Rocks Band: I have 48 Imperial Arms.

Because they were so close, Locke could even see the fine white fuzz on the fruit when he opened his eyes. It was a fruit that looked like a peach. A banyan tree growing peaches? Locke didn't have time to complain about this strange and astonishing thing; his attention and mood were completely focused on the Devil Fruit that was within his reach.

Fingertip touch.

The palm did not pass directly through, and the tactile sensation was not an illusory mirage.

Locke hadn't even had time to show a look of joy on his face.

Wave~

A sound like a bubble bursting suddenly rang in his ears. Although the sound was very faint, it became unusually jarring and clear to Locke, who was completely focused.

A surge of joy.

His face froze instantly at 0.6.

"grass--"

Looking at the peach-shaped Devil Fruit in his hand that shattered like a bubble, Locke couldn't help but distort his face!

Before!

The discovered spacetime tower is an illusion, a mirage.

You can see it, but you can't touch it; it's as if you're in another time and space.

In front of him!

After finally confirming that it wasn't an illusion and that the Devil Fruit could actually be touched, it turned into a soap bubble!

It’s better not to touch it.

It shatters into dust with the slightest touch.

It glowed with a rainbow halo, bursting like a soap bubble, disappearing on the branches, and splashing a halo all over people's faces.

Who could possibly stand this?!

Locke's face twisted in anger, the fury bulge above his head exploding into the sky. If his feelings could materialize into a person, even just a physical form, Locke would throw him out without hesitation.

Give him a hundred lashes, a hundred lashes!

Chapter 148: Reality and Illusion, an Inverted Summoning!

"asshole!"

Locke's molars were itchy with anger.

His boiling blood, steaming with heat, made him feel a chill run down his spine.

Just as he was about to lose control of his anger.

"Your Highness!"

"here!!"

Leone's surprised voice came from beside him.

Saying "&" means surprise.

Locke, who knew her well, heard a faint joy in her voice. Instinctively, this calmed Locke, whose heart was twisted with rage, and he turned to look at Leone.

"That is--"

Locke's pupils constricted.

Golden lion fur clumped softly on her body, and flames flickered on her tail. Using the bounce of her tail, Leone hooked herself upwards, leaping across most of the space and somehow appearing on the treetop.

The inextinguishable flames, as she climbed through the dense canopy, made her stand out conspicuously. Even the overlapping branches could not conceal her figure; the firelight shining through the treetops had already revealed her.

The ancient tree, which was clearly some kind of banyan tree, was not ignited by Flame 27, and there wasn't even a trace of char.

But compared to these common sense principles that go against biological instincts.

What Leone was holding surprised Locke even more.

It looks very much like a banana.

However, it is covered with all sorts of strange and complex patterns, giving it an indescribable sense of mystery.

Shockingly!

It's the secret treasure of the sea—the Devil Fruit!

"This is... the Book Fruit?"

Locke frowned.

By comparing the patterns with his memories, he quickly found the matching lines and designs.

have to say!

The Devil Fruit encyclopedia he had memorized and imprinted in his mind while on Rocks' pirate ship was still quite useful. At least now, he was no longer completely clueless and could easily recognize the origin of the fruit in his hand.

"Your Highness!"

Leone looked delighted.

Her eyes were slightly narrowed, and her small eyes smiled like crescent moons.

"Give~"

She hopped and skipped over.

He presented the strange banana in his hand to Locke as if it were a treasure.

However, it is indeed a treasure trove. Devil Fruits and ocean treasures are undeniably rare and valuable. If this isn't a treasure, what is?

"It really is a Devil Fruit!"

Feeling the affirmation of the golden finger within his body, he could extract it as energy at any time.

Locke's slightly uneasy heart immediately calmed down.

It's not that he's anxious about gains and losses.

Rather, this wave of raids on the underground bases had been filled with far too many blunders and mishaps. Even Locke was starting to feel paranoid, and his expression inevitably became tense.

"but……"

"Why was this Book-Book Fruit able to be picked, while the Devil Fruit I just touched vanished in an instant... Why are they such completely opposite differences..."

After confirming that the fruit in his hand was real and could indeed be used.

New problems then arose.

Locke couldn't help but frown slightly.

At least until he figured out the reason, Locke dared not pick any more fruits. A casual touch might only break one percent of a fruit, but in reality, each one was a bright and obvious Devil Fruit.

On the ship Lockheed Martin, one could only acquire a handful of treasures a year.

"Why is that?!"

Locke frowned, his face somber, as if pondering some difficult problem.

Could it be the extraction method...?

Or is there something special about Leone herself...?

Or there may be requirements I am unaware of...

……

Various complex conjectures flashed through my mind, and one idea after another burst forth.

Not just him.

Even Esdeath and Najenda, who were standing nearby, were all brainstorming.

Akame and Yoru were both taken without exception.

Leone, who succeeded by accident, pretended to be serious, frowning as she stood on the ground with an air of authority, staring at the ancient tree in front of her with a serious expression.

"Could it be..."

"That's right!!"

"That must be it!!"

A surprised voice came from Najenda.

Holding the three gods, her eyes gleamed with a blinding light, her gaze intense, as if she could see through everything.

"It's not a phantom!"

"It's not a technique!"

"It's not a restriction either!!"

"It's time... yes, it's time..."

Najenda's face was filled with excitement, as if she had finally solved a problem she had been pondering for a long time, and her face was filled with an extremely happy and excited expression.

"time?"