One Piece: Starting with Creating the Strongest Character Design

Chapter 105 The Fruit of Childlike Innocence (Please Subscribe)

The registration process for the arena is not complicated.

The people involved are all swordsmen of a certain skill level.

With the introduction of the muscular swordsman, Kitahara Tsuneya passed the check smoothly and filled out the information.

"Mr. Kitahara Tsuneo, when would you prefer to have your match scheduled?"

The waiter bowed respectfully and asked Kitahara Tsuneo.

"The sooner the better, it's okay to arrange more sessions," Kitahara Tsune said.

The waiter was about to remind him that it wasn't something that could be arranged at will; rather, it required achieving a long winning streak.

Then Kitahara Tsune's next words were heard: "I don't think I'll lose."

Upon hearing this, the waiter chuckled and said, "It seems Mr. Kitahara Tsune has a lot of confidence in his abilities." Kitahara Tsune smiled and said, "I came to Dressrosa mainly to participate in the World Swimming Championships."

Participating in the arena was just a side effect.

"Then I wish you victory in every battle, sir."

"Thank you for your kind words."

That night, Kitahara Tsuneo was resting in bed, preparing for the next day's match.

But then, a sound so faint it was like a pin drop rang in his ears.

Kitahara Tsune was not surprised; in fact, he had expected it.

Several days ago, he had already sensed that someone was watching him.

However, Kitahara Tsune was unable to discover the other party's true identity.

The instant the buzzing of mosquitoes and flies began, Kitahara Tsune had already vanished from the bed.

The bed sheet flew up, and before it even landed, Kitahara Tsune had already flashed to where the other party was hiding.

"Finger gun!"

Kitahara Tsune's single finger instantly pierced through the opponent's location.

With just a single finger, it produced a sickening whistling sound.

However, his attack did not hit his opponent, who dodged it all.

The force of the finger gun swept past, piercing a deep hole the size of a finger through the surrounding wall.

"That's interesting."

Kitahara Tsune missed his first attack, and immediately unleashed his Observation Haki, instantly pinpointing his opponent's location.

"Moonwalk, Skywalk, Shave!"

He stepped into thin air, and his teleportation speed was even faster than before.

Before the person in the shadows could react to the speed of the other party, Kitahara Tsune had already grabbed them by the throat.

"It really is you, Lucci."

Seeing the figure in the darkness, Kitahara Tsune smiled and released his grip on Lucci's throat.

"No wonder you were able to dodge my first attack."

Although Kitahara Tsune's first attack was just a test, the fact that Lucci was able to dodge his initial attack was enough to show that his strength had indeed improved.

"snort."

Lu Qi snorted coldly and coughed lightly to relieve the pressure from Kitahara Tsune's grip on his throat.

At this moment, Lucci was wearing a large head mask and a black suit, and his life force had clearly been deliberately suppressed through the Life Return.

Lucci removed his mask, his face grim and unpleasant.

He never expected that after nearly half a year, Kitahara Tsune's strength would have improved to such an extent.

Despite his hard work over the past six months, he has not only failed to catch up with the other person, but the gap between them has widened.

He had already received news from the World Government that Kitahara Tsune had actually defeated two of the three calamities of the Beasts Pirates.

When Lucci first heard the news, he couldn't believe it was true.

It should be noted that, according to Lucci's estimation, Kitahara Tsuneo's strength was only at the level of an ordinary lieutenant general more than half a year ago.

In just six months, he has already been able to shake the fighting power of the Beasts Pirates' top leadership.

He then received news that Kitahara Tsuneo had gone to Dressrosa to prepare for a vacation.

He happened to be in the same place, so he came to "catch up" and also to see for himself whether the other party's strength was really as terrifying as rumored.

Throughout the year, he never neglected his spiritual practice.

Because of Kitahara Tsune's presence, the pressure on him was heavier than ever before.

In his spare time, he devoted all his time to intensive self-study.

His pursuit of strength is no longer about upholding so-called dark justice; his only obsession is to "surpass Kitahara Tsuneo".

"Lucci, what are you doing here?"

Kitahara Tsune saw that the person who came was Lu Qi, and he relaxed and sat back down on the edge of the bed.

