"Yeah?"
With a hint of a smile on his face, Kuro said calmly. "However, before I fight you, I have to go to Alubarna first to get the thing I've been waiting for."
Gin reacted immediately: "Devil Fruit?"
"Didn't you say that even dogs wouldn't eat that?"
"I never said that!"
Kuro's face turned red, and he directly denied his dark history.
Feeling everyone's gaze, he turned around and jumped off the Raven without hesitation, then launched Pussyfoot Maneuver and instantly disappeared from everyone's sight.
"Hahahaha!"
Only at this moment did a burst of laughter break out on the deck. Even Gin and others showed a smile on their faces when they saw Kuro fleeing in panic.
But, no one had any objection to this.
After all, long before the Martial Arts Tournament began, Gawain had set the rules that whoever came first would have priority in choosing treasures such as Devil Fruits, famous swords, etc.
Although the first Martial Arts Tournament ended in a draw, the real winner was still Kuro.
At this moment, Sanji's voice, almost trembling with excitement, came from a corner...
"Female Chef!"
"Beautiful female Chef!!!!"
"Idiot!"
Nami's forehead veins were throbbing, and she couldn't help but punch Sanji and send him flying.
Sanji did a three-and-a-half-turn in the air and landed on his face, his legs twitching constantly.
Seeing this, everyone felt the terrifying aura surrounding Nami and showed terrified expressions.
They quickly retreated for fear that the blood would splash on themselves.
Even Lucci couldn't help but swallow his saliva: "At that moment, just now... Nami's aura was even more terrifying than the captain's!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone nodded in agreement.
"That's right!"
"As one of the three unspeakable taboos of the White Knight Pirate, this is the level she should have!"
"What are the three taboos?"
"The captain's past, Kuro washing socks, and Nami's vault, but the last one should be changed now... It's Nami's aura!"
"Hey, hey, hey~"
"I can hear you talking!"
"Ka-ka-ka!
Nami pinched her fingers, her voice cold and sharp.
The deck suddenly became quiet, and within a few seconds, all the people gathered there dispersed.
... ... ...
The next day, in Alubarna.
Gawain did not go to Kizaru to have a sparring match as usual but instead came to the royal library of Alabasta.
Cobra had been waiting here for a long time. When he saw Gawain coming, he raised his hand and put a dilapidated history book in Gawain's hand and said: "You might need this."
"This is..."
Gawain raised his hand and took the old book from Cobra.
The cover of this book is already worn out, the paper is yellowed, and pieces of it will fall off with the slightest touch.
It's obviously quite old.
"I originally thought that the Red Dragon Fruit was just a fake thing invented by our ancestors out of respect for nature after they witnessed the great changes in Alabasta."
"It was not until a few years ago when we were sorting out the books that we were able to glimpse the reasons why Alabasta had become what it is today from the history books."
As he spoke, Cobra looked up at Gawain. There was undisguised gratitude in his eyes but also something indescribable, something that could be called fear.
The former was because Gawain defeated Crocodile and the Baroque Works. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, it was Gawain, not the Marines, who truly pulled the country out of the quagmire.
Cobra kept this in mind and would never forget it.
And that hint of fear came from the history of Alabasta and the old book that was now in Gawain's hands.
"Even among the nearly endless number of Devil Fruits, the Red Dragon Fruit is a unique existence."
"An unlimited extraction of earth's vitality will eventually turn a beautiful island into Alabasta's current appearance."
Gawain looked up and out the window.
All he can see is endless desert stretching to the end of his sight.
Back on Drum Island, even with his strong physique, he could barely control less than one-fifth of the earth's vitality of the island.
So... how strong a physique would be needed to carry the vitality of Alabasta, whose land area is much larger than that of Drum Island?
While Gawain was shocked by the power of the previous user of the Red Dragon Fruit, he also felt a bit more awe.
Ninety percent of the world's surface is occupied by oceans, and every bit of the remaining soil available for human survival is extremely precious.
The Red Dragon Fruit can absorb the earth's vitality without limit, and it may eventually be possible to make the world no longer have any land suitable for human survival.
"So..."
Cobra's tone was a little more serious: "I know you are different from other pirates, but please use this power with caution."
"And logically, this Devil Fruit shouldn't appear outside of Britannia. It's one of the national treasures there."
"Why it appeared in Alabasta hundreds of years ago and now in your hands is impossible to verify."
"What do you mean?"
Hearing a familiar name, Gawain's brows were furrowed at this moment.
"You'll understand once you take a look."
Gawain responded and opened the history book in his hand.
What caught his eye was an illustration.
One red and one white, one below and one above, two dragons entangled and fighting with each other occupy the entire illustration's core position.
All around were blue flames and lightning, forming a doomsday scene.
However, with the passage of time, the pigments on the illustrations have long since deteriorated and faded, and even the lines are a little blurred.
But Gawain still recognized the red figure at a glance as the red dragon. The white dragon that was fighting with the red dragon, with six wings on its back and feathers all over its body, full of divinity, was…
"Another Mythical Zoan Fruit?!"
"But the Devil Fruit rebirth has no rules; how did the two dragons manage to be reborn in the same country?"
"If that country really controlled that kind of power, how could the World Government and the Marines just sit there and allow it to be independent for hundreds of years?"
Looking at the information recorded in the old book, countless questions flashed through Gawain's mind.
He hurriedly said goodbye to Cobra and returned to his room, flipping through the old book page by page.
However, he found that what was recorded above were just some ridiculous legends that were almost mythical.
What is the fateful battle between the red and white dragons? What is the struggle between heaven and earth, gods and humans…
But the more Gawain read the book, the more his scalp tingled.
Nika can cross the eight hundred years of history, actively avoid the search of the World Government, and accurately appear in the hands of Luffy, the destined person.
This almost confirms that Devil Fruits, especially Mythical Zoan Devil Fruits, contain a certain will.
During the battle between Kaido and Luffy, the sudden question of "Who are you" made Gawain's scalp tingle.
After all, he took the initiative to find a place where he could display his abilities and chose the neutral country of Britannia.
Or did the red dragon fruit foresee the possibilities of the future and choose him?
Could it be that he made that decision because of the influence of the Red Dragon Fruit?
Snap!
Gawain closed the old book in his hand, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down his restlessness.
Then, he raises his hand to bring up the system panel.
He looked at the red dragon fruit lying quietly in the Helm of Destiny System and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. "No matter how strong the will of the red dragon fruit is, it can't be stronger than the Helm of Destiny System."
"I am still too weak now. As long as I am strong enough, any plan can be broken with one slash."
Gawain quietly grasped the hilt of his sword at his waist.
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