After learning that the Village Chief was willing to hand over the Devil Fruit, Alex's emotions surged. But after thinking it through carefully, he finally decided to eat it.
Originally, Alex had wanted to refuse Luffy's invitation to join his crew, mostly because he knew he wasn't strong enough. If he set out to sea with Luffy in his current state, he'd only be a burden.
But now, if he ate the Devil Fruit, his strength might not increase dramatically right away, but it would open up a whole new path for future growth. After all, a Devil Fruit's power depends heavily on how well the user develops it.
Alex had always been a determined guy. He figured that if he ate this fruit, he'd just train harder than anyone else. Hard work could make up for any lack of talent—he refused to believe he'd always be a total weakling.
When the Village Chief brought out the Devil Fruit, it was the first time Alex had seen one of these so-called "embodiments of sea devils."
"Go on, eat it," the hunched old chief said with a grin as he handed the fruit to Alex.
"What kind of power does this Devil Fruit have?" Alex asked as he took it. It felt strangely weightless in his hands—like it had no substance at all.
Under the soft moonlight, the pitch-black fruit reflected faint white glimmers. It looked more mysterious than threatening.
"I don't know the specifics," the Village Chief admitted with a cough. "But the man who entrusted it to me said it's a very special Devil Fruit."
A very special one?
That made sense. If it were just an ordinary fruit, Rayleigh wouldn't have gone out of his way to bring it to the East Blue.
Alex had already guessed who had given the fruit to the village. Based on the Chief's descriptions, it was almost certainly Rayleigh himself.
Taking a deep breath, Alex finally bit down hard on the fruit.
The moment the fruit's flesh touched his tongue, he nearly gagged. It was easily the most disgusting thing he had ever eaten—absolutely vile.
Still, he forced himself to swallow.
"What are you guys doing here?" came Luffy's voice out of the darkness.
"Huh? Is that a Devil Fruit?" Luffy asked, noticing the partially eaten fruit in Alex's hand. "These things taste awful! You didn't need to sneak off to eat it—I wouldn't have fought you for it."
Seeing the disappointed look on Luffy's face, Alex could guess what the glutton was thinking: that he and the chief had snuck off to enjoy some rare delicacy.
"You actually ate it?" Luffy asked, grabbing the fruit from Alex and inspecting it. "This thing's weird. It doesn't weigh anything! Totally different from the ones I've eaten."
"I know, right?" Alex replied. "And even after eating it, I don't feel any different."
He watched helplessly as Luffy tossed the Devil Fruit up into the air and slapped it around like a toy with his stretchy hands.
Just then, a gust of wind blew through, and the feather-light fruit drifted away—vanishing into the night sky.
"Sorry!" Luffy said sheepishly, watching it disappear.
Thank god I took a bite first, Alex thought with a sigh of relief. Otherwise, this dumbass would've just lost it.
But now, a new worry set in. He had eaten the fruit… and yet, he felt no change. Was it fake?
Devil Fruits generally fell into three categories: Paramecia, Zoan, and Logia. Normally, users discovered their new powers not long after eating one.
But nearly five minutes had passed, and Alex still felt completely normal. Something wasn't right.
"You've got that stressed-out look again," Luffy said cheerfully. "C'mon, the party's still going. Let's have some fun!"
With that, he grabbed Alex and dashed toward the village square, where the feast was in full swing. Music, dancing, laughter—it was a scene of pure joy.
Surrounded by the festive atmosphere, Alex couldn't help but feel a little better.
A short distance away, the Village Chief watched him quietly and murmured, "Rayleigh… you probably never expected that I'd pass on that fruit less than two years after you gave it to me. This era no longer belongs to us. The days of sailing with Roger feel like they just happened yesterday."
For a moment, the old man stood straighter than he had in years. His hunched back unfolded, giving him a presence both regal and fierce. His sharp eyes locked onto Alex.
"Kid, the Devil Fruit you just ate is the most unique of all Paramecia-class fruits," he said quietly. "It's called the Growth Fruit. How powerful it becomes… is entirely up to you."
Then, his back hunched again. Leaning on his cane, the old man slowly turned and shuffled back into his house.
The village celebration didn't end until nearly 3 AM. Since coming to this world, Alex had never had so much fun.
With Luffy—the ultimate party lover—around, there was no way anyone could be bored.
When it finally ended, Alex didn't bother going back to his room. He just lay down on the ground alongside Luffy and the others and drifted off to sleep.
All around them, villagers were sprawled across the grass, snoring with smiles on their faces. The joy of the feast lingered in the air.
Listening to Luffy's loud, carefree snoring beside him, Alex slowly calmed down.
Sigh...
Lying under the night sky, staring at the crescent moon, Alex let out a deep sigh.
He'd thought that eating the Devil Fruit would finally make him strong enough to sail with Luffy.
But now?
He didn't even know what power he'd gained.
Which meant… he couldn't train. Couldn't improve. Couldn't even set a goal.
How the hell was he supposed to get stronger when he didn't even know what strength looked like?