With Lucci's current strength, Kitahara Tsuneo has no worries about him harboring malicious intentions.

"I just wanted to see how strong you've become."

"It's a deep voice," Lu Qi said.

Kitahara Tsune naturally didn't believe this reason, but he shrugged indifferently: "Then I'll believe your reason for now."

"But why did you come to Dressrosa? Did you come specifically to see me?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Lucci chuckled and said, "Not long ago, CP9 received a mission to send me to investigate the inside story of Doflamingo's plot in Dressrosa."

"You came for the Fruit of Childlike Innocence?"

Kitahara Tsune immediately realized what was going on and instantly understood the purpose of the CP9's visit.

After Kitahara Tsune submitted the relevant intelligence documents to Sengoku, Sengoku reported them up the chain of command and finally handed them over to the Air Marshal and the Five Elders.

The top leadership unanimously agreed that the Hobby-Hobby Fruit, such a top-tier ability, should never fall into the hands of the common people. The best course of action would be to have it sealed and stored by the World Government, just as they had done with the Gum-Gum Fruit in the past.

However, the Hobby-Hobby Fruit doesn't have the same extraordinary luck as the Gum-Gum Fruit, and it repeatedly slips away from the World Government.

As it stands now, Lucci has clearly found out the whereabouts of the Childlike Fun Fruit.

"That's right. According to my investigation, the Fruit of Fun and Innocence is in the hands of the Dressrosa royal family."

"It's also the prize for first place in this world swimming competition."

At this point, Lucci finally revealed his true intentions: "Since you're also in Dressrosa, why don't we sneak into the palace together and take the prize directly?"

Lucci clearly had no intention of obtaining the Childlike Fruit through normal means.

However, his current methods are far too immature compared to the shrewdness depicted in the original work.

Kitahara Tsune laughed loudly after hearing this: "Why is it so troublesome?"

"I came here to participate in the swimming competition. If I wanted to get the 'Childhood Fun Fruit,' why would I need to resort to such despicable means?"

As he spoke, he looked at Lucci: "Have you forgotten? What I have always upheld has always been upright and just justice."

"In the end, it's just that you're not strong enough, Lucci."

"If you have enough strength, why would you need to resort to these underhanded methods?"

"Like me, win the championship fair and square, and the rewards will naturally follow."

Lu Qi's lips twitched as he listened to these words.

He only chose to take the risk because he knew he couldn't win first place in the competition.

But then he thought, if he really had the strength of Kitahara Tsune, he probably wouldn't condescend to participate in the competition; he would just barge into the palace and forcibly seize the Devil Fruit.

"So, Lucci, you're not strong enough."

Kitahara Tsune stared intently at him, his voice low and menacing, "You're weak. Why are you so weak?"

"Because your belief in surpassing mine is not firm enough."

"If you really want to catch up with me, stop rushing through missions in a sorry state and focus on cultivating your skills. Maybe then you'll be able to catch a glimpse of my back."

Lu Qi felt a surge of anger rising within him, his body tense, eager to immediately engage Kitahara Tsune in battle and prove his current strength.

Since meeting Kitahara Tsune, he, who was once hailed as a genius, has been completely crushed by the other party in every aspect.

No matter how hard you try, you can't catch up with the other person.

But he quickly forced himself to calm down.

Lucci knew that with his current strength, if he were to attack Kitahara Tsune, he would only suffer a humiliating defeat.

He suppressed his anger and asked, "You're participating in the competition also for the Childlike Fruit?"

"How is that possible?"

Kitahara Tsune paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "My goal is just to get first place. I came to Dressrosa just to participate in the competition and relax."

Lucci breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this and asked, "So, what do you plan to do with the fruit after you get it? Will you send it directly back to Enies Lobby, or give it to me?"

"what?"

Kitahara Tsune looked at Lucci with a strange expression. "Why should I give it to you? I don't need to carry out any missions for the World Government."

"The fruit is a spoil of war that I obtained through my own strength. I can do with it however I want."

Upon hearing this, Lu Qi's face instantly darkened: "Then why are you telling me all this?"

"I'm just giving you a possible suggestion."

