Child's" abilities have been made public, pirates on the high seas will be extremely interested in this woman.

If you want to become the Pirate King, you must find One Piece. The prerequisite for this is that you must understand the Poneglyphs, otherwise you will not be able to find the location of the final island, Laugh Tale.

Ever since Roger ushered in the Great Pirate Era, these pirates on the sea have found their target. Those who risk their lives on the sea will flock together to a strong person to compete for the title of Pirate King. If the chosen leader doesn't fight for it, the subordinates will not agree. Countless people have paid with their lives for the honorary title of Pirate King.

The appearance of the Devil Child gave some pirate forces hope. She is the most important piece of the puzzle on the road to becoming the Pirate King. Without Robin on the ship, going to sea is just playing pirate make-believe, and they will only be mediocre at sea for the rest of their lives.

Charlotte Linlin's faction of the Four Emperors is an exception, because Big Mom Linlin is always ill, and even though her daughter has the ability to decipher the Poneglyphs, she is not qualified to compete for the title of Pirate King.

"Aokiji, you created this mess yourself, so you'd better clean it up. Bring Nico Robin back to me immediately. I don't need any reasons this time. If this mission fails, you can forget about being a Marine Admiral. This is also the Five Elders' decision."

Fleet Admiral Sengoku, holding a Den Den Mushi, roared at the Admiral on the other end of the phone, "If I had left that little girl on that island forever back then, we wouldn't be in so much trouble now."

The naval surveillance ships deployed in the latter half of the Grand Line have reported back to the Marine Headquarters that the pirates in the New World are starting to act recklessly, especially the most troublesome Four Emperors pirate crews, who are already resupplying ships on long voyages. It is speculated that these people are probably all after Nico Robin.

Kuzan, riding a bicycle on the sea, is the closest Marine Admiral to Nico Robin's position. If Fleet Admiral Sengoku hadn't been unable to spare any more men, he would have sent another Marine Admiral instead.

The ancient weapon deciphered by the Demon Child—the Human King—is somewhat beyond human comprehension. It transforms humans into giants, a power that is truly terrifying. Coupled with the interspersed brutal scenes, this confirms the authenticity of the story.

Five years into the future, the Straw Hat crew did not stop the Human King from unleashing the Rumbling. The Rumbling continued for a long time, with the giants spreading outwards to destroy the world. Whether in the sky, the sea, or on land, everything was within the Human King's destructive range.

The busiest department in the Navy right now, aside from the intelligence department which is constantly receiving phone calls, is the staff department led by Vice Admiral Tsuru. The group of the Navy's most intelligent people are gathered together to study the location of the rumbling scene in order to analyze and deduce more intelligence.

Vice Admiral Tsuru sat in the main seat, looking at the location of the giant on the map. She knew this old rival too well. "There should be no question about the location of the King of Men. He should be in Dressrosa. And it's our old friend Doflamingo. I'm not surprised at all that he would target the King of Men."

Unable to regain his Celestial Dragon identity, Tenyasha's mind has become twisted. Doflamingo, that madman, is truly capable of destroying the world, a fact even the Five Elders of the World Government agree with, as his actions align with their established impressions.

The Rumbling passes through Whole Cake Island, which is the territory of the Four Emperors. Charlotte Linlin can worry about it herself. However, the Rumbling's advance into the Mermaid Kingdom means that the scene where the Colossal Titan lands on the Red Line is the scene before the Rumbling approaches Mary Geoise.

Crane's analysis led to a chilling conclusion: what about the navy protecting the Holy Land of Mary Geoise? Had they been destroyed by the Rumbling?

Even if the Navy's combat power is only at a mid-to-low level, it can't do anything to a super giant of this magnitude. But the Navy's strongest combat power on the surface is the three admirals, who are all Logia-type Devil Fruit users. Each of their abilities is no less than a natural disaster. Could it be that even they can't stop the Rumbling?

