Staring at the swirling azure flames around him, and the stream of Devil Fruit information appearing in his mind, Rainer was certain—
His Devil Fruit had awakened.
But the more certain he was, the more absurd it felt.
Luffy only awakened his Nika powers after taking a brutal beating from Kaido, one of the Four Emperors.
And him? He just… awakened like this?
So sloppy?
Rainer recalled the Jailer Beasts in Impel Down. In terms of strength, they weren't even worthy of carrying the oni's shoes.
Yet, they too were classified as awakened Zoan users.
So maybe… awakening wasn't strictly about being strong?
Rainer decided that must be it. Different Fruits awakened in different ways, depending on how they were developed.
His Devil Fruit's path was obvious just from its name: keep collecting templates, keep crafting undead.
Back on Little Garden, when he acquired the Oni brothers, he had already sensed his Fruit stirring—it had been just one step away.
Then, in Alabasta, first Ace's template, now Crocodile's.
That thin veil had finally torn, naturally and without force.
With a thought, Rainer shifted back into his normal form.
The awakening had strengthened his physical body considerably—probably putting his raw stats above Luffy's.
But that wasn't what excited him. The more important change was subtle:
His powers themselves had… evolved.
"Undead talents?"
Rainer frowned, staring at the azure flames flickering in his hand, feeling the new instinctive knowledge in his mind.
"Like… elemental affinity?"
Experimenting, he sensed the fire could fuse with the template powers of Ace.
And Crocodile's.
After all, both were Logia users.
But this wasn't full Logia power—it wasn't elementalization, nor the creative abilities that came from exploiting an element's unique properties.
He couldn't turn things into sand like Crocodile or evaporate moisture.
All he could do was create and control the raw element.
"A mage? No… still basically physical attacks."
It was useful, but not as overwhelming as he hoped.
The awakening was less about raw power and more about long-term potential.
Rainer combined Ace's and Crocodile's templates.
The numerical boost wasn't huge—Crocodile's haki at full burst was roughly on par with Ace's anyway.
"Figures. The fusion just gives me sand with fire."
He studied the blue flames with interest.
"If this applies to other Logias too… then Enel's Thunder Fruit would be way better. Sure, the guy's physique is weak, but if I ever get a shot at a Marine Admiral's template…"
He smirked. Now that would be heaven.
Though the abilities were far weaker than true Logias, Rainer realized the best use of these new powers might not be elemental spam… but enhancing undead warriors.
Like giving a swordsman elemental augmentation.
He'd always doubted whether his undead swordsmen could ever reach Zoro's level—achieving "Cutting Steel," or sensing the "breath of all things."
Those were abstract concepts, tied to will and spirit. Even if his templates copied the moves exactly, would the undead truly replicate them?
But now, with awakening, maybe they could.
And his control over the undead felt sharper, more precise.
"Maybe I can even make them speak? I'll have to test it with Chopper later."
"Heh. I knew that truck accident was a blessing in disguise," Rainer chuckled, retrieving the fused template.
He considered what kind of undead to make with it.
If it were just element manipulation, maybe he didn't need to shape it as a person.
Weapons worked fine too—like turning Arlong's remains into gear.
A staff? No, too wizard-y.
A bracelet? Too compressed, it would blow apart.
Forget it. A humanoid form was safest—and good for misdirection.
Besides, the haki infused in these undead was already a huge advantage. Stronger than the Oni brothers.
Back on Little Garden, Dorry and Brogy had admitted they never took haki training too seriously.
Later, when he could reveal his full power without restraint, he'd redesign it properly.
Glancing at Crocodile's unconscious body, Rainer smirked.
"If I can't get an Admiral's template later, I can always squeeze old Croc again for an update."
After all, most Logias besides the Admirals had poor physical stats and weak haki.
His stamina was his strength—but the destructive power still depended on the template's own might, not his.
"What the hell was that just now, Rainer?" Nami and the others came over, still shaken.
His sudden shout earlier had scared them, not to mention the blue flames.
"Hahaha, relax—it's a good thing."
Rainer waved it off with a grin. In the back of his mind, he was already thinking about updating Luffy's template, or even Usopp's.
Especially Usopp—his performance just now was surprisingly impressive.
"Straw Hat!!!"
Suddenly, a furious voice boomed from above the underground chamber.
It was familiar.
Rainer looked up to see a broad-shouldered man with white hair, two cigars clenched in his mouth.
Smoker.
"You again, you persistent bastard," Rainer muttered.
"Smoke-guy!" Luffy shouted, recognizing him from Loguetown. He hadn't forgotten Smoker's Logia powers.
"Run for it, guys! The Navy's here!" Luffy yelled with a grin.
Grabbing the shattered ceiling, he stretched himself into a slingshot.
"Wait, Luffy!"
"Do you have to use that move?!"
Nami and Usopp were panicking. Chopper just tilted his head in confusion.
"What move?"
"Since I took charge of Loguetown, not a single pirate has ever escaped me!" Smoker roared, his legs turning to smoke as he dove down.
"Shishishi—let's go!"
Luffy lashed out with his legs, wrapping his crewmates together.
And then—
WHOOSH!
The group shot through the air like arrows loosed from a bow.
"AAAHHHHHH!!!"
The weak trio's screams echoed across the sky.
Smoker immediately changed course to chase—
"Wait, Marine!"
Vivi ran forward, spreading her arms to block him.
"There's a pirate here who tried to destroy this kingdom. He's lying right there! Are you going to ignore that?!"
"…Hmph?"
Smoker's eyes narrowed. He glanced at Vivi, then shifted his gaze to Crocodile's unconscious form nearby.
After a long moment, he decided to hear her out.
"That's… no small accusation. You're the princess of this country, aren't you?"
Meanwhile, high above the palace, five figures streaked across the sky like falling stars. The soldiers below could faintly hear their panicked cries.
"Idiot! How are we supposed to land?!"
"Save meeee!!"
"Shishishi!" Luffy just laughed.
Rainer sighed. For a second, he'd thought about snatching Smoker's template… but reconsidered.
If he couldn't exploit the element's unique properties, then smoke was worthless.
Too much trouble, too much risk of exposure. Killing Smoker to cover it up wasn't worth it either.
Besides, among the Marines, Smoker was one of the few he respected—someone who actually got things done. And behind him stood Aokiji.
Best not to poke that hornet's nest just yet.
At least until he had more than "a few kittens" under his command—right now, one clash with Aokiji, and he'd be an ice sculpture.