Luke had received the notification that he had completed a hidden quest last night. At first, he had wondered why the reward had not arrived, thinking it might only be calculated and issued after he returned.
So this was the form the reward took. He had completed the quest and earned Kaido’s trust, so Kaido rewarded him with a Devil Fruit. And this Devil Fruit had never appeared in the original story. Who knew how Endspace had arranged for Kaido to acquire it?
Most members of the Beast Pirates were Zoan Devil Fruit users. It was practically the crew’s signature. Kaido had not fobbed him off with an artificial Devil Fruit; this was a genuine Zoan Fruit.
And it was no ordinary Zoan Fruit. It was an Ancient Zoan.
[Zoan, Ancient Zoan: Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Model: Tyrannosaurus Rex]
Origin: One Piece
Quality: Epic
Item Type: Bloodline
Usage Requirement: None
Usage: Takes effect upon consuming any part of it.
Details: A Devil Fruit that houses the power of an ancient tyrant. Upon consumption, it grants +5 Constitution, +5 Strength, and +4 Agility, along with the ability to transform into a Tyrannosaurus Rex. As the Fruit’s power is developed, the attribute bonuses granted by the bloodline will gradually increase, and additional bloodline abilities can be unlocked.
Rating: 680 points (400–700)
Evaluation: A Devil Fruit with considerable potential, suitable for direct frontal combat.
Honestly, this Devil Fruit was absurdly good. Even within the Beast Pirates’ so-called zoo, it would absolutely count as a heavyweight prize.
It was clear that Kaido truly valued him now. If Kaido did not think highly of him, there was no way he would let a young man like Luke eat such an excellent Fruit. Many officers had Fruits inferior to this one.
Kaido was probably grooming him to become Yamato’s right-hand man, much like King was at Kaido’s side.
It was a great Fruit, but Luke hesitated. Should he eat it or not?
Its abilities certainly suited his combat style, but he could not help feeling that turning into a Tyrannosaurus Rex would look kind of ugly...
Luke had learned a principle from his roommate, Sosuke Aizen: style points mattered too. If something looked too ugly, it might even affect combat power...
Fortunately, Kaido had not demanded that he eat it on the spot. After handing the Devil Fruit over, he had led his men away and left the decision to Luke.
"It’s a Devil Fruit! Too bad there’s no encyclopedia, so we don’t know what kind it is. I think you shouldn’t eat it yet, Luke."
After examining it from side to side, Yamato leaned close to Luke’s ear and whispered, "Who knows what kind of trash Fruit my old man gave you? A person can only eat one Devil Fruit in their lifetime, so you need to be careful, Luke."
Luke did not know whether to laugh or cry. Even though Yamato had developed a sense of self, she apparently still held a small grudge against her father.
"I think the Fruit itself is fine. I just haven’t decided whether I want to become a Devil Fruit user. After all, once I do, I won’t be able to swim. I still want to sail the seas someday."
Luke explained, "If someone sails alone and can’t swim, that’s far too dangerous."
Yamato grabbed Luke’s shoulders, her expression turning serious. "Luke, if you’re going out to sea, shouldn’t you take me with you?"
"All right, that was an oversight on my part. If we make it to the point where we can set sail, I’ll take you with me."
Luke answered helplessly. Just dealing with the mess in Wano might take who knew how long.
Since he had taken this on, he could not just half-ass it before running off with Yamato. At the very least, he needed to solve the people’s food shortage and environmental problems.
"It’s a promise. No taking it back!"
Yamato spoke earnestly. Although she no longer believed herself to be Kozuki Oden, she still had a heart that yearned for adventure on the open sea.
Still, she did not think now was the right time either. She could not abandon her country and go gallivanting around like her former idol had. Now that she had just become Wano’s Shogun, she needed to do something for its people before she could rest easy.
"I can promise to take you on an adventure after we settle Wano’s affairs, but I can’t promise I’ll stay with you forever."
Luke gave Yamato a warning in advance. He was not from this world. Judging by his remaining stay time, once he had dealt with Wano’s problems, he would not be able to adventure with Yamato for long.
Speaking of stay time, after completing this hidden quest, he had discovered something interesting.
He had received another hidden quest, one connected to the previous one.
[Hidden Quest: Strategist of the Beast Pirates]
Quest Details: You have now earned Kaido’s trust and hold a status equivalent to an officer within the Beast Pirates. In the future, Kaido will listen to more of your advice—but only if you achieve outstanding results while governing Wano.
Within two months, do your utmost to improve Wano. While ensuring the people’s happiness, increase the production capacity of Kaido’s factories.
Quest Difficulty: Hard–Nightmare
Quest Reward 1: You will become the Beast Pirates’ strategist, with status equal to an All-Star.
Quest Reward 2: Medium Inheritance Crystal ×2. World stay time extended by one natural month.
Failure Penalty: None
This hidden quest could extend his stay in the world. That meant playing a nation-management game in Wano would not waste his time. Beyond the generous Inheritance Crystal rewards, he could also gain an impressive position. That only strengthened his motivation to do the job properly.
The quest’s difficulty rating was exceptionally high. Luke guessed that Endspace had judged him poorly suited to this kind of work. If someone like Sosuke Aizen had been assigned this quest, its difficulty would probably have been labeled Easy.
