Devil Fruit #49

The lid was soon opened by Blake, revealing three peculiar fruits. Two of them were transparent white apples, while the third had the shape of a green droplet, covered with jagged swirls. 

Law looked puzzled at the sight. "These are Devil Fruits, aren't they?" he asked.

Blake shook his head. "Not all of them... just this one," he explained, pointing at the green droplet-shaped fruit. 

"When I found it on the island, it looked just like the other two," he added, his finger moving toward the transparent apples. "I believe they are capable of drawing the Devil Fruit powers of their deceased owners," he concluded.

His words left the crew baffled, but Law was the only one who truly grasped the ramifications. 

Eyes wide in shock, Law voiced his skepticism. "Do you even understand what you're saying?!" he questioned. "A major contributing factor to the worth and rarity of devil fruits is the fact that they would reincarnate into a random part of the world after the death of their users..." 

Law rubbed his forehead feeling an impending headache. "For the means to trap devil fruits after the death of their users to exist... it would cause chaos all over the world... no devil fruit user would be safe," he said through gritted teeth. "In the first place, how did you even come to that conclusion...?" 

Blake let out a sigh and rubbed the back of his head. "Because this one is Artur Bacca's Devil Liquification Fruit... it transformed into this shape the same day I put a bullet in his head," he explained, his gaze shifting to the green Devil Fruit.

Law sighed heavily, contemplating the green Devil Fruit in front of them. "If that's the case, then you're probably right," he conceded. "Either way... this is an extremely valuable Devil Fruit. What do you plan to do with it?"

Blake shrugged indifferently. "I'm not interested in eating it myself," he replied casually. "I've thought about selling it, but that would be a waste. If someone with its power joined us, repairing the ship's hull would be a breeze—just liquify the damaged part, mend it, and bring everything back to a solid state."

Law nodded in agreement. "You're not wrong. It would certainly save us a lot of trouble and money," he mused, turning to glance at Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi. "But who should eat it?"

Double Six perked up at the mention. "Let me eat it! I already know a thing or two about carpentry, metalwork, and tinkering," he volunteered eagerly. "With this Devil Fruit, I can tag along and fix the ship!"

Law shot Double Six a curious look, a dangerous grin beginning to spread across his face. "Sure... help yourself," he said casually, gesturing towards the green Devil Fruit.

Double Six hesitated for a moment, taken aback by Law's uncharacteristic acquiescence. It was a departure from Law's usual demeanor, but Double Six didn't dwell on it, seizing the opportunity before it slipped away. As he reached toward the green Devil Fruit, his hand halted abruptly as he felt another grip his wrist.

"See, I knew you'd show your true colors, you stingy—" he began, only to pause mid-sentence as he looked up and saw it wasn't Law restraining him but Blake.

Blake offered a bittersweet smile. "You really shouldn't do that," he cautioned, shaking his head. "You can only eat one Devil Fruit... try to eat another and your body will explode," he explained, prompting a frustrated click of Law's tongue.

Double Six was instantly outraged and thoroughly offended. "You bastard! Are you trying to kill me?! And did you just click your tongue in disappointment because I fell for it?!" he exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Law.

Law shamelessly dismissed Double Six's accusations. "I don't know what you're talking about," he retorted. "Besides, you did fall for it, didn't you, you dumb bastard?" he added, scowling at Double Six.

"Bastard, you really were trying to kill me! What did I ever do to you?!" Double Six shouted, his protests falling on deaf ears. Law ignored him and turned back to Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi.

"So... who's going to eat the Devil Fruit?" he asked, frowning.

Bepo rubbed the back of his head, looking sheepish. "I like swimming, so I'll pass... sorry," he said.

Penguin and Shachi exchanged glances. Without missing a beat, they both started moving their hands and mouths at the same time. "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" they exclaimed in unison, both choosing scissors.

They glared at each other and tried again, each round ending in a stalemate as they both kept choosing scissors. This went on for several minutes.

Blake, growing impatient, picked up the Devil Fruit and hurled it into the air with all his might. "Let's settle it this way... the fruit will fall into the sea in a few seconds. Whoever gets both hands on it first can eat it," he declared, watching the fruit disappear into the sky.

Shachi and Penguin shot each other glares before shoving each other out of the way, sprinting towards the railing, and diving into the water.

Blake couldn't help but chuckle as he watched the two splash into the sea, still pushing and pulling one another. "Well, that's settles it," he said, shaking his head in amusement.

Law sighed, crossing his arms as he observed the commotion. "Let's hope they don't drown each other in the process," he muttered.

Blake chuckled nonchalantly. "Anyway... what have you been up to while I was away?" he asked, shifting his attention to Law. "Do we have enough money to buy what we need from that broker?"

Law nodded. "It should be more than enough," he stated. "We've already dealt with all the gangs and robbed them of everything worth having."

Blake smiled, looking satisfied. "I knew leaving it to you would be the right choice... aren't I a great captain?" he boasted shamelessly, prompting Law to roll his eyes.

"In any case, we can pay a visit to this so-called broker once I've had some rest," Blake said, leaning against the railing and watching Penguin and Shachi still fighting over the Devil Fruit in the water.

Law sighed, glancing over at the chaos in the sea. "They better not waste that fruit," he muttered.

Blake shrugged. "They'll figure it out. They're persistent enough."

Double Six, still grumbling about his near-death experience, walked over to join them. "You guys always this lively?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Blake nodded. "Pretty much. Keeps things interesting."

Law smirked. "Interesting is one way to put it. Chaotic might be more accurate."

Blake laughed. "A little chaos never killed anyone... well, probably." He turned his gaze back to the horizon, a contented smile on his face as he patted Sif's head. 

...

Meanwhile, on Downs Island, inside a dilapidated shack on the shores of the garbage-heaps-covered island, Karasu sat behind an old desk, inspecting a map of North Blue. 

He had already evacuated the people living in the worst conditions from this island, and it was time for him to leave for another place where he was needed. He was conflicted between heading to Spider Miles or Kuen Village, where the living conditions for the civilians were amongst the worst in the region.

Before he could make a decision, Jiron, his deputy, walked into the shack. Karasu looked up, ready to speak, but Jiron raised his hand, cutting him off. "Please turn on the speaker on your mask before talking. I won't be able to make out your muttering otherwise," he said in an urging tone.

Karasu's eyes twitched in annoyance at the mention of his habit of muttering inaudibly, but he complied nonetheless. He adjusted the mask on his face and activated the speaker. "What is it, Jiron? Did our men clash with the gangs again?" he asked with a sigh, his voice now clear and resonant.

Jiron shook his head. "No, it's not that. We've received some troubling news," he said, his tone serious tone, taking a deep breath. "There's been a significant increase in marine activity near Spider Miles. It seems they're planning a large-scale operation," he explained.

Karasu's frown deepened. "Spider Miles? If the Marines take care of the gangs there, that would make things easier for both the citizens and ease our workload," he said, trailing off thoughtfully. "But why now? They were content to let it rot for such a long time..."

Jiron gave Karasu a curious look. "Well, something big happened in Spider Miles... something that's hard to believe," he said with a chuckle. "And it's actually related to the same man who took down Artur Bacca..."