Liam Ross frowned slightly, curiosity flashing in his eyes. "Hold on a second, System what exactly does this Fruit Fusion Card do?"
"The Fruit Fusion Card allows the Host to overcome the Devil Fruit's natural limitation," the System explained in its calm, mechanical tone. "It enables fusion with a second Devil Fruit without causing ability conflict. The new fruit's powers will coexist harmoniously with the first."
Liam's expression brightened immediately.
So this was the rare item the System mentioned before the key that could let him wield more than one Devil Fruit at a time.
He didn't hesitate for a second.
"Fuse it," he commanded.
The golden card shattered into radiant fragments that swirled like dust motes before sinking into his skin. A tingling rush of energy coursed through him, warm and electric.
Then came the familiar voice of the System again.
"Please select the Devil Fruit you wish to fuse: Clone-Clone Fruit or Magnet-Magnet Fruit?"
Liam paused.
Eustass Kid was still an infant right now, far too young to handle such a power. The Magnet-Magnet Fruit could wait.
But the Clone-Clone Fruit… now that was something else entirely.
With that, he could create an identical copy of himself, a perfect double who could take missions, fight battles, and even handle dangerous tasks while he stayed safely hidden in Marine Headquarters.
One body in the open, one in the shadows. A perfect strategy.
"Clone-Clone Fruit," Liam said decisively.
The moment he spoke, another power stirred within him wild, volatile, and full of potential. It clashed briefly with the earthy might of the Ground-Ground Fruit before the two forces found balance.
In the end, they divided his body's energy evenly, like two kingdoms drawing a truce.
Then came the flood of knowledge the instinctive understanding of the Clone-Clone Fruit and how to wield it.
"From the host body, a clone can be separated and fully controlled by the original. The clone initially possesses fifty percent of the host's strength but can grow stronger through experience and mastery, up to one hundred percent of the original. As the host's power evolves, so too will the clone's."
Liam's lips curved into a smile.
This ability was extraordinary not for the fruit itself, but for who possessed it.
In the hands of an ordinary man, it might only mean working double shifts without fatigue. But in the hands of a powerful fighter like him? The possibilities were limitless.
Of course, there were drawbacks.
If a clone was destroyed, the host would receive ten percent of the damage in return. And the next clone would only begin with forty percent of the host's strength, decreasing slightly each time.
Liam shrugged that off.
"As long as my main body's alive, that's a small price to pay," he muttered.
Still, one question nagged him. "System, what about special techniques like Invisibility or Insight? Can clones use those too?"
"Affirmative," the System replied. "However, their effectiveness will be reduced."
"Got it," Liam said, understanding immediately. Just like his strength, his clone's abilities could improve over time.
That night, he left the Marine warship and slipped away to a deserted island a perfect place for testing.
"Ding. Special location detected. Sign-in bonus increased by 5%. Proceed?"
"Sign in," Liam said.
"Congratulations, Host. You've obtained a Medium-Level Experience Card."
He put the reward aside for later and sat cross-legged, focusing his will. The energy within him surged, splitting and shaping until
Two minutes later, another Liam Ross stood before him.
Perfectly identical, down to the smallest detail.
And in his mind, Liam felt the new connection a thread that linked their consciousness. He could control the clone effortlessly, as naturally as moving his own hand.
Time to test it.
The clone attacked first.
Ground-Ground Fruit abilities, Six Powers techniques, both forms of Haki, and swordsmanship all executed smoothly. Sparks lit the air as the two Liams clashed.
After several exchanges, the real Liam estimated the clone's strength.
"Between lower and mid-second-rate combat level," he murmured. "Stronger than most pirates in the Four Seas. If this guy joined the Warlords of the Sea, he'd probably be the weakest one but still, not bad."
Strength could be improved. That was what mattered.
A thought and the clone vanished. Liam activated Observation Haki, sensing faint shifts in air currents. It didn't take long to locate his clone's aura.
"Not bad," he mused. "The invisibility still works, but it's definitely weaker."
He asked, "System, what level is the clone's Invisibility right now?"
"Intermediate."
Liam sighed. "Bit of a downgrade, huh."
He then asked, "Can the Experience Card work on the clone?"
"Yes. Experience, Fruit Development, and Power Boost Cards are all compatible."
"Excellent," Liam said with a grin.
Once the invisibility cooldown ended, Liam returned to the ship. Meanwhile, his clone controlled through thought traveled toward a nearby inhabited island, awaiting further orders.
The next morning, Liam performed his daily sign-in.
"Congratulations, Host. You've obtained a Basic Experience Card."
Combining it with the medium one from the night before, he had enough to boost the Clone-Clone Fruit to the next level.
Clone-Clone Fruit: 50/100 (Mastery)
Not bad for overnight progress.
Just as he stepped out of his cabin, his superior, Commander Torres, approached.
"Ross," Torres said bluntly, "after yesterday's battle, I couldn't find you anywhere. Where'd you run off to?"
Liam smiled easily, already prepared. "Sir, watching the Vice Admiral fight that pirate triggered something in me. I went back to meditate and reflect on it."
Torres blinked. He'd been there too and he hadn't felt anything remotely enlightening.
"Oh? And did it work?"
Liam grinned. "Actually, I think I got stronger."
"Seriously?" Torres stared in disbelief.
"If you doubt it, sir," Liam said cheerfully, "we can spar in the training room."
Torres hesitated. He didn't understand this "Eastern meditation" stuff Liam always mentioned but somehow, it seemed to work for him.
Two days later, while the ship drifted through calm seas, Liam's Den Den Mushi buzzed.
The voice on the other end was sharp and anxious it was Capone Bege.
In recent days, Bege had launched an aggressive campaign against two rival mafia families in the West Blue. At first, his victories were decisive. But then the rival dons, Jock and Tattel, hired reinforcements the notorious Happo Navy from the Flower Country.
Even Bege couldn't withstand their combined power. His forces were crumbling.
"The Happo Navy… the Chinjao family, huh?" Liam murmured, lips curling into a faint smile.
He immediately sent his clone to the West Blue to help stabilize Bege's situation and stall for time. Once the Navy's patrol fleet reached the area, Liam planned to deal with Chinjao himself.
But before that could happen
An unexpected event occurred.
As the clone passed near a Marine branch in the South Blue, it noticed something strange: the base was under attack.
A group of pirates was storming the facility, flames lighting the sky.
Liam chuckled through the clone. "Really now? Attacking a Marine base? These idiots are just asking to die."
He was about to leave when a shadow dropped down in front of him.
A shrill, unsettling laugh echoed through the smoke.
"Muhahahaha…"
The clone narrowed its eyes. "Moonwalk?"
The figure grinned, baring sharp teeth. "You're a Marine too, huh, kid?"
Liam tightened his grip on his sword, a faint smile curving his lips.
"Looks like I found myself another warm-up."
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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