CHAPTER 22

Rayleigh stared at Shen Yuan, who was holding Kalifa in his arms, a flicker of visible resentment on his face.

That expression clearly screamed: "I'll draw a summoning circle and curse you!"

Shen Yuan, however, was entirely focused on the Devil Fruit in his hand. Unable to suppress his curiosity, he pulled out the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia and began flipping through it.

"The Devil Fruit Encyclopedia?" Rayleigh blinked in surprise.

"You old coot, scared already?" Shen Yuan grinned smugly.

"Can I…"

"Here, take a look. I can't be bothered with these trash fruits. Tell me if there's anything worthwhile. The rest will be sold off."

Rayleigh eagerly took the book, flipping through its pages with glinting eyes that grew brighter the further he read.

"Smoker! Why do you punch like a baby? You're still my apprentice, aren't you!?"

The sudden roar jolted Rayleigh. He adjusted his glasses, glanced over at Smoker and Shen