Throne Of Supreme

Chapter 284: Distribution of Devil Fruits

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After confirming the results of the small experiment, Aoki called Kurome, Akame, and Esdeath together. He pulled out three peculiar fruits, two of which looked identical.

Kurome tilted her head in curiosity. "What are these?"

Aoki explained, "These are Devil Fruits, a specialty of this world. Eating one grants you extraordinary powers. The only drawback is that you'll become unable to swim and will fear water."

"Extraordinary powers? Like blood demon arts?" Akame asked.

For them, the concept wasn't difficult to grasp.

Aoki nodded. "Similar, but much stronger."

"Stronger?" The three exchanged looks, their interest evident. In their eyes, blood demon arts were already powerful enough, comparable to imperial weapons. The idea of something even more potent was intriguing.

Aoki handed the unique fruit to Esdeath.

"This one's for you," he said.

It was the Human-Human Fruit: Mythical Zoan, Snow-Woman model. Aoki had chosen it specifically for Esdeath—it was practically tailored for her abilities and nature.

Esdeath took the fruit, studying it with mild curiosity.

"Eat it directly," Aoki instructed. "But be warned—the taste is awful."

Esdeath didn't hesitate. She raised the fruit to her mouth and took a bite. The moment she did, her expression froze. Slowly, she turned to Aoki, her icy blue eyes silently questioning his definition of "awful."

Both Kurome and Akame leaned forward, curiosity evident in their expressions. What kind of taste could make Esdeath, of all people, react like this?

Taking a deep breath, Esdeath gritted her teeth and finished the fruit in a few determined bites, her face darkening with each swallow.

"How is it?" Aoki asked, a hint of amusement in his tone.

Esdeath forced herself to forget the unpleasant experience, closing her eyes and focusing. After a moment, her expression shifted, her eyes burning with intensity. Two words escaped her lips:

"Very strong."

"Show me your Snow-Woman form," Aoki prompted.

Esdeath took a moment to prepare. Then, an overwhelming aura surged from her body. Her long blue hair turned snow white, and snowflakes danced in the air, coalescing into a flowing white dress. On her head, an elegant ice-crystal crown appeared, radiating a frosty brilliance.

"Is that it?" Aoki asked, a bit surprised.

Esdeath nodded calmly.

"Zoan Devil Fruits usually involve less dramatic transformations," Aoki muttered to himself before pushing the thought aside. "What new abilities did you gain?"

"Greater control over ice and snow," Esdeath replied, raising her hand. Snowflakes began to fall around her, and the air grew cold. As she moved, her figure seemed to blur and fade into the swirling frost.

She continued, "I can also manipulate ice and snow to create illusions."

The surroundings transformed in an instant. The lush greenery of their alternate dimension gave way to a barren, snow-covered landscape.

Dozens of identical copies of Esdeath emerged from the icy mist, each indistinguishable from the original.

A few moments later, the illusion vanished, leaving only Esdeath, surrounded by faintly glowing snowflakes.

Aoki surveyed the scene with interest. "Ice and illusions… not bad."

Esdeath's illusions dissipated, and the environment returned to normal. She added, "There's something else. I can feel a new kind of energy within me."

"What kind of energy?" Aoki asked.

Esdeath fell silent, her expression thoughtful. Then, her gaze locked onto Aoki's, and an immense, suffocating pressure radiated from her. Even Aoki, who had experienced countless battles, felt a ripple of surprise.

"Conqueror's Haki?" Aoki murmured, though he wasn't entirely shocked.

It wasn't unusual for someone to awaken Haki after consuming a Devil Fruit. In this world, everyone had the potential for Haki—it was simply a matter of unlocking it. The Devil Fruit had evidently adjusted Esdeath's physiology, aligning it with this world's laws, enabling her to wield Haki.

The type of Haki—whether Observation, Armament, or Conqueror's—depended on individual qualities.

Aoki wasn't surprised that Esdeath had awakened Conqueror's Haki. If anyone was qualified to possess it, it was her.

But…

Had she awakened it so quickly?

Not only that, but she had already grasped the basic method of using it.

Was this even scientifically possible?

"Conquerer Haki?"

Esdeath looked at Aoki, puzzled. Kurome and Akame also glanced at him curiously.

Aoki nodded and explained, "Haki is a unique power in this world. There are three main types."

He raised his arm, and a layer of Armament Haki flowed over his fist, turning it a deep purple-black. "What you just used is called Conqueror's Haki. What I'm showing now is Armament Haki. The third is called Observation Haki."

Akame's eyes lit up with recognition. "That's the power you used when you fought Esdeath!"

Aoki nodded, confirming her observation. "Exactly. But don't underestimate Haki. This power isn't inferior to Devil Fruit abilities—it might even surpass them in some cases."

Esdeath nodded seriously, her eyes brimming with determination. "I understand!"

"I'll teach you how to use Haki properly later," Aoki promised before turning his attention to Akame and Kurome. "Now it's your turn."

The two sisters glanced at the table, where the remaining Devil Fruits sat.

"As you can see, these two Devil Fruits are identical—they're both Thunder Fruits. Eating one will grant you control over thunder and lightning. It works like this."

Aoki raised his palm, and bolts of crackling lightning erupted from his hand. The energy roared upward, filling the air with electric currents that spread across the entire alternate dimension in the blink of an eye.

"It's your choice whether to eat them or not," he said plainly.

Aoki's statement wasn't without reason. The Thunder Fruit, while a top-tier Logia type, wasn't perfectly compatible with either of their fighting styles.

Akame's combat style was straightforward and practical, whereas the flashy, wide-range abilities of the Thunder Fruit clashed with her temperament.

Kurome, on the other hand, relied heavily on her Yatsufusa puppets. For a summoner, the Thunder Fruit offered even less synergy.

Ideally, they'd benefit more from unique Paramecia-type fruits tailored to their abilities. Unfortunately, finding the perfect Devil Fruit was no easy task.

Without access to a Devil Fruit encyclopedia, it was impossible to identify the powers of a fruit just by looking at it. And hunting down specific abilities from other users was even less feasible.

This wasn't the Dark-Dark Fruit, capable of reliably seizing abilities from others.

Still, the Thunder Fruit was a rare and immensely powerful Logia type. Even with lower compatibility, its sheer strength made it a worthwhile choice. If their natural styles clashed with it, they could compensate by integrating its abilities into their combat systems.

Akame broke the silence first. "If I eat the Thunder Fruit, will I also gain Haki?"

She seemed more interested in Haki than the fruit's elemental abilities.

Aoki nodded. "Yes. With Logia Fruits, it's almost guaranteed. Like Zoan types, they transform your body, which naturally awakens Haki potential."

Satisfied with the answer, Akame picked up one of the Thunder Fruits and took a bite.

Crunch.

Her face immediately froze.

As someone who prided herself on enjoying a wide variety of foods, Akame had tasted her fair share of strange and unpleasant things. But this… this was on an entirely different level.

Esdeath, who had been watching her intently, couldn't help but smirk with amusement. A rare glimmer of delight danced in her eyes.

"How bad is it?" Kurome asked curiously, glancing at her sister's reaction before picking up the remaining Thunder Fruit and taking a bite herself.

Snap.

Her expression froze just as quickly.