Kitahara Tsune shrugged, looking like he was overthinking things.

"Thank you so much, Captain."

"Lucci said through gritted teeth."

"In that case, I'm going to carry out my mission. Don't get in my way."

After saying that, Lucci vanished from the room in a flash.

The window was suddenly pushed open by the night breeze, and a cool evening air rushed into the room.

Kitahara Tsune walked to the window, looked at the night outside, watched Lucci's departing figure, and gently shook his head.

He absolutely does not want the fruit of childlike wonder to fall into the hands of the world government.

The power of this fruit is simply too overpowered.

Theoretically, one can resist it with Haki, but once touched and turned into a toy, one will permanently lose the ability to use Haki.

He turned to look inside the room, where Lucci's large mask, which he had left behind, was still on the floor.

"Honestly, how can a secret agent be so forgetful?"

Kitahara Tsuneo picked up the hood and leaped to the windowsill.

"I, as the team leader, even had to personally deliver it to you."

As soon as he finished speaking, he took to the air and chased after the direction where Lucci had disappeared.

As Lucci hurried toward the Dressrosa Palace, he instantly sensed the presence following him and frowned.

If Kitahara Tsune insists on stopping him, he will be unable to complete the mission.

"No, we have to find a way to stall him."

Lu Qi's mind raced, and he suddenly turned and sprinted off in another direction.

That place is the gathering place of the underground forces in Dressrosa.

Dressrosa is one of the islands in the New World with an exceptionally stable climate, which naturally attracted the covetous eyes of various underground forces.

Smuggling, slave trading, and arms dealing are rampant in the unseen shadows here.

However, this is not Doflamingo's territory as depicted in the original work, and the underground forces here are far less arrogant and powerful than in the original story.

But it's enough to buy some time.

Having made up his mind, Lucci immediately hid in the dirty, dilapidated, abandoned underground harbor.

A few minutes later, Kitahara Tsuneo, dressed in a white suit, appeared at the spot where Lucci had been standing.

He gazed at the underground harbor ahead, which was even more mysterious than the night, and stroked his chin.

"It seems that Lucci is afraid I will stop him and wants to use these underground forces to buy me time."

"He has improved; he's no longer just blindly working hard."

Kitahara Tsune nodded slightly in his evaluation.

If it were the old Lucci, he would either turn around and fight directly, or race against himself to the palace to snatch the fruit.

Back when they were both on Enies Lobby, Lucci always loved to go head-to-head like this, but he never won a single time.

Now they've learned to use roundabout methods to control the situation.

Kitahara Tsuneo slowly walked into the underground harbor, his figure completely blending into the darkness.

The moment he stepped in, countless pirates with greedy eyes and fierce faces instantly locked onto him.

"Another fool who doesn't know what's good for him."

"Judging by his outfit, he must be very rich, right?"

"I'm starving, and this tender, smooth skin is just what I'm looking for."

Vulgar and greedy whispers rose and fell, and the surrounding pirates were all eager to make their move.

This godforsaken place was already sparsely populated, and these people were already starving.

"An incurable idiot."

The next second, a fierce slash shot out from under Kitahara Tsune's feet, directly cutting all the pirates who surrounded him in half at the waist.

Blood gushed out and splattered everywhere, and internal organs were scattered all over the ground; the scene was extremely gruesome.

"Monster! He's a monster!"

"Run! Run!"

"Quickly, go and tell the adults! Someone's here to cause trouble!"

The greed in the eyes of the pirates instantly turned into extreme terror. Those who were lucky enough to survive ran for their lives, wishing they could escape the island immediately.

A few of the injured who did not die on the spot could only crawl on the ground with difficulty, leaving behind shocking bloodstains.

The underground harbor guards who rushed to the scene didn't even glance at the struggling pirate on the ground, and simply kicked Renrui aside.

A group of guards, armed with broadswords and firearms, all aimed at Kitahara Tsuneo, the uninvited guest.

"Who are you? Get out of here right now!"

"Why waste words with him? Just kill him!"

However, before they could make any further moves, Kitahara Tsune's figure had already disappeared from the spot.

"Finger-wielding spear - Coptis chinensis!"

