"Damn! This tastes like shit!"
In his excitement, Lin En completely forgot what the anime said—Devil Fruits taste terrible. And now he knew firsthand. The flavor was beyond disgusting—sour, bitter, and indescribably revolting.
With a twisted expression, Lin En forced himself to swallow a chunk of the fruit. He stared at the half-eaten Devil Fruit in his hand, frowning deeply. Should he keep eating?
In the manga, just one bite granted powers. But this wasn't fiction anymore. What if reality demanded more? What if not finishing the whole fruit meant incomplete powers or a capped potential?
"For power—whatever it takes."
He'd once no-lifed a game for three days straight to hit max level. A disgusting fruit? Even if it tasted like poop, he'd eat it. For strength—anything.
Clenching his jaw, Lin En shut his eyes and shoved the rest of the Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit into his mouth, chewing and swallowing in huge gulps.
"Urgh! Hrk... Ughh!"
Minutes later, the fruit was gone. All of it. Lin En had devoured it with sheer willpower alone. The aftermath? A string of dry heaves. He couldn't even tell if he'd eaten a shit-flavored fruit or a fruit-shaped turd.
But then it happened—A strange, vibrant energy surged within him. It was warm, filled with vitality. It began healing his internal injuries at an incredible speed.
Greenish-blue flames erupted around his body, burning more than a foot high. Oddly, they didn't scorch him or his clothes. Instead, they gave off a soothing, life-filled aura.
As the flames rose higher, Lin En could feel his wounds healing rapidly—almost visibly. His entire body felt like it was soaking in a hot spring. Warm. Rejuvenating.
Incredible.No wonder Devil Fruits were so coveted.
He stared at the green flames dancing on his body, stunned and exhilarated.
Just then, creeeak—the door burst open.
An elderly man, around sixty, rushed in. Upon seeing Lin En enveloped in flames, his expression changed drastically. With a blur of movement, he appeared right in front of Lin En.
"Young master! What happened? Are you alright?!" the old man shouted in panic.
"I'm fine, Grandpa Fu. Don't worry," Lin En replied, quickly holding back the elder's hands before he could try to extinguish the flames. With a thought, he drew the flames back into his body.
Seeing the fire vanish, Fu's eyes flashed with suspicion, but he quickly focused on checking Lin En's body. After confirming there were no burns—only accelerated healing—he finally sighed in relief.
"It's good you're safe, young master. You scared this old man to death. But what was that fire just now?"
"I... don't really know how to explain it, Fu," Lin En said with a sheepish grin, hopping off the bed and bouncing on his feet. "But it's definitely a good thing. Look—my injuries are almost gone!"
With the memories of the original Lin En now integrated, he felt no distance from the old man before him. Lin Rongfu, or "Grandpa Fu," was a loyal servant who had once served Lin En's late mother. After her passing, his sole mission in life was to protect Lin En. In many ways, Fu had raised him like his own grandson.
If not for Fu's protection, Lin En would've never survived the assassination attempt from his stepmother's men.
He also wouldn't have known that Fu was secretly a powerful warrior.
"I'm so relieved," Fu said, eyes misty. He felt deeply ashamed. Lin En's injuries weighed heavily on his conscience—he had promised his late mistress to protect the boy. Had anything happened, he'd never forgive himself.
"Thank you, Grandpa Fu. I owe you everything," Lin En said sincerely. If not for Fu risking his life, the original Lin En would've died, and his soul from Earth wouldn't have had a chance to transmigrate.
"Old age makes me sentimental, young master. Don't laugh," Fu said, wiping his eyes. Then, with a serious face, he pulled out a small glass vial filled with glowing green liquid. "Young master, this is a magic healing potion I risked going out to buy. Your injuries haven't fully healed—drink this now. It's only a low-grade potion, but with your improved condition, it should be enough."
Lin En looked at the vial, curious. This world was called Divine Grace Continent, a classic Western fantasy setting with magic and battle qi. Though there were Eastern humans here too (his mother had been one), the dominant culture was Western.
Magic potions were magical artifacts created by mages—valuable and effective.
Lin En, being a mixed-blood child of an Eastern mother and Western noble father, had neither talent for magic nor battle qi. A total "trash" protagonist template. Luckily, after transmigration, he awakened the One Piece system.
His mother had died of illness shortly after childbirth. His father remarried and had another son. Though his father treated him fairly, his stepmother saw him as a threat to her son's inheritance. As the rightful firstborn and heir, Lin En was a thorn in her side.
Now fifteen, Lin En was only six months away from adulthood—when inheritance rights would be formally granted. His stepmother couldn't wait any longer. While his father traveled to the capital, she acted, sending assassins to eliminate him.
Lin En escaped thanks to Fu's efforts, but his body was mortally wounded... until his Earth soul took over.
"Grandpa Fu, I can't take this potion," Lin En said, gently pushing it back. He was genuinely touched by Fu's concern, but now that his wounds were mostly healed, the potion would be better used on Fu.
"You need it more than I do," Lin En added softly. "You're still injured from protecting me. If you don't recover soon, we won't make it out of here alive."
Fu hesitated. "But... this was for you, young master. Your wounds..."
"I'm already much better," Lin En insisted. "And right now, your strength is more important. We're not safe yet. As long as you can still fight, we have a chance to survive."
Fu finally gave in. "Then I'll recover quickly and continue protecting you. Even if I only have one breath left, I'll use it to defend you."
He raised the vial and downed the potion. Almost instantly, Lin En could sense his aura recovering. These magic potions really were something else. This world of magic and battle qi might actually be pretty exciting.
"Rest up and recover your strength," Lin En said. "We'll escape the city tonight."
Fu nodded, already sensing the change in Lin En. He seemed... different now—calmer, stronger, more confident. The flames from earlier must've played a role. Still, there was no time to dwell on it. He needed to recover—more battles lay ahead.
While Fu meditated and circulated his qi, Lin En sat in a corner, quietly testing his new powers. The Phoenix fruit—Mythical Zoan-type—wasn't known for brute strength. Its true strength lay in its absurd regeneration. It wasn't flashy like other fruits, but in prolonged battles, its value was unmatched.
No wonder Marco had "Admiral-level" strength. With healing like this, he could drag a fight out endlessly.
Suddenly, Fu's eyes snapped open. He leapt to his feet.
"Young master, someone's coming!"
"Huh?" Lin En turned to him, startled. Then it clicked—his stepmother's men had found them.
"I must've been tailed while buying the potion," Fu muttered grimly. His face darkened. "We can't stay here. We move now."
Before Lin En could respond, a ruckus erupted outside. Fu grabbed his hand, drew his sword, and kicked the door open.
Outside, two to three dozen armored knights had surrounded the courtyard.
"Well, well. Old man, you're fast," sneered the lead knight. "If you hadn't slipped up earlier, I wouldn't have found you so soon."
He looked at Lin En, eyes narrowing in surprise. "Huh? Weren't you gravely injured? How are you up and moving?"
He remembered Fu buying healing potions, but even so, this kind of recovery was insane. Unless it was a high-grade potion? But those didn't exist in this small city...
Well, no matter. If he didn't die the first time, he'd just kill him again.
Lin En recognized the man—Teddy, vice-captain of the Earl's guard and his stepmother's trusted dog. A low-tier warrior master and a well-known expert in the city.
"Young master Lin En," Teddy said coldly. "You can't run anymore. That old man can't protect you now. Come quietly, beg for the lady's forgiveness, and I might spare your life."
As he spoke, he drew his longsword—gleaming with deadly intent.