Starting with the Uchiha clan, they began cultivating demonic arts.

Chapter 237 The Transfer of the Sand-Sand Fruit

Albania, the capital of Alabasta.

Uchiha Touyu carried a huge package as he entered the city. As the capital of a country, it looked quite prosperous, although not as prosperous as Amatsu, but much better than the other cities he had seen along the way.

However, the people here came and went in a hurry, and each of them had a look of fear on their faces—although the Sand Crocodile had been defeated, the problem of Alabasta was not solved.

The rain problems caused by the so-called dancing powder, and the oasis cities submerged by the sandstorms stirred up by Shaklockfar, are indeed major problems facing Alabasta today, but they are not the root of Alabasta's problems.

The root cause of Alabasta's current predicament lies in the entrenched class system, bureaucratic corruption, and numerous other problems that have plagued the nation for 800 years. These issues cannot be completely resolved simply by eliminating Crocodile.

Putting everything else aside, there's still a huge insurgent army in Alabasta! Cobra can't exactly drag Crocodile out and tell those insurgents that this was all Crocodile's conspiracy, that there wouldn't be any more dancing powder incidents, and that everyone should just go home and find their mothers!

Even if he told them, the rebels wouldn't believe him! As for the weather returning to normal and rain starting again later?

Even without the dance fans, many people in Alabasta were struggling to survive. The dance fan incident was just the last straw that broke the camel's back!

Besides, everyone's already revolted. If you tell me to go home now, aren't you joking? What if the king decides to turn the tables? Then these people will truly be powerless to resist.

In the original story, the crocodile himself jumped out and became a target for both the rebels and the royal army, drawing away all the hatred, which is why the war did not break out completely. Now, that condition is no longer present.

Therefore, the capital of Alabasta is still under threat from the rebels, so it's no wonder that the local people can't feel at ease.

"Halt! Who are you? What are you carrying on your back?"

At the palace gate, two guards watched Uchiha Touyu approach with wary expressions, their eyes occasionally glancing at the large package behind him.

Although the Alabasta royal family is relatively approachable, they certainly won't let up on security at this juncture. These soldiers are currently on high alert, sizing up Uchiha Touyu as if he were a terrorist.

"Wait a moment, Mr. Feiyu is someone I invited. Let him in!"

Just then, a clear sound rang out, and Princess Vivi, having received the message, rushed over in a hurry.

"Wow, you've changed your outfit, you look great, Vivi."

Uchiha Touyu looked at Vivi, whose clothes and appearance finally gave her a princess-like air, and a smile appeared on his face:

"I brought you a nice gift. By the way, how are those guys at Baroque Workshop doing? Are they behaving properly? Should I give them a little talking-to?"

"Don't worry, Robin easily handled those Baroque Works members. I think even without my help, she could have subdued Baroque Works on her own."

Uchiha Touyu nodded, not finding the news surprising.

In fact, Robin did most of the actual work at Baroque Works. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she was the real boss of Baroque Works. In addition, since both Crocodile Killer and Mr. 1 had already been killed by Uchiha Hiu, it would have been normal for Robin to take over Baroque Works without any obstacles.

"In that case, it's fine. Although Baroque Works doesn't have many strong members, their Devil Fruits can still be useful if used properly."

Aside from Crocodile, the only Baroque Works member who can be considered strong is Mr. 1, who was killed by Touya Uchiha. Among the remaining members, only Bon Clay's Imitation Fruit is effective and can play a significant role in certain situations.

As for the remaining agents, their abilities were just so-so. They weren't completely useless, but their role was limited. On the main battlefield, even against rabble like rebel armies, they wouldn't be very effective.

"Very well... Let's go inside first. I shouldn't take out the gift in public."

Uchiha Touyu gestured to the package behind him. After looking at the huge package, Princess Vivi clearly realized something, her expression changed slightly, and she revealed a look of joy.

