I Am In One Piece Summit

Chapter 7: 007 Great Harvest! · Chapter 7: A Massive Harvest! · "I didn't expect them to be such weaklings." · "What a waste of my time." · Amidst the swirling blizzard, a series of dull thuds rang out. Messer delivered a final kick to the back of each man's head, instantly silencing the surrounding wails of agony. · It wasn't surprising. According to his Appraisal, the highest attribute among them was a mere F-rank. They were nothing more than slightly stronger-than-average commoners. · For Messer, who possessed Observation Haki and attributes that far outclassed theirs, such a victory was child's play. · He began stripping them of their weapons and valuables. · Thirteen blades. Fifteen firearms. · Several boxes of ammunition. · A handful of loose Berries. · Once the guards' gear and wealth were piled to the side, Messer turned his attention to the two "big shots." The backpacks on their chests and backs were bulging. · He reached in and pulled the items out one by one. · A moment later, Messer stared in silence at two distinct piles. One consisted of jewelry and gold coins that bore the marks of time. The other contained two small treasure chests, their locks clearly forced open. · Inside the open boxes sat two fruits—one a dark purple, the other a fungal green. · They were bizarre, covered in swirling, vine-like patterns. · Messer’s heart skipped a beat. · [Appraisal] · [Paramecia Type: Munch-Munch Fruit (Rank A)] · [Paramecia Type: Mush-Mush Fruit (Rank A)] · Simultaneously, a message pulsed from the sphere of light in his sea of consciousness. · [Detected items possessing Faith and Legend properties. Name: Devil Fruit. Convert into Merit Points?] · Messer understood. In this world, Devil Fruits were indeed items tied to Faith and Legend. He just didn't know the exact conversion rate. · Rank A. · That should yield a significant amount of Merit Points. · He knew there were three main types of Devil Fruits: Zoan, Paramecia, and Logia. Each type had sub-categories of varying quality, which likely determined their Merit Point value. · However... · "The Munch-Munch Fruit is a top-tier utility type. It grants a superhuman body and abilities. Why is it only Rank A?" · Messer was puzzled. If quality was tied to Faith and Legend, perhaps the Munch-Munch Fruit's previous users were simply underwhelming, failing to build up its legendary status. · It lacked the fame of the Rumble-Rumble, Glint-Glint, Tremor-Tremor, or Azure Dragon fruits—those world-shaking powers with flashy effects. · Thinking it through, that was likely the case. Legends required widespread renown to accumulate power. · "Heh heh heh..." A cackle erupted behind him. Messer didn't need to turn around to know who it was. With a soft thwack, a heavy object hit the snow. Dr. Kureha had unceremoniously dropped Winter onto the ground. · "Well, well, Messer. You're quite capable, aren't you? Taking down a dozen brats all by yourself." · Messer reached down to pat Winter, who was nuzzling into him, then looked up at Dr. Kureha with a trace of guilt. "Doctor Auntie, you're not angry? I was pretty rough with them." · Kureha circled the downed men, poking and prodding them for half a minute before kneeling in front of Messer and pulling him into a hug. · She ruffled his hair and said flatly, "As a doctor, it’s my job to save lives. But on this sea, some people just deserve to die. I’m not blind; I saw everything. They fired first." · "Once you pull the trigger, you have to be ready to get killed. Listen to me—in this godforsaken world, I won't ask much of you. Just live so that you have a clear conscience. Don't go around killing innocents, and that's enough." · "Can you do that?" · Smelling the faint scent of plum wine on her, Messer thought for a moment and nodded firmly. "I'll try my best." · Kureha laughed and pinched his cheek with a sigh. "Fair enough. At least you didn't try to lie to me. 'Trying your best' is good enough." · She let him go and looked at the two Devil Fruits with curiosity. "So, you found these rare trinkets on those two little meatballs?" · Messer nodded. "I found them on those two brothers. They're the princes of this kingdom. Doctor Auntie, what should I do with them?" · "What do you want to do?" Kureha asked. · "They shot at me. Indiscriminately. If I didn't have Observation Haki, I’d be dead. So would Winter." · Kureha watched Messer play the victim with a straight face. He didn't explicitly say he wanted them dead, but the intent was clear. · "Then why didn't you finish them off before I got here?" she asked curiously. "I know you could have." · Messer paused. "...I didn't know if you'd want to see that. You're a doctor. I didn't think you'd want to see someone being killed." · The explanation silenced Kureha. She rubbed his head, her heart warming, though her voice came out as a sharp scolding: · "You idiot! Your life is more important than any stranger's. Even if they're princes, if they threaten your life, the best solution is to send them to the afterlife." · "So... should I get rid of the bodies now?" Messer looked up innocently. · Kureha sighed. Here she was, discussing body disposal with a toddler. "Forget it for now. Since you didn't do it then, don't do it now. I'll handle the rest." · "What about me?" · "Go home. Take your prey and the loot with you. Oh, and don't eat those fruits yet. We have a Devil Fruit Encyclopedia on the top shelf, third from the end. Go look up their effects first. We'll talk when I get back." · "Okay!" · Kureha helped him pack the gear. She watched Messer and Winter haul the heavy bags away into the distance. · Once they were gone, her gaze turned cold as she looked