008 Directions for Fruit Development

In the dead of night, Marineford had fallen into silence. The whole area was illuminated only by bright lights and the persistent chorus of frogs.

Returning from Zephyr’s quarters, Xuan Ye hurried to his bed, eager to absorb the rare knowledge he had gained. After all, the guidance of a master was incomparable to fumbling about on his own. He had known a few things from watching anime in his previous life, but those were merely idle musings—nothing like the reality of living in this world. To witness something and to experience it firsthand were two entirely different sensations.

An hour later, Xuan Ye let out a heavy sigh of relief, his eyes glinting with a newfound sharpness. “Indeed, having a renowned teacher makes all the difference.” After digesting Zephyr’s teachings, he felt his mind and experience had grown considerably. Perhaps the change wasn’t yet obvious, but he believed that from now on, he would avoid many unnecessary detours.

“A rare opportunity for guidance—I must seize it.” He thought. “Now that today’s training is over, it’s time to develop the powers of the Devil Fruit.”

He stepped off the bed, sitting cross-legged on the floor as a mantle of gold-red flame enveloped him. With the fire’s emergence, the tiles beneath him visibly reddened, gradually melting away.

“I still can’t control it properly—the energy overflow is too much,” he muttered with a furrowed brow, discontent. If the flame’s energy amounted to a hundred, he could only command about seventy.

“Never mind that for now. I should first decide on the direction for development.” Cloaked in fire, Xuan Ye fell into contemplation.

“The Golden Crow, a being from Chinese mythology, eventually grows into the sun. But that power is still far beyond me. Born in the sun, the Golden Crow naturally manipulates fire. So, I must not overlook the aspect of flame. I recall Ace had the Flame-Flame Fruit, but ultimately died at the hands of Akainu.

“Fire? Is it truly inferior to magma? I don’t think so. If fire’s temperature is high enough—if it becomes like the sun—I refuse to believe magma could surpass it. Fire’s heat can increase without limit, whereas magma only reaches a few thousand degrees at most.

“If I push fire’s development to millions, tens of millions, or even billions of degrees, I’m certain even a tiny spark could scorch the earth for miles, turning vast lands into a sea of magma and flame. At that point, burning the heavens and boiling the seas would no longer be mere fantasy.

“Moreover, flame has endless variations. If Kizaru can weaponize light, so can fire. Speaking of light, since the Golden Crow can become the sun, and the sun transmits light, whose essence is fire and heat, can I extend my abilities to include light-based powers? Ultraviolet rays, beams of light, cutting rays, and so on?

“I remember fire can also alter magnetic fields—gravity, buoyancy, attraction, repulsion. Damn, I wish I’d studied this more in my previous life. Fire is essential to the world and can be extended to light, seasons, temperature...

“Most importantly, the Golden Crow form itself deserves thorough development. As a mythical beast, it surely holds greater power than this.”

Xuan Ye raised his hands, his eyes burning gold and red. Visibly, his whole body was wrapped in golden flames. Within the fire, a massive creature emerged, about five meters long and two meters wide.

The terrifying heat caused the air to ripple. Within the flames, a majestic giant bird stood upright, wings folded, its body ablaze with gold and crimson. Atop its head sat a crown-shaped crest of gold, purple, and blue feathers, while three distinctive golden-purple tail feathers trailed behind. Its abdomen bore three legs—a wondrous bird, regal and fierce, as if ready to take flight and shatter the void at any moment.

Especially those three strange legs—the mere sight made Xuan Ye’s scalp tingle. He felt that those savage claws could slice through iron as easily as mud.

The bird’s presence radiated ferocity and majesty, unmatched and invincible, its entire being seething with murderous energy, as if intent on burning the world to ash. Yet beneath the wildness and fury lay an aura of nobility and pride, like a sovereign whose dignity could not be defiled.

Power—boundless power—filled Xuan Ye. He felt as though he could soar across the heavens at will. If his strength as a human was that of a major, then transformed, he was instantly at the level of a colonel.

It was clear: after transformation, his offensive, regenerative, and endurance abilities all rose by at least two levels. This was only because he was currently weak. Xuan Ye believed that as he grew stronger, the Golden Crow form would one day enable him to burn the sky and boil the sea, roaming the world unhindered.

“A mythical beast indeed. If only I could reveal my full power—I’d love to spread my wings and fly, just once. It’s said the Golden Crow can travel as a rainbow; I wonder if that compares to Kizaru’s speed of light.”

Returning to human form, Xuan Ye’s lips curled into a sly smile.

Deep in thought, he organized his ideas, murmuring to himself, “For now, I’ll focus my development in three directions. Trying for too much will get me nowhere, especially since I still need to learn the Six Powers and Haki—time is tight.”

“First, fire itself cannot be neglected. Both its temperature and versatility must be pushed to the limit.

“Second, the radiant and thermal energies of fire. If I can develop cutting flames or light rays, my combat power will soar. Ultraviolet, radiation—these are formidable forces. And magnetic fields—gravity, attraction... Sadly, I never studied these seriously before. These extended abilities will have to be explored gradually. Truly, you only realize what you lack when you need it.

“Third, the Golden Crow itself. Regeneration, endurance, physical strength, speed—all must be further enhanced. But everything depends on the body, so physical training cannot merely be maintained, it must be increased.”

For now, Xuan Ye had only thought of these three directions. Yet, bolstered by experience, he believed he would grow ever stronger, not weaker. Most importantly, this Devil Fruit was simply too powerful.

“Tomorrow, my master should teach me the Six Powers—which ones should I choose?” Having settled his thoughts on fruit development, Xuan Ye turned to the Six Powers.

They were Finger Gun, Iron Body, Shave, Moon Step, Tempest Kick, and Paper Art—all martial arts that surpassed human limits, rare and invaluable abilities. Undoubtedly, mastering any one of them offered a chance to struggle in the vast sea.

Recalling his understanding of the Six Powers and Zephyr’s teachings, Xuan Ye decided to learn only three.

“Finger Gun, combined with the Devil Fruit, should unleash tremendous power. In Golden Crow form, the three legs would be sharper and tougher. Add Armament Haki, and... ha ha...” His eyes brightened at the thought of facing an enemy—one grab, one hole—just imagining it made his heart race. He had no doubt Finger Gun could be applied to the feet as well.

After all, hands and feet are much the same; the only difference is dexterity. Xuan Ye believed it would just require extra effort.

“Next is Shave—a technique for explosive speed. Paired with the Golden Crow’s rainbow-like swiftness, the results would be terrifying. Then Moon Step—a skill for traversing the air, very practical. These three not only work in human form but can unleash even greater power after transformation.”

“As for Paper Art, with Observation Haki, it’s not so useful. Iron Body—with the Golden Crow’s regeneration, it’s not a priority. Tempest Kick—once I develop fruit-based techniques, it can be set aside. Life Return? For a mythical Zoan, it’s not very effective. If I had plenty of time, I might learn them, but for now, it’s best to let them go.”

Xuan Ye gave a wry smile; after all, he was only human, his energy limited.

He knew there was much to learn: Shave, Finger Gun, Moon Step, the three types of Haki, and as for Conqueror’s Haki, he would leave that to fate. Then there were the three directions for fruit development—all requiring time. He feared that greed would leave him unable to digest everything, and impatience would only hinder progress. Step by step, he thought, was the only way to quickly master his power.

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