A/N: Sorry to be missing for so long. I've been busy with college and also having to deal with a wisdom tooth because the hospital won't make appointments with the maxillofacial surgeon.
By the way, at the end of the chapter, I'll explain a change I'll make to a certain character.
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At this moment, Boa Hancock, the Pirate Empress, was heading towards Alabasta. She looked at the diary, her expression clouded and uncertain.
"Evan, you bastard, are you going to fall like this?"
"It's just a regression fruit, and you can't handle it?"
"Increase the speed! I must get to Alabasta right away!"
Hancock didn't realize how irritable her expression had become. Unfortunately, the distance from Nine Snake Island to Alabasta was too great. They had been sailing at full speed for quite some time, but they were still only halfway there.
Her captain was still yelling to speed up, but the problem was… the two giant snakes pulling the ship were exhausted. The continuous acceleration had drained everyone's strength, and it felt like torture for the crew. But Hancock appeared impatient.
Earlier, she couldn't wait to see Evan, and now she was worried about him. No matter how fast they went, it was impossible to instantly teleport to that desert kingdom.
"Evan, you bastard, don't die," Hancock muttered, gritting her teeth as she stared at the diary. "Even if you're going to die, you better fall under my skirt and turn into a stone head, and then I'll kick you to death. No… maybe it would be better to keep the statue."
"This playful guy… I'll make sure he stays by my side forever…" Hancock's expression darkened, her eyes becoming dangerous.
Meanwhile, on Onigashima in Wano Country, Yamato was getting ready to set sail. The ship came from the Beast's Pirates. The crew had been arranged by Black Maria, and supplies were gathered by Ulti. Yamato truly looked like a "Young master" who didn't need to do anything herself.
Her focus remained on the diary.
"The fruit of regression is so powerful. Evan, are you really going to die?" Yamato sat at the bow of the ship, patting her thigh.
"How far is it from Alabasta? Can we go any faster?" she asked, glancing at the "helpers" Kaido had provided her.
"Master Yamato, that's still far away. Are you in such a rush to get married?" Ulti said, clearly displeased with the separation from her brother for this journey. Her tone was sharp and mocking.
"Married? Who's getting married? What nonsense are you talking about?" Yamato stammered, feeling flustered.
Black Maria shot her a strange look. That particular expression—Yamato seemed to be thinking of someone, most likely a man, someone important.
But could Yamato, the "young master," be interested in men? Impossible.
"Anyway, don't die, Evan." Yamato was impatient.
It was strange. She had always been friends with Ace. The diary had clearly said Ace would be in danger. But all Yamato could think about was finding Evan.
She used to be so stubborn and inflexible, but after Evan's sharp comments, she recognized Oden for who he was. So, the person she thought about naturally shifted. Now, she only wanted to see Evan as soon as possible.
Elsewhere, Reiju was reading the diary's latest update.
"Seeing that you're still in the mood to write a diary, I don't think it's that big of a problem," Reiju said. As Evan's woman, she had 100% confidence in him. Evan could easily overcome such small crises.
While some people worried, others believed in Evan. In the end, it all depended on his performance.
With Gion in front of him and Ain behind him, and now as a child, Evan's situation really seemed dire.
"The fruit of regression has turned me into a child, which is indeed weakening. But just because I've become weaker doesn't mean you've become stronger."
Evan, with a little boy's face, still radiated confidence.
A crackling sound erupted as the power of the Goro Goro no Mi surged. Ain had no choice but to release her grip, and Evan shot forward with incredible speed.
"It's so hot, and besides, he touched me again!" Ain exclaimed, her face flushing.
Thunder flashed as Evan struggled free, brushing against Ain's body several times.
"What are you talking about? I'm a gentleman, Evan. How could I touch you?"
Hovering in midair, arms folded across his chest, Evan still looked like a little boy, though he was clearly trying to act mature. The contrast was almost comical.
[The pirate kid was captured by Big Sister Marine.]
[The big chase is underway—what a strange development.]
[Anyway, I'm free now.]
[little boy mode, how do I cancel this?]
Evan called out to the system, hoping for an answer. The system indicated there was nothing it could do, but thankfully, his power boosts hadn't diminished. In other words, Ain and Gion's interference had done nothing meaningful. His strength was still at its peak; only his appearance had changed.
"Haki should be enough to override this," Evan muttered as black Haki enveloped his body.
In the story, when Law battled the Blackbeard Pirates, he was transformed into a woman by Doc Q the user of the Shiku Shiku no mi ( Sick Sick fruit). But with the power of Haki, he was able to return to normal.
"Such a shame…girl Law was actually quite pretty," Evan thought, grinning as he summoned a powerful wave of Haki.
If Law, turned into a woman, could return to normal, then Evan could surely revert from being a child!
In an instant, Evan's body began to swell, and his baggy clothes tightened.
"What? How did he revert to his original form?" Ain gasped, staring at Evan in shock.
"The flame is still within me…it hasn't been extinguished," Evan said with a smile, touching the inner flame with a thought.
Suddenly, his body shrank again, turning back into a child. With another effort, his body swelled up, returning to his adult form.
"Can I switch sizes at will? This form-changing is actually kind of fun."
Evan grinned but quickly reined in his playful side.
"It's been long enough. Time to end this."
He spread his arms, not intending to use thunder. Instead, a terrifying aura descended from the sky—it was Conqueror's Haki. With precise control, Evan knocked out a group of female marines, while his allies remained unaffected.
"Conqueror's Haki," Gion murmured. She had, of course, seen this power before, and she knew Evan possessed it. She gritted her teeth, unsure of what to do next.
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A/N:
The character I'll be changing is Kaya. I'll be swapping her Red Dragon Heart reward for a Devil Fruit.
The fruit will be inspired by an Elder Dragon from the Monster Hunter series, more specifically one from the fifth generation.
What do you think? Can you guess which dragon it is?