I am a little disappointed when I see that Yasaka does not look that impressed as I show her around my new castle and kingdom. As if reading my mind, she looks at me with a smug smile.
"What? You think that a castle and a new kingdom will impress me, Vale? I own a castle, and you do too. Another castle will not make me that surprised, you know?"
"That's fair. At least the look on your face when you arrive in this world is priceless."
"That is something that makes me surprised. Hell, the state of this world still affects me."
She shows me the patch of fur growing from her skin and how she needs to layer an illusion to hide the blue flame at the tip of her tail.
"The natural energy in this world keeps pushing me to turn into my true form."
Because the primal energy of this world is so powerful, Yasaka struggles to maintain her human form. If she enters battle, her form will return to its true state, and it will attract unwanted attention.
"And that is why we need to get going. We can train later. For now, I will tell you about the secret I was talking about."
I take her to my office and take out a wooden box sitting on the table. When I open the box, a green coconut with a swirling pattern sits inside. To others, it looks like a weird fruit, but to us, we can feel a primal energy, like the wind coming from the fruit.
"Vale, what is this?"
"This is called a Devil Fruit. What is in front of us is one of the three types of Devil Fruits. This one is called a Logia, and the fruit is called the Wind-Wind Fruit. As the name suggests, you know what kind of power it grants, right?"
"Well, I don't know what Logia means, but from the name alone, this fruit gives the power over wind, right?"
"Yes and no. It grants the one eating the fruit power over the wind. However, that is not the only case. A Logia fruit will turn that person into said element."
"Wait. Are you serious? The person will turn into wind, Vale? Is that what you mean? A literal wind."
"Yup. When someone eats this fruit, they are called a Wind Human and have a powerful boost in power because only a few people can hit them, as their entire body is made of wind instead of flesh and blood."
"A few?! No one is able to hit a fucking wind, Vale."
"There are a few weaknesses, Yasaka. First, the most common way to defeat a Logia user is to coat your body or weapons with Armament Haki."
"Ah, I see."
"By coating the body or weapons with Haki, they can bypass the power of the Logia, and it creates a massive weakness for Logia users. Let's say that I eat this fruit. I can spread my body like the wind and attack someone from all directions. Sounds powerful, right? Well, it is. However, it is also a big weakness because a Haki user can attack all the wind around them because it is still my body."
"I see. I understand. That is indeed a big weakness."
"The second weakness is the opposite element. Take sand, for example. It is weak against something like water. Someone who covers their body with water will be able to hit them because, just like sand, they will clump together and be easy to strike."
"Ah, I understand."
"Yup. The last weakness is that some Logia users can be trapped. Take smoke, for example. If you are able to trap them in a solid object that is strong enough to handle their strength, they cannot leave. Think of a tungsten cube that can be closed tightly."
Yasaka nods her head in understanding, and I continue.
"There is also the fact that every Devil Fruit user is hated by the sea. What does this mean? They cannot submerge in any still body of water. A bathtub filled with water? Well, their Devil Fruit power will weaken alongside their body. They can still take a bath, but they will be vulnerable."
"That is… another severe weakness. They will be weak against assassination."
"Not if they are masters of Haki, where they can notice the assassin. But yes, it is a severe weakness. Showering does not affect the user, and they can safely take a shower without getting weak."
"Is this what you want to tell me, Vale?"
"Yes. One of the two things. For now, let me explain the other two types. The other one is Paramecia. It is just like Logia, but it turns the user into something quite solid—like a sword, mochi, or iron. However, it does not stop there, as it also encompasses powers that do not fit into Logia or the other types, such as summoning multiple hands on any surface within range, disguising oneself, turning invisible, or having power over rust."
"I see. And the last one?"
"This is where one of my powers comes from. It is called Zoan, and it is the fruit that turns the user into all kinds of animals. However, Zoan is divided into three categories: Normal, Ancient, and Mythical."
"Let me guess, you have the mythical one?"
"That's right. I have one called Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Okuchi-no-Makami. As the name suggests, it turns me into Okuchi-no-Mikami."
"Wait. If your power comes from a fruit, then how come you have the blessing of Lord Susanoo?"
"That is what confused me. When you said that I am blessed, I was confused. I don't want to offend Lord Susanoo if he notices that I am not a real Okuchi-no-Mikami."
"Well, if he does not show his displeasure, that means he gave you his blessing willingly. I think he felt your new power when you returned home and decided to give you a blessing for kicks."
"Are you serious?"
"Oh yeah. Lord Susanoo is like his domain. His wrath is like the storm, quick and destructive. His behavior is like the sea, unpredictable. If he decides to give you his blessing, that means he doesn't mean it. Even Lady Amaterasu and Inari know about it and say nothing. You are good, Vale."
I release a sigh and nod my head. That is one thing off my shoulder.
"That is good. Anyway! While on the topic of Devil Fruits, do you want to use one? There are hundreds of them that we can hunt, or more if we go to the alternate universe of this world."
"Of course! It would be stupid for me to reject your offer. They might have massive weaknesses, but they are still useful. Japan might be an island country, but we still have a lot of land. Let's hunt them down."
"Perfect. I will ask the others to prepare for a joint expedition. Now, into my second secret."
I tell her about my template system and how it works. After a few minutes of explanation, she looks at me and says,
"Are you serious?"
"Yup! I receive power from white-haired characters from around the Multiverse. When it reaches 100%, I receive an upgrade. For Yamato, I picked the removal of the water weakness. I would rather have no weakness than a powerful upgrade."
"And I understand your thinking. There are a lot of people who can exploit your weakness if they find out about this."
"That's right. I also have the same kind of thinking."
"What about the last one? What kind of 'template' did you get?"
"Well… the person is called Sasha Dejanstahl Voban."
"A rather old-fashioned name, huh?"
"That is because he is old. He is someone in his mid-400s. However, because of his power, he is immortal and keeps his youthful vigor. He is also dangerous and hard to fight for a certain type of person."
"Oh? Why is that?"
"Voban is what the people in his world called a Campione."
"What is that?"
I look her right in the eyes and say.
"Godslayer."
"Oh."