Now Ross finally understood everything.
The so-called "moving island" wasn't an island at all it was an enormous crab. Its body was so massive that it needed to surface periodically to breathe, drawing in oxygen from the open air. Over countless years, plants had taken root upon its shell, covering it completely until it came to resemble a floating island.
Most likely, the giant creature would occasionally sink beneath the waves, leaving only a small portion of its shell above the surface. That was how those beasts managed to survive there feeding, reproducing, and living atop the crab's back as though it were solid land.
As for the previous owner of the Flame-Flame Fruit, the truth became tragically clear. He had probably stumbled onto the "island" by accident, unaware of what it really was. Being a Devil Fruit user, he could not swim. When the giant crab submerged, he must have been caught near the outer rim, drowned by the rising seawater. His corpse was later washed toward the center of the shell and dried into a skeleton over time.
What a cruel twist of fate. Had that man been standing just a little closer to the center of the crab's shell, he might have survived.
Ross sighed. His earlier fear that something sinister lurked on the island had been misplaced. The mysterious death wasn't caused by some unknown monster, but by a stroke of tragic coincidence.
"It seems I was overthinking things," Ross murmured as he swam back to the ship and climbed aboard.
Waiting for him, ever efficient, was Tess Omic. The younger man stood at attention, holding a tray in both hands. On the tray sat the gleaming Flame-Flame Fruit.
"Lord Ross, I've cleaned the fruit for you. It's ready whenever you are," Tess said carefully.
Ross couldn't help but feel satisfied. Tess was quick-witted and loyal, the kind of subordinate who anticipated his needs before he had to give an order.
Seeing that Ross appeared to be in a good mood, Tess ventured to ask, "Lord Ross, what was that island, really?"
Ross glanced at him, his expression faintly strange. "A crab," he replied at last. "A massive crab, the size of a mountain."
Tess blinked, swallowing hard. A crab the size of an island it sounded absurd, yet the serious tone in Ross's voice left no room for doubt. Knowing better than to press the subject, Tess kept quiet.
Ross lifted the fruit in his hands, gazing out at the glittering sea. His thoughts grew distant.
This would be the last time he ever swam in the ocean.
Devil Fruit users were doomed to be land-bound. Once someone ate a fruit, the sea itself rejected them. No matter how skilled a swimmer they had once been, they would become helpless the instant their body touched the water.
Still, compared to the power of the Flame-Flame Fruit, that was a small price to pay.
Ross took a deep breath, steeling himself. He raised the fruit to his lips, his expression one of grim resolve. Then he bit down hard.
Instantly, an indescribably foul taste filled his mouth. It was worse than anything he could have imagined bitter, sour, spicy, and salty all at once, a flavor so revolting it made his eyes water.
Ross forced himself to swallow. He tossed the half-eaten fruit toward Tess. "Here, rooster-head. You wanted to try it, didn't you? Go ahead."
Tess eyed it suspiciously. "It doesn't look that bad," he muttered before taking a bite. A moment later, his face contorted in horror.
"What in the world is this taste?!" he choked out.
Ross ignored him, focusing instead on the strange heat spreading through his body. His blood felt as though it were turning to liquid fire. A burning energy surged from deep within him, filling every vein, every muscle, every nerve.
He raised his right hand. Slowly, his fingers ignited five tongues of pure flame flickering where flesh had been. In seconds, his whole arm blazed like a torch.
Yet there was no pain. No burning flesh, no smoke. Instead, it felt as natural as breathing.
Tess let out a terrified yelp. "Lord Ross! Your arm! It's on fire!"
Ross smiled faintly. "Don't worry. I'm fine."
He understood Tess's fear. In the East Blue, Devil Fruit users were rare mere rumors to most people. Ross's calm explanation did little to soothe his panicked subordinate.
"The fruit I just ate," Ross said patiently, "is called the Flame-Flame Fruit. It's one of the Devil Fruits. Eating it grants incredible powers, but at a cost. The sea will reject you forever you'll never swim again."
Tess's eyes widened. "But I ate some too! Am I going to sink like a rock in the water?"
Ross chuckled. "No. Only the first bite matters. After that, the fruit loses its power. You'll be fine."
Still doubtful, Tess grabbed a barrel of seawater and dunked his arm in. When nothing happened, he finally relaxed, muttering, "That scared me half to death."
Ross left him to recover and walked toward the bow of the ship. It was time to test his new power.
He clenched his fist, focusing. A thin stream of fire erupted from his hand, blasting forward a few meters before fading into smoke. The flames weren't particularly large perhaps two meters in reach, and only slightly thicker than his arm but it was a start.
He nodded thoughtfully. "The fruit's potential is immense, but I'm too weak to draw out its full power yet."
The Flame-Flame Fruit was a Logia-type one of the strongest classes of Devil Fruits. In the hands of Ace, it had earned him the title of "Fire Fist." Ross knew he wasn't anywhere near that level, but he would get there.
He would learn to control it, master it, and someday surpass even the legends.
For now, he continued to practice, sending bursts of flame into the air, adjusting his breathing, learning how the fire responded to his will. Each movement became more precise, more natural, more alive.
Meanwhile, far away in Loguetown...
A man named Buck stood in the middle of a bustling street, a folded newspaper in his hands. His grin was wide, almost wolfish.
"One hundred million berries," he said softly. "My good brother Ross, your head's worth a fortune now."
He chuckled, shaking his head with mock admiration. "A first bounty of a hundred million... that's impressive. Ross, I hope you can last a while before the Marines catch you. If they do, though..."
His grin widened into something darker.
"Execution would be such a shame but what a spectacle it would be."
He tucked the newspaper under his arm and walked on, the crowd swallowing him whole as the sun dipped low over the harbor, setting the sea aflame like the fire now burning in Ross's heart.