I'm Not Interested in Devil Fruits

Liam stepped out of the cabin. 

The Kuja girls guarding the deck couldn't help but giggle and glance at him as he emerged. He walked to the ship's edge, enjoying the sea breeze. In the distance, an island was slowly appearing on the horizon.

"I can't imagine Kuma being the 'Tyrant' described in the books..."

Robin joined him, leaning against the railing. "Could someone really change that drastically? From a brutal king to a kind and gentle man...?" She paused. "And he's also Dragon's companion."

Their time with Dragon on Momoiro Island was brief, and he was always quiet. But his few words held the sharpness of a sword – he'd dared to plunder the 'Heavenly Tribute' meant for the Celestial Dragons. Kuma, as Dragon's companion, clearly had his approval. This seemed to contradict the "Tyrant" in the records.

'Could the book be twisting history?' Robin doubted it. 

The events were only fourteen years ago, and some Sorbet Kingdom citizens had fled to other islands. If the record of the "Tyrant General's ship destroying pirates and his own people" was fabricated, those citizens would easily expose it.

Liam closed his eyes, breathing deeply. "Don't forget the Paw-Paw Fruit."

Robin was surprised. "You mean... Kuma's change might be because he obtained the Paw-Paw Fruit as a pirate, and it 'bounced' his 'Tyrant' personality out of him? Is that even possible?"

Liam smiled. "As long as the development aligns with the fruit's characteristics, I think it's possible. The Paw-Paw Fruit's core is 'rebound,' not just 'bear paw prints.' As long as you don't deviate from 'rebound,' the rest is just a matter of how you develop it."

Robin smiled thoughtfully. "To receive guidance from a Devil Fruit genius like you is an honor."

Liam reached out, gently rubbing her cheeks – accidentally rubbing off the Flower-Flower Fruit disguise, turning it into scattered petals.

"Such a hassle."

Robin rolled her eyes, but since the other Kuja warriors weren't paying attention, she let him continue.

Soon, her true appearance was revealed. Her features were more defined, with a straight, prominent nose. Her face exuded both softness and strength.

Perhaps from always wearing a "human mask," her true skin was unusually soft, almost like a baby's – white and slightly flushed, with a translucent, jade-like texture, so tender it seemed collagen might spill out.

Liam shielded her from the others.

Robin said, "So, what's the core of the Flower-Flower Fruit? Is it the ability to create petals?"

Then she denied her own suggestion. "No... creating petals is just a misleading feature, like 'bear paw prints.'"

The Flower-Flower Fruit couldn't create flowers at will. No matter how Robin developed it, she couldn't create different types of flowers – poisonous ones, anesthetic ones, hypnotic ones, or other special flowers.

It's like the Paw-Paw Fruit can't grow various "meatballs" on itself or others.

"It's 'condensed clones,'" Robin murmured, recalling notes from the first-generation Kuja Emperor Lily that Snake Princess had shown her. 

The notes documented Lily's findings on Kano Country's national treasure, the Flower-Flower Fruit, which she'd studied there. "If I want to fully develop the Flower-Flower Fruit, I need to grasp the core concept of the Flower-Flower Fruit."

From what they'd learned, every Devil Fruit had a set of core abilities integrated when it was created.

For example, a Gasu Gasu no Mi user doesn't need to know much about gas science to produce and control various gases. Similarly, a Flower-Flower Fruit user doesn't need to understand why petals can form into human shapes, as the fruit's core ability handles that. 

However, since the Flower-Flower Fruit can create petals, if Robin wanted to create other types of petals, or develop a skill that deviates significantly from the fruit's core ability, she would need to know everything about each flower she wished to create. 

The materials of the petals, the substances that make them up, and if there were any toxins involved, she would have to be familiar with each one.

Therefore, Liam believed that even if someone obtained the Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder Thunder Fruit), if they weren't an expert in electromagnetism, familiar with the principles of electromagnetic conversion, they wouldn't be able to use the Goro Goro no Mi to derive magnetic-related skills. 

This is because the core of the Goro Goro no Mi most likely revolves around lightning, not magnetism.

'Want to generate electricity? No problem, the fruit helps with that. But generating magnetism? Do you know how to calculate magnetic flux? How much current generates how much magnetism, how to constrain the range of magnetism? Even if you know the calculations, can you keep up in a fast-paced battle?'

In simple terms, Liam thought that using a fruit's core abilities to fight was like a pirate king's style. But deviating from the core abilities suddenly turned the battle into a completely different style, like something out of a school city.

Liam patted the green buns on her head, smiling. "Aren't you a historian? For combat, isn't having B.I.B. to assist enough?"

"Didn't you say I also need to improve my own strength?" Robin nudged his chin with her head. "And as Captain, I need to have my own combat style occasionally..."

The two continued chatting on the deck as the Kujapirate ship neared the island. As they got closer, Liam's Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) picked up the presence of a ship nearby.

"Is it a pirate ship?" Robin asked.

From the lookout tower, a Kuja warrior with a monocular shouted, "It's not a pirate ship, and it doesn't look like a merchant ship either... It just seems like a regular small sailing ship... Looks like they've spotted us, ah, are they trying to flee?"

"I'll go take a look."

Liam waved and then jumped up from the deck, walking through the air with no one noticing. With each step, a series of explosive sounds erupted beneath his feet as he glided effortlessly through the air. Within just twenty steps, he landed on the railing of the other ship, standing in front of a couple with faces filled with terror, or perhaps awe.

"Yo," Liam said, hands in his pockets, giving a polite greeting. He looked down at the terrified couple and then glanced at the woman behind them, who appeared to be about six or seven meters tall. "I'm Giorno. Are you also headed to the island ahead?"

(End Of The Chapter)

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