He Lu gave a wry smile. "The future is really unsettling. Knowing the future in advance is definitely not a good thing."

The three ancient weapons, Uranus, Pluto, and Neptune, are names that even the highest-ranking naval officers have heard of. The Fleet Admiral of the Warring States period had already commissioned the intelligence department to search for clues about the ancient weapon, King of Men, in the vast sea of ​​historical books. However, despite expending a great deal of manpower and resources, they found absolutely nothing.

The Poneglyphs are truly a love-hate relationship. Currently, Nicole Robin is the only person known to be able to decipher them, and her words are the authority on whether it's the future or the present.

As the number one person in her field, people from other circles cannot disprove her claims, and they have no choice but to believe her. They don't want to wake up to find the Rumbling already at their doorstep, crushed by a colossus, a scene that has already given viewers on the screen psychological trauma.

"Borsalino, if you had joined me in chasing Bucky the Joker back then, and if we had taken him down together, perhaps this terrible future wouldn't have happened."

Sakazuki's tolerance for Admiral Kizaru had reached its limit, and with the future Joker displaying such great power, he really regretted letting Buggy go back then.

The Navy's intelligence department analyzed that if the Infinity Castle, a giant city floating in the air, had the same effect as the Float-Float Fruit, then as long as Nakime, the Lower Moon Five, didn't fall, the Infinity Castle would remain floating in the air forever. High-altitude attacks from low altitudes would be a disaster for the Navy.

The annotations displayed on the screen below the characters were a huge help to the Navy. They no longer needed to confirm identities or guess Devil Fruit abilities; the information was laid bare, saving the intelligence department from making wild guesses.

The Paramecia-type Castle-Castle Fruit and the Paramecia-type Fusion Fruit each displayed unique abilities. This high level of fruit power utilization had never been seen in the Navy before, and it opened the eyes of these people, showing them that Devil Fruits could be used in such a way.

Two old guys in the Navy who were particularly familiar with Barrett, Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Garp, had fought him before. They still remembered the scene from more than 20 years ago when he used the Rhythm-Rhythm Fruit.

The combined fruit formed a clumsy, bulky thing that was easily shattered by Garp's iron fists. Barrett was simply wasting his energy using his Devil Fruit powers in battle, but now, after being trained by Buggy the Clown, the fusion fruit had undergone a qualitative change.

A fusion fruit that can continuously absorb damage and convert it into its own energy is almost like a Zoan-type Devil Fruit. Its terrifying regenerative ability is practically tailor-made for Barrett.

"We really underestimated Buggy the Clown. His understanding of Devil Fruits may have exceeded our imagination."

The light screen didn't reveal much about the Marineford War and the prison break incident, but the future is not very friendly to the Navy. The Fleet Admiral looked out the window and suddenly felt a little powerless. Can he really lead the Navy well in the future?

Chapter 74 Kneel down

"Luffy, do you understand your Gum-Gum Fruit?"

"I've never agreed with the idea that Devil Fruits are rejected by the sea. Devil Fruits are the most fundamental power in this world. Instead of properly studying Devil Fruits, some people take crooked paths and try to win using the three types of Haki. I don't know who led them astray."

The clown Buggy's sermon on the screen made the audience reflect on their own issues, especially those who, despite not having the strongest Devil Fruit abilities, chose to embark on the irreversible path of honing their Haki. Had they really gone astray?

Katakuri, who was on Whole Cake Island, was even more confused. Had all those years of training in Armament Haki and Observation Haki been a waste of time?

In the light screen, Rai Li first defended his captain, saying, "Roger has nothing to do with this. When I was Roger's second-in-command, the three types of Haki were already the mainstream. For strong people, Devil Fruits were just an auxiliary means of fighting."

When Luffy witnessed Rayleigh's fight with Bullet, he noticed a stark difference between those with and without Devil Fruits. Bullet became increasingly powerful as the fight progressed, while Rayleigh grew weaker. However, this could also be due to Rayleigh's advanced age.

