Chapter 82: Return-Return Fruit, and the Gauntlets 'Black Mane'!
A few days later. Zephyr Training Camp, Special Training Ground.
"Like grandfather, like grandson... truly monstrous vitality."
Hearing that Garp's warship had already returned and the old man's injuries were just 'a few bandages,' Roy sighed in amazement.
The sudden encounter between Inoshishi and Garp had shown him the true, monstrous power and vitality of the top-tier figures on the sea.
It grounded Roy's slightly inflating ego.
But at that moment...
Click.
The door to the training room opened, and Binz walked in.
"Roy, I knew you'd be here... HM!? What happened here!?"
Binz, who was greeting him casually, froze.
He saw the state of the training room.
The floor, usually smooth and sturdy, was covered in massive spiderweb cracks.
The walls were riddled with deep craters, exposing the thick metal reinforcement layers beneath.
"Oh, nothing. Just busy preparing for the Tri-Force Demonstration, you know? I made a little progress in my training, so I sparred with Teacher Zephyr," Roy said casually.
"Sparred?"
Binz's voice went high-pitched. "But Teacher Zephyr had the SSG reinforce this room four times just last month specifically for you!"
He remembered clearly—the SSG had confirmed Roy's strength level via Zephyr and claimed this room wouldn't be damaged for at least a year.
How long had it been?
"What kind of 'little progress'..."
Before he could ask...
"Binz? What's wrong?"
A female voice came from behind.
Roy saw a tall, beautiful woman with long, wavy blue hair walk in.
She had an X-shaped scar on her right thigh, a pistol at her waist, and wore a blue cloak.
"Oh, I almost forgot."
Binz snapped out of his shock.
He introduced her to Roy. "This is Roy Amos."
"Roy, she is..."
He didn't need to finish.
Roy already knew who she was.
[Devil Fruit User 'Ain' discovered]
[Confirmed Devil Fruit: 'Paramecia · Return-Return Fruit'. Analyzing and saving to 'Fruit Encyclopedia']
[Fruit Ability: Can revert the age of anything touched.]
[Effects by Level]
[LV3: Gain full fruit effect. Hand can conjure pink flames. Flames have no heat or damage, but revert living beings and objects touched to a state from the past. Max reversion: 12 years.]
[Note: Effect can be dispelled if the user is defeated or runs out of stamina. Stronger targets consume more stamina. Requires 2 Billion Berries for Permanent Unlock.]
[LV4: Fruit Deep-Dive Development. Pink flames can cover any part of the body. Anything touched reverts. Requires 5 Billion Berries for Permanent Unlock.]
[LV5: Fruit Awakening · Regression Field. Create a field (max 2000m range) where flames can be generated anywhere. Consumes massive stamina. Requires 11 Billion Berries for Permanent Unlock.]
[Fruit Awakening · Unique · Chrono Field: Evolve the awakened field into a Time Field. Revert the time of everything within the field, including the user. Reversion lasts 5 hours. Requires 30 Billion Berries for Unlock.]
[Note: This ability is single-use only. Cannot be blocked by any means. The time reverted is completely random and uncontrollable.]
The information from the Encyclopedia stunned Roy.
He knew Ain's fruit was a special time-based ability.
But he didn't expect it to be this special.
"Unique..."
Looking at the tag in the Encyclopedia, Roy muttered.
He knew some fruit abilities were single-use—like the Op-Op Fruit's 'Perpetual Youth Surgery,' which cost the user's life.
This was the second such fruit he knew of.
But...
"This ability..."
Roy was skeptical.
Reverting everything in the field, randomly, uncontrollably, unblockably.
It sounded terrifying—near time travel, which should be impossible.
But the problem was...
The effect included the user, and it was random.
"Isn't this just suicide?"
Roy concluded.
He knew the Return-Return Fruit could revert things into nothingness.
If Roy was 29 and his time reverted by 30 years, he would vanish!
Even if the effect lifted after 5 hours, he wouldn't come back.
So, Roy couldn't think of a use for this.
"Spend 30 billion Berries to mutually destruct with nearby enemies?"
He muttered.
Just then...
"Roy?"
Ain walked up to him and greeted him.
"Senior Sister Ain."
Roy put the fruit thoughts aside, letting the Encyclopedia analyze it, and looked at her.
Ain shook her head. "Binz and I never mastered Teacher Zephyr's Black Body Style, so we aren't his true successors. Just call me Ain."
Roy agreed, and they chatted.
Ain was serious and earnest. Soon, she talked about her mission.
"My mission actually ended a month ago, but during the operation... I found something."
She clenched her fist.
Then she remembered her purpose. "Speaking of which—where is Teacher Zephyr?"
Teacher Zephyr ran upstairs after sparring with me, probably questioning his life choices... Roy obviously couldn't say that.
Just as he was making up an excuse...
"I'm here."
A deep voice echoed.
The three saw Zephyr walking down from the upper level of the training ground.
"Teacher Zephyr! I have something to report!" Ain saluted immediately.
"Not yet."
Zephyr shook his head. "Before your report... Roy, catch."
The Admiral raised his left arm and threw something.
Only then did they notice he was holding something.
It landed in Roy's hands.
Roy looked down.
"Gloves?"
Looking at the pair of gloves—faint obsidian sheen, extremely thin yet seemingly incredibly tough—Roy was stunned.
Binz and Ain's eyes widened.
"Th-This is..."
They clearly recognized them. "Teacher, isn't that your..."
"Yes."
Zephyr looked at the gloves in Roy's hands. "They're called 'Black Mane'. They were my weapons when I was an Admiral."
He looked nostalgic.
"Made from special Adamantine Spun Silk from the 'Isle of Weavers' and SSG's Seastone technology. They have a suppressing effect on ability users and enhance the flow and coating of Armament Haki."
He grinned.
As mentioned, in his youth, he favored using his fists, earning the name 'Black Arm.'
These gloves were the partners that forged that legend with him.
"Since resigning as Admiral, I haven't used these old partners much."
"As for now..."
He smiled.
Everyone understood—the one-armed, aging Zephyr had no use for them anymore.
Zephyr looked at Roy.
His aged but firm eyes shone with pride and expectation. "I thought it would be a few more years before you were qualified to use them. But now... they're yours."
"..."
Roy was stunned.
He understood Zephyr's meaning—these gloves enhanced Haki. Before, Roy couldn't truly use them.
But now, having mastered Ryou, he was qualified.
"Teacher Zephyr..."
Roy started to speak.
But Zephyr laughed and punched him lightly in the chest.
"Kid, don't think this means you've graduated! I'm just giving them to you for the Tri-Force Demonstration!"
He grinned at Roy. "Don't shame them, kid."
Hearing this, Roy paused for a long moment.
Then...
"Of course."
He smiled too.
☆☆☆
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