After being violently suppressed, Ignis, perhaps because he was a Devil Fruit user and therefore quite valuable, became a key prisoner.
But Ignis had witnessed the Cang Kingdom soldiers burning, killing, looting, and massacring Gu Yue Village.
This overwhelming rage caused Ignis to lose his reason, and he erupted in the fiercest resistance.
Even while wearing Seastone handcuffs, he continued to launch Moonlight Slashes through his Moonlight Gu, attacking the Cang soldiers.
For a time, he inflicted massive casualties on the Cang Kingdom, but he was suppressed again by the powerful Cang general.
Later, the King of Cang felt that Ignis was a very unique ability user who might fetch a good price.
He reported this situation to the World Government, hoping to sell Ignis to them in exchange for some reduction in their Heavenly Tribute.
After all, the World Government was constantly scouring the world for promising talents and rare races.
When Saint Saturn of the Five Elders learned of Ignis's special circumstances, he became very interested and agreed to the Cang King's request.
A Devil Fruit user who could still use their abilities while wearing Seastone handcuffs.
If any useful research results could be obtained, it would be an immense help to the Celestial Dragons' own ability users.
....
At the bow of the Heavenly Tribute warship.
Ignis recalled the simple villagers of Gu Yue Village and couldn't help but sigh deeply.
He didn't want to forget either the Gu Yue Village of his previous life or the Gu Yue Village of this world.
So when Rocks asked his name, he couldn't help but adopt Gu Yue as his new surname.
Perhaps he wanted to become a generation-defining demon, a "Great Love Immortal Venerable," just like Gu Yue Fang Yuan.
To reach the absolute pinnacle.
Never again allowing others to control his fate.
Not even fate or destiny itself!
...
"Weak is weak! Don't give me that 'this is just the beginning' crap!"
"From today on, train hard. I don't need useless subordinates.
Honestly, your physique is even weaker than those soldiers'!"
Rocks glanced at Ignis with some disdain. Even a five-year-old from the Davy Clan probably had a stronger physique than Ignis.
His first partner, executive number 001, was way too weak!
If it weren't for that future-predicting ability...
"Rocks, help me kill a bastard from the Cang Kingdom!!"
"In return, I'll tell you which strong individuals you can successfully recruit in the future!"
Ignis suddenly looked seriously at Rocks, making his first request and offering a trade, his tone very grave.
"Vohahaha! Already thinking about revenge, are you?!"
"No problem!"
Rocks laughed wildly, directly agreeing to Ignis's request.
He had originally planned to spend eight to ten years, using Davy Back Fights, to plunder strong individuals he deemed worthy from all over the world.
Now, with this guy Ignis, who could see the future, here to help him, the time he would spend plundering and gathering subordinates would be greatly shortened!
After all, many strong people on this sea would rather die than submit, especially those with Conqueror's Haki. They'd prefer to be killed than abide by the contract of a Davy Back Fight and become someone else's subordinate.
In that case, Rocks would likely waste a lot of time sailing around and killing these stubborn, prideful types.
"Lord Rocks, are you going to attack the Cang Kingdom?!"
"Please take us with you!"
These imprisoned soldiers all spoke up excitedly, their eyes filled with longing.
'This was a criminal who could take down a Marine Admiral!'
'Maybe he really could crush the Cang Kingdom!'
"Hmph, I only agreed to help Ignis kill one guy from Cang!"
Rocks raised an eyebrow and grinned. He didn't have time to seek revenge for these worthless soldiers.
Unless Ignis was willing to provide more valuable information.
Like the location of the three Ancient Weapons...
Originally, after seizing the Heavenly Tribute warship, Rocks planned to screen all the pirate crews in Paradise, targeting the strong ones on the wanted posters.
But now, since Ignis had spoken up, they would head straight for the Cang Kingdom!
To blow off some steam for his first executive!
.....
Ignis looked at the deep blue Moonlight Gu in his hand and the eight plump white soul worms, his eyes flickering with thought.
He could still obtain eight more Devil Fruit abilities!
Back when he faced that strong individual from Cang, he sensed that his soul worms had developed a powerful desire for this Devil Fruit user's ability.
This desire was just as strong as the desire his soul worms had shown for the Moonlight Devil Fruit before.
This led Ignis to another startling speculation!
Perhaps his soul worms could directly devour and merge with the abilities of Devil Fruit users!
This thought nearly made Ignis lose his composure!
He desperately wanted to verify this hypothesis!
He now wanted to pick off enemies weakened by Rocks, looking for the Devil Fruit abilities he desired!
Thus, he could quickly make himself stronger!
On board Rocks's big ship, whether it was the powerful ability users Rocks was about to challenge, or his terrifying mastery of all three types of Haki, these were all things Ignis wanted to obtain!
This was also one of the important reasons Ignis abandoned his low-key approach and readily joined Rocks.
To be honest, if Gu Yue Village hadn't been destroyed, he might have even tried to become a jailer, sneaking into Impel Down to lie low and develop.
But now, Saint Saturn of the Five Elders had already set his sights on him.
He had to choose another path.
