The moment Zhao Xuan made his choice—
The nine remaining Logia fruits dissolved into light, flying back toward the towering Demon Tree, leaving only the chosen Azure Dragon Fruit.
It hovered briefly, then shot forward—
straight into Zhao Xuan's chest.
The instant it merged with his body—
A warm current erupted from his heart like a tidal wave.
As it surged through his veins, Zhao Xuan felt every cell in his body come alive, cheering as they absorbed the boundless energy coursing within.
And then—
His physical strength began to rise.
No—
"Rise" wasn't even the right word.
It was skyrocketing.
20… 25… 30… 35… 40…
In the blink of an eye, Zhao Xuan's physical attributes had already broken past 40.
And still—
It continued climbing at an unstoppable pace.
Zhao Xuan was completely lost in the feeling—
that overwhelming, intoxicating sense of limitless growth.
Meanwhile, outside the light—
The white glow that surrounded him began to fade, revealing his figure once more.
Zhu Qingtian and the others stared at him, each wearing a different expression—
confusion, disbelief, irritation… even a touch of mockery.
"Brother Zhao," Zhu Qingtian finally broke the silence, "why didn't you choose a Logia-type fruit? Don't tell me you've never read the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia?"
At that, everyone blinked in surprise.
Of course!
That had to be it!
He must not have studied the fruit records—
Otherwise, how could anyone possibly ignore a Logia fruit?
Realization dawned, and the looks in their eyes shifted—
some to pity, others to barely concealed amusement.
Zhao Xuan felt the surging energy pulsing through his body like molten gold in his veins. He smiled calmly and shook his head.
"No," he said softly, "I've read the Encyclopedia."
And he had.
Two days ago, he had memorized every known Logia fruit's form and detail by heart.
He had fully intended to pick one.
But the moment he saw that Azure Dragon fruit, the temptation was simply too strong to resist.
"Then why didn't you pick a Logia fruit?" Zhu Qingtian asked again, puzzled.
Qiu Ji and the others turned their gazes toward him, equally curious.
"Because," Zhao Xuan said with an easy smile, "my intuition told me that I should choose that fruit instead."
"Intuition?"
They all frowned, clearly skeptical.
Zhu Qingtian crossed his arms. "Then what kind of fruit was it, anyway? Paramecia?"
"No," Zhao Xuan replied. "Zoan."
The words hit like a thunderclap.
"What!?"
"Zoan-type!?"
"Your intuition made you pick a Zoan fruit?"
Disbelief spread like wildfire across their faces.
Qiu Ji let out a disdainful snort.
"Zhao Xuan, I actually thought you might become my rival someday. But to think you'd throw away your potential over some so-called intuition… What a disappointment."
With that, Qiu Ji turned on his heel and vanished, leaving the Demon Realm first.
The others soon followed one after another.
Only Zhu Qingtian lingered for a moment.
He sighed and shook his head.
"Brother Zhao, you really acted too rashly this time. Zoan fruits are considered the weakest of the three Devil Fruit types."
Then, as though trying to comfort him, Zhu's tone softened.
"But hey, don't feel too down. With your natural talent, you could still become a master of Haki instead. I've heard the principal of Magic City University—an Eighth-Tier King—never even ate a Devil Fruit. He's a pure Haki user, and one of the strongest in the country."
"Don't worry, Brother Zhu," Zhao Xuan replied, still smiling. "I'm not disappointed. I have no regrets about my choice."
Zhu Qingtian frowned deeply. "You… sigh… Zhao Xuan, you don't have to bottle it up, brother. It's okay to cry. Holding it in isn't good for you! Anyway, I should get going. Take care."
He waved sadly and disappeared.
Zhao Xuan stood alone, looking around the now-empty Demon Realm.
His mouth twitched.
"…What? I'm not sad! Why won't you people believe me?!"
He laughed under his breath, feeling the raw power continuing to surge inside him.
"I'm so happy I can barely keep from grinning!"
His physical power was still climbing—
Within moments, it had already broken through 70.
Although the rate of increase was slowing slightly,
The growth was still astonishingly fast.
At this pace—
Zhao Xuan suspected that his physical strength might just break 100 points before the transformation was complete.
And as that power roared through his veins, one thought filled his mind—
"This is only the beginning."
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