Chapter 157: Vampire Fruit
Chapter 157: Vampire Fruit
"Barrett! You can stop now!"
Charlotte called out to Barrett, who had transformed into a giant.
Barrett immediately ended his fusion state, collapsing to the ground with a thunderous crash.
A cloud of dust rose into the air, but Elena quickly created a bubble barrier to shield everyone.
When the dust settled, Charlotte looked up at the stone chamber at the top of the castle.
"Stay here and don't move. I'll go up and take a look," Charlotte instructed the group before leaping up in a single bound.
Everyone remained where they were, watching as Charlotte reached the hidden stone chamber above.
If it weren't for Barrett, they would never have discovered the stone chamber behind the clock tower.
Charlotte carefully entered the stone chamber, which was small and cramped. Using a lighting tool, he bent down and stepped inside.
The light illuminated the interior, and Charlotte gasped in awe.
The room was filled with gold, silver, and treasures. The sheer wealth on display spoke to the immense riches of the castle's owner during their lifetime.
While it wasn't as much as what Charlotte had seized at the Valley of the Gods, those treasures were taken from the Celestial Dragons. These treasures, covered in dust, had likely been hidden away for centuries.
Charlotte glanced at the treasure briefly before focusing on his real target: the Vampire Fruit.
His eyes quickly landed on a purple-red Devil Fruit resting quietly on a tray.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward and grabbed the fruit.
"Hahahaha! Animal-type, mythical beast, bat-bat fruit, vampire form!" Charlotte's laughter echoed through the small chamber.
Outside, the crew exchanged confused glances as they heard Charlotte's laughter from the stone chamber above.
Moments later, Charlotte emerged, holding the Vampire Fruit aloft.
"We found it! And there's an unexpected bonus. Brothers, let's load the treasures onto the ship!" Charlotte announced from the clock tower, his joy evident.
After speaking, he jumped down and headed toward the port with Elena.
He hadn't expected the search to go so smoothly, finding the fruit in just one day.
Paul and Carter exchanged glances before Carter jumped into the stone chamber. The faint sunlight illuminated the treasure-filled room, leaving Carter awestruck.
"We've struck gold! We've hit the jackpot! It's a whole room of treasures!" Carter shouted excitedly as he emerged, holding up a handful of necklaces.
His words sent the crew into a frenzy.
"We're rich!" someone shouted, and the crowd surged toward the stone chamber.
"Idiots! Be careful! The structure can't handle this many people!" Paul shouted angrily, but his warning came too late.
With a loud boom, the ancient building—already weakened by time and Barrett's earlier actions—collapsed.
"Damn it! Who told you all to rush up here?" Carter yelled as he emerged from the rubble, brushing off debris.
The treasures were now buried under the ruins, requiring significant effort to recover.
"Quick! Get more people to clear the rubble!" Carter ordered furiously.
Meanwhile, Charlotte returned to the ship with Elena and their two children.
"Is this what you were looking for?" Elena asked, eyeing the purple Devil Fruit in Charlotte's hand.
"That's right! This is a very powerful Devil Fruit: Animal-type, mythical beast, bat-bat fruit, vampire form," Charlotte replied excitedly.
Elena, who had learned much about Devil Fruits over the past year, understood the significance of such a treasure.
She quickly handed the fruit back to Charlotte.
"Put it away quickly! Something this valuable shouldn't be left out in the open," she said, glancing meaningfully at Esdeath and Caesar.
Charlotte chuckled, understanding her concern, and carefully secured the fruit. Elena then led Esdeath and Caesar out of the room, giving Charlotte some privacy.
Charlotte sat down, studying the Vampire Fruit in his hands.
The Bat-Bat Fruit: Vampire Form granted incredible powers. The user could:
Suck the blood of others to absorb their lifespan, regaining youthful vitality and restoring abilities to their prime.
Create darkness at night to hide within, making it impossible for opponents to locate them.
Drain the blood of others to rapidly age them while replenishing the user's physical strength, energy, and appearance, effectively achieving true immortality.
The fruit's ability to restore youth was especially appealing to Charlotte, who had traveled to this world far too early. With over 30 years before Luffy's journey began, the idea of aging before the real adventure even started was unacceptable.
This Devil Fruit was Charlotte's key to the future.
Though he felt a twinge of guilt about taking the fruit from Patrick Redfield, he rationalized it. If necessary, he could repay the debt by saving Redfield during his eventual battle with Cyborg Sora.
Charlotte recalled that while Redfield had defeated Cyborg Sora, he was ultimately captured due to Garp's timely intervention. This led to his imprisonment in Impel Down.
Carefully, Charlotte placed the Vampire Fruit in a specially prepared box alongside his other collected Devil Fruits.
His current collection included:
Logia-type: Swamp Fruit
Logia-type: Gas Fruit
Paramecia-type: Bomb Fruit
Paramecia-type: Slowness Fruit
Paramecia-type: Scythe Fruit
Paramecia-type: Mirror-Mirror Fruit
Paramecia-type: Door-Door Fruit
Paramecia-type: Prosperity Fruit
Zoan-type, mythical beast: Bat-Bat Fruit, Vampire Form
With nine Devil Fruits in his possession, Charlotte's treasure trove was becoming more impressive by the day.
However, one concern lingered in his mind: his children were still too young.
Charlotte didn't plan to give them Devil Fruits too early. He intended to wait until they were five or six years old, or even older, to ensure they were mature enough to handle the responsibility.
He didn't want a repeat of Esdeath's early struggles to control her powers, which had caused plenty of headaches in the past.
Elena and the other mothers shared the same opinion, agreeing that it was better to wait.
Charlotte smiled as he closed the box, satisfied with the day's accomplishments.
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