Chapter 21: Eat This, Kabuto
At this moment, if Dragon hadn't known for a fact that Robin was a user of the Hana Hana no Mi, he would have seriously suspected she had eaten some kind of "Information-Information Fruit" and become an Information Human.
That is, if such a fruit even existed in this world.
In short, under this relentless pressure of revelations from Robin, Dragon had completely yielded. He no longer held a single shred of doubt regarding her information.
Immediately after, Nico Robin informed Dragon of the existence of Imu-sama, the true sovereign of the World Government. She went as far as disclosing the identities and abilities of the Holy Knights, as well as the specific powers of the Five Elders.
This time, Dragon was truly shaken to his core.
He had always known the Five Elders were powerful, but he never imagined that not only were they all Mythical Zoan users, they also possessed immortal bodies. Furthermore, the Holy Knights shared this gift of immortality.
More importantly, behind the Five Elders stood a singular ruler named Imu.
It was utterly absurd.
He knew the foundation of the World Government was formidable, but he hadn't expected it to be this deep. The Five Elders, Mythical Zoans, Holy Knights, immortality, and a monster that even the likes of Rocks, Whitebeard, Roger, Garp, Kaidou, and Charlotte Linlin couldn't stand against... Imu.
While this didn't plunge him into immediate despair, he was forced to admit that the path to toppling the World Government was a grueling task and a very long road ahead. After all, the current strength of the Revolutionary Army was still far too distant compared to the World Government.
Of course, all of this only served to make him more bewildered by Robin.
In his view, the fact that Nico Robin could obtain top-secret information about the Revolutionary Army was already extraordinary, but he hadn't expected her to practically strip away every secret the World Government held.
Was this still the Nico Robin he knew? Had she been replaced by someone else?
Dragon was consumed by curiosity—where exactly did all this information come from? His heart was heavy with doubt, yet he didn't dare open his mouth to ask, fearing he might offend her.
Robin, of course, saw the flicker of apprehension in Dragon's eyes, but she offered no explanation. Instead, she shifted the topic.
"I need you to help me with something."
Hearing those words, Dragon felt a wave of relief. He had just received a massive amount of intelligence from her, giving him a profound understanding of the World Government's true nature. This was a monumental help toward his goal of overthrowing the status quo and building a truly new world.
Just as he was wondering how to repay this debt, Robin mentioned needing a favor. Without a second thought, he immediately agreed.
"Please, speak, Ms. Nico Robin. As long as it's within our power, we will absolutely not refuse."
Robin spoke calmly: "On Punk Hazard in the New World, there is an Artificial Devil Fruit. It is the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu that Vegapunk created using Kaidou's Lineage Factor."
"Although Vegapunk claimed this fruit was a failure, the truth is that there is no difference between it and the original Azure Dragon fruit, save for its color."
"Currently, this fruit remains inside the abandoned laboratory."
"I want you to contact Bartholomew Kuma. Have him rush to that lab immediately and use his Nikyu Nikyu no Mi ability to send the fruit to a specific location in the Kingdom of Alabasta."
Hearing this, Dragon was once again stunned. Robin's words had revealed several key facts.
First, Vegapunk had successfully created an Artificial Devil Fruit based on Kaidou's Seiryu fruit. Second, she knew exactly where it was hidden. Third, she knew Bartholomew Kuma was a member of the Revolutionary Army, even though the two had never met.
The source of Robin's information became even more terrifying to Dragon, but he didn't refuse. In his mind, this mission was the first step toward winning Robin over or, at the very least, establishing a solid partnership.
Therefore, after hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Dragon immediately notified Bartholomew Kuma, requesting him to retrieve and deliver the Seiryu fruit as quickly as possible.
Kuma did not disappoint. He arrived at Punk Hazard in record time, located the fruit, and contacted Robin for the coordinates. Using the power of the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi, a massive paw-shaped shockwave sent the Artificial Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu flying toward the designated location.
This was the reason why Yumesaki couldn't find Robin at home earlier today. She had gone to retrieve the fruit.
"Do you like this surprise?"
After explaining the chain of events, Robin asked Yumesaki with a gentle smile.
"I love it. I really love it."
Yumesaki held the Devil Fruit, turning it over and over in his hands, though he clearly had no intention of eating it.
Robin noticed this. She could tell Yumesaki genuinely liked the fruit, but for some reason, he wasn't considering consuming it himself. She couldn't help but ask, "Why aren't you eating it?"
Yumesaki let out a sigh. "If this were the Doa Doa no Mi, I would have eaten it already. You understand my ability—connecting to other worlds through doors. From my perspective, the most compatible fruit in this world for me is the Door-Door Fruit."
"With that power, I wouldn't have to go looking for doors when I travel between worlds. I could just open a door in mid-air."
"Of course, I'm not saying this fruit is bad. Actually, in my world, the dragon is our national totem."
"An Azure Dragon, a red dragon, black, purple, white... even a yellow dragon would be fine. But a pink dragon? Forget it. I'm not a fan of pink; it's a bit too feminine for me."
With a casual flick of his wrist, Yumesaki tossed the fruit to Orochimaru. "Take it for research. I want to see the results soon."
Orochimaru caught the Artificial Devil Fruit, and his subconscious instinct was to take a bite. He didn't care whether the dragon was pink or not.
However, he restrained himself. After all, his heart was set on the Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: Yamata no Orochi. This pink version of the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu was good, but it didn't meet his specific requirements. More than raw destructive power, he craved the legendary survivability of the Eight-Headed Serpent.
Instead, Orochimaru tossed the fruit to Kabuto.
"Eat this, Kabuto."
Kabuto was caught off guard, not expecting the fruit to fall into his lap. "Is this really alright, Lord Orochimaru?"
Orochimaru smiled. "Of course. However, after eating it, you must cooperate with our experiments. I assume you don't mind, do you, Kabuto?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Kabuto bit into the Artificial Devil Fruit.
"Not at all."
He knew exactly how vast the power of this fruit was. To gain such strength simply by participating in experiments was a lucky break. As for whether it was pink or not? Orochimaru didn't care, and Kabuto certainly didn't care either.
For a ninja, great power was the ultimate foundation; everything else was just vanity.
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