"You ungrateful brat! I was the first one to find you! And you just kicked me straight off the cliff!"
"Ahem, I was helping you, little girl," Rocks declared shamelessly. "And judging by the fact that you only tried to kick me instead of drawing your sword to cut me down… it seems you've gained something from your time at the bottom of this cliff."
"Tch. Even if you're right, why does it still feel so infuriating?" Toki gritted her teeth in frustration but ultimately sighed.
"Fine, I won't stoop to arguing with a cripple."
Having said that, Kozuki Toki immediately swung the bundle made from some unknown beast's hide from her back to the front.
"Father, I could have climbed back up from the bottom of the cliff the same day, but I discovered many... unexpected things down there!"
"Unexpected?" Michael raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you not only returned safely but also brought back a wealth of resources..."
"Hehe... Otherwise, Father, what did you think I was doing down there for two days? Taking a leisurely stroll?"
Toki flashed a smug, fox-like grin before opening the hide bundle.
Inside lay two oddly shaped Devil Fruits.
One was sky blue, twisted like a spiral, vaguely resembling a pineapple, though otherwise unremarkable.
The other was shaped exactly like an apple—except instead of red, it was a matte black so deep it seemed to absorb all light, adorned with crimson patterns resembling twisted scriptures... Most strikingly, it had two horn-like protrusions resembling demonic horns.
At first glance, neither of these Devil Fruits seemed ordinary.
Based on Michael's years of research and understanding of Devil Fruits, the first one was likely the Time Fruit that Toki herself would later consume.
Of course, this was just Michael's speculation.
After all, in philosophical discourse, there exists the theory that "time spirals upward."
And in this world crafted by Oda, which draws heavily from global myths and philosophies, such a manifestation wasn't entirely surprising.
"You found both of these Devil Fruits at the bottom of the abyss?"
"Father, there were even more than just these two."
Toki sighed before recounting everything she had done over the past two days.
As it turned out, the bottom of the abyss was practically a paradise for terrestrial megafauna.
Not only was there abundant food and water, but there were also numerous peculiar fruits.
Many of these colossal creatures had consumed these fruits...
"Are you saying there are many animals down there that have eaten Devil Fruits?"
"Not just many—an astonishing number." Toki shook her head. "And the most incredible part is, after eating the Devil Fruits, these animals seem to gain slightly higher intelligence... Not by much, but enough for them to realize they shouldn't eat a second one."
Michael's jaw dropped, utterly dumbfounded.
He then turned to Rocks, only to find Rocks looking even more shocked than he was.
His eyes bulged wider than bull's eggs, nearly popping out of their sockets and landing on his own feet.
Regardless, it was clear that while Rocks was the one who had kicked Toki into the abyss and pushed her to test her luck...
He never imagined her luck could defy the heavens to such an extent.
"Well, Rocks... What do you have to say about my daughter's luck now?"
"This isn't just luck—it's a miracle." Rocks shook his head with difficulty before urgently adding,
"Besides! Is this really the time to talk about luck!? Hurry up and go see what's really going on down there!"
After speaking, Rocks didn't hesitate—he simply leaned on his cane and walked straight to the cliff's edge before jumping off without a second thought.
"Holy shit! Are you really that pissed off!?"
Michael was stunned for a moment before spreading his six wings, grabbing Toki with one hand, and diving downward.
Fortunately, he was fast enough. With his other hand, he caught Rocks mid-air and pulled him back.
"Seriously? I just brought you back to life a few days ago, and now you're pulling this aerial stunt? What's the deal? You got a problem with us or something?"
"I'm just in a hurry!" Rocks said urgently. "I never expected your daughter's luck to be this insane! What's down here might be the biggest secret in the entire world!"
Michael froze.
A secret?
What kind of secret?
But Rocks didn't elaborate further.
Michael didn't press him either. Instead, he accelerated, diving even faster toward the bottom of the abyss.
As they descended, the scenery below gradually became clearer.
It was an utterly wild, primordial world.
All kinds of terrestrial giant beasts—long extinct on the surface—roamed here.
But in a few years, after the fall of the Great Kingdom and its sinking beneath the sea, the ocean levels would rise sharply, and this place would be completely submerged.
These giant beasts weren't just terrestrial—most of them had also consumed Devil Fruits...
Meaning they had no fate but death.
No wonder, eight hundred years later, no one had ever discovered any trace of this place...
And almost immediately, the beasts noticed the uninvited guests.
In an instant, several crude, probing sensations swept over Michael's body.
He couldn't help but be surprised.
Some of these beasts... had actually awakened Observation Haki through natural evolution over time.
For creatures with immense physical strength but low intelligence, the odds of awakening Observation Haki were far lower than Armament Haki.
After a few roars, the beasts charged toward Michael and the others.
Michael shook his head.
'So primitive.'
The next moment, an unprecedented and unrivaled Conqueror's Haki instantly filled the entire abyss.
Black lightning crackled through the air.
The rampaging beasts froze in place, their bodies locked in mid-motion.
Even after Michael landed with Toki and Rocks, they remained completely still.
"What happened to them?" Toki asked curiously, eyeing the motionless beasts.
"Nothing much. They're just standing there, passed out," Rocks said with a roll of his eyes. "Back in my prime, I wasn't as flashy as your dad... but I could pull off something similar."
With that, he eagerly prepared to explore the depths of the abyss.
"Wait—what exactly are you looking for?" Michael grabbed Rocks' arm. "You've been acting like you're about to lose your mind from excitement since earlier."
Rocks took a deep breath.
His expression calmed slightly before he spoke again...
"Michael."
"Have you ever heard... of the legendary tree that gave birth to the Devil Fruits?"