As soon as Laffitte arrived at the part of the shore where the Wicked Wench was docked, he saw Issho and Club returning from their own exploration.
Both of them were carrying several enormous animals over their shoulders, proof that their hunt around the island had been successful.
The smell of freshly caught meat filled the air, and the size of their catch showed that they had gone deep into the forest. One of them, noticing the treasure chest in Laffitte's hands, quickly pointed it out.
"It seems like you two had quite the hunt," Laffitte said as he approached them with a faint grin. "Do you think that will be enough to feed all of us?"
"Of course," Issho replied with his usual calm tone. "There's more than enough meat here for everyone. Maybe we'll even have some leftovers to use as bait for Sea Kings."
While Issho spoke, Club's eyes were fixed on the chest Laffitte carried. "You're one to talk about good hauls," he said curiously. "What's inside that box? Gold? Jewelry? Or maybe something even better?"
Laffitte chuckled quietly before placing the chest on the ground. "Why don't you see for yourself?" he said, his lips curling into a smug smile. With a smooth motion, he opened the chest, revealing what was inside.
The object inside immediately caught their attention — a strange fruit with an unnatural swirl pattern covering its skin.
"Woah, now that's unexpected," Club said in amazement, his eyes widening. "You really are favored by fate. I don't know what kind of bribe you gave the universe, but I'd like to know your secret."
Laffitte laughed lightly at his words, clearly amused.
Issho, still unable to see what was inside, tilted his head slightly. "What is it? What's in the chest?" he asked, curiosity evident in his voice.
"Oh, right," Club said, snapping his fingers as he remembered. "Sometimes I forget you can't see, Issho. You move around so naturally that it slips my mind. It's a Devil Fruit — and a strange-looking one at that."
Issho just shrugged and smiled faintly. "I suppose I'll have to take your word for it." He then exaggeratedly waved his arms as if pretending to stumble around, causing Club to laugh and playfully push him. The two began jokingly shoving each other, their laughter echoing around the small camp until they both settled down again.
Laffitte, now resting by the campfire, was turning the Devil Fruit in his hand, inspecting its peculiar shape and texture. Club, still curious, sat beside him.
"So, any idea what kind it is?" Club asked, leaning forward slightly.
"No, not yet," Laffitte admitted. "That's why I'm waiting for Jack to return. I want to check the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia we keep on board. If it turns out to be a strong one, I'll eat it. But if it's weak or useless, I'll toss it back into the sea."
Club's expression instantly turned horrified, and even Issho frowned at the casual tone of Laffitte's remark.
"You'd throw away a Devil Fruit?" Club said in disbelief. "Why not store it in our inventory like Jack does with the others? You know we can always sell it later when we reach Sabaody."
Laffitte paused for a moment before nodding, realizing that Club was right. "You're right. I forgot about that," he admitted, smiling sheepishly.
After a few more minutes of light conversation, the three of them agreed that if the fruit turned out to be weak or unremarkable, they'd simply add it to their growing inventory of unused Devil Fruits for future trade.
Not long after, Jack and Aramaki returned from their own exploration. The two of them looked pleased, carrying baskets full of mushrooms and bundles of wild plants.
Aramaki even had small branches sprouting from his arms, decorated with several types of fungi and herbs that he had grown or collected along the way.
It was a shared hobby between Jack and Aramaki — collecting and cataloging plants, fungi, and medicinal herbs.
They often studied these together, checking them against the books in their small library to see which ones could be used for medicine or other practical purposes.
Jack had always believed that knowing what nature could offer was just as important as knowing how to fight.
When Jack reached the campfire, he immediately noticed the treasure chest beside Laffitte. Seeing the opened lid and the fruit inside, Jack instantly understood what Laffitte wanted — to identify the fruit's type and see if it was worth consuming.
However, when Jack looked closer, his eyes widened slightly. As someone who had read countless records, stories, and references about Devil Fruits, he recognized it almost immediately.
The unique design, the deep purple shade, and the faint reddish hue at the base all matched one particular fruit he knew very well.
It was the Batto Batto no Mi, Model: Vampire — a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit that once belonged to the legendary Redfield.
A fruit said to grant the ability to drain life energy and restore one's youth. In the world of pirates, where age could often be the difference between strength and decline, such a fruit was unimaginably powerful.
For a brief moment, Jack's mind wandered. He thought of how someone like Garp — if ever granted this ability — could remain in his prime forever, unleashing unending power upon the seas. The idea alone was terrifying.
"Captain," Laffitte called out, bringing Jack back to reality. "I want to check what kind of Devil Fruit this is and see if it's worth eating."
Jack nodded without hesitation. "Alright. Let's look it up." He pulled out the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia he always carried with him, especially during expeditions. Together, they carefully searched through the pages until they found the description that matched the fruit perfectly.
Laffitte's expression changed the more he read. His eyes widened slightly, his usual calm demeanor fading into visible shock. "This… this is a Mythical Zoan," he muttered.
Jack smiled faintly. "Congratulations," he said in a relaxed tone. "It seems fate really did guide you to this one. It's yours."
Without hesitation, Laffitte bit into the Devil Fruit and swallowed it whole, grimacing at the awful taste. Almost instantly, changes began to take place — large, leathery wings sprouted from his back, and his entire form began to shift. Within moments, he transformed into a massive bat-like creature, his silhouette towering above the campfire.
Jack and the others watched in awe. The transformation was different from what Jack remembered, but it made sense — in the stories, Redfield often stayed in his hybrid form, while Laffitte's first transformation seemed to take the complete beast form of a vampire bat.
Laffitte instinctively flapped his wings, lifting off the ground in a single motion. He soared above the camp, laughing as he tested his new power, his shadow sweeping across the trees and the waves.
Jack looked up and smiled. "Looks like fate really was leading us here after all," he said quietly, watching his crewmate fly freely in the fading light of the island sky.