Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the arena, Gladius stood his ground, firing his twin pistols relentlessly into the air.
Meanwhile, Buffalo, soaring through the sky, dodged frantically, letting out pained cries.
If Gladius hadn't been holding back so severely, Buffalo would have been riddled with holes by now.
"Buffalo can fly? Is he also a Devil Fruit user?" Law finally couldn't resist asking after watching Buffalo's aerial evasion training for a while.
Baby-5 nodded immediately, stating matter-of-factly, "Buffalo is a Paramecia-type Spin-Spin Fruit user. He can fly freely in the sky."
"The ability to fly in the sky... how wonderful," Law admitted, a pang of envy hitting him hard.
Only Abel remained indifferent. It was just a low-tier Devil Fruit with limited potential. Even if it were given to him for free... well, if it were free, he'd still take it. After all, he could resell it for a hefty sum. He was desperate to make money these days.
A new search attempt had already generated, but he held back, wanting to play it safe this time.
He was dying to finally get a five-star rating!
During lunch, Abel channeled his energy into his appetite, devouring the food before him as if it were an enemy. He crammed various dishes into his mouth, barely chewing before swallowing, allowing his Purple Talent to rapidly digest and absorb the nutrients, storing them as energy within his body.
Law, who had trained all morning, barely managed to finish his large plate of grilled meat, leaving him too full to speak.
He now seriously doubted whether Abel was even the same species as him.
'How else could he learn everything so slowly and eat so much more than me?'
Even Buffalo, with his ample belly, had to concede defeat to Abel's voracious appetite. It was utterly absurd!
Watching the table of food vanish at a visible rate, Giolla, who hadn't even finished half her steak, finally snapped.
"This is utterly disrespectful!"
"Fufufufufu, it's just food. Why get so worked up? Tell the kitchen to prepare another table just like this one, and double the portions from now on."
"Yes, Young Master."
With Doflamingo unconcerned, Giolla had no outlet for her frustration and could only glare resentfully at Abel.
But Abel pretended not to notice, burying his head and continuing his relentless feast.
Nothing could stop him from devouring his meal!
His daily training was already intense, and he was secretly pushing himself even harder. How could he possibly keep up his nutrition?
Moreover, to maintain the activity of his Gourmet Cells, he needed to consume massive quantities of high-calorie foods every day.
If he hadn't found the Donquixote Family—his long-term meal ticket—he probably would have starved to death!
'Considering how much meat I've eaten from your family, I'll definitely give you a dignified end someday!'
Abel grinned at Doflamingo with his signature "Silly" smile.
'He's a good kid'
'So easily satisfied with a few small favors.'
Doflamingo was utterly delighted, completely unaware that this "good kid" was already plotting in his heart how to usurp him.
Time passed day by day, and Abel lived a fulfilling life.
Whenever they weren't out on missions, Diamante, Lao G, and Gladius would take time to teach them swordsmanship, martial arts, and gunnery.
In addition, Doflamingo himself occasionally set aside time to personally tutor Abel and Law in tactical knowledge.
This level of attention was even greater than what Baby-5 and Buffalo had received when they joined the family earlier!
Abel finally understood why Law had transformed from a reckless hothead into a cunning strategist.
In the blink of an eye, over half a month had passed.
During this time, Abel had been diligently solidifying his foundations and steadily improving his strength.
Although he didn't know why, Diamante had suddenly changed his attitude, ceasing to harass Abel and Law. This was undoubtedly good news.
As for his Golden Finger, the rewards had been meager.
With Baby-5's help, he barely managed to complete six Wish Orders, earning four Two-Star evaluations and two Three-Star evaluations. In total, he obtained 520 Trade Points and a few useless, mediocre items.
This made Abel acutely aware that to acquire truly valuable rewards, he needed to find a way to achieve Four-Star or even Five-Star evaluations!
However, securing Four-Star and Five-Star evaluations was no easy feat, even now that he had joined the Donquixote Family.
There was nothing he could do about it. As a mere ordinary member with no authority or access to the family's resources, he could only engage in small-scale operations.
In addition, the System Shop had refreshed twice during this period.
Most of the items were useless, so he only purchased one:
[Item: Salamander Venom (Blue)]
[Consumable Item]
[Description: Venom extracted from the poison sac of a Black Salamander.]
[Effect: Lethal poison.]
[Price: 300 Transaction Points]
[Quantity: 1 (10 ml)]
[PS: Care to try a taste? You might just become the next Demigod of the Ninja World!]
Abel had never forgotten that his Otherworlder's Heart Talent required at least three lethal toxins to evolve.
Clearly, Salamander Venom perfectly met this requirement.
However, he was now hesitant to recklessly inject the substance into his heart.
After all, one misstep could spell his complete demise, and he doubted anyone could save him.
Abel had purchased the item as a precaution, intending to bring it out only when the time was right.
The Shop's next refresh was just around the corner. If he remembered correctly, this refresh should feature limited-time discounts on monthly items.
His accumulated Trade Points were practically burning a hole in his pocket.
But before the Shop could refresh, Baby-5 came bursting in, her voice frantic.
"Abel, it's terrible! Lord Corazon took Law away!"
"Calm down, speak slowly."
After a few minutes, Abel pieced together the story.
It had started with the three of them chatting. After spending over half a month together, their ages being similar and no deep-seated grudges between them, their daily training sessions had naturally brought them closer.
Even Law and Buffalo, who initially couldn't stand each other, had warmed up.
In fact, Buffalo was even keeping a secret for Law.
This led to them sharing their life stories, and under Buffalo's persistent questioning, Law revealed his full name.
Corazon happened to overhear this as he passed by. Without a word, he grabbed Law and left, leaving a note warning Baby-5 and Buffalo never to mention Law's full name again.
"I understand. Don't worry, Law will be fine."
Abel immediately relaxed and instructed Baby-5 and Buffalo to act as if they knew nothing.
Though he had initially intended to use Law to establish himself in this world, by now he genuinely hoped Law could find the same liberation and redemption as in the original story.
Yet this was precisely what Abel, a fellow sufferer, couldn't offer Law.
"It's up to you now, Corazon. Don't disappoint me..."