She then led Uchiha Hiyu into the palace. The two gatekeepers exchanged a glance and obediently went back to guard the gate.

The Alabasta palace had been renovated for 800 years and now covered a large area. Princess Vivi led Uchiha Tou on a tour before arriving at a palace, where they pushed open the door and went inside.

Inside the room were several members of the Going Merry: Usopp examining some random items, Nami watching a nautical chart being drawn, and Robin reading a book.

Hearing the door open, the people looked up and saw Uchiha Touyu walk in. Robin and Nami both smiled, and Robin was the first to speak:

"Captain, it seems you've completed your mission? How is Shackleton doing now?"

Uchiha Touya placed the package behind him on the ground, opened it, and a blood-soaked figure immediately appeared in front of Robin.

"This is……"

"It's Shackleton!! Feather, you actually captured him alive!"

Princess Vivi couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, her face showing a mixture of astonishment and joy. Robin sighed softly, glancing at his former boss with a complex look in his eyes.

Robin had a relatively pleasant time under Shacroft's command. Although their values ​​differed and they were bound to go their separate ways in the future, Shacroft treated Robin well at Baroque Works, which made Robin feel a little guilty.

Of course, this guilt was only a little bit. Robin herself knew in her heart that Shackleton and she were just using each other. Once the guilt was over, it would be over.

Princess Vivi looked at the unconscious and disheveled Shacrokdal on the ground, gritted her teeth, picked up her Peacock Feather, and lashed it at Shacrokdal's shoulder. With a bang, a large cloud of sand exploded from Shacrokdal's shoulder, which returned to normal after a moment.

"It really was Crocodile... Feiyu, how did you beat him up like this? Isn't he a Logia-type Devil Fruit user?"

"This brings us to the Haki system. It's a power that can counter Devil Fruits. If Logia-type Devil Fruits were truly invincible, Crocodile wouldn't have had to flee the New World in such a sorry state."

Princess Vivi nodded slightly. She didn't really care about domineering aura; she was just curious, which was why she asked the question.

"Alright, the reason I brought this guy here alive, instead of just with his head, is because of his Devil Fruit. Vivi, do you want the Sand-Sand Fruit's power?"

Upon hearing this, Princess Vivi was stunned. She exclaimed in surprise:

"The power of the Sand-Sand Fruit? For me?"

After spending so much time together, Princess Vivi naturally knew that Uchiha Touyu possessed the ability to extract Devil Fruit powers. She had even personally witnessed Uchiha Touyu extract Mr. 3's Candle-Candle Fruit power and give it to Usopp.

However, whether it's Nami's Smooth-Smooth Fruit, the lion's Vulture Fruit, or Usopp's Candle-Wax Fruit, none of them can be considered powerful fruits at all.

However, the Sand-Sand Fruit is different. Even among Logia-type Devil Fruits, the Sand-Sand Fruit is considered quite powerful. Its ability to create sandstorms and drain the moisture from an enemy's body is much stronger than that of ordinary Devil Fruits.

It can be said that this Devil Fruit is second only to the top-tier fruits like the Azure Dragon Fruit, Magma Fruit, and Tremor-Tremor Fruit in the entire ocean. It would rank among the top in the second tier.

This Devil Fruit could fetch at least two or three billion Berries at any auction house; it's practically priceless.

While Logia-type Devil Fruits may not be as powerful as their counterparts in terms of potential (i.e., they can't match the potential of their counterparts in terms of fantasy or paramecia types), their potential (i.e., they can far surpass those two types of Devil Fruits) is far greater. A single instance of elemental transformation that amplifies the range of attacks is enough to overwhelm ordinary soldiers and armies.

For the vast majority of untalented noobs, instead of gambling on obtaining powerful Mythical or Paramecia-type Devil Fruits and reaching the pinnacle of the world, it's better to eat a Logia-type Devil Fruit, at least that provides a safety net.

