One-Punch Man in the One Piece World

Chapter 118 Qiongqi Fruit and Exclusive Interview

On this day, a golden bolt of lightning streaked across the northern sky, tearing through the twilight and crashing down onto the central square of Nestad.

The arc of electricity dissipated, revealing a tall, thin figure carrying something tightly wrapped in animal hide.

The pirates who were finishing their work and heading back to camp made way, curiously peering out, and whispers spread like a tide across the square.

They all knew that Lord Enel was going to find the Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit.

And judging from this, it seems to have been found.

"Got it?" Norton walked down the steps of the council chamber and stood at the edge of the square, looking at him.

Enel waved the package in his hand, tossed the contents to Norton, and dusted off his hands—nothing was actually dust.

"That bear was quite interesting; it took more than a dozen of my electric shocks to finally collapse. The meat should be good roasted; let that curly-eyebrowed cook handle it."

Norton took the package and lifted a corner of the animal skin.

Inside was a strangely shaped fruit, its surface covered with twisted black lines. These lines intertwined into some kind of eerie pattern, faintly exuding a sinister aura. Just looking at it made people feel uneasy.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Enel shrugged, didn't say much, and disappeared in a flash of lightning—probably to find something to eat; after fighting for three days, he must be starving.

The next morning, Roy set off with the fruit.

Morgans has a dedicated expert in Devil Fruit identification. It is said that they can accurately determine the type and ability of a Devil Fruit from its texture, color, and shape. There are only a handful of such experts in the entire Grand Line.

This is Norton's intention: no one is allowed to touch the fruit before they know what it is; if something goes wrong, it will be too late to regret it.

A week later, the familiar newsbird landed on the windowsill of the council chamber.

Roy took the sealed letterbox off its leg and strode into Norton's room.

Unfold the letter, which contained Morgans's illegible handwriting, along with a rubbing of an authentication report stamped with the official seal of the World Economic News Agency.

"Zoan Type, Cat-Cat Fruit, Qiongqi Form"

Norton took the letter and looked at the name.

Qiongqi, one of the Four Fiends in mythology, is said to be a monster that looks like a tiger, with wings on its back, and can control wind and fire. It is extremely ferocious.

I never imagined that something so legendary would actually exist in the form of a Devil Fruit.

He handed the letter to Chloe beside him, leaned back in his chair, and watched the sunlight fall on the fruit lying quietly on the table.

The news quickly spread among the cadres.

The news that a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit—and a legendary beast form at that—spread like wildfire throughout the entire town of Nestadt.

The new pirates' eyes turned red with envy. Mythical Zoan Devil Fruits! How many years does it take for one to appear? It's said that there are only a handful of Mythical Zoan users in the entire New World.

If you eat it, you might become a top-tier powerhouse and roam freely across this vast ocean.

That evening, Norton summoned the officials to the council chamber.

Norton's gaze slowly swept across the faces of these people, finally settling on the fruit placed in the center of the round table.

"You know everything? Mythical Beast type, Qiongqi Fruit, whoever wants it, step forward."

Norton himself had no intention of taking the fruit; his fists were enough to destroy everything, and there was no need to add a weakness.

The silence lasted for a few seconds; no one moved.

It's not that I don't want it, it's that I dare not accept it—this allocation depends on Norton's decision.

Trying to stand out in a place like this is practically suicide.

Norton waited a while, his gaze sweeping across the faces before finally settling on a spot in the corner.

"Ah Jin".

Akin was stunned for a moment.

He sat in the seat furthest to the side, his pair of iron crutches that had been with him for many years leaning against the chair. His body was still wrapped in fresh bandages; he had been scratched by a monster a few days ago while on patrol, and the wound had not yet fully healed.

Hearing his name called, he looked up at Norton, a rare hint of confusion appearing on his usually expressionless face.

"This fruit is for you."

Ah Jin opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a moment.

The surrounding officials reacted in various ways.

The faces of the new pirate captains flashed with undisguised envy and even jealousy, but none of them dared to utter a sound.

"You've followed me all the way from the East Sea," Norton said. "You deserve this fruit."

If Sasuke hadn't become a Devil Fruit user yet, Norton would probably have given him the fruit. Giving it to Zoro wouldn't be bad either, but Norton thinks Zoro probably wouldn't even consider becoming a Devil Fruit user...

Moreover, as a squad leader, Gin's strength is still too weak and urgently needs to be strengthened, otherwise he will not be able to command respect. Among all the officers, Gin's talent is arguably the worst.

Even without this Devil Fruit, Zoro would have reached the top sooner or later.

Akin looked down at the fruit lying quietly on the table, at the twisted black lines, and reached out his hands to take it.

"————Thank you, King."

The next morning, the open space outside the town was crowded with people.

The news that Gin was going to test his Devil Fruit powers had somehow gotten out, and the new pirates were scrambling to come and see what was going on.

