How did I even find it? Jerry wondered, a private smile playing on his lips. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit's reappearance had been a stroke of sheer, dumb luck. He'd guessed that Devil Fruits reborn in Skypiea would likely manifest there, so before the big battles, he had taken every regular piece of fruit from his system storage and scattered them across the ruins and treetops. It was a long shot, but if it paid off, the reward would be immense. If not, he'd just collect the fruit later.
Of course, none of the fruits he had so carefully placed had changed at all. He never did find Shiki's Float-Float Fruit, which was a shame
Just as Jerry was about to give up, he'd found it purely by accident. During the first night of the banquet, he'd wandered off to relieve himself and, while whistling boredly at the moon, he spotted it: a golden, lightning-stemmed pear hanging on a vine. The sight was so bizarre he almost thought his own powers had somehow created it.
Now, watching his crew's gobsmacked expressions, he couldn't resist. He quietly took out a Video Den Den Mushi and began recording their priceless faces. "Come on," he whispered with a wicked grin. "Smile for the camera."
He cleared his throat, snapping them out of their stupor. "Alright, since I have it out, we need to decide what to do with it." He tossed the golden pear lightly in his hand.
After a moment of stunned silence, Deuce was the first to speak, his voice firm. "What about you, Jerry? You should eat it."
A chorus of agreement followed. It only made sense. Jerry had found the impossibly rare and powerful fruit; it should belong to him.
To their surprise, Jerry shook his head with mock solemnity, raising a fist. "A great master once said that Haki alone is enough to conquer all!"
The crew stared, trying to process this profound wisdom.
"...Of course," Jerry continued, dropping his fist and shrugging, "that same master was immediately defeated by a Devil Fruit Awakener right after he said it. But I still believe in the principle! Besides, my own powers are more than enough. I have no intention of eating this delicious-looking fruit and being weak to seawater." He held it out. "So, let's decide who gets it. We can draw lots if you want."
Everyone was speechless, unsure if his grand declaration was a joke or his actual philosophy. But the fact remained: he was calmly offering one of the most powerful abilities in the world to them. In that moment, even Carina, who loved to argue with him, felt a wave of unconditional trust and camaraderie wash over her.
Cavendish's eyes sparkled, his desire for such a gorgeous and powerful ability warring with his pride. He was the newest member, with problems of his own; he couldn't possibly ask for it. Ace and Brook, already Devil Fruit users, simply smiled and watched the proceedings. Kotatsu let out a soft meow before falling silent.
Deuce looked around the deck, his analytical gaze skipping over the existing fruit users. It finally settled on Skull and Carina, then shifted to Carrot and Cavendish. He sighed.
"Hey! Deuce! What was that look for?!" Carina and Skull shouted in unison.
Deuce flinched, waving his hands defensively. "From a purely strategic standpoint," he explained, "the people who would provide the biggest boost to the crew's overall strength by eating this fruit are… Carrot and Cavendish."
"Oh, haha, yes, I agree completely," Skull said, nodding sagely. Carina huffed but nodded as well.
All eyes turned to the two candidates.
"Eh? Me?" Carrot tapped her chin thoughtfully, then her face broke into a sunny smile. "But Brother Jerry said Haki is stronger! Besides..." She pulled a crisp orange carrot from her pouch. "I prefer these! Hehehe. Big Brother Cavendish should have it!"
Faced with the undivided attention of the crew, Cavendish nearly swooned, his mind swimming with visions of himself as the dazzling center of the universe. He shook his head sharply, forcing the narcissistic thoughts away. "I… I admit, I truly desire such a gorgeous and powerful ability," he said, his voice laced with conflict. "But I have only just joined this crew..."
"Stop!" Jerry interrupted, holding up a hand. "You joined. You ate with us, you fought with us. You're one of us. There's no 'just joined' here."
"Ah... well, thank you," Cavendish said, flustered. "But there is another problem. Though I have been following the training you and Deuce suggested, I have not yet managed to fully integrate with Hakuba. I fear that if my power increases..."
His voice trailed off, but everyone understood. A dual personality was a dangerous wildcard. Jerry's presence seemed to keep Hakuba suppressed, but there was no telling what would happen if Cavendish's base power suddenly skyrocketed.
Jerry just laughed. "That's easy!" he said, shaking his fist with a bright, menacing smile. "If Hakuba dares to act up, I'll just beat you into a pig's head. Of course, whether you eat this or not, you still need to master that fusion. Turn him into a true advantage."
The crew burst into laughter. They all knew about Cavendish's legendary narcissism. Forcing him to appear in public with a swollen, bruised face would be a fate worse than death.
Deuce clapped his hands. "Then it's settled. Any objections?"
"Nope! None here!" Ace cheered, slapping Cavendish on the back. "Hurry up and eat it! We've got a banquet to get to, and I'm starving!"
"Mr. Ace is right! A music party awaits! Yohohoho!" Brook chimed in, already pulling out his violin.
Jerry tossed the Rumble-Rumble Fruit to Cavendish. "Go on, eat up. And when you become the God of Thunder, remember to bless your captain with good health and fortune!"
Cavendish caught the prickly fruit, his eyes filled with emotion. Looking at the smiling, encouraging faces of his new crew, he felt a resolve harden within him. "Then… I will accept."
With a flourish, he accepted a knife and fork that his loyal horse, Farul, had produced from somewhere. He elegantly sliced the golden pear into several pieces. Under the expectant gazes of the crew, he speared the largest slice and, without hesitation, put it in his mouth and began to chew.
"Whoa! What a warrior!" the crew cheered.
"Blech! No… why is it so foul?! Ugh!"
Before their praise had even faded, Cavendish's princely image shattered. He dropped the fork, covered his mouth, and began to dry heave violently.
"Hahaha! And here I thought you were a real warrior who wouldn't flinch at anything!" Jerry howled with laughter, tossing him a bottle of water as the rest of the crew joined in, their party officially underway.
Later, after the others had dispersed to prepare for the feast, Jerry found a quiet spot and pulled out a small, familiar object—the second Wall-breaking Bead he had received from a system quest on Skypiea. He still had no idea what it was for. He tossed it back into his storage space with a shrug.
"So," Deuce said, coming up to pat him on the shoulder. "What's our next stop? Where are we headed from here?"
Jerry pushed him gently toward the growing celebration. "Haha, getting impatient already? Let's get through this banquet first. Otherwise, Ace and the others will eat all the food!"
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