With this unexpected discovery, Ryūjin did not hesitate. He absorbed the Devil Fruit in his hand completely, leaving nothing behind.
In just a moment, the plump fruit shriveled into a dry husk.
"My Yin Release chakra has improved slightly, but it is still not enough."
He frowned slightly, though the excitement in his eyes did not fade.
A clear path to greater strength had just opened before him.
If all seven chakra natures, wind, lightning, water, fire, earth, Yin, and Yang, underwent this kind of transformation, what level would he reach?
The thought alone was enough to interest him.
Splash.
He casually tossed the empty husk into the sea.
Afterward, he carefully checked his body. Even though he had absorbed the fruit's energy, he did not gain any Devil Fruit ability.
He reached down and touched the seawater.
Nothing.
No weakness, no discomfort.
The ocean had no effect on him.
That made sense. He had not eaten the fruit, so the lineage factor never entered his body. No mutation, no curse.
Boom, boom, boom.
Cannon fire suddenly echoed from behind him.
Ryūjin turned his head slightly and smirked.
The Ursa Pirates had decided to attack him.
Three cannonballs tore through the air, heading straight toward him.
"Die, brat!"
"How dare you provoke Captain Evil Bear!"
"Blow him apart!"
The pirates shouted wildly.
Only Nami sighed quietly. Another unlucky person about to die to cannon fire.
But just before the cannonballs struck, Ryūjin lifted his hand slightly.
The cannonballs froze mid-air.
Then reversed direction.
"What?!"
Shock spread across the pirate ship.
"He's an ability user too?"
"And that power…"
They could not identify it, but it was clearly far beyond a simple Zoan ability.
"Damn it!" Evil Bear cursed, his face twisting.
Boom, boom, boom.
The cannonballs shot back.
Two splashed into the sea.
One slammed directly into the ship.
"Move!"
"Get away!"
The pirates panicked.
Boom.
The explosion tore through the deck, blowing a massive hole and killing several pirates instantly.
The once-arrogant crew fell into chaos.
"Retreat! Move now!" Evil Bear shouted in fear.
The crew scrambled, raising sails and turning the ship as fast as possible.
They fled.
But Ryūjin did not intend to let them go.
He stood on his small boat, hands forming seals.
"Water Release, Water Dragon Bullet."
Nami, watching from a distance, frowned.
"What is he doing?"
She could not understand his movements, but an uneasy feeling crept into her chest.
Then the sea exploded.
Water surged upward violently.
Everyone turned to look.
Their eyes widened in horror.
A massive water dragon rose from the ocean.
It was enormous, several meters thick and dozens of meters long, larger than their ship.
In the East Blue, something like this was unimaginable.
Fear gripped every pirate onboard.
The water dragon roared forward, stirring the sea into chaos.
The ship rocked violently, throwing everyone off balance.
Then it struck.
Crash.
The ship flipped instantly.
"The ship is capsizing!"
"We're finished!"
Desperate screams filled the air.
The ocean swallowed everything.
As a Devil Fruit user, Evil Bear could not even struggle. The moment he hit the water, his body stiffened and sank.
He disappeared first.
Nami clung to a piece of wreckage, her face pale.
"Is this really how it ends?"
She had survived countless dangers, stolen treasure after treasure, all to save Cocoyasi Village.
And now she would die like this, without even trying.
"It's all that idiot's fault," she cursed inwardly.
Then she heard something.
Splashes.
She looked up.
Her eyes widened completely.
Ryūjin was running across the surface of the sea.
Running straight toward her.
"Am I hallucinating?"
Her mind went blank.
A trail of water followed behind him as he moved.
Moments later, he stopped right in front of her.
"Need help?" Ryūjin said, a faint smirk on his face.
"Help! I'm going under!" Nami shouted desperately.
Ryūjin raised his hand slightly.
An invisible force lifted her out of the water and suspended her in front of him.
"I'm saved… wait, why am I floating?!" she screamed.
Ryūjin glanced at her, slightly annoyed by the volume.
"Don't kill me! I'm not with them! I'm just a thief, I snuck onboard to steal treasure!" Nami blurted out quickly.
"Do I look like someone who kills for no reason?" Ryūjin said flatly.
Nami forced a stiff smile.
You just wiped out an entire pirate crew, and you're asking that?
But she nodded quickly.
"Not at all. You look reliable, strong, and obviously a good person."
"Good," Ryūjin replied. "Then you won't mind working as my navigator."
Nami froze.
She wanted to refuse immediately.
Following someone like this felt dangerous.
And she still had her goal, saving Cocoyasi Village from Arlong.
But looking at Ryūjin, she did not dare say no.
"I'm willing," she said quickly.
"Smart choice."
Ryūjin nodded.
"Let's move."
Nami looked around.
The pirate ship was gone, completely sunk.
Only Ryūjin's small boat remained in the distance.
That tiny, useless boat.
"We're… taking that?" she asked weakly.
Ryūjin shook his head.
"Why would we, when there's a better option?"
Before she could react, he grabbed her and lifted into the air.
Her eyes widened again.
He extended his hand toward the sea.
A powerful force surged outward.
The ocean churned violently.
Massive waves rose as something was dragged upward.
The wrecked Ursa Pirate ship burst out of the sea.
Empty.
Silent.
Everyone else was already dead.
Ryūjin landed lightly on the deck, still holding Nami.
She stood there, completely stunned.
"So that's your ability… controlling gravity," she muttered.
It explained everything.
The cannonballs, the water, the flight.
A terrifying power.
She swallowed nervously.
"I ended up following a monster…"