at the scattered guards and the Wapol brothers. She began slowly and methodically treating their wounds. · A moment later, after a few sharp slaps from Kureha, the group stirred awake. Seeing her, the guards—unlike the terrified princes—sighed in relief. · Dr. Kureha. Age unknown. · The famous witch of Drum Island. Eccentric, but a doctor of unparalleled skill. · Mushuru, grimacing in pain, snarled at her, "You old hag! Who gave you the right to hit me? I'll have you executed!" · In the next heartbeat, a shadow blurred. Kureha’s foot connected with Mushuru’s face. With a sickening crack, he was sent flying, leaving a trail of blood and several teeth in the air. · "Even your king of a father doesn't dare speak to me like that. Who gave you the right, you little brat?" Kureha smiled thinly. · Wapol saw his brother fly and opened his mouth to protest, but one look at Kureha’s mocking eyes made him shiver. He shut his mouth and scrambled toward his brother. · After a brief exchange, they "learned" that the "Snow Monster" had vanished by the time Kureha arrived. · Whether they believed it or not was another matter. · The lead guard, walking gingerly with his legs squeezed together, stepped forward with gratitude. "Thank you, Dr. Kureha. If not for your help, we would have died here." · The other guards shuddered, remembering the white beast—a Lapin-like monster that moved like a ghost, possessed immense strength, and was apparently obsessed with treasure. · "Heh. Since you know I saved you, you should know my rates," Kureha said casually. "I'm not short on supplies lately, so I'll take ten crates of plum wine. One hundred thousand Berries per guard, and one million for each of those two annoying brats. I'll be at the palace on Drum Mountain in three days to collect. Tell the King." · With that, she turned and vanished into the snow. · By the time Kureha returned home, the sky was dark. She stepped inside and was greeted by the rich aroma of pork rib soup. · "Messer, get me a bowl. I need to warm up." · "Coming." · He handed her a bowl of bone broth and ribs, topped with a sprinkle of scallions. Kureha sat on her surgical bed, ignoring the heat as she slurped the broth and crunched on the ribs. · Messer didn't mention Wapol, and Kureha didn't explain. · "Did you look at the book? Did you find the fruits?" she asked between bites. · Messer nodded and explained the names and abilities of the two fruits. Kureha shrugged. · "Decent enough. It's up to you if you want to eat one, but remember: you only get one in a lifetime, and you'll never be able to swim again." · Messer nodded seriously. "Doctor Auntie, why don't you eat one? The Mush-Mush Fruit controls fungi; it could be useful for medicine." · Kureha waved a hand dismissively. "A beautiful young woman like me doesn't need a weakness like that. If I wanted one, I would have eaten one decades ago." · Messer sat at the desk, the purple Munch-Munch Fruit in his hand while he petted Winter’s head. "Doctor Auntie... do you think it would be interesting if Winter ate this?" · Kureha paused, a spark of curiosity in her eyes. "Winter is smart. If he eats the Munch-Munch Fruit, his body will be reconstructed. It might even erase his racial weaknesses. With that power and your guidance, he’d be a great asset." · "That's what I thought. If he eats it, his body becomes a processing factory. He can eat materials to refine and combine them. According to the book, it overlaps with the Arms-Arms Fruit in some ways. I think it’ll be fun." · Kureha agreed. A gluttonous panda with the Munch-Munch Fruit was a match made in heaven. Messer peeled the fruit and stuffed a piece of the foul-tasting flesh into Winter's mouth. The little bear's eyes rolled back in disgust, but he swallowed. · A minute passed. No change. · Then Messer pried Winter's mouth open. His jaw stretched until it was larger than his entire head. The power had taken hold. · Messer stuffed the rest of the fruit in. Winter gagged, tears welling in his eyes, and buried his face in Kureha’s lap with a pitiful wail. · "Stop whining," Messer teased. "You just got a huge power-up. You'll thank me when you're older." · Winter's ears twitched. He looked at Messer, confused, before his stomach let out a thunderous growl. He looked up with a human-like, pleading expression. · He was hungry. · Messer filled Winter's bowl with ribs. The panda scrambled over and began crunching through the bones as if they were bamboo. · Kureha’s eyes sharpened. His diet had already changed. She touched the bear, sensing his internals. "I can't feel his digestive system anymore... or rather, it's become a structure I don't recognize. Fascinating." · She grabbed a syringe to take blood and saliva samples. "His lineage factor has definitely changed. I'm going to run some tests. You two play." · As she disappeared upstairs, Messer turned his attention to the other fruit. · Let's begin. · He placed his hand on the Mush-Mush Fruit. He felt a mysterious energy drain from it—the concentrated Merit of its Faith and Legend. · [Merit Points +50,000] · A single Rank A Devil Fruit yielded fifty thousand points. A massive harvest indeed. · He looked at the now-drained fruit. · [Item: Mush-Mush Fruit] · [Effect: A foul-tasting fruit that has lost its original power.] · [Evaluation: A hollowed-out Devil Fruit. Its only remaining use is being disgusting.] · Messer grinned. "Perfect for a prank, isn't it?" · Conversion Rates Reference: · Zoan: Common (B), Ancient (A), Mythical (EX) · Logia: Starting at Rank A · Paramecia: Standard (A), Conceptual (EX) · Merit Points per Rank: · F: 100 | E: 500 | D: 1,000 | C: 5,000 | B: 10,000 | A: 50,000 | EX: 100,000+ · [END]