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The Fruit had a variety of applications.
For example, if he turned a thousand-ton warship into a 1-kilogram object, he could literally carry it around.
In combat, he could touch an enemy and manipulate their weight. Although it wouldn't diminish their strength, the constant shifts would throw them off balance, a powerful debuff.
More interestingly, with the Kilo-Kilo Fruit integrated into its system, the demonic carrier could now "fly."
After fusing with the Kilo-Kilo Fruit, he had the carrier absorb Bege.
He seized his Castle-Castle Fruit.
As its name suggested, this fruit allowed the user to become a fortress. It was a fruit that offered almost zero increase in individual combat power, even more of a "utility" fruit than the Kilo-Kilo Fruit.
Bege had actually developed it to a respectable level. He had his entire pirate crew stationed inside his body. Anything that entered his body was miniaturized.
And when it was time to fight, he would command his internal forces to fire a barrage of bullets and cannonballs, which would return to their original size upon leaving his domain, unleashing a massive amount of firepower. Or he could just unleash his army of pirates and overwhelm his opponents with sheer numbers.
His weakness was that his "castle" body was exposed and vulnerable to attack. Against a top-tier fighter, he was just a punching bag.
But in Jin's eyes, this fruit was a perfect match for the demonic carrier.
For a person, it was too weak, too functional.
But for the carrier, its functionality was off the charts.
Fusing with the fruit would allow everything inside the carrier to be "miniaturized," effectively giving it even more space.
Furthermore, Jin could now use the fruit's power to arrange the carrier's internal layout as he pleased. Before, he had been reluctant to expand the internal space because it was difficult to organize. But now, he could turn the interior into a "city."
Yes, a city. Not a castle.
Bege's was a castle because that was what fit his perception, the common model of a "fortress" in the West Blue.
But Jin's idea of a "city" was something else entirely.
A city could have different levels, different districts.
The farming lab, the Munch-Munch factory, a Germa 66-style castle... before, they had all been crammed into one space. Now, he could separate them into different "layers," which would also improve safety and efficiency.
In short, the Castle-Castle Fruit gave the carrier a greater degree of plasticity, allowing it to be remodeled under the concept of a "city."
And could a "city" only be one kind of city? A city of traps, a fortress, an ancient city...
Why not all of them?
There was a saying among One Piece fans: there are no useless Devil Fruits, only useless Devil Fruit users.
There was some truth to that.
The same fruit, in the hands of different people, could be developed in vastly different ways, based on their perception.
With a lack of vision, even a powerful fruit could be wasted.
Take Eustass Kid, for example. He was basically the Magneto of the Pirate World, a fruit that should have been on the same level as the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. And he had turned it into a scrap-heap power.
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The peak of Reverse Mountain.
It reached for the sky.
A string of balloons pulled the demonic carrier into the sky. Under the influence of the Kilo-Kilo Fruit, it was incredibly light. With its massive size and light weight, it easily caught the updraft and ascended to the summit.
Having been here before, Law, Robin, and the others were a little more used to it this time. But they were still amazed at the demonic carrier's new method of ascent. It was just too powerful.
The air was thin up here, and the sudden change in altitude left them a little lightheaded. But the people of this world were tough.
They adapted quickly.
Jin had stopped here because he had seen a true wonder of the world.
Above them was the black night sky, dotted with a few scattered stars.
The roar of the currents filled their ears.
To the west and north, the sun was setting, a red orb half-submerged in the sea, its last rays shimmering on the water.
To the east and south, a crescent moon hung over the sea, its pale light casting a cool, beautiful, almost melancholy glow.
"Incredible."
"It's beautiful."
"Unbelievable."
Everyone was in awe.
Even Kuma, Judge, Wolf, and Sanji brothers had come out to watch.
The world was split in two. The sun and the moon were in a state of transition. It was a magnificent sight.
As the sun in the west and north finally sank below the horizon, the sun in the east and south began to rise.
Sunset and sunrise, at the exact same moment.
The light bathed Reverse Mountain, the demonic carrier, and everyone on board.
Standing on the summit, Jin suddenly understood what it meant to stand on the peak of the world, with night and day divided at his feet.
A sense of grandeur, of majesty, of having embraced the world, welled up inside him.
"AAAAAAAAAH!"
"WE'RE GONNA CRASH!"
"LOOK OUT!!!"
Suddenly, a series of panicked screams came from the south-flowing current.
A pirate ship shot up to the summit. But they hadn't taken down their sail, and the wind was blowing them off course, straight toward the Red Line.
If nothing changed, something was about to change, permanently.
At that speed, a collision with the hard red earth would be fatal.
Jin glanced over. "Kuma,"
Kuma looked up. He leaped from the ship, and with a single, powerful push, he was hundreds of meters away.
Just as the pirate ship was about to crash into the Red Line, Kuma appeared between them, a single hand outstretched.
"A person?!"
"How can there be a person on top of the Red Line?!"
"AAAAAAAAAH! WE'RE GONNA HIT HIM!"
"MAMA! I WANNA GO HOME!"
A paw-print-shaped bubble of air shot out from Kuma's palm and rapidly expanded into a massive cushion.
THWUMP!
The pirate ship slammed into the bubble, and though the bubble was compressed, it absorbed the full force of the impact.
"What?"
The crew, who had been crying and preparing for death, were stunned.
"What happened?"
"We're... we're saved!"
The crew, who had been huddled together in terror, were now overcome with relief.
"That guy... is that... Kuma the Tyrant?!"
Before they could get a good look, they felt the ship bounce back and return to the main current. The rushing water carried them away.
"Hey! Look! Up there! A ship..."
"No way..."
"Am I seeing things? How can there be a ship on top of Reverse Mountain?"
"AAAAAAAAAH! LOOK OUT! WE'RE GOING DOWN!"
The pirate ship struggled against the current, but it was no use. It was swept over the edge and down into the Grand Line.
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Five days later.
After stopping at the Twin Capes, Whiskey Peak, and Asuka Island to drop off some cargo, Jin returned to Drum Island.
There were still two weeks left until the end of Sea Calendar year 1518.
Jin announced that from now on, January 1st would be the national holiday of the Winter Blossom Kingdom, to be celebrated throughout the nation.
Drum Island, Hannabal Island, and Asuka Island all held their own celebrations.
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