The simple, unadorned rapid-fire finger pistols instantly struck the guard at the front.

With a series of thuds, several bloody holes burst open in that muscular body, and through the wounds, one could even see the terrified, pale faces of the guards behind him.

"Too fast—there's no time to aim!"

The guards gasped at the sight of the carnage and stumbled backward uncontrollably.

This is simply an enemy they cannot contend with.

Everyone felt aggrieved, completely unaware of what terrifying figure they had inadvertently provoked.

But Kitahara Tsuneo will not back down just because the other party backs down.

"Lucci, hide-and-seek isn't very interesting."

Kitahara Dan raised his voice and addressed the surroundings.

The guards were bewildered, trying to find out what the other party was up to, when in the next moment, the blue-footed strike came down, instantly severing the heads of several people.

His head rolled to the ground, and blood gushed from the wound on his neck.

Seeing this, the various factions that had been secretly observing from the shadows hurriedly packed their belongings and prepared to flee this troublesome place.

The imprisoned slaves struggled desperately, uttering choked cries for help, hoping to attract Kitahara Dan's attention.

"Please help us—"

The underground harbor was shrouded in shadows, with dilapidated and abandoned ships everywhere.

Various underground forces were hiding behind the ships, secretly engaging in shady activities such as intelligence smuggling and human trafficking.

It is easy to imagine how tragic the fate of these imprisoned women was.

Kitahara Tsune, seeing this, naturally could not sit idly by.

After dealing with all the guards, he rampaged through the crowd, searching for Lucky's whereabouts while releasing all the slaves from their cages.

It can only be said that this is indeed the New World. The slave trade here is even more rampant, and there are many more types of slaves than in Paradise.

Fish-men, mermaids, long-armed tribes, long-necked tribes—

Kitahara Dan even saw a Sky Island person with only one male arm.

Of course, it is certain that Kitahara Dan-class is a true Sky Island person, or a hybrid of Sky Island and Qinghai people.

Almost every race that can be named on the Grand Line can be found here.

In a sense, Lucci did manage to stall for a moment.

"Our benefactor! How can we ever repay you?"

"Thank you, sir! Thank you so much—"

The freed slaves wept bitterly before Kitahara Danjo, most of them young and beautiful women.

Fortunately, Kitahara Dan had anticipated this and put on the hood that Lucci had left behind.

Otherwise, he could easily imagine the passionate reactions these enthusiastic women of Dressrosa would have upon seeing his face.

Kitahara Dan pointed in the direction they came from and said calmly, "Go this way, and you can leave this place as soon as possible."

The slaves all left in the direction indicated by Kitahara Dan.

"May we ask your name, sir? We'd like to repay your kindness in the future!"

Only the two green-haired girls, one tall and one short, remained where they were, staring at Kitahara Dan with intense admiration.

Just call me Red Scarf.

Kitahara Dan casually remarked, "You guys should hurry up and leave too; there might still be fighting here."

"red scarf--"

The older sister with light green hair silently recited the name that was clearly Dai Tong's, nodded emphatically, and quickly left with her younger sister.

Her younger sister had darker hair and looked at Kitahara Dan with admiration in her eyes.

The two sisters were not originally from Dressrosa, but were goods sent from elsewhere.

At that moment, both of them had the same thought in their minds: "We must repay this savior!"

"They managed to stall for even a little bit of time."

Lu Qi, hiding in a dark corner, watched Kitahara Dan's every move.

He had thought that this group of underground forces would at least take up Beiyuan Dan's time, but he didn't expect them to be so ruthless and kill them all.

He had originally thought that since Kitahara Dan was now "borrowed" from the C9 department, he would be somewhat more restrained and stop indiscriminate killing.

Unexpectedly, he became even more decisive in killing pirates.

"Lucci, what are you doing hiding here?"

Before anyone knew it, Kitahara Dan had already appeared behind Lucci, gently patting his shoulder with his right hand.

Lu Qi was startled and suddenly turned around and leaped backward, extremely alert, just like a frightened kitten.

"Are you really determined to stop my mission?"

Seeing that Beiyuan Dan had been outmaneuvered, Lu Qi held back and questioned him in a deep voice.

