Chapter 1 Paramecia Evolution Fruit!
"Check to see if any pirates are pretending to be dead, and shoot them all!"
The island was soaked in blood, filling the air with a pungent, metallic odor.
Wearing a Marine Colonel's bloodstained cloak, Ron crossed his arms.
He indifferently commanded the Marines to shoot the fallen pirates one by one.
With a single leap, as if stepping on air, he landed on the pirate ship.
"Colonel Ron!"
A Marine cleaning up the corpses looked at Ron with respect.
Among the Naval Headquarters, Colonel Ron wasn't the most powerful, but he had the most vicious reputation.
None of the pirates he hunted ever escaped alive.
His brutal methods left countless pirates trembling in fear.
However, this iron-blooded colonel treated his subordinates with surprising empathy.
"Check carefully. Don't let a single pirate escape!"
"These guys are cunning. If even one gets away, who knows how many innocent civilians will suffer!"
Ron commanded as he walked toward the captain's cabin.
The most valuable possessions of a pirate crew were always stored in the captain's quarters. Even among pirates, there was treachery and scheming.
A shrewd captain would never place such important treasures elsewhere.
Swish!
The door to the captain's room shattered with a single slash, revealing piles of gold.
With a quick glance, Ron roughly estimated the value of the treasure.
"Between 200 and 300 million Belly," he thought. After dividing it with his subordinates and superiors, he'd likely keep only tens of millions for himself.
Still, in his experience as a Marine, this was considered a rare and lucrative haul.
Most pirates had no money at all—just a bunch of poor souls.
On the table by the window sat a delicate metal box.
Ron casually opened it, revealing a fruit with swirling spiral patterns.
"A Devil Fruit?"
It was a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit.
Ron picked it up, hesitation flickering in his eyes.
It had been nearly ten years since he'd arrived in this world, and now, at nearly thirty, he was reaching the peak of his life.
In those ten years, he had risen from an ordinary man to a colonel at Naval Headquarters.
But this, he realized, was likely his limit.
He'd started too late, had no strong family background, nor any special bloodline. The only reason he had become a colonel was through sheer determination and hardship.
The only way to alter his fate now was through a Devil Fruit.
But powerful Devil Fruits were exceedingly rare. The chances of finding a suitable one were even lower than winning the lottery.
In the past, he had come across two ordinary Zoan Devil Fruits but chose not to eat them after long deliberation.
Ordinary Zoan Devil FruitsUnless the person is very talented.
could,at best, give someone Rear Admiral-level combat power, but that was their limit.
"To eat or not to eat?"
Ron stared at the unknown Paramecia Devil Fruit in his hand, hesitated for a moment, and then took a bite.
When he was younger, he had time to gamble on his fate, hoping to come across a powerful Devil Fruit.
But now, he couldn't afford to wait.
In another ten or twenty years, what use would a powerful Devil Fruit be?
His physical strength would decline, and his body would weaken.
Even with a Logia Devil Fruit, how much power could he wield then?
Devil Fruit powers took time to develop.
Puff!
After biting into the fruit, Ron's face turned pale.
It took him half a minute to force himself to swallow the vile-tasting bite.
He had experienced many things in life, but this was by far the most revolting.
"Paramecia—Fruit of Evolution!"
Ron closed his eyes, feeling the power surge through him. His eyes opened with a flash of surprise.
The ability of this Paramecia-type Devil Fruit was unique. It granted no direct offensive or defensive abilities but could instead evolve anything it touched.
But the exact effects were unclear.
"Let's find something to test it on."
Ron's gaze fell on the saber at his waist.
His sword, *Crimson Cry*, had a blood-red blade, as though soaked in blood. When swung, it produced a chilling whistle, like the wailing of blood, earning its name.
Though not one of the fifty master-crafted *Ryōwazamono* swords, it was still forged by a famous artisan.
It could cut through iron like butter.
This sword had been his companion for seven years, beheading countless pirates.
"Old friend, you'll be the first to experience my Devil Fruit's power," Ron muttered, gripping the sword's hilt.
He activated the Devil Fruit's ability.
At first, nothing seemed to change.
But then—hum!
The blade vibrated slightly.
A bloody aura began to radiate from the sword.
Ron felt as though the sword in his hand was no longer just a weapon, but a living being with its own will.
Whoosh!
Blood-red liquid surged from all directions, merging into the blade.
What's happening?
Ron frowned, watching as *Crimson Cry* devoured the blood around it. Was this the power of the Fruit of Evolution?
(Images in chapter comments ⬇️)
Could it give everything the potential to evolve?
In an instant, the blood on the entire pirate ship had been consumed.
Tiny lines appeared on the blood-red blade, with blood coursing through them, deepening its color and giving it a more deadly appearance.
Ron swung the sword.
Swish!
A bloody slash demolished half of the captain's cabin, turning it into ruins.
The power of this slash had surpassed his peak strength.
"Absorbing blood makes the slashes stronger?" Ron muttered to himself, finding it strange.
If the sword absorbed enough blood, could he kill a general-level powerhouse in a single strike?
"It's a pity I've only just eaten the fruit," Ron thought, "and its ability is still undeveloped. It can only grant one thing the power to evolve."
Ron's eyes sparkled with a bold idea.
If his weapon could evolve, could his own body evolve too?
The differences between people were sometimes even greater than those between species.
His natural talent was average, and he had already reached his full potential.
Despite years of tireless training, he had hit a wall.
It wasn't a lack of effort holding him back but the limits of his talent.
If he could break the shackles of his potential through the Devil Fruit and continue evolving…
He could stand at the top of this era.
But to test this theory, he would need to further develop the fruit's power.
"For now, this will do!"
Ron gazed at the blood-red blade in his hand, a spark of ambition in his eyes.
A real man, born under heaven, should not live beneath others for long.
Three Admirals?
What's the point in stopping there?
He would become the Fleet Admiral of the Marine. And when the Five Elders fell, he would be king of the World.
Marine rank from bottom to top:
. Chore Boy
. Seaman Recruit
. Seaman Apprentice
. Seaman First Class
. Petty Officer
. Chief Petty Officer
. Warrant Officer
. Ensign
. Lieutenant Junior Grade
. Lieutenant
. Lieutenant Commander
. Commander
.Captain. (Colonel) Ron rank✅️
.Commodore
. Rear Admiral
. Vice Admiral
. Admiral
. Fleet Admiral (Marshal)