Endspace’s difficulty rating made Luke feel underestimated, which irritated him slightly. He thought, I may not be especially clever, but I’m still a normal person who has read plenty of history. How hard can it be to handle one little Wano?
Besides, in his previous life, he had played several grand-strategy simulation games developed by the Company in order to understand his enemies. It was not as though he knew absolutely nothing about governing a nation.
Well, knowing a little theory still counted for something.
The more Luke learned about this world, the more he felt that his limited skills would be more than enough to handle Wano’s people.
After all, people here were pretty simple. Not exactly the sharpest bunch.
"Luke, are you going to leave me?"
Yamato looked at Luke with concern. What he had just said left her feeling uneasy and reluctant to let him go.
"I never said that. But the world is unpredictable. Once we go to sea, anything could happen. I’m just saying that if I have an accident or disappear, don’t be too sad. Put your own safety first and hurry back to the Beast Pirates."
Luke was preparing Yamato in advance because he knew he would definitely disappear. If he did not make things clear to this airhead beforehand, she might spend the rest of her life searching the seas where he vanished.
"How could I do that!? I would never abandon my friend!"
Yamato shouted emotionally. "Do you think I’m the kind of person who would abandon you at a critical moment!?"
Luke felt both touched and helpless. He could only rise onto his toes and pat Yamato’s shoulder. "Of course you aren’t. But I don’t want you to face danger either, understand? Besides, I’m only talking about a possibility. It’s not like something is definitely going to happen to me."
Only then did Yamato’s expression calm somewhat, though she still puffed out her cheeks and huffed. "Don’t say things like that again, or I won’t talk to you anymore."
"All right, all right. I won’t bring it up again."
Luke raised his hands in surrender. Some things could only be dealt with one step at a time.
…
The next day, crowds surged along the Flower Capital’s main streets. Everyone craned their necks curiously as cart after cart loaded with grain passed by.
Yet even the boldest street thug did not dare approach the grain carts to try stealing a handful. The escort walking ahead of them was a notorious pirate of the sea.
He was a handsome yet stern and composed man with white hair, brown skin, black wings, and a floral tattoo surrounding his left eye.
Tall, powerfully built, and well-proportioned, he was covered from head to toe—including his face—in black clothing. He wore a mask and a goggle-equipped helmet, along with a black double-breasted coat bearing two skull designs on its collar.
Black gloves covered his hands without exposing even an inch of skin. A long sword hung at his waist, while flames burned at the back of his head.
Everyone who saw him hurriedly made way. He was the Beast Pirates’ leading All-Star, Kaido’s right-hand man and sworn brother, the man with a bounty of 1.39 billion berries—the "Wildfire," King!
After receiving word, Luke and Yamato left the Shogun’s palace and came out to greet him in the street.
Yamato might not understand such matters, but Luke did. King was the true second-in-command of the Beast Pirates, a brother-in-arms who had risked his life alongside Kaido, a man who possessed both tremendous strength and authority. They could not possibly wait until King had pushed the carts all the way to the Shogun’s palace before coming out to see him.
"Mr. King, thank you for taking the trouble to deliver the grain. You’ve solved our urgent crisis, and we’re very grateful."
Luke looked up at King. It was his first time meeting Wildfire. At over six meters tall, King was immensely intimidating. Standing before him, Luke looked like an infant facing an adult.
From the original story, Luke knew that King was a Lunarian. This extraordinary race had only been mentioned late in the story and was nearly extinct. King might be the last surviving Lunarian in the world.
Lunarians could generate flames from their bodies, and those flames possessed a certain degree of offensive power. When the flames disappeared, their speed increased dramatically, but their defense fell at the same time.
The race could survive all kinds of harsh natural environments and was innately built for combat. Vegapunk later used King’s cells to develop the Seraphim, each of whom possessed strength comparable to a Warlord of the Sea. It was utterly ridiculous.
"I have completed Kaido’s orders. Do what you are supposed to do."
King did not exchange pleasantries with Luke. Looking down at him, he said, "Do not betray his expectations."
Clearly, King did not entirely trust Luke. This man who called himself a demon slayer had appeared in Wano too abruptly, caught Kaido’s attention in a very short time, and risen through the ranks at an astonishing speed.
King hoped he was simply being overly suspicious. If Luke could do his work well, govern Wano properly, and bring greater profits to the Beast Pirates, then all would be well.
But if Luke had any plan detrimental to the Beast Pirates, King would personally act and cut him down.
"Give us some time. We will show the Governor and you the results."
Luke replied calmly. He knew words were useless against a man like King. He had to show him results.
King nodded at that. He had no intention of continuing to chat with Yamato, and he turned to leave. His mission had been to deliver the grain to Luke and Yamato, not to escort it to any specific destination.
Once King had left, Luke snapped his fingers. Several figures appeared beside him.
"Have the security force help escort the shipment. Send sixty percent to the granaries. Divide the remainder according to the list I gave you yesterday and transport it to the surrounding key famine-stricken towns."
Luke had already made arrangements before King’s grain shipment arrived. That was what it meant to get an early start when you knew you were not naturally gifted. If he had tried to think it all through on the spot, he probably would not have managed this sort of brain-intensive work well.
Last night, he had reviewed Wano’s financial reports and its statistics on regional famine. He had already formed a plan for how to distribute the grain.
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