"What are you saying? I just came to return something to you."

Kitahara Tsune chuckled as he removed the hood from his head and handed it over, saying, "Don't lose it. Don't forget your identity as a CP9 agent."

Lucci sneered, "You're the least qualified to say that."

"You are clearly obstructing the World Government's mission. Don't blame me for reporting your actions to the Commander."

Kitahara Danmon sighed softly and said seriously, "To be honest, it's such a waste to hand over the Hobby-Hobby Fruit to the World Government."

"In order to maintain the stability of their rule, those people will only keep this precious fruit sealed away for a short time, so that no one will ever be able to consume or develop it."

"Do you really think it's a waste to squander such a top-tier Devil Fruit?"

"What do you want?"

Lu Qi was silent for a moment, then asked in a deep voice.

From a personal perspective, he also felt it was a great pity to seal the fruit away, but he was just an executor following orders and had no right to comment.

"It's simple. Find someone who is absolutely above the level of betraying the World Government and have them eat this fruit."

Kitahara Tsuneo patiently guided him.

"I think Kalifa would be perfect for her."

"Lu Qiwen," his eyes slightly narrowed.

If it were Kalifa, she would indeed be the perfect match.

She was a core member of CP9, and her father was also a veteran CP9 agent. She grew up with them on Muhao Island and was ranked second in loyalty to the World Government, with no possibility of betrayal.

If Kitahara Dan intended to give the Childhood Fruit to Kalifa, he could accept it.

At least the mission objective has been achieved indirectly, and there's no need to worry about the fruits falling into the hands of outsiders.

To be honest, Lucci was concerned about the final ownership of the Devil Fruit. He just wanted to complete the mission as soon as possible, return to his training as soon as possible, surpass the Eight Northern Origin Core as soon as possible, and wash away the humiliation he had accumulated over the past few years.

Lucci nodded slowly, then his face filled with suspicion: "You went through all that trouble and went through all that trouble just for this?"

You're overthinking it.

Kitahara Dan nodded and chuckled, "For me, winning first place in the swimming competition was just a bonus."

After receiving the prize, I originally planned to send it to Enies Lobby so you could look at it against the Devil Fruit encyclopedia and see if it suited CP9.

Consider this a gift for you.

"Since you say this is the Fruit of Innocence, then the most suitable candidate is naturally Kalifa."

"I never expected that our captain would still care about us old subordinates."

Lu Qi's tone was somewhat sarcastic, "I thought you had joined the Navy and had long since abandoned us in the palace."

"Of course, I am your captain after all."

Kitahara Dan remained completely unfazed, taking the other's sarcasm as a compliment.

"What about my mission?"

Lucci suddenly steered the conversation back to the main topic.

Kitahara Dan's words made perfect sense, but no matter how he went around in circles, he still couldn't complete his main task as planned.

"Is it normal to level up after completing the mission?"

Kitahara Dan stepped forward, put his arm around Lu Qi's neck, and laughed, "I know exactly what you're thinking."

"Isn't your only goal to free up more time to cultivate and surpass me as soon as possible?"

"But you completed your missions very quickly, while Spandam gave you many more tasks, leaving the main body with no time to cultivate."

"If you stay with me these next few days, I will personally guide your cultivation."

"You teach me?"

Lu Qi raised an eyebrow, slapped his hand away, and asked skeptically, "Back on Fa Island, why didn't you offer us any guidance?"

Back on L-Fa Island, although Kitahara Dan was proficient in the Six Styles, he rarely taught or imparted his knowledge. When he sparred with others, he would only casually offer some insights into the Six Styles and never provide systematic guidance on cultivation.

Moreover, at that time, Kitahara Dan did not have an entry for "transmission of teachings and methods," so the efficiency of guidance was not high, and it all depended on their own comprehension.

"I just learned the cultivation path from Master Zefa. As his disciple, I know how to help others cultivate, and I passed the normal level!"

Kitahara Tsune smiled mysteriously, "I guarantee your strength will improve by leaps and bounds. Want to try it?"

"Is it really that amazing?"

Lu Qi stared at him with a look of suspicion.