Chapter 39: An Even Stronger Devil Fruit!

Trebol stood nearby with an equally grim expression.

Clearly, he wasn’t pleased by the information Bellamy had brought.

"Doffy, I say..."

Trebol sneered.

"Since when did the Whitebeard Pirates start hiding scientists among their crew? What a joke."

"Hmph!"

Doflamingo let out a cold snort.

What flashed through his eyes wasn’t just anger—it was frustration.

"It doesn’t matter who they’ve been hiding."

His voice grew darker.

"The important thing is that they’ve apparently developed Devil Fruits without any side effects."

The revelation hit him harder than anything else.

If true, it would massively increase the Whitebeard Pirates’ strength.

For the Donquixote Family, that was terrible news.

Silence settled over the garden.

Only the occasional chirping of birds interrupted the oppressive atmosphere.

Bellamy wisely kept his mouth shut.

Meanwhile, Doflamingo slowly rose from his chair, gripping the newspaper tightly.

His eyes scanned every headline and every line of text, searching for clues.

"The Ice-Ice Fruit..."

"The Tremor-Tremor Fruit..."

"The Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Phoenix..."

He muttered each name under his breath.

Every one of those powers was capable of shaking the world.

And if they could truly be mass-produced, it would pose a direct threat to everything he had built.

More importantly—

It would make his SMILE business worthless.

"The biggest problem..."

Doflamingo’s expression darkened further.

"They can apparently turn someone into a User with Two Devil Fruit Powers."

His tone carried genuine disbelief.

If such technology spread across the world, it could completely overturn the balance of power.

Trebol silently watched Doflamingo’s changing expression.

The tension in the air was unmistakable.

"If they really achieve mass production of Devil Fruits..."

Doflamingo suddenly slammed the newspaper onto the table.

"Then what the hell is the point of our business with Kaido?!"

Anger and frustration overflowed from his voice.

He knew exactly what was at stake.

If he failed to find a solution, years of effort could collapse overnight.

His brows furrowed deeply.

They needed an answer—and fast.

Otherwise, everything would be lost.

At that moment, his gaze drifted toward Bellamy.

The young pirate’s eyes burned with admiration and ambition.

He looked at Doflamingo as though he were a god.

Suddenly, an idea formed in Doflamingo’s mind.

A very useful idea.

"Bellamy."

His voice became low and persuasive.

"Would you be willing to work for me?"

"..."

Jaya

The once peaceful island of Jaya had become increasingly tense because of the Marines’ pursuit of Ron.

Ever since Ron had become a major target of the Marines, the Whitebeard Pirates had remained stationed on the island.

Their daily mission was simple:

Patrol the island.

Protect Ron.

Nothing else mattered.

Inside their headquarters, the atmosphere was unusually serious.

Whitebeard sat at the head of the room.

Wisdom and determination shone in his eyes.

The commanders and crew were scattered throughout the hall, arguing endlessly about how to handle the current situation.

Opinions differed.

The discussion had become increasingly chaotic.

"Gurararara!"

Whitebeard suddenly laughed.

The room instantly fell silent.

"Brats!"

His booming voice echoed through the hall.

"Kizaru’s Glint-Glint Fruit is certainly impressive."

"Especially its speed."

"It’s practically unmatched."

He leaned back slightly.

"If I used it purely for escaping, I doubt anyone in the world could catch me."

The room remained quiet.

Whitebeard paused as if organizing his thoughts.

Then he continued.

"Actually, I’ve been thinking."

"If I could combine Kizaru’s power with my own Tremor-Tremor Fruit..."

His eyes gleamed.

"The result could be extraordinary."

"Imagine a light-speed attack carrying the destructive force of an earthquake."

"What kind of devastation would that create?"

A few commanders couldn’t help imagining it.

The image alone was terrifying.

Light-speed movement combined with Whitebeard’s overwhelming power...

The thought sent chills down their spines.

"Not many people could survive something like that."

The room fell silent again.

Everyone was shocked by Whitebeard’s idea.

As crazy as it sounded, no one dared dismiss it outright.

After all, this was Whitebeard.

One of the Four Emperors.

" Pops."

Marco frowned.

"The Glint-Glint Fruit is amazing, but its greatest advantage is mobility."

"Honestly, it feels more useful for escaping than fighting."

Ace nodded in agreement.

"I think so too."

His confidence was obvious.

As a user of the Flame-Flame Fruit (Mera Mera no Mi), he wasn’t particularly impressed by a power focused primarily on speed.

"If a Devil Fruit’s main purpose is running away, it feels like a waste."

Whitebeard fell silent.

There was some truth in their words.

The Glint-Glint Fruit was undeniably tempting.

Instant movement.

Near-unmatched speed.

Incredible survivability.

But as Marco and Ace pointed out, it seemed better suited for evasion than direct combat.

Just then, two figures appeared at the entrance.

Jozu stepped inside first.

"Vice Captain Ron is here!"

The room immediately quieted.

Everyone turned toward the doorway.

Ron had already heard what they were discussing on his way over.

There was no need for explanations.

Walking straight toward Whitebeard, he got to the point.

"Captain."

"While Kizaru’s Glint-Glint Fruit is certainly attractive, it doesn’t provide that much value for you."

"It would only increase your speed."

Whitebeard nodded.

He was about to respond when Ron continued.

"Actually..."

A faint smile appeared on Ron’s face.

"I know of a stronger Devil Fruit."

That immediately caught everyone’s attention.

Whitebeard raised an eyebrow.

"A stronger one?"

Ron nodded.

"This Devil Fruit doesn’t just provide incredible speed."

"It also significantly increases offensive power."

Whitebeard froze.

The commanders exchanged bewildered looks.

A Devil Fruit that enhanced both speed and attack power?

What kind of ability was that?

Seeing their confusion, Ron smiled.

Then he pointed upward toward the sky.

"The Rumble-Rumble Fruit (Goro Goro no Mi)."

Silence.

Everyone was stunned.

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