"Rayleigh told me that I must learn Haki in the second half of the Grand Line, because the powerful enemies I will face in the future will all be masters of Haki. As a rubber man, I haven't developed my Devil Fruit abilities much in the past two years."

This straw-hatted boy, through his battles with giant beasts over the past two years, has enabled Luffy to develop Gear Fourth, which infuses his body with Armament Haki and has rubber-like properties. As for his moves, most of them are borrowed from Gear Second and Gear Third. It's more accurate to call it Gear 3.5 than Gear Fourth.

He didn't have much time to develop his Devil Fruit abilities. Luffy spent all his time training in Haki, neglecting his Gum-Gum Fruit. The qualitative changes from Gear Second to Gear Third didn't appear in Gear Fourth. "I was lazy. During the Marineford War, I was too impressed by Haki and admired its power, forgetting my own strength. All along, I've relied on my Devil Fruit."

Luffy was reminded of that sad past, and tears welled up in his eyes. He lowered his hat brim to hide his ugly state from others, because shedding tears in front of strangers was a sign of weakness, and this weakness had caused him to lose his most important family member.

"Please teach me. I want to keep getting stronger. I want to become stronger to protect the people I care about. Please, Bucky."

This fine young man knelt before Buggy the Clown, his head slamming hard against the stone slab with a thud. He had knelt before for his comrades before, and this time Luffy wanted to become stronger, also to protect his friends. He didn't care about the saying "A man's knees are worth gold." "Please, Buggy," he kowtowed to the clown again with a thud.

He didn't use Armament Haki to protect his head; he simply used his bare body to smash a dent into the hard stone slab. Luffy wanted to become stronger, to become like Bullet, to become like Rayleigh.

"I came here specifically to find you, so that Rayleigh and I can train you for a few years. Your talent lies in developing your Devil Fruit ability; focusing too much on Haki training would be a waste of time."

After Buggy the Clown finished speaking, he helped Luffy up. Seeing that Luffy's head was bleeding from a head injury, and that he was gritting his teeth and enduring it, Buggy knew that if he didn't stop him, the silly boy's skull might have been shattered.

"Focus on recovering today. Tomorrow I'll have Nakime take you into the Infinity Castle. You and Rayleigh should get some rest."

Afterwards, Buggy the Clown returned to his seat, and Nakime played the biwa again. After a single note, Rayleigh and Luffy returned to their temporary camp on Beast Island.

The two men looked somewhat dazed. If it weren't for the Infinity City still floating above their heads and the food and drinks still in their stomachs, they might have thought that what they had just experienced was a dream. The transformed image of Bucky the Joker had left a deep impression on them.

Luffy, who had a head injury, sat down next to Rayleigh, who routinely bandaged his wound. He didn't regret his decision to kneel down earlier; he believed that kneeling down for someone he cared about, rather than for himself, was a sign of manhood.

“I have no objection to learning skills from Buggy, but I must remind you that I can’t figure out Buggy’s change either. In short, don’t get too involved with him. You’ve received his kindness today, but you’ll have to pay a higher price in the future. Luffy, you need to be prepared.” Rayleigh’s bandaging technique was quite experienced. After all, an old man had taken care of Luffy for two years. Practice makes perfect, and he had picked up many skills he had forgotten.

Luffy never opened his eyes from beginning to end. He listened to Rayleigh's words. What Buggy the Clown wanted from him was something he couldn't think of right now. Paying a huge price was something for the future.

After a night's rest, Luffy and Rayleigh heard Nakime's biwa summoning them and entered the Infinity Castle again. The layout of this mobile city was different from the last time they entered.

If the last setting resembled a traditional Chinese banquet hall, this one is more like a large classroom. In addition to Luffy and Rayleigh, the students in this classroom also include a hot and sexy woman.

"Bucky, how come your breasts have gotten so big in just one day?"

"Are you blind? I'm Alberto, Straw Hat Boy, what's wrong with your eyes?"