"Of course, you don't have to eat it. After all, it's a Paramecia-type fruit, you know how it is. If you end up with a useless ability, it might be worse than nothing."
"Not to mention, once you eat a Devil Fruit, you become a landlubber."
"The choice is yours. It's up to you."
Lance and Shirley fell silent. Eating a Devil Fruit indeed carries great risk, especially when you don't know what ability it grants.
But they also understood the saying: Wealth comes from danger.
"I'll pass. My goal is to become a Gun King. Firearms are my path. I don't need any Devil Fruit powers. There's nothing a seastone bullet can't handle, and if one doesn't work, two will!"
Lance suddenly spoke up, his tone brimming with conviction.
Hearing this, both Hammer and Shirley were stunned, as if they were seeing Lance for the first time.
"Well, well. Lance, I didn't know you had such high resolve. Guess I'll have to give you special training personally."
"For your so-called 'Gun King' dream."
"Ah… hmm, let me think what training that would need…"
"First, a Gun King needs speed and stamina. So, tying you to a rope and tossing you into the sea sounds about right. That'll do!"
Hearing Hammer casually planning out his training, Lance felt a chill run up from his toes to the top of his head.
"Well then, Shirley, what about you? Are you going to eat it?"
Ignoring Lance's look of despair, Hammer turned to Shirley and asked.
Shirley bit her lip, then made her decision.
"I'll eat it. I want greater strength, to help the Navy bring order to the seas."
"Oh? You actually have such lofty ambitions, Shirley?"
Hammer was taken aback again by her words. He wondered if she had been brainwashed by Gion… or perhaps misled by Instructor Zephyr?
But seeing the resolve in her eyes, he thought, 'Maybe this really was her own wish.'
"Alright then, eat the fruit. Hmm… better cut it open with a knife, too many spikes to bite into."
With that, Hammer handed her a small knife.
Shirley nodded heavily and, under their watchful eyes, cut open the durian-shaped Devil Fruit and took a bite.
The moment she did, her expression froze, but she forced herself to swallow it.
Then came the violent gagging.
Hammer couldn't help but chuckle. Deep down, he was a little grateful. Grateful that when he had transmigrated here, his body had already eaten a fruit; otherwise, he would've had to experience that awful taste too.
"Well? Shirley, what's the fruit's power?"
With both Hammer and Lance watching curiously, Shirley took a moment to calm herself, closed her eyes, and began sensing the changes in her body. When she opened her eyes again, they were full of shock.
"This ability… I can't believe it's this one…"
"Shield-Shield: Defense Shield."
The moment Hammer heard the words Shield-Shield, he froze in shock.
That ability? He knew it all too well!
It was the power of the first Devil Fruit user he had encountered on his first pirate-hunting voyage.
The same Paramecia-type Shield-Shield Fruit possessed by the notorious and brutal pirate Batu.
'Who would've thought… Shirley ended up with that fruit. Looks like Batu must've died in Impel Down already.'
'That's why the fruit was able to reincarnate.'
'If developed well, the Shield-Shield Fruit is a solid combat power.'
Shirley was very aware of the fruit's potential; she had seen it with her own eyes.
"Alright, Lance, stay on course. Shirley, go get familiar with your new powers."
"I'm going back to forging. Don't call me unless we've arrived at our destination."
With that, Hammer pushed them out of the forge room and shut himself in.
"Shield-Shield… Shield-Shield… Ugh, what kinds of shields even exist? Besides the Defense Shield, I can't think of anything else!"
Even though Shirley had seen Batu use the fruit, she had been too out of it to remember the details.
Lance and the other marines nearby tried to help.
"Shields? Iron shield? Bronze shield? Steel shield?"
One soldier blurted out, earning a round of eye-rolls.
"You've been hanging around Vice Admiral Hammer too long? All you think about is materials?"
"Didn't know we had an Iron Shield now!"
Everyone roasted the poor guy so thoroughly that he probably needed a towel.
"Ugh, so annoying, Shield-Shield: ALL the Shields!"
Shirley shouted angrily, stretching her arms wide.
Suddenly, countless small round shields appeared out of thin air and landed all over the deck.
The crew burst into laughter, bending down to pick them up.
"Hey, not bad! These shields are kinda small, but super sturdy!"
"Yeah, once Vice Admiral forges us some quality swords, oof, what a combo that'll be!"
Amid the crew's joyful chatter, the Warhammer ship sailed straight into the New World.
New World, Risky Red Island
"Hmph, you dogs of the government, trying to stop me, are you looking to die?"
Facing a squad of Marines was the pirate rookie Crocodile, who had once fought Bullet to a draw. Standing before him were two people, one wielding a gun, the other a white-haired Mink.
They were Lance and Shirley. As for Hammer, don't ask. He was, of course, still forging.
Hammer had sent the two ahead for "talks".
Crocodile looked like he was in his early 20s, slicked-back hair, a flowing cape, quite the imposing figure.
"Crocodile. We're here on behalf of Marine Headquarters to discuss the World Government's Warlord Program, to recruit you as its first member."
Lance's tone was flat, betraying no emotion.
"Ha… Ha… Ha… Don't waste my time, Marines. Why would I join some 'Warlord' system? My goal is to be King of the World!"
Young and hot-blooded, Crocodile struck without hesitation.
A storm of sand erupted, engulfing the Marines.
His underlings cheered and raised their weapons, ready to charge.
"You sure you want to fight us?"
"Hmph! As if a few Marines scare me!"
Crocodile sneered, the sand beginning to swirl into a tornado.
"Sand… a Logia-type fruit. No wonder he could match someone like Bullet."
Every Logia user was a major threat. Lance nodded in recognition, then shook his head.
Crocodile frowned. 'Is this guy nuts?'
Then came a loud and irritated voice:
"Who the hell plays with sand?! Ptui! Got a mouthful of dirt!"
"Lance, I told you, forget the talking. Just beat the guy up already!"
"Crocodile, huh? Slicked-back hair, big cape, interesting."
"I brought something special just for you!"
The sudden voice and presence startled Crocodile.
"Me? Heh. I'm Vice Admiral Hammer of Marine HQ. I came here just to run a little experiment with you!"
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu