Shanks lay sprawled out on the deck, his entire body drenched in seawater.
Carl stood nearby, looking slightly exasperated.
"Why did you jump straight into the sea without testing your ability first?" he asked.
Shanks stared blankly at the sky, muttering,
"Why can't I do it? Am I not part of the Figarland family?"
Carl couldn't help but chuckle at Shanks' frustration.
"Don't worry about that. You're definitely a Figarland. Even Uncle Garling would become a sitting duck in the sea after eating a Devil Fruit."
"Then how come you're fine?"
Carl opened his palm, and the cursed sword Muramasa materialized out of thin air. He handed the sword to Shanks, saying,
"Here, now try jumping into the sea again."
Shanks gave Carl a doubtful look but slowly got to his feet and approached the ship's railing once more.
Having already suffered a humiliating experience, Shanks hesitated this time. Unbeknownst to him, Carl silently stepped up behind him and gave him a forceful kick.
Carl's strength was no joke. With a startled yell, Shanks shot into the sea like a cannonball. Instinctively flailing in the water, he suddenly realized that the debilitating weakness he'd felt earlier was gone.
Blinking in surprise, Shanks glanced at the black-glowing Muramasa in his hand.
"Could it be... this sword—"
Before he could finish speaking, Carl snapped his fingers. Muramasa flew out of Shanks' grip, and the debilitating weakness immediately returned. It wasn't until Carl recalled the sword back to Shanks' hand that he managed to climb out of the sea onto the ship.
Once back on deck, Shanks sat in silence for a moment before turning to Carl with a betrayed look.
"Brother, you tricked me..."
Carl shrugged.
"What, you're upset about eating a Devil Fruit? That's the Azure Dragon Fruit, you know!"
"But I've turned into a sitting duck in the water!"
"Don't worry. Once I crack the mystery of Devil Fruits, I might be able to lift the curse for you."
"…Brother, what's your sword made of? Do you think my Gryphon could be reforged with some of that material?"
"I have no idea. This sword belonged to our ancestor, and there's no record in the family about how it was forged."
"Alright then..."
Shanks lowered his hands dejectedly. Carl glanced at him and said,
"You haven't even tried the fruit's ability yet. Test it out first. If you don't like it, I can extract the fruit from your body."
Shanks stared at him in shock.
"That's possible!?"
"Yeah, but fair warning—you'll have to be beaten half to death first. Want to do it yourself, or should I help?"
As he spoke, Carl raised his hand, and tendrils of dark energy began to rise from his body, as if he'd already made the decision for Shanks.
Swallowing nervously, Shanks raised his hand abruptly and shouted,
"Wait a second! Let me try it out first!"
Carl paused and nodded. Shanks quickly closed his eyes. A moment later, his vibrant red hair stirred as two golden horns emerged from his head.
Unlike the dull yellow horns of Momonosuke, Shanks' horns gleamed brilliantly. They continued to grow, forming a majestic dragon-like shape. At the same time, crimson scales began appearing on his exposed skin, glinting under the sunlight.
Shanks' body began to grow, muscles swelling and tearing through his white open-collared shirt. Apart from his well-defined chest and abs, the rest of his body was soon covered in blood-red scales.
Shanks, who had always been shorter than Carl, now towered over him. Clenching his fists, Shanks marveled at the explosive strength coursing through his body, courtesy of the Mythical Zoan Azure Dragon Fruit—no, the Crimson Dragon Fruit.
Carl observed the transformed Shanks with interest.
"Mythical Zoan Devil Fruits are more than just a transformation. You've seen Kaido use his abilities, right?"
Shanks nodded. As a fellow Emperor of the Sea, he'd certainly clashed with Kaido and witnessed the power of his dragon form firsthand.
After some thought, Shanks moved to the edge of the ship. Opening his mouth wide, he unleashed a scorching dragon's breath, instantly evaporating a large swath of seawater.
Next, he swung his arms, releasing several green wind blades that stirred up massive waves.
Even though he'd only just eaten the fruit, Shanks was already demonstrating incredible power—a testament to his talent and strength.
Excited like a child with a new toy, Shanks experimented with his abilities for a while. Finally, he let out a thunderous dragon roar and transformed into a full crimson dragon, soaring into the sky.
Although his dragon form was much smaller than Kaido's, that was to be expected. Kaido had likely reached the awakened state. Nevertheless, Shanks' dragon form was far larger than Momonosuke's hastily matured one in the anime.
Fully aware of Devil Fruit awakenings, Shanks was more than satisfied with his current state.
Carl watched as Shanks reveled in the skies, then unfurled his black wings and shot upwards like a streak of light, eventually perching atop Shanks' large dragon horns.
"Brother, this fruit is amazing! I love it!" Shanks exclaimed joyfully, his voice booming from his transformed body.
Carl chuckled.
"Oh? So you're no longer upset about being a sitting duck in the water?"
"Uh… well, compared to the sea, the sky feels so much more liberating! This is freedom!"
At that moment, Shanks' experience could only be described as the epitome of "this is amazing!"
Carl rested his chin on his hand, enjoying the flight with Shanks for a while before the two eventually returned to the ship.
Before landing, Carl separated himself mid-air to avoid the awkward situation of being perched on Shanks' shoulder once he reverted to human form—a sight that would certainly damage their image.
Back on the deck, Shanks still seemed reluctant to stop experimenting with his newfound abilities. Meanwhile, Carl turned his attention to the row of Devil Fruits lined up along the railing, his gaze lingering thoughtfully on the Azure Dragon Fruit.
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+255 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg