"Effect: It can offset the curse of the sea."
"Offset... the curse?"
Gawain's eyes lit up with interest.
He knew exactly what that meant.
In the world of pirates, nothing is more closely associated with the term "curse" than the Devil Fruits. Once consumed, a Devil Fruit bestows incredible powers—but at a cost. The user is forever cursed by the sea, unable to swim, and weakened by seastone.
Yet, despite this, Devil Fruits remained highly sought after by both pirates and the Navy. The reason was simple: the powers they granted were immense, often instantly transforming the user's combat abilities and potential.
The two cat brothers standing in front of Gawain, grinning at his bounty posters, were living proof of this.
Originally, their potential was only at the Black Iron level—stronger than most of Gawain's crew, but far below his top officers. But after eating Devil Fruits, their strength had leapt to the Bronze level, on par with Gin, a clear qualitative shift.
And that was with only the most basic Zoan-type Cat-Cat Fruit. If it had been a Logia or a Mythical Zoan, their growth could have skyrocketed to Silver or even Gold level. The power boost was undeniable.
"This badge completely offsets the side effects of a Devil Fruit," Gawain thought.
"In other words, if I eat one now—it's pure profit!"
Even Gawain, usually composed, couldn't hide a flicker of excitement.
If he consumed the right fruit and mastered its abilities, his combat power could very well shoot up to Gold-level.
He might even brush against the threshold of the Legendary tier.
True, he hadn't yet awakened Conqueror's Haki, and even at full potential he'd be on the weaker end of the legendary scale—but being in that tier at all meant something. It meant entering the world's strongest echelon—where even the Navy and World Government had to tread carefully.
And speaking of rare Devil Fruits, Gawain had one in his possession—the one Grayza had given him.
That thought alone made his pulse quicken.
"Grayza," he asked, unable to hold back any longer.
"What kind of Devil Fruit did you give me before?"
Grayza looked up from the bounty poster in her hands and shook her head.
"Even the latest Devil Fruit encyclopedias don't have a record of it."
Then, as if remembering something, a sly smile touched her lips.
"But… When I was researching its appearance, I came across a rumor. The World Government has deliberately erased knowledge of certain fruits."
"Why?" Gawain pressed.
"Because the abilities they grant caused disasters of such scale that entire kingdoms vanished. Some races even named them after gods."
"The one I gave you might be one of those."
"I see..."
Gawain frowned slightly.
So there was still some uncertainty.
Even with the badge nullifying the curse, he could only eat one Devil Fruit in his lifetime. Until he confirmed its identity, he had no choice but to suppress his eagerness.
"Do you have access to other Devil Fruit encyclopedias?"
"They're on the way."
"Good. Let me know the moment they arrive."
"Of course!" Grayza nodded enthusiastically.
Kuro, who had been quietly watching the exchange, finally spoke up.
"It's still unclear how powerful that fruit is. But remember—side effects aside—you don't need it. With me at your side, you'll reach the top regardless."
Kuro had already seen the drawbacks of Devil Fruits through the cat brothers. To him, the risks far outweighed the rewards.
Gawain nodded.
"I know."
Satisfied, Kuro said no more.
A few minutes later, Gawain and his crew gathered at the port under Jasmine's lead, heading toward the city's center.
They were temporarily settled in a building next to the city lord's mansion. Now that Grayza had officially joined the Gawain Pirates, the port was considered part of his domain. There was no longer any hesitation about calling it home.
For Gawain, however, one task outweighed all others:
Identifying the true nature of the Devil Fruit he held.
Three days later.
Grayza resumed her duties managing the port. Under her orders, Raven Port slowly regained its former energy. Though many buildings still bore the blackened scars of two recent pirate attacks, life had begun to stir again.
In the lord's mansion—
"Miss!"
With an excited shout, Jasmine burst into Grayza's office, arms overflowing with books. She stacked them proudly onto the desk.
"Here! We gathered every version of the Devil Fruit encyclopedia we could find!"
"This one is over a hundred years old! If there's any undocumented fruit, it'll be in here!"
Grayza glanced down.
The oldest book had a faded, discolored cover, its pages a dusty yellow. She opened it and began flipping through the illustrations, carefully comparing them with the fruit in her memory.
Page after page passed. Still nothing.
"I'll help too," Jasmine offered, cheerfully grabbing another volume.
For a time, only the soft rustling of turning pages filled the office.
Until Grayza suddenly stopped.
"Mythical Zoan Type..."
Her eyes widened.
She flipped to the last page of the tattered encyclopedia—and there it was.
The fruit.
It matched exactly.
But the accompanying description made her breath catch.
"The Immortal Evil God—who dried up the earth, withered life, and ushered everything into the realm of death."
"Once turned an entire kingdom into a lifeless desert. Every few hundred years, it reappears in the world, seeking its destined host..."
"What in the world..."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa—bit dramatic, don't you think?" Jasmine leaned over to read. She raised an eyebrow.
"This writing is clearly added later. Sloppy handwriting, different ink. Probably someone's prank."
She pointed out the difference in text.
Even Grayza had to admit it didn't match the rest of the book.
"Maybe."
She flipped the page and closed the book.
"Either way, Mr. Gawain must be getting impatient."