Princess Vivi had never considered such a precious item at first. In her opinion, even if Uchiha Touyu didn't use the Sand-Sand Fruit, he could find a way to create a powerful subordinate with this Devil Fruit, instead of giving it to her, a vase princess with limited potential.

Looking at Princess Vivi's expression, Uchiha Touyu stroked his chin:

"Wait, speaking of which, it seems that when I transferred the Devil Fruit power, it left some aftereffects. The bald neck of Leigh the Lion and the torch on Usopp's head are both manifestations of these aftereffects."

"It would be bad if the Sand-Sand Fruit had any side effects. It would be better if you found someone trustworthy in Alabasta and I handed over the power of the Devil Fruit to him. After all, this Devil Fruit can only unleash its full power in this country."

What Princess Vivi considered incredibly valuable Devil Fruits was nothing special to Uchiha Touya. After all, finding Devil Fruit users was far easier than finding Devil Fruits themselves.

Let alone before dealing with the aftereffects of Devil Fruits, Uchiha Touyu would never have eaten a Devil Fruit. Even after dealing with the aftereffects, Uchiha Touyu's target would never be the Sand-Sand Fruit.

It should at least be a Dark-Dark Fruit, a Soul-Soul Fruit, or a Vampire Fruit to match Uchiha Tou's identity!

"Aftereffects..."

When the topic turned to the aftereffects, Princess Vivi suddenly realized what was happening. Thinking of Leigh's bald neck and the flame on Usopp's head, she quickly shook her head.

"Never mind, I think I'd better not eat it!"

To put it simply, Vivi is a beautiful princess, not some kind of pirate who is obsessed with power. Unless there is an imminent crisis, beauty is more important to her than strength.

She couldn't imagine what it would be like if her blue hair turned into sand, or if her skin became as rough as sand.

However, wanting to find someone she could trust to use the Sand-Sand Fruit, Princess Vivi blinked her eyes and immediately thought of Icarus, the minister with the curly hair who had infiltrated Baroque Works with her.

Having formed an idea in her mind, Princess Vivi immediately made her request, and Uchiha Touyu nodded in agreement:

"Okay... Icarum is willing to go undercover with you at Baroque Works, so at least his loyalty is definitely not lacking."

To become the captain of the Alabasta Royal Palace Guard, one must possess considerable strength, at least far superior to that of an ordinary person.

The Alabasta royal family didn't have many capable subordinates to begin with. Some loyal subordinates weren't strong enough, some were strong but not loyal, and others were both loyal and strong, but had already eaten Devil Fruits.

After considering all the options, Icarus is indeed the best choice. Although his strength is a waste of the powerful Sand-Sand Fruit, it's the best of a bad bunch.

Princess Vivi summoned Ikarum, and Uchiha Touya stabbed the unfortunate Crocodile to death, extracting the power of the Sand-Sand Fruit and transferring it directly to Ikarum. Moments later, the power had completely merged into Ikarum's body.

"Hmm...it seems like there aren't any aftereffects."

Uchiha Touyu stroked his chin and spoke. Ikaram checked his body and nodded happily in return.

"Yes, I really didn't feel any changes in my body..."

However, just as he nodded, a rustling sound came, and countless grains of sand emerged from his hair, instantly stunning Icarus.

The minister with the curly hair quickly took out a comb from his pocket and gently combed his curly hair. With a rustling sound, a lot of sand came out of his hair.

After a short while and a series of tests, the group finally determined the specific details of the aftereffects.

Good news—Ikaram's hair didn't turn into sand, so he won't have sandy hair or be bald.

The bad news is that Ikaram's hair constantly secretes impurities like quartz particles, which is essentially sand, causing considerable trouble in his personal life.

However, apart from that, there were no other side effects from this Devil Fruit power transfer. Moreover, Icarum inherited Shaco Rockdale's Sand-Sand Fruit development progress, directly gaining about 60-70% of Shaco Rockdale's strength.

(End of this chapter)