Upon learning the village chief was willing to give him the Devil Fruit, Tom's heart churned with conflict. After careful consideration, he finally decided to eat it.
His earlier desire to refuse Luffy's invitation stemmed primarily from his own lack of strength. Going to sea with Luffy, he would only be dead weight.
But if Tom ate a Devil Fruit, his strength might not improve dramatically in the short term, yet his potential for future growth would increase significantly.
After all, a Devil Fruit's power depended on the user's ability to develop it.
Tom considered himself a man of perseverance. He thought, If I eat this fruit, I'll train hard. Hard work can make up for a lack of talent. I refuse to believe I'll stay weak forever.
When the chief brought out the Devil Fruit, Tom saw for the first time the fruit known as the Sea Devil's incarnation.
"Eat it."
The hunched-over chief smiled and handed the fruit to Tom.
"What kind of ability does this fruit have?"
In the dim light, Tom took the fruit. Holding it, he was surprised to find it felt incredibly light, with almost no weight or substance.
The soft moonlight shone on the fruit's pitch-black surface, reflecting faint white glimmers.
"I'm not sure of the specifics," the chief coughed, then said to Tom. "But the person who left it said this fruit is... special."
A special Devil Fruit?
That made sense. If it were just an ordinary fruit, would Silvers Rayleigh have bothered coming all the way to the East Blue to handle it?
Tom had already asked the chief about the person who entrusted the fruit to the village. Based on the description, it was undoubtedly Rayleigh himself.
Taking a deep breath, Tom finally bit down hard into the Devil Fruit.
The moment the flesh hit his tongue, Tom thought it was the most revolting thing he had ever tasted. It made him want to vomit.
But Tom forced down the nausea and swallowed the fruit.
"What are you guys doing over here?"
Just after Tom took his first bite, he heard Luffy's voice.
"Huh? Isn't that a Devil Fruit? Those things taste awful. You didn't have to hide to eat it. I wouldn't fight you for it."
Seeing the bite missing from the fruit in Tom's hand, Luffy's interest immediately vanished.
Seeing Luffy's expression, Tom realized this glutton probably thought he and the chief were hiding to eat something good and had come to investigate.
"You ate this?"
Luffy casually took the fruit from Tom's hand, then exclaimed in surprise. "What's up with this fruit? It feels like it has no weight at all. It's different from the one I ate."
"That's what's strange. I ate it, but my body doesn't feel any different."
Tom watched, speechless, as Luffy began tossing the fruit around like a toy.
Luffy threw the fruit into the air with one hand, then stretched his other arm to smack it to the side. As he went to grab the fruit floating in the air, a strong gust of wind blew, and the lightweight fruit was carried away, quickly disappearing from sight into the darkness.
"Sorry!"
Luffy stared blankly as the fruit was blown farther and farther away by the night wind, then said to Tom.
Damn. Good thing I took a bite first. Otherwise, this idiot would have definitely lost it.
Tom felt a wave of relief. Then he remembered that after eating the fruit, his body felt exactly the same as before, with no changes. A nervous thought crept in: Did I eat a fake Devil Fruit?
Devil Fruits were divided into three types: Paramecia, Zoan, and Logia. Normally, shortly after eating one, you should know what ability you gained.
But nearly five minutes had passed since Tom ate the fruit, and his body was still normal. Something felt very wrong.
"Why do you look so troubled? Everyone's having fun at the banquet. Come join!"
Luffy said, grabbing Tom's arm and dragging him back toward the gathered villagers. The banquet was in full swing, lively and boisterous, filled with song and laughter. Infected by the joyful atmosphere, Tom's somewhat gloomy mood lifted a little.
Not far away, the chief watched Tom and murmured to himself, "Rayleigh, you probably never thought I'd give the fruit away in less than two years. Our era is over. The days of sailing the seas with Roger and the others feel like they were just yesterday."
As he spoke, the chief's hunched back seemed to straighten, making him appear more imposing. His small, sharp eyes fixed on Tom. "Young man, the fruit you ate is the most unique among the Paramecia type. It's called the Growth-Growth Fruit. How much power you draw from it is entirely up to you."
Having said this, the chief reverted to his stooped, hunched posture, leaned on his cane, and slowly walked back to his house.
The village banquet lasted until past three in the morning. Since arriving in this world, it was the first time Tom had enjoyed himself so thoroughly.
With Luffy, a man who loved parties more than anything, around, it was impossible for anyone not to have a good time.
When the banquet ended, Tom didn't return to his room. He simply lay down on the ground with Luffy and the others and fell asleep.
Dozens of villagers were sprawled out asleep on the ground, many with happy, satisfied smiles on their faces, clearly having enjoyed themselves immensely.
Listening to the loud snores of the deeply sleeping Luffy beside him, Tom's heart gradually calmed from the party's excitement.
Sigh!
Lying on the ground, Tom sighed, looking at the crescent moon hanging high in the sky. He had thought that after eating the Devil Fruit, he could set sail with Luffy. But it seemed that still wasn't possible.
He'd eaten the fruit, but he didn't even know what ability he'd gained.
In other words, even if Tom wanted to train and strengthen his Devil Fruit ability, he couldn't.
To be blunt, Tom didn't even have a clear goal for his efforts. How was he supposed to train? How could he get stronger?
As Tom lay there thinking, Luffy, sleeping next to him, rolled over and unceremoniously plopped a big foot onto Tom's stomach.
Damn, this guy's sleeping posture is terrible.
No sooner had the thought crossed Tom's mind than he felt himself being squeezed tight, unable to move.
Luffy had wrapped both arms around him tightly and was drooling in his sleep, muttering, "Meat... don't run away..."
Tom was utterly speechless.
Good grief. You ate who knows how much meat tonight, and you're still dreaming about it. How is your stomach built? Is it because you're rubber that it can stretch so much?
Tom felt incredibly exasperated. By his estimate, Luffy had eaten well over a hundred kilograms of meat during the banquet. Yet this glutton still wasn't satisfied, dreaming about more meat. I give up.
Most importantly, don't hug so tight! And you stretched your arms! Anyone seeing this would think we're... something else!
Tom felt particularly unlucky. After arriving in the world of One Piece, the first person to have such intimate physical contact with him wasn't some great beauty, but the glutton, Luffy.
And so, Tom and Luffy "slept in each other's embrace."
Time passed. The sky began to lighten. Tom hadn't slept all night, torn between throwing caution to the wind and sailing off with Luffy on an adventure, and worrying that his lack of strength would drag them both down.
These two conflicting thoughts warred in his mind, leaving him utterly tangled.
A man should be decisive. If you can do it, do it. If you can't, drop it. All this dithering is pointless.
Tom knew this. With anything else, he could make a decision instantly. But this choice could completely alter his future. It was an exceptionally important turning point on his life's path.
Faced with this, it was no surprise Tom felt hesitant.
His current mood was similar to how he felt back on Earth after college entrance exams, filling out his application choices. Should I choose this? How should I choose? It was enough to drive you mad.
Dammit!
Watching the sky grow brighter and the sun about to rise, Tom hardened his resolve. I've always been an ordinary person, living a bland, uneventful life. Now that I'm in the world of One Piece, am I going to keep living that flavorless existence?
No. I need to change!
Since I've met Luffy, and he's personally invited me to sail with him... am I really such a coward that I don't even have the courage to go to sea?
I've eaten a Devil Fruit. I'm different from who I was before. Even if I don't know the ability yet, I'll figure it out eventually.
Even if I'm weak now, I can train. Train like crazy. Just like with fishing—I knew nothing at first, but now I'm an excellent fisherman.
I can do this!
If I don't go to sea, what then? Hang around the village hoping to become chief someday?
That's not what I want!
Tom's inner resolve to sail with Luffy grew stronger and stronger. The hesitant look on his face was gradually replaced by determination. A new light shone in his once-dim eyes—the light of someone who had set their goal and would charge forward without looking back.
The fat man, getting up to relieve himself, happened to walk past Tom. He caught sight of Tom's eyes, which were shining with a fierce, almost frightening intensity, and was so startled he nearly wet himself on the spot.
Holy moly. He's being hugged so tight by that straw-hat guy, and he's getting all excited... looks like my decision to have separate rooms was right. Otherwise, I might have fallen victim to him!
Thinking this, the fat man hurried away from Tom.
About half an hour later, Luffy woke up, and many of the villagers began to groggily open their eyes.
"It's morning. You're coming with me, right?"
Luffy stretched, casually plopped his straw hat on his head, and asked the Tom beside him.
Tom smiled and gave a slight nod. Seeing this, Luffy laughed heartily. "I knew you wouldn't refuse me!"
"You're awake. I've prepared a new boat for you. You can set off."
The chief, leaning on his cane, came over to them and spoke.
"Thank you so much! For the feast and for the boat!"
Luffy said excitedly to the chief.
The chief waved a hand and led Tom and Luffy toward the harbor.
Along the way, Tom said goodbye to the villagers one by one. Some even pleaded with him to stay, but he refused them all with a smile.
When the fat man learned that Tom had decided to set sail with that seemingly neurotic, straw-hat-wearing man who declared he'd become the Pirate King, he was sure Tom had gone mad!
Seeing the fat man crying his eyes out, Tom initially wanted to give him a farewell hug. After all, they had gotten along well for over half a year and were good friends. Now that he was leaving on a long voyage, he realized he would miss the guy.
But when the fat man saw Tom move to hug him, he quickly dodged aside, his expression strange. "No need for hugs. Be careful out there. The outside world isn't as peaceful as here. One wrong move and you're dead. I don't want to hear news of your death too soon."
Tom had no idea that the fat man had branded him a certain way after seeing his determined expression last night. Hearing the fat man's sincere words, filled with genuine concern, Tom felt his earlier lifesaving efforts hadn't been in vain.
After waving goodbye to the fat man and the others, Tom saw Luffy was already on the small fishing boat. He was about to jog over when a long, stretching arm shot toward him.
Tom's heart jumped. A bad feeling stirred. Before he could say anything, Luffy's stretched arm grabbed him.
Whoosh! In an instant, Tom was airborne, landing beside Luffy on the fishing boat.
However, as Luffy reeled his arm back in, Tom's body slammed heavily into the mast. The pain was nearly enough to knock him out.
"Alright! We're setting sail!"
Half-lying on the deck of the fishing boat, Tom watched as Luffy stood at the bow, raised his arms to the sky, and shouted with great energy. Tom thought to himself, You bastard. I'll make you pay for this someday. It's a miracle my back isn't broken!
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T/N :
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