Brian examined the two Paramecia-Type Fruits with satisfaction.
Although neither possessed top-tier abilities capable of altering the course of a battle, their unique applications gave them considerable value.
Especially the Hypnosis Fruit—an ability not seen in the original work—which, if used properly, could become a formidable weapon.
Otherwise, Brian wouldn't have valued it so highly.
"Resources—the more, the better," Brian smiled faintly. "While the strongest fruits can forge top-tier fighters, the most suitable fruits are what make an entire army truly impregnable."
With these two fruits as a foundation, Brian grew even more eager for the remaining eight.
He knew this was just the beginning; among the next eight fruits, there were bound to be truly game-changing weapons.
Brian picked up another fruit, this one pale gray in color.
Its surface was patterned like bird feathers, exuding an aura of the sky.
"This is—"
The familiar shape immediately caught Brian's attention. He had encountered many fruits of this pattern before.
"Indeed, a Zoan Type. Excellent."
He flipped through the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, comparing the patterns, and soon the fruit's information emerged.
As expected, it was the ability Brian wanted—a Zoan Type.
Though it was a Common Type, it was still quite remarkable, and this one was specifically an air force-type fruit ability.
The encyclopedia clearly stated: Zoan Type, Common Type · Bird-Bird Fruit, Harpy Model.
It allowed the user to transform into a large seabird, somewhat similar to an albatross but not entirely.
The abilities were also comparable: albatrosses are the most endurance-remarkable birds over the ocean, possessing exceptional stamina, far surpassing ordinary endurance, and a broad field of vision.
Consuming the Harpy Fruit could achieve similar effects.
Brian raised an eyebrow slightly, a satisfied smile appearing on his face once more.
"Excellent. This is exactly what I want. Even as a Common Type, it far surpasses the previous two fruits for me."
"And it's a Bird-Bird Fruit—this is the first one. It seems I'll soon be able to form another Bird Squad."
How could Brian not be pleased at the prospect of another Beast Girl with Rear Admiral-level combat strength under his command?
After a moment, he set this fruit aside separately, planning to prioritize it after confirming all the remaining fruits.
Brian reached out again, this time targeting a fruit shaped like a massive rock, entirely gray-brown in color.
Its surface was incredibly hard, exuding a heavy, earthy feel.
Flip—
Flip—
The encyclopedia pages turned, and soon the corresponding pattern appeared.
Paramecia-Type Fruit: Hardening Fruit—this was the fruit's information.
It allowed the user to instantly harden their skin and muscles, granting the hardened body exceptional toughness, impact resistance, and cutting resistance.
Its hardening effect was even comparable to the conventional enhancement of Armament Haki on the body. Although it was only the most basic version of Armament Haki, it was already quite impressive.
This ability could make the user an unshakeable presence on the battlefield without excessively increasing their body weight.
Brian's eyes sharpened, and his mood grew exhilarated.
"The Hardening Fruit—" he marveled, "pure defensive enhancement! This fruit seems somewhat similar to the Diamond Fruit that appeared in the original work, though its hardness isn't as extreme."
"Combined with Armament Haki, the user of this fruit would become a true steel fortress. Not bad—this is quite a treasure."
"For those masters who specialize in physical combat, this ability could definitely fetch a high price. I can squeeze a bit more out of Whitebeard and the others later—they're all loaded."
Thinking about the future transactions with Whitebeard and the others, Brian felt another surge of anticipation.
"In the blink of an eye, that's five fruits now, and they've all performed quite well."
"I have to say, for a place like Fish-Man Island, the quality of Devil Fruits obtainable here isn't bad at all. Very decent."
"Now for the next one. We're past the halfway point—hopefully, the remaining half will bring an even bigger surprise."
The surprise Brian wanted, of course, was an Ancient Type or even higher-tier Zoan-type Devil Fruit.
Brian then picked up a fruit with dark purple skin and surface patterns resembling twisted shadows.
This fruit seemed to devour the surrounding light, exuding a deep and dangerous aura.
It produced no rumble, no heat—only an extreme silence and an intangible threat, like the coldest predator in the deepest ocean.
Brian held the fruit up to his eyes, carefully examining the shadowy patterns that appeared to writhe yet remained eerily still.
He released his Observation Haki, focusing it on the fruit, and unexpectedly felt a slight obstruction, as if the fruit itself were a black hole for information.
This discovery both astonished and delighted Brian.
Such a reaction proved the fruit's extraordinary nature.
Whoosh—
Without another word, the encyclopedia activated, its pages flipping rapidly.
Soon, the information appeared, turning Brian's anticipation into reality.
"Though it's not a Zoan Type, I never expected it to be this fruit."
Paramecia Type·Shadow Fruit!
The information of this familiar yet unfamiliar fruit appeared before his eyes.
It was familiar because the user of this fruit had significant screen time in the original work—Gecko Moria, a character few who read the original wouldn't recognize.
It was unfamiliar because Brian had never seen the actual fruit before. After all, by the time this fruit appeared in the original, Moria had already consumed it long ago, and only his ability usage was shown.
According to Moria's usage in the original, this fruit's ability primarily involved manipulating shadows—seizing and placing obtained shadows, and even transforming oneself into a shadow entity to unleash formidable power.
However, Brian looked somewhat surprised at the description in the encyclopedia in his hand, feeling a bit bewildered.
The record in the encyclopedia and Moria's usage—why did they seem so different?
The encyclopedia described the Shadow Fruit's ability as domination, not manipulation.
The user could transform the shadowed areas of their surroundings into a domain under their absolute control.
It can also transform "shadows," a non-material substance, into solid matter with hardness and kinetic energy, making it a top-tier offensive and defensive tool.
After awakening, the fruit's power reaches its peak, establishing a soul-level connection with shadows and directly eliminating the weaknesses of zombies—fear of light and salt.
From this perspective, the Shadow Fruit is in no way inferior to other fruit abilities.
Even if it cannot be ranked among the absolute top, it can at least be considered an advanced version of a Paramecia Type Devil Fruit.
"Is it a matter of individual differences? Moria's development direction seemed correct, but in reality, it clearly deviated."
"In the original story, Moria indeed grew complacent, hardly training in the later stages. What a waste of such a remarkable fruit."
Helplessly, after thinking for a long time, Brian could only come up with this inexplicable explanation.