Chapter 18: [18] : The Horse-Horse Fruit, Pegasus Form!
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The treasure resting quietly in the vault was a white, banana-shaped fruit with feather-like patterns. Arthur immediately lost interest.
Banana-shaped fruits were almost always Zoan-type, utterly useless. Aside from Mythical Zoans, which were even rarer than Logia-types, Arthur had no interest in any Zoan fruits.
He didn't think his luck was that extraordinary, getting the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and then a Mythical Zoan right after.
"I robbed Enel of his destiny—so I'll compensate him with this fruit," Arthur mused, stroking his chin. He considered himself a benevolent person.
Mood dictates action!
Arthur was in an exceptionally good mood, making decisions based on his whims.
He was gradually becoming more unrestrained—his actions carrying a sense of casualness. When his spirit was strong enough—he was sure his Conqueror's Haki would awaken as well.
Reborn into the Seabury family, bearing the initial "D" in his name, being the natural enemy of God, his destiny was already extraordinary. He possessed the qualities of a king. As long as he nurtured his spirit—awakening Conqueror's Haki would be a cinch.
...
Tucking the white Zoan fruit into his clothes, Arthur flew out of the hole he'd blasted.
The ancient ship was being steadily swallowed by the encroaching seawater and clouds. It was at its end, about to sink at any moment. But Arthur wouldn't forget it. It was here that he had obtained the power that would influence his life forever.
Hovering in the air—Arthur watched solemnly as the giant ship was devoured by the sea. Then he returned to the Waver, parked not far away.
The Rumble-Rumble Fruit granted flight and the ability to stay airborne for extended periods. But long-distance flight would drain his stamina.
Recalling the trials and tribulations of the past year, all his efforts had finally yielded a bountiful reward. A smile touched Arthur's lips as he piloted the Waver back towards Birka.
"Next, I need to get the blueprints for the 'Ark Maxim' from Birka. There are no strong fighters on the island—No one can stop me."
Arthur didn't care if Enel could return to the—Endless Vearth, in the future. Compensating him with a Zoan Devil Fruit was already a great kindness. What more could he want, a bicycle?
"After I get Maxim's blueprints, should I focus on developing my fruit powers for a while, or directly attack Upper Yard? All that gold up there won't run away. I should train first. Strength is the foundation of everything," he pondered silently.
Even though the Rumble-Rumble Fruit allowed for elementalization, making him untouchable to those without Armament Haki, maintaining that form required stamina.
Arthur didn't know how many guards were on Upper Yard, so he decided to postpone his attack.
He wouldn't underestimate the power of Logia fruits as being invincible. If he became that arrogant, he wouldn't know how he died in the future.
Ace thought the same when he first set sail. He fought Warlord Jinbe for five days and five nights, believing himself to be invincible.
Then he foolishly challenged Whitebeard. If it weren't for Whitebeard's magnanimous spirit—not taking him seriously, Ace would have been crushed with a single quake-punch.
He was lucky he didn't challenge Big Mom or Kaido. Otherwise—he wouldn't have even made it to the Summit War. He would've been instantly killed.
The Waver sped in the direction he had come from. He didn't need to waste any time. In just half a day, Birka was in sight.
Arthur leaped, soaring into the sky, his body transforming into lightning as he flew.
Flying now felt like an instinct, no training required.
He descended as a bolt of lightning, landing in front of Enel's house. He snuck in silently.
...
It was midday. Every household was starting to cook lunch. There were few people on the streets. No one could see him.
Enel was no exception. He was in the kitchen, preparing his meager meal.
He had no means of production. He could only scavenge for fish and shrimp on the beach or steal some food.
Arthur took out the Devil Fruit. While Enel wasn't looking, he placed it in the apple basket nearby.
Enel's favorite food was apples. He occasionally ate bananas too. He would surely see it soon.
Arthur hid behind the door, watching him through the crack. He didn't leave immediately because he wanted to see what that fruit's power was.
Enel was completely oblivious. He finished his fish, let out a satisfied burp, and reached into the basket.
However, he didn't pull out a round apple as usual. Instead, he pulled out a banana-shaped object.
"What kind of fruit is this? A banana?" Enel was surprised, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
There was no one to answer him. He was just asking himself.
He peeled the white skin, revealing the patterned flesh inside. Enel looked disgusted. But he thought about how he had no food to waste, so he decided to eat this "banana."
He wolfed it down.
As Arthur expected, Enel couldn't stand the anti-human taste of the Devil Fruit. In fact, no living creature could.
He vomited until bile came up. Finally, he recovered. But then, something strange happened...
The clothes on Enel's back bulged. It was as if something was about to burst out.
"Rip!"
His clothes tore open. A pair of pure white wings emerged from his back, just like the Skypieans, but several times larger.
"Zoan Mythical type, Human-Human Fruit—Angel Form?" Arthur was startled. He felt cheated. If it really was a Mythical Zoan, he wouldn't have been willing to give it away. Good things should be kept for oneself, even if they rotted, rather than given to others, unless they were family.
Then, he frowned. "No, it might be another form of the Bird-Bird Fruit!"
After all, just because it had wings didn't make it a Mythical Zoan. Most Bird-Bird Fruit users had wings.
Enel's transformation continued. After growing huge wings, his face began to change.
His earlobes gradually retracted, turning into a pair of horse ears. His face began to elongate. Soon, he had an incredibly long horse face. Even his limbs showed signs of transforming into hooves.
"Isn't this—the Zoan-type Horse-Horse Fruit, Pegasus Form, eaten by the sky bird that is the mount of the God of Skypiea—Gan Fall?"
Arthur was stunned, staring wide-eyed as Enel showed signs of transforming into a Pegasus.
But he was still young. His body was not fully developed. He was also malnourished. He didn't have the stamina to complete the transformation.
After just a minute, he reverted to his human form, collapsing on the ground, panting heavily.
"That makes sense. There are only two Devil Fruits on Sky Island. I ate one. This is the other one. Gan Fall's bird wasn't lucky enough to get it."
It had been a long time since 1520. It was perfectly normal that the sky bird hadn't eaten the fruit yet.
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