The moment Yemu said that, Captain John froze.
He had only just obtained his Devil Fruit, so he did not know much about something like the limits of a Devil Fruit. But with all his years at sea, he still thought of one possibility.
"You mean Devil Fruit awakening?"
"Awakening? In that sense, you're not wrong. Awakening is, in a way, one kind of limit of a Devil Fruit. But unfortunately, that's not what I mean."
That left Captain John completely confused, but fortunately, Yemu did not keep him guessing.
He raised his right arm, wreathed in flames, and said,
"The first Devil Fruit I ate was the Mera Mera no Mi, the power to turn a person into fire. Ever since I ate it, I've been troubled by one question. In every theory about the creation of the world, fire is one of the strongest forces there is, one of the most fundamental powers that make up the world. Whether it's the theory of the four elements, earth, water, wind, and fire, or the theory of the five elements, metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, or even in myths and legends, the Fire God is always one of the mightiest divine beings. And yet a power like that is somehow considered inferior to mere magma. I could never accept that. So I kept developing this fruit, trying to surpass magma and prove that this whole idea of superior and inferior Devil Fruits is nonsense."
At that point, Captain John seemed to understand something, because as a pirate, he had crossed paths before with that Marine who possessed the Magu Magu no Mi.
"And now, ten years after obtaining the Mera Mera no Mi, I think I've already developed its power to the point of surpassing the Magu Magu no Mi. But I still discovered that the flames of the Mera Mera no Mi weren't quite what I thought they were."
"Logically speaking, the essence of fire in nature should be combustion, and combustion has two inseparable parts: flame and heat. They cannot be split apart. But as I developed the Mera Mera no Mi, I realized that although I could control the flames, I could not control heat itself. I used a few tricks, like compressing flames to raise the temperature, but that still wasn't direct control. And that was when I understood. Devil Fruits really do have limits of their own. Just like the limits you said humans have, they're things carved into them from the moment they were created. Maybe that's why Devil Fruits have superior and inferior relationships in the first place."
At that point, Captain John fully understood what Yemu meant. He glanced at the power of the Kumo Kumo no Mi in his own hand and said,
"So Logia Devil Fruits don't actually represent the true forces of nature, even if that's what their names suggest?"
"Exactly. There's no such thing as absolute dominance in nature. Water can restrain fire, but fire can just as easily evaporate water. But the suppression between Devil Fruits really does exist. lightning being helpless against rubber, water restraining sand. It's ridiculous when you think about it. The Mera Mera no Mi being unable to do anything against magma is probably the same kind of thing."
"But back then, I still didn't know what to do about it. Not until my second Devil Fruit appeared before me, as if by fate."
At that, Yemu lifted his left hand excitedly, a scorching red glow shining from it.
"The Atsu Atsu no Mi. Its user can alter their own body temperature, from one degree all the way up to ten thousand. It was practically made to make up for the flaws in my Mera Mera no Mi."
"But even so, the Atsu Atsu no Mi has its own flaw. It can only change my own heat, not the heat of the outside world. I solved part of that problem by using flames to transfer heat, but it still isn't pure heat control, and too much energy is lost in the process. So while the heat of this Devil Fruit can theoretically reach ten thousand degrees, in practice it's still hard to get it that far."
"But I'm lucky. Or maybe this is what makes me special. Because now, that problem has been solved."
As Yemu spoke, his expression turned completely exhilarated as he looked at Captain John.
At that moment, Captain John suddenly felt an extreme sense of danger.
"You know, getting these two little guys to live peacefully together inside my body wasn't easy. I had to talk to them every day like some old father. And after I succeeded, I started having even more ideas."
As he spoke, Yemu clenched both fists.
"So what you're about to see may be the first existence in this world to break past the original limits of Devil Fruits. A brand-new power. The birth of a new Devil Fruit."
"Now let me think. What should I call it?"
"How about... Hito Hito no Mi, Mythical Zoan, Entei (Flame Emperor) Model!"
The moment the words fell, Yemu's body blazed with scorching fire and light, like a holy spirit descending into the world.
One half of his body turned into pure flame, while the other half became a blazing crimson radiance.
But that was only the beginning.
Visible to the naked eye, the flames on the right side of Yemu's body transformed into a massive fire dragon and flew out, spiraling around the left side of his body like a twisting pattern.
As it continued to spin, the dragon's power seemed to compress. Its body became thinner and thinner, until at last, with a dragon's roar, it flew straight into Yemu's heart.
In an instant, a giant fireball like a sun appeared above the sea. All flames were being drawn into its center like a black hole, and the whole world was lit by that crimson fire.
The members of the Whitebeard Pirates, who had already left, saw the scene, stopped, and turned back.
...
Holy Land Mary Geoise
Within Pangaea Castle, that beautiful city above the clouds, dawn was just beginning to break, and soft light spilled into the Hall of Power, the place that represented the highest center of power in the world.
The Five Elders, the highest rulers of the world, were examining the latest intelligence reports they had received.
There were two main issues.
The first was that on an island in the West Blue called Ohara, a group of scholars had secretly begun researching and searching for the Poneglyphs, something the World Government would absolutely never allow.
The second was that on an island in the South Blue called Baterilla Island, CP agents had practically turned the entire island upside down and still had not found Roger's surviving bloodline.
Either one of those matters was a major problem for the World Government.
In the end, the Five Elders issued their orders.
"Send spies to Ohara and keep a close watch on them... If they really discover anything... have Kong and the others make preparations..."
"As for Baterilla Island, Roger's bloodline must never be allowed to come into this world. Investigate every pregnant woman within ten months of Roger's death. No matter the cost."
Once the orders had been given, the Five Elders finally had a moment of respite.
But just then, they heard the sound they least wanted to hear.
It was the ringing of a bell.
All five men's expressions changed. Without the slightest hesitation, they rose and headed for the deepest part of Pangaea Castle, the place known as the Room of Flowers.
There, beside the Throne of the King, the supreme seat that symbolized the highest authority in the world, stood a tall figure cloaked in darkness.
At the sight of that figure, the Five Elders dared not show the slightest disrespect. They immediately dropped to one knee and greeted him with utmost reverence.
"Imu-sama, may we ask why you summoned us so urgently?"
From the throne came a voice whose gender could not be distinguished.
"Uranus has just awakened..."