Konoha: I Have Hidden Identity

Chapter 20.

"Crack~ creak~ bang!"

Just at the moment the warehouse door closed, with the sound of the two iron doors colliding, there was also a "bang" sound.

A puff of white mist escaped, and Suzuki transformed back into himself.

He stood next to the mountain of food, his gaze as dark as a deep pool, calmly looking at the now closed door, as if he could see the guard captain—Althara Kolmi—through the crack.

Soon, voices resumed outside the warehouse.

"Captain? Are you alright?"

Suzuki took his first step.

"I'm fine."

Suzuki took his second step.

"Hahaha, Captain, you're just too tired!"

Suzuki took his third step.

"Yeah, aside from food, there's nothing else in the warehouse. Not to mention there are no thieves; even if there were, would they come to steal food?"

"Captain, you haven't slept for two days; why not go back and take a nap?"

The voice of guard captain Althara Kolmi came through:

"Don't let your guard down! You all know the miraculous nature of the Devil Fruit abilities."

"Of course, I was indeed overthinking it. As for sleeping, that's unnecessary. Alright, you all can go back now."

"By the way, you don't need to come back tomorrow."

Then several voices echoed in unison:

"Yes, Captain!"

As the conversation gradually faded, silence returned outside the door.

At this moment, Suzuki had already reached the side of a pile of food.

He turned back to look; from here, he couldn't see the door directly, only the numerous high stacks of food.

So, he carefully and slowly sat down on the ground, making no sound.

Outside, Althara Kolmi was still dutifully guarding the room of Wapol, while Suzuki inside the warehouse silently began to meditate, recovering the chakra he had overused.

Suzuki felt the few remaining chakra within him and was somewhat relieved.

It had been nearly three hours since he transformed into an apple; maintaining such a technique for so long was no easy feat.

If Althara Kolmi had eaten an hour later, he would have likely been forced to revert to his original form due to chakra depletion.

However, Suzuki had ultimately infiltrated.

Of course, he could not let his guard down yet. Althara Kolmi was still outside guarding, and infiltration was just the first step; his goal was to successfully take the Devil Fruit.

After a while, the chakra he had consumed earlier was fully restored.

Maintaining his meditative posture, he finally had the opportunity to carefully observe his surroundings, looking at the food that nearly filled the entire warehouse.

There were loaves of bread, milk, perfectly grilled steaks, and many fruits and snacks.

The temperature in the warehouse varied; some food items were surrounded by heating devices, neatly arranged in wooden boxes, while others were haphazardly piled on the cold floor.

Suzuki quietly thought about the conversation he had overheard earlier:

"The guard captain told a few people not to come back tomorrow, which means the king is preparing to force-feed Wapol the Devil Fruit tomorrow."

"The timing is a bit tight; I still don't know where the Devil Fruit is."

"The captain is still guarding outside; if I charge out directly, I might get caught. The chances of escaping are too slim."

"This captain is so diligent and cautious, he should be quite loyal, and he is also a Devil Fruit user, so..."

However, Suzuki seemed to think of something, squinting his eyes and contemplating the feasibility:

"Maybe, I can..."

Suzuki gently picked up two fruits, examining them in his hands, a hint of a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Time flowed swiftly like water, and several hours passed.

At this point, it was already past five in the morning.

Suzuki kept his eyes closed, maintaining a sitting posture. Even after such a long time, his mind remained incredibly clear, always alert.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of the warehouse door being pushed open.

"Ka~"

Suzuki's ears perked up, and he suddenly opened his eyes, narrowing his pupils, instantly using his transformation technique to turn into a Devil Fruit.

The sound of the transformation was drowned out by the noise of the iron door being pushed open, and only a faint white mist lingered among the piles of food. However, as the warehouse door slowly opened, the white mist was blown away by a few gentle breezes.

On the ground, there was only one oddly shaped fruit, completely different from the surrounding melons and fruits.

The door was fully opened, and the guard captain, Althara Kolmi, walked in with a hint of fatigue on his face.

He glanced around the seemingly normal warehouse and casually picked up a few pieces of bread from the snack area, eating while conducting his routine inspection of the warehouse.

He passed by a box containing roasted meat, walked past the milk area, and picked up a box of milk.

When he arrived at the area where the fruits were stacked, he immediately spotted the Devil Fruit among the melons and fruits, and Althara Kolmi's expression turned somewhat astonished:

"This Devil Fruit?"

Althara Kolmi quickly finished the bread in his hand and rushed over to grab the Devil Fruit, a look of confusion on his face:

"Did any Ability user died recently on Drum Island? That the ability did not heal the user and reincarnate in this fruit?"

He then carefully examined the Devil Fruit in his hand, even squeezing it slightly with his fingers.

No matter how he looked at it, it was indeed a fruit, and judging by its strange shape, it was very likely a Devil Fruit.

Althara Kolmi felt a mix of emotions, both amazed and pleased:

"The king just bought a Devil Fruit, and now there's another one. The kingdom's strength is going to increase again."

Then, he disregarded his breakfast and eagerly took the Devil Fruit, quickly leaving the warehouse.

Inside the royal palace, Althara Kolmi hurriedly walked. When he encountered a group of patrolling guards, he paused for a moment and ordered them to guard outside Wapol's room.

After that, he made his way to King Valkirita's residence and knocked on the king's door:

"Knock, knock~"

"Who is it?"

"Your Majesty, it's Kolmi."

"Kolmi? Come in."

Walpurgis was a king with dreams and ambitions. Although it was just past five in the morning, he was already up and working.

Hearing that his guard captain was looking for him so early piqued his curiosity.

Looking at the guard captain who had entered, Walpurgis, dressed in his pajamas, sat on a chair made of gold, his expression stern, and spoke in a serious tone:

"Kolmi, why are you here instead of guarding Wapol?"

After entering, Althara Kolmi knelt on one knee, without saying any unnecessary words, directly presented the Devil Fruit to the king:

"Your Majesty, this is what I found in the warehouse this morning!"

Walpurgis took the Devil Fruit, and his stern expression softened:

"Oh? Did any Ability user die on our Drum Island? This is quite a pleasant surprise."

Then, he looked at his guard captain with a slight smile and said:

"Kolmi, very good! With this fruit, the strength of our Drum Kingdom will increase again. What reward do you want?"

Althara Kolmi maintained his kneeling position, lowering his head to respond:

"Your Majesty, the item is in the royal palace; it was originally yours. I merely happened to be the first to see it. I do not need a reward; it is my duty! In a few hours, I must return to the prince."

Walpurgis was evidently pleased with this subordinate, smiling broadly at the guard captain:

"Alright, go ahead, Kolmi, but you can't refuse your reward. After completing the task of guarding Wapol, it will be given to you!"

"Yes!"

Althara Kolmi quickly left.

After the captain of the guard left, Walpurgis stood up from the chair, holding a Devil Fruit in his hand. He walked to the corner of the room and pressed a switch, revealing a hidden door in the wall, which led to a secret chamber.

He entered the secret chamber and went to the corner of the wall, pressing another switch. The floor opened up in a certain spot, revealing a box.

Walpurgis took out the iron box, opened it, and looked at the Permanencia type Devil Fruit, the Baku-Baku no mi, which was about to be given to Wapol. He felt a bit emotional, then placed the Devil Fruit he was holding inside.