One Piece: The user of the Nen-Nen Fruit, who overturned the sea.

Roy picked up the fruit from the Peach Helper and examined it closely.

Pink peel, scaly patterns—yes, this is the Azure Dragon Fruit that Vegapunk replicated.

Vegapunk, that perfectionist, deemed the fruit a failure simply because its color was wrong, and carelessly tossed it into Punk Hazard's warehouse.

But in Roy's opinion, this fruit is no less valuable than the genuine Azure Dragon Fruit that Kaido ate.

Although Roy had released Momonosuke from his control, his mouth was still agape and his body was trembling like a leaf.

He couldn't hear what Roy was saying; all he could hear was a buzzing sound in his ears.

The man's face loomed larger and larger in his vision, overlapping with the figure in his memory wielding a knife amidst flames.

"No—don't kill me—don't kill me—"

He wanted to beg for mercy, but only muffled sobs could be heard from his throat.

Tears slid down his cheeks, leaving two white streaks as they flowed down the dust on his face.

"Sigh~"

Roy sighed inwardly as he looked at him, and casually waved his hand.

A very thin blade of space flashed by.

Momonosuke's sobbing stopped abruptly.

The tiny head rolled off the neck, bounced twice on the ground, and rolled to the corner of the wall.

The headless body remained in a kneeling position, its hands still holding the fruit, but there was nothing left in its palms.

Blood gushed from the severed neck and spread rapidly across the dusty floor.

Roy flicked non-existent blood beads off his fingers, turned his gaze away from Momonosuke's corpse, and focused it back on the Pink Dragon Fruit in his hand.

As for just now, killing an eight-year-old child would be easier for Roy than crushing an ant.

But there was no anger, no murderous intent, and not even disgust in his eyes when he examined Momonosuke.

There was only one mild, almost objective evaluation.

The bloodline of Kozuki Oden.

What kind of person was Kozuki Oden?

Powerful, bold, foolish.

For the so-called ideal of "founding the nation," he danced naked for five years, only to die a meaningless death.

And Momonosuke—

This only son of the Kozuki family perfectly inherited all of Kozuki Oden's flaws, except for his lechery and tendency to cry, but he didn't inherit even a single one of his father's good qualities.

He is cowardly and incompetent, and his mournful face and lewd expression repeatedly send readers' blood pressure soaring in the original work.

"The bloodline of the Kozuki family ends with you."

Roy put the Pink Dragon Fruit into his storage bag, then glanced at Momonosuke's headless corpse.

"Besides, no one will know that you died here."

However, Kin'emon and his group are also on this island. Although that Kin'emon with foxfire isn't much stronger than you, at least he still has some backbone.

With him around, Luffy and his crew will still have to face Kaido.

If all else fails—

With a little manipulation of the New World's influence, it wouldn't be difficult for the Straw Hat crew to run into the Beasts Pirates.

Roy turned and walked out of the abandoned laboratory, his footsteps fading into the empty corridor.

All that remained in the laboratory was that small, headless corpse and the head in the corner, still bearing a terrified expression.

Dark red blood stained the broken glass, gleaming faintly in the dim light.

Roy felt no guilt whatsoever about killing Momonosuke.

The only thing Roy cared about was actually—

Luffy.

Or rather, the Devil Fruit that Luffy possesses.

The Rubber Fruit—no, it should be called the Nika Fruit, Sun God Nika Form, Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan Type, Sun God Form.

The fruit Joy Boy ate eight hundred years ago has had its true name concealed by the World Government.

They simply slapped the pseudonym "Rubber Fruit" on the Devil Fruit encyclopedia, and for hundreds of years no one noticed anything amiss.

Why would an ordinary Paramecia-type Gum-Gum Fruit be coveted by the Five Elders for eight hundred years?

Why should Shanks, the Red-Haired, personally go and steal it?

What makes them capable of almost altering reality after awakening?

There is only one answer.

The true nature of this fruit far exceeds what world governments are willing to acknowledge.

After awakening his Nikka form, Luffy can transform his imagination into fighting power, and can change the physical properties of his surroundings at will.

It can turn the earth into rubber, lightning into jump rope, and enemy attacks into a farce.

That power wasn't simply physical enhancement, but rather a kind of intervention ability that bordered on the level of rules—

In the world of One Piece, a place filled with all sorts of bizarre and rule-based Devil Fruits, the power of the Nika Fruit is simply outrageous and completely disregards the rules.

After Roy awakened his own Nen Fruit, he was able to interfere with matter and energy within his domain, but that was achieved by forcefully suppressing it with his mental power.

Essentially, it's about using one's own will to override reality.

The power of the Nika Fruit is different—it doesn't suppress, it changes.

They can twist reality itself into whatever shape the ability user desires.

This power is likely the key to defeating Im.

Im.

That mysterious being who sat on the Void Throne in Mary Geoise for eight hundred years never showed himself in public, and never made a move.

But Roy pieced together a vague outline from the Five Elders' attitude, the World Government's fear of the Poneglyphs, and the erased fragments of history—

Im is very strong, strong enough to make even ancient monsters like the Five Elders, who have lived for eight hundred years, bow down in submission.

He is strong enough to suppress everything in the world with his own power.

Against an opponent of this caliber, Roy could never be too cautious.

Therefore, Luffy must awaken, he must take the lead, and he must distract Im on the front lines.

Only in this way can Roy secretly plot and deliver a fatal blow at the most critical moment.

"Let the bloodline of the Kozuki family be the first offering to the new era."

Roy turned and left.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Punk Hazard, an encounter that would change the world order in the original story is unfolding as scheduled.

Roy stood atop an abandoned cooling tower, his telekinesis creating a semi-transparent barrier in front of him, completely isolating his aura from the outside world.

From this vantage point, you can overlook the entire Central Experimental Zone—the buildings contaminated by toxic gas, the still-operating SMILE factory, and two groups of people converging on this side from different directions.

The Straw Hat Pirates landed on the south side of the island.

As always, Luffy was the first to jump off the ship, running across the ice towards the island while shouting "Adventure! Adventure!"

Zoro followed behind him, three swords hanging at his waist, his expression as languid as ever.

Nami and Usopp shouted themselves hoarse trying to call Luffy back, but to no avail. In the end, Sanji lit a cigarette and slowly followed after them.

Two years have passed, and the changes in this group of people are neither huge nor small.

Luffy didn't grow much taller, but his shoulders broadened considerably.

Although his chest wasn't attacked two years ago, it now bears a hideous X-shaped scar.

Zoro has lost an eye, and the scar running from his forehead to his cheek makes him look even more intimidating than before.

Sanji's eyebrows are still curled, but he has more stubble than before, and his eyes are more composed.