One piece : Armor of Justice

Throughout the day, Bill was pushed to his limits by his bald teacher. This man was a master who knew exactly how to push his student to the edge without crossing it.

By the end of the training, Bill felt exhausted and slow.

"Remember, it's all about anticipation! Don't rely only on your body's speed; it's the speed of the mind that makes a master!"

Bowing to his teacher, Bill turned to leave.

Deciding not to go to the beach, Bill realized he needed to go home to eat.

Among all the strange things in this world, one of the strangest was the sheer amount of food they consumed.

Laughing to himself, Bill thought that sometimes he felt sorry for the amount of meat he went through.

But what could he say? He was hungry and needed calories!

Moreover, Vallipo was filled with wild fruits, nuts, vegetables, and root crops. The sea was full of creatures, and, in the end, Bill thought he didn't eat as much as a giant!

Talking to himself on the way home, he soon reached his apartment. Opening the door, he said loudly, "I'm home!"

Walking through the living room, he found his mother, father, and nanny sitting at the kitchen table. They might have been talking, but now they fell silent. In front of Aramaki stood a closed box.

"What happened?" Bill asked, noticing everyone looking in his direction.

"Go change, we're heading out."

Leaving no room for objections, Bill followed his father's instructions and did as he was told.

As he exited his room, Miss Angie caught him and said, "Bill, this is your choice. Remember that."

Looking at her in confusion, he didn't have a chance to ask anything before sensing his father enter the living room. Hearing "Let's go," Bill simply nodded to the nanny and ran after him.

Catching up to his father, Bill asked what was going on.

"Nothing serious, the fruit has been identified, but this isn't the place to talk about it."

Speaking with the same finality, Bill just nodded and followed along. His father still towered over him, but at around six and a half feet, the difference in size no longer seemed so great.

In fact, from a distance, they might look like an ordinary boy with a normal father.

Walking through the hospital corridors, Bill noticed that there was no one around, and thanks to their long strides, they soon found themselves in a large courtyard.

The Archipelago Vallipo was covered with forests, but nothing like that existed on the ST base. The courtyard had a few well-tended trees and flowers, and that was all.

As they approached the center of the large courtyard, Aramaki handed Bill the box and started speaking.

"Son, this fruit is one of the most unique in the world. It's called the Forest Forest Fruit. It's a natural type with enormous potential."

Seeing that Bill didn't react or try to open the box, Aramaki continued.

"You found the fruit, and therefore it belongs to you, but due to its unique nature, you can't dispose of it freely. You must either use it or sell it to the Marines."

Hearing this, Bill asked, "So, if it were not a special fruit, I could do whatever I wanted with it?"

For Bill, this was a shock because he had only seen two fruits before — Fia's Cannon Fruit and Foxy's Slow Fruit. He had only seen powerful fruits and didn't know the range of their abilities.

Nodding, Aramaki replied, "According to the rules set by the World Government, all found Devil Fruits must be handed over to the local authorities. The discoverer of the fruit should receive compensation of ten million Beli.

However, there is a widely known black market for Devil Fruits. It's so widespread that it can't be stopped."

With a muted sound, Bill asked the obvious question, "If it's so widely known, why can't the Marines suppress it?"

With an understanding look, Aramaki replied, "Because even the Marines use the black market. After all, the base payout rate from the World Government is ten million, but the average payout on the black market is a hundred million.

There are no established prices for natural and mythical fruits." Then, pointing to the box, Aramaki continued, "A fruit like this could be the cause of a war."

Looking at the box, Bill said, "I don't want to eat this thing, Dad. I saw something that went inside it."

"It's known that the abilities of Devil Fruits come from the devils within them. It's a deal and partly a curse. You gain power but lose the ability to swim."

Shaking his head, Bill responded, "No, I think you lose more than just the ability to swim... I can't explain why, but I definitely think we shouldn't touch it."

At this, Aramaki sighed heavily and leaned his back against a tree.

"You must eat it. It's too powerful to give away... and more so..."

With these words, Aramaki began to smile: "This fruit is the essence of life; it's even more powerful than the Phoenix Fruit, it's the Forest Fruit! With its help, we can completely heal your mother!!"

The prospect truly excited Bill, yet he still said, "But I think it's not just about losing the ability to swim..."

Saying this, his father pushed away from the tree and placed a hand on Bill's shoulder.

If you want to read more advanced chapters follow me on patreon

45+ chapters

patron.com/Manofathousandskills