If Ignis's guess was correct, the Devil Fruit ability of that Cang Kingdom general was most likely the Gravity Fruit.
That powerful gravitational suppression was something Ignis still remembered vividly.
But that guy's strength was far inferior to the future Fujitora, Issho.
Issho hasn't even been born yet. In the future, Issho also seems to be from the Cang Kingdom, eventually rising to the position of captain of the Cang Kingdom's guard force.
But the Cang Kingdom, constantly waging war, was ultimately destroyed by a more powerful nation.
Issho, as a fugitive from a defeated nation, escaped to the West Blue, later obtaining the Gravity Fruit and the Supreme Grade Blade, Yakuza Kasen.
But now, Ignis is here!
All futures are about to change!
Ignis couldn't care less about whether changing the future might cause some butterfly effect.
He just wanted to become stronger!
As for whether Issho would eventually be born, he cared even less!
What was that to him?
Speaking of which, Yakuza Kasen was probably still in Wano Country right now.
After all, next year, which is 55 years before the original storyline, guys like Shimotsuki Kozaburo, Shimotsuki Furiko, and Shimotsuki Ushimaru would defy the laws of Wano and illegally leave the country, heading out to sea to live in various parts of the world.
Shimotsuki Kozaburo, carrying the Great Grade Blades Wado Ichimonji and Sandai Kitetsu, along with Shimotsuki Furiko, the elder sister of the daimyo of Ringo, Shimotsuki Ushimaru, would take three years to reach the peaceful East Blue and establish Shimotsuki Village.
Shimotsuki Ushimaru would end up in the West Blue with the Supreme Grade Blade, Yakuza Kasen.
Shimotsuki Kozaburo and Shimotsuki Furiko would marry and have children locally.
Kozaburo would marry a local woman and father Koshiro, whose future granddaughter would be Kuina.
Furiko would marry a local man, Roronoa Pinzororo, making her the grandmother of the main crew member, Roronoa Zoro.
....
Several days passed.
The Heavenly Tribute warship, which had recently left the Cang Kingdom, returned.
But this time, it came back with an avenger seeking to settle old scores, leading a demonic monster!
The war ended quickly!
Under Rocks's terrifying power, the Cang general and his tens of thousands of troops had almost no power to resist. Rocks knocked them unconscious and decisively crippled them.
"Vohahaha! Ignis, he's all yours!"
"Next, my plan begins. I hope my subordinates will all be the top powerhouses of this sea!"
Rocks laughed wildly and tossed the Cang general in front of Ignis, letting him take his revenge personally.
The Cang general never imagined that the kid he had so easily suppressed before would become the one to claim his life.
If he had known, he would have just killed Ignis back then. Now, he was filled with nothing but regret.
The eight soul worms on Ignis's body were already eagerly devouring and merging with the Devil Fruit ability within the Cang general.
Ignis directed one of the soul worms to devour the Gravity Fruit ability.
"This is revenge for the villagers of Gu Yue Village, and also for my own future path!"
"On the road to the underworld, remember my name. Gu Yue Ignis!"
With a cold gaze filled with vengeance and desire, Ignis cut down the Cang general with his sword.
The pure soul worms seemed even more attractive than the Devil Fruits themselves.
The masterless Gravity ability actively merged with the soul worm.
The plump, white soul worm actually transformed into a small, purple, tiger-shaped insect.
Witnessing all this, Rocks's expression was one of shock!
'This kid Ignis was definitely not simple.'
He had thought the little things around Ignis were just part of his ability.
But he never imagined they could actually devour Devil Fruit abilities!
'What kind of race was this?'
'The Soul Race?'
'The Gu Race that Ignis mentioned?'
'Ignis had a total of nine insects. That meant, in the future, Ignis could possess nine abilities.'
'Damn!'
Even Rocks was a bit envious of this kind of racial talent.
He wanted such an incredibly mutated talent, too!
However, Ignis had a very serious problem.
His physique was weak. Even if he had multiple abilities, it would be difficult to bring out their true power.
The Moonlight Slash ability was a perfect example.
It couldn't even match a swordsman.
Rocks frowned. He hoped this kid Ignis wouldn't get too caught up in the immense temptation of multiple abilities.
After all, a strong body and strong Haki were what truly mattered!
As Ignis's soul worm gained the Gravity Fruit ability, becoming the Gravity Gu, the Gravity Soul.
Under Ignis's control, the Gravity Gu merged with his body, transforming into a tiger-shaped mark on his arm.
Manipulating his newly acquired Gravity ability, he unleashed a purple aura, personally crushing all the Cang soldiers who had slaughtered Gu Yue Village into pulp.
Finally, even the Cang King, who had tried to sell Ignis to Saint Saturn, was mercilessly slain by Ignis.
Ignis didn't care whether civil war would break out in the Cang Kingdom afterwards.
He was done arguing about right and wrong.
All he knew was that the Gu Yue Village where he had lived for over two years was destroyed, and the familiar old folks and villagers he knew were slaughtered...
What did he care about the future power struggles and suffering in the Cang Kingdom!