Chapter 34: Horizontal Development
Asa held the Devil Fruit Illustrated Book and nodded toward Aurora. "I will accept this book. As for killing Capone Bege for you, I will never break my promise."
He spoke solemnly, which finally made Aurora feel a little better. Her cold and tense face relaxed slightly, revealing a forced smile.
The two boarded a large ship together, with Aurora's trusted aide at the helm, setting course for the island where Capone Bege's base was located.
On the boundless sea, the ship sailed swiftly, cutting through the waves!
Asa sat in the cabin, idly playing with the Castle Fruit, but his eyes remained fixed on the Devil Fruit Illustrated Book.
This book contained records of nearly ten thousand different Devil Fruits, each meticulously documented.
For example, Logia-type fruits like the Dark-Dark Fruit and Magma-Magma Fruit were described in great detail, along with clear development paths that allowed one to gradually reach immense power.
On the contrary, for some reason, the Thunder-Thunder Fruit had barely any records—just a few scribbled notes and a single illustration.
Perhaps it was because this fruit had drifted onto an isolated island long ago, making it difficult for researchers to study it.
As for the ultimate Paramecia-type Ope-Ope Fruit, there was no detailed record—only an image and a single cryptic sentence.
Was it possible that the World Government had deliberately concealed its abilities? Perhaps they feared that revealing its effects would incite mass hysteria, as pirates and rulers alike would stop at nothing to obtain it.
Immortality... How many people in the world dream of it?
Not only did the Ope-Ope Fruit grant Ageless Surgery, but its ability to manipulate souls was enough to drive any ambitious individual to madness.
For instance, if the World Government captured a powerful pirate and replaced their heart with someone loyal to them, they could instantly create an unstoppable warrior under their absolute control.
A truly terrifying ability.
"I remember that the Ope-Ope Fruit won't appear for at least another ten years... On Minion Island, North Blue, in the year 1509 of the Sea Calendar..." Asa's eyes gleamed as he made his decision.
If nothing changes by then, I will claim it without hesitation.
He could not allow such a dangerous fruit to fall into the wrong hands. The only place it would be truly safe was in his possession.
After all, how could one ever be sure that the people around them hadn't had their hearts swapped, secretly becoming puppets of another master, waiting for the perfect moment to strike?
Asa even considered searching for a Devil Fruit that could read minds in the future…
BOOM!
The weather at sea was unpredictable. Moments ago, the sky had been clear, but in an instant, dark clouds loomed overhead, and thunder rumbled ominously.
A violent storm crashed upon the ship. Waves surged over the deck, tossing the vessel violently as if it would be swallowed whole at any moment.
"Asa!" Aurora burst into the cabin, her expression tense. "The weather has turned. Let's go back. The way back is shorter than the route to Capone Bege's base—"
"No. Keep going," Asa replied calmly, completely unfazed by the raging storm. He continued flipping through the Devil Fruit Illustrated Book, unconcerned.
With his inhuman level of Observation Haki, how could he not sense the flow of the winds or the movement of the clouds?
He had already mapped out everything within dozens of miles.
Besides, even if the ship capsized, he could simply transform into lightning and fly into the sky.
"...Alright." Aurora clenched her teeth and gave the order to press forward, choosing to trust Asa.
As she hurriedly left, Asa waved a hand to shut the cabin door, then closed his eyes and focused. He could feel the violent, raging lightning crackling in the storm clouds above.
The Path of Logia Mastery
Why was a Logia-type fruit called Logia? Because it embodied a fundamental force of nature.
(Side note: Oda has now officially classified the "Swamp-Swamp Fruit" as a Paramecia, not a Logia, so please don't argue about it!)
Thus, in Asa's view, the only true teacher for mastering a Logia fruit was nature itself.
With his Observation Haki, Asa "watched" the lightning in the storm clouds, analyzing how it differed from his own—how it developed in a different direction.
This was the key to advancing his power.
ZIZZZZZZZZ!!
Electricity surged wildly inside his body. Blue lightning flickered over his skin, muscles, and even his hair, illuminating the entire cabin with an eerie glow.
Under the influence of electromagnetic induction, every piece of metal in the room began levitating.
"How do I surpass the limit of 200 million volts?" Asa muttered to himself, comparing his lightning to that of the storm.
He had remained stuck at 200 million volts for a long time, unable to break through.
"In nature, lightning can exceed one billion volts... That means my current power is only one-fifth of nature's full potential."
Could it be that the human body itself was the limiting factor?
Trying to rival the power of nature… Is that even possible?
But then again, his Logia body allowed him to transform into pure lightning. If nature could achieve it, then so could he!
At this point, Asa knew that his Thunder-Thunder Fruit had entered a phase where vertical progress would take time. Instead of forcing a breakthrough in sheer voltage, it was time to develop horizontal abilities—electromagnetism, electro-thermal energy, radio waves, and more.
His strength far surpassed Enel's 200 million volts. In terms of raw destruction, he could likely match or even exceed the strongest forces of the Marines.
Destroying an island or a country with a single thunderclap was trivial.
Of course, raw power alone did not define true strength. Enel had immense firepower, yet he was defeated. The key lay in how that power was used.
"I need a solid foundation if I want to continue improving," Asa reassured himself.
The storm passed.
The sky was clear and blue, blending seamlessly with the ocean below.
Asa and Aurora stood side by side on the deck, enjoying the sea breeze. Aurora chattered away about Capone Bege's mafia operations, but Asa barely listened.
His mind was elsewhere, focused entirely on how to further develop his Thunder-Thunder Fruit.
When it came to speed, he was already superior to Kizaru, as he could turn mid-air while Kizaru could not.
In terms of heat, his voltage was so intense it could instantly liquefy tons of gold, making it far hotter than magma—perhaps even capable of evaporating Akainu's Magma-Magma Fruit.
As for attack power, though devastating, he was still far from Whitebeard's monstrous strength.
His only remaining path for development was electromagnetism.
If he could fully harness electromagnetic power, his abilities would reach truly broken levels—akin to Gun Sister and Magneto from other worlds.
Asa had already experimented with manipulating metal through magnetism, but his applications were still basic—pushing metal, controlling iron sand, and reinforcing his body with an electromagnetic shield.
To truly weaponize electromagnetism, however, required knowledge.
Realizing this, Asa groaned.
"Ugh... Developing Devil Fruits actually requires brainpower? How annoying!"
(End Of Chapter)
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