The officers stood at the front, Steel Hand leaned against a tree trunk and drank alcohol, Zoro held his sword with an expectant look on his face, Moria chuckled and seemed to be plotting something, and Enel floated in mid-air with his arms crossed—he didn't want to miss this excitement, but he was too lazy to squeeze into the crowd.

Akin stood in the middle of the open space and ate the fruit.

That face, which was usually expressionless, scrunched up for the first time.

"It tastes terrible."

Someone nearby laughed out loud, but quickly suppressed it.

A moment later, Akin's body began to change.

Black fur surged wildly from beneath the skin, covering the entire body; the fur was glossy and gleamed with a dark sheen in the morning light.

The skull elongated, the lower jaw widened, and sharp fangs grew from the mouth.

Limbs deformed, muscles bulged, and two huge bulges rose from his back—then with a muffled "bang," a pair of black wings suddenly unfolded!

The wings were enormous, with a wingspan estimated to be over ten meters. The feathers were jet black, with eerie dark red edges that looked like they were stained with blood or were naturally formed patterns. Each feather was as sharp as a blade, gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

Akin looked down at his hands—no, now they were claws.

The claws were covered in black scales, and three sharp claws sprang from the tips of the fingers, each longer than a finger. With a gentle grip, they cut through the air with a "whoosh" sound.

He took a deep breath, flapped his wings, and soared into the sky! He was so fast that he left a black afterimage in the air, too fast for the eyes to follow!

A gasp of surprise rang out from the ground.

Akin circled in the air a few times, seemingly getting used to his new body.

Those wings were so agile, as if they were born with them. They would suddenly swoop down, suddenly climb up, suddenly turn sharply, and each turn would bring up a gust of wind, blowing the dust on the ground into the air.

Suddenly, Ajin swooped down and swung a claw at a huge rock at the edge of the clearing!

boom!!

The rock, taller than a person, shattered instantly! Shards flew everywhere, and dust billowed. Those nearby were covered in debris and quickly retreated.

That wasn't all. Ajin landed back on the ground, folded his wings, transformed back into human form, looked down at his hands that had returned to normal, remained silent for a few seconds, then raised his right hand and gently pressed it against the empty space in the distance.

Rumble—

The ground began to tremble!

The tremors grew more and more intense and violent. The soil in the center of the open space began to churn, and cracks tore open one after another, eventually creating a huge rift several meters long and half a meter wide!

A gasp of surprise rang out from the crowd.

"earthquake!"

"He triggered the earthquake!"

Ajin withdrew his right hand and raised his left hand.

A ball of blazing flame surged from his palm, growing stronger and stronger, from a small ball to a large ball, and finally transforming into a pillar of fire that shot into the sky!

The surrounding temperature suddenly rose, and the air itself seemed to distort from the heat. Those nearby felt as if they were standing next to an oven and quickly retreated.

Ajin clenched his fist, and the flame condensed and compressed in his palm, growing brighter and brighter until it finally became a fireball the size of a fist, burning with an intense white light.

He threw the fireball into the open space—

boom!!!

The moment the fireball exploded, a crater more than ten meters in diameter appeared on the ground. The soil at the bottom of the crater was burned into a glassy state, still emitting scorching smoke, and flames were burning fiercely at the edges, crackling loudly.

The open space was deathly silent.

After a long time, someone murmured.

"Mythical Zoan species—are they that strong?"

Akin stood there, looking down at his hands, his eyes sparkling with gratitude.

He turned his head and looked at the silver-haired figure standing quietly at the entrance of the council hall in the distance.

Norton nodded at him.

They said nothing, yet they said everything.

The expansion of Nestad entered a near-mad mode from that day on.

The new pirates were like they'd been injected with adrenaline, working harder and risking their lives than anyone else.

It wasn't because they were particularly fond of labor, nor because Norton gave them any extra rewards, but because they witnessed firsthand the transformation of Arkin—a cadre who had followed Norton all the way and whose strength was only average, who overnight became a monster capable of manipulating earthquakes and controlling flames!

Who knows, maybe one day, such a good thing will happen to me?

As long as I work hard, as long as that silver-haired man sees my worth.

The walls expanded outwards again and again, and the forests of beast-repelling trees were felled in large swathes, turned into timber, into planks, into rows of newly built houses, and into workshops that sprang up from the ground.

The number of streets increased from a few to dozens, and then from dozens to hundreds, crisscrossing and spreading out like a chessboard.

The original town center has become the old town area, and the new urban area is expanding wildly in three directions: east, west, and south, enclosing more and more land within that ever-growing wall.

The port has been expanded three times, and the newly arrived pirate ships are densely packed outside the port, queuing up to enter the port and unload their cargo, sometimes waiting for a whole day.

The port authority staff worked from morning till night, their voices hoarse from shouting, but they still couldn't keep up.

Hundreds of chimneys rose from the workshop area, emitting black and white smoke day and night. The clanging of hammering metal in the blacksmith's shop echoed from morning till night, the creaking of sawing wood in the carpenter's shop never stopped, and seven or eight ships were under construction at the same time in the shipyard. The furnaces in the smelting workshop burned bright red, turning half the sky orange-red.

The artisans from the City of Seven Waters were so busy they barely had time to breathe. They kept drawing blueprints and receiving orders one after another, sometimes without even having time to eat.

The market is bustling with people every day, as lively as a festival.

Merchants flocked from all corners of the New World, bringing food, cloth, tools, and medicine, and taking away ores, timber, monster materials, and various processed finished products.

Those pirates who had just made a fortune spent money lavishly, and the tavern was filled with the noise of drunkards from morning till night. Sometimes they would even fight over a seat.

A month later, Kro stood on the top floor of the newly built council hall, looking down at the endless cluster of buildings below, and pushed up his glasses.

"One hundred thousand people."

"A population of this size is no longer something the town can accommodate."

Norton stood beside him, hands in his pockets, watching the city gradually awaken in the morning light.

Those houses, those streets, those workshops, those docks, those crowds coming and going—just a few months ago this was a desolate beach, but now it has become like this.

"Then let's change the name."

He paused for a moment.

"Call it Nestad City."

When the news reached Morgans, the albatross excitedly circled the office several times, flapping its wings loudly.

"Exclusive interview! I want an exclusive interview!"

The next day, a ship flying the flag of the World Economic News Agency sailed into Nestad.

The man who disembarked from the ship was a tall, thin man wearing a plaid suit and round-framed glasses. His hair was neatly combed, and his leather shoes were polished to a shine. He looked like a veteran reporter who had been working in the big city for a long time.

Two assistants followed behind, carrying cameras and recording equipment, panting heavily from exhaustion.

"I am Darren Smith, chief correspondent for World Economic News."

The tall, thin man extended his hand to the person who was greeting him, his face full of a professional smile. "President Morgans sent me to do an exclusive interview."

Morgans originally wanted to come in person, but in order to complete the interview as quickly as possible, he had to give up the task and delegate it to his nearest subordinate.

Kro shook hands with him, his expression indifferent, and gestured for him to proceed.

"King is waiting for you in the council chamber."

The newly built council chamber is more than ten times larger than the original one.

The three-story stone building has eight huge stone pillars on the front, each as thick as two people can hug. The lintel is engraved with a gilded emblem of intertwined scepters and chess pieces, which glitters in the sunlight.

Upon entering the main gate, you are greeted by a large hall that can accommodate thousands of people. The ceiling is several meters high, and the dome is adorned with a huge mural depicting the journey of the Norton Pirates from the East Blue to the New World, from Fishman Island to Demon King Island. The mural is painted frame by frame, with vibrant colors and a magnificent scale.

The hall was empty except for Norton, who stood on the platform at the far end, his back to the door, looking at the unfinished mural on the wall.

Darren strode over, his leather shoes making a crisp sound on the marble floor.

He stopped a few steps behind Norton, his face beaming with that professional, just-right smile.

"Admiral Norton, I've long admired your name." He extended his hand.

"Let's begin." Norton turned and glanced at him, but didn't shake hands; he simply nodded.

Darren withdrew his hand somewhat awkwardly, but quickly recovered. He gestured to his assistant behind him, and the camera and recording equipment were immediately set up, with the flash going off a few times.

"So, the first question..."

"No need to ask."

Norton interrupted him.

"I'll just tell you directly, and you write it down."

Darren paused for a moment, then nodded quickly.

"Okay, okay, please go ahead."

Norton walked to the edge of the platform, looked at the cameras and recording equipment, and remained silent for a few seconds.

Today, I declare—

'

"The Kingdom of Norton is officially established."

Darren's pen paused for a moment, and the ink splattered onto the paper, leaving a small black spot.

"The territorial waters extend to a radius of one hundred nautical miles from the city of Nestad. All ships entering this area must abide by the laws of the kingdom."

Darren was writing down notes quickly, his hands trembling slightly.

Once this news gets out, the entire New World will be in an uproar. I wonder what expressions the Four Emperors, the Marines, and those who are still watching will have.

"And another thing," Norton continued, "the Kingdom of Norton welcomes all who are willing to abide by the law. Whether you are a pirate, a merchant, a craftsman, or an ordinary citizen, once you come, you are my citizen."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the door behind the platform.

Darren panicked and took two steps forward to catch up.

"Wait! Admiral Norton! There are a few more questions."

Norton didn't turn around; the door closed behind him with a dull thud.

Darren stood there, stunned for a few seconds, then looked down at the words he had written down—the crooked handwriting, the hastily drawn lines, and the ink smudged because of his trembling hand.

"The Kingdom of Norton is established — Territorial waters — Welcome to all —"

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes gleaming with the kind of excitement only veteran journalists possess when they discover big news.

"Quick! Organize the records and send them back to the newspaper office immediately!"

The two assistants were scrambling to pack up the equipment, and the camera lens cap almost fell to the ground.