I'm Not Interested in Devil Fruits

B.I.B. drifted like a shadow over Magnifique Island, like a phantom in the night.

It stayed low, avoiding the skies to prevent detection.

Ordinary people wouldn't notice it— only those with Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) could sense its presence.

The moment it touched down at the island's port, both its main body and its Haki had already picked up on something unusual.

At first, it assumed the numerous strong auras belonged to pirates, bounty hunters, or skilled fighters who had come for the Grand Tournament.

But something felt off.

Most of these misleading auras clustered in a single location— the tournament grounds.

Yet there were two auras on the island that far outclassed the rest!

If they had come to compete, the tournament should have already ended.

Even if the island's king and princess had modeled their tournament after the Kuja Tribe's traditional arena battles, the moment those two warriors stepped forward, any sensible fighter would have withdrawn.

These two weren't here for the Grand Tournament.

That meant the weaker auras surrounding them— strangely even weaker than many at the tournament— deserved closer scrutiny.

B.I.B. glided through the streets, weaving through alleys. To sharpen its Haki, it needed to remain calm and undistracted.

Fortunately, being a "ghost," it had no need to worry about bustling crowds.

It suddenly looked up, its Haki detecting a presence soaring high above.

This aura wasn't weak.

It surpassed many of the fighters at the tournament.

And it was flying… meaning it likely belonged to a Logia user. According to the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, Paramecia and Zoan flight abilities were rare.

Smoker.

So, the Marines had arrived.

That meant those two formidable auras likely belonged to high-ranking officers from Marine Headquarters— probably Vice Admirals with real battlefield experience.

Sengoku and Fleet Admiral Kong wouldn't send mere Commodores or Rear Admirals to deal with "Kujo Jolyne" and "Chopper-na Giorno," not when they were tangled up with the battle-hardened Kuja Pirates.

But deploying two Vice Admirals alongside Smoker and other skilled Marines? That showed Sengoku and the others respected the main body's strength.

Still, was this force really enough?

B.I.B. hovered near a passerby, peering at the fresh newspaper in their hands. It skimmed the front-page news featuring "Kujo Jolyne" and "Chopper-na Giorno," along with their relatively clear photos, before drifting away to continue its mission.

It and Liam were two sides of the same coin.

Since it had already grasped the situation on the island, the main body surely had as well.

Two Vice Admirals, plus Smoker and others… If it wasn't concerned, then neither was the main body.

Indeed, in its perception, the main body and the Kuja crew had already entered the tournament grounds.

B.I.B. moved forward, phasing effortlessly through walls and buildings.

Its orders were clear: find the so-called "Iron Devil"— a Magnet-Magnet Fruit user— and retrieve the fruit's chip before Liam and Robin returned to the ship.

The subject of terrifying rumors in these waters.

Even if his presence was elusive, his actions would leave traces.

B.I.B. drifted soundlessly through the labyrinthine streets of Magnifique Island. No hidden chamber, reinforced wall, or blood-soaked underground room could obstruct its path.

No whispered conversation escaped its ears. And if it took an interest, secrets would eventually unravel. As Liam's Stand, it had also inherited his hypnotic abilities.

After a circuit around the island, using hypnosis to interrogate over a dozen people, uncovering 5-6 underground rooms that reeked of blood and experimentation, casually breaking the fingers of a handful of thieves, stripping two fools who tried harassing a woman and leaving them humiliated on the main street, and even hypnotizing a sobbing child into believing he was the happiest boy in the world— B.I.B. finally found a lead on the "Iron Devil."

...

''Sea Calendar 1504, November 21 – Fair weather''

''20th Comparative Experiment''

''Test Subject: Blood sample from a healthy man, age 50-60''

''Process:''

''Results:'' As before. The same questions remain… Why does human blood weaken me like seawater? If blood, like seawater or even plain water, suppresses Devil Fruit users, why does my own blood not affect me?

''Conclusion:'' Perhaps I should test the blood of another Devil Fruit user…

B.I.B. silently set the experiment log down. Not that it mattered— no one could hear it move.

Tap, tap, tap-tap…

Above, hurried footsteps echoed.

B.I.B.'s narrow eyes gleamed white. Three figures approached.

They neared the entrance to an underground chamber within the palace.

Inside the hidden laboratory, glass cylinders brimmed with dark red blood. The liquid swirled faintly, disturbed by an unseen force.

B.I.B. glanced at its reflection in the glass—but saw nothing.

It turned toward the ceiling just as—

Bang.

The entrance door swung open, spilling light into the room.

Three figures stood there.

One of them hesitated. "Your Majesty, what are you— Ah!!"

The blood in the cylinders trembled, forming small whirlpools, converging toward the entrance.

Has the Magnet-Magnet Fruit's user refined his abilities to the point of controlling the iron in blood? B.I.B. mused.

Then, without hesitation, it morphed into a shadow and shot upward.

At the entrance stood the king, a burly pirate-like man, and Princess Oroson, who followed silently.

B.I.B.'s left fist clenched, blue flame-like markings swirling over its skin. Unnoticed by the three, it drove its fist clean through the king's chest as he reached for the pirate's throat.

...

Blood sprayed.

The man's chest burst open, an arrow embedded diagonally in the ground behind him, its fletching quivering.

Thud.

The pirate knelt, eyes widening, before collapsing.

A Kuja warrior flipped gracefully behind him, retrieving the arrow from the ground. In a single motion, she nocked it on her serpent bow and let it fly.

The arrow, coated in a thin layer of Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), spiraled through the air, narrowly missing another Kuja warrior locked in combat, grazing Sandersonia's hair as she toyed with several Marines, and skimming past Marigold as she sent foes flying with her palms.

It streaked toward a Marine Vice Admiral with an odd hairstyle and an equally odd name— Momonga.

Vice Admiral Momonga's expression was grim. By the time the arrow reached him, his sword was already drawn.

The moment the arrowhead met his blade, it was severed clean in two—his sword coated in black Haki, splitting the arrow from tip to fletching.

Without missing a beat, he redirected his blade toward Liam, who was toying with Smoker.

But before the attack could land—

A black high heel descended from above, intercepting his strike.

"He's enjoying his little game," a voice purred. "Who said you could interrupt?"

(End of Chapter)

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