One piece: Establishing a Pirate Family

Chapter 124: Fusion Fruit

Charlotte didn't say anything after seeing Monica's actions.

"Don't lose heart! As long as you do well, I can share everything I have with you! I haven't been on the island for the past six months, and you've all been guarding this ship. As a reward, every crew member will get 2 million berries, and every maid will get 500,000 berries."

Charlotte waved his hand generously, distributing rewards.

Hearing this, the crew erupted in cheers, waving their weapons enthusiastically.

"Long live the boss!"

"Long live the boss!"

Listening to the cheers of his men, Charlotte smiled.

This was the sound of over a hundred people cheering. He couldn't help but imagine what it would be like with a thousand or ten thousand people. The thought filled him with anticipation. One day, he would become a true Emperor of the Sea.

"Disband! Barrett, follow me!"

Charlotte waved his hand to dismiss the gathering. The money distribution was left to his personal maids—he had no time for such trivial matters.

Charlotte led Barrett back to the captain's cabin. After entering, Charlotte settled into the captain's chair and looked at Barrett, who stood tall at over two meters.

Despite his rapid growth, Barrett maintained the demeanor of a soldier.

"Sit!" Charlotte motioned for him to take a seat.

Barrett immediately sat down in front of Charlotte, his posture straight and disciplined.

"Barrett, you've been with me for a few days now. I pulled you out of that hellhole because I saw your talent. I want to train you. Since you've been following me, have you suffered any injustice?"

Charlotte's tone was calm but probing.

"Captain, you're right! Since I've been with you, I've never gone hungry for even a single day. I'll never forget your kindness. Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it!" Barrett replied, his tone full of sincerity and resolve.

At this stage of his life, Barrett was still young and untainted by betrayal. He was loyal and simple, with no hidden agendas.

"Good!" Charlotte nodded, pleased with his answer.

Reaching into his pocket, Charlotte pulled out the Fusion Fruit and placed it on the table in front of Barrett.

"This is the Paramecia-type Fusion Fruit. It allows you to merge and combine all objects, including incorporating them into your body. With this ability, you can create weapons, structures, or armor. It's an incredibly powerful Devil Fruit that can make you stronger and help you become an invaluable asset to me in the future."

Charlotte's voice was steady, and he carefully observed Barrett's reaction.

Barrett stared at the fruit on the table, his expression calm and composed—a habit developed from his time in the military camp. Without hesitation, he picked it up and took a bite.

"Ugh!" Barrett winced, the taste of the fruit bitter and repulsive, but he forced himself to swallow. Remembering how Ralph ate his fruit earlier, Barrett closed his eyes and consumed the entire Fusion Fruit.

As soon as he finished, he placed his hands on the chair. Instantly, a layer of purple crystals spread from his hands, covering the chair and transforming it. Barrett could feel the object merging into his body, waiting for him to manipulate it into any shape.

Charlotte watched quietly as Barrett experimented.

In a short time, Barrett reshaped the chair into a firearm.

Charlotte raised an eyebrow at the creation but then remembered Barrett's military upbringing—it made sense that he would think of a gun first.

"Alright! If you want to test your abilities, do it outside. Don't dismantle my captain's room!" Charlotte said, cutting Barrett's experiment short.

"Yes, Captain!" Barrett replied instinctively and left the room with his newly acquired weapon.

Watching him leave, Charlotte sighed. Barrett's military habits were deeply ingrained, but with time, they would fade.

"Time will smooth everything out," Charlotte muttered to himself before leaning back in his chair.

Now, with no immediate tasks, he turned his attention to his training.

Thinking back to his last fight with Admiral Kong, where his Armament Haki had been overpowered, Charlotte clenched his fists.

"I need to sharpen my skills. Maybe I should find a deserted island and practice my punches against boulders. Practicing underwater is an option, but the logistics are annoying. An oxygen tank like the one I use for sword training could work, but it's inconvenient."

Spreading out a map, Charlotte scanned for a nearby deserted island.

"It has to be close. Otherwise, Rocks might lose his temper."

Charlotte selected an island a few hours away and decided to leave the next day.

When he met Rocks the day before, he had sensed an unusual irritability in his demeanor. Rocks seemed on the verge of an outburst.

"What's got him so riled up? Is it Golden Lion? Whitebeard?" Charlotte mused.

If he had to guess, it was probably Golden Lion. Over the past few months, Golden Lion had clashed with Rocks several times, but the arguments never escalated. Golden Lion was too cunning to push Rocks too far, knowing full well the dangers of stepping out of line.

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Time flew by as Charlotte focused on his Armament Haki training.

For the next two to three months, he trained on the deserted island he had chosen. During this time, Rocks summoned him twice, and Golden Lion visited him five times.

Charlotte Lingling even invited him to a tea party, but the gathering consisted only of herself, Kaido, and Charlotte.

The tea party turned into a subtle game of probing alliances. Both Lingling and Kaido tested Charlotte's loyalty to Rocks. Sensing their intentions, Charlotte vaguely hinted at his dissatisfaction with Rocks, leaving the two delighted.

The party ended on a sour note for Lingling when Charlotte refused her invitation to stay the night.

"What a joke! She probably has ulterior motives!" Charlotte muttered as he walked away, ignoring her furious shouts.

"Does she think I don't know she's after my genes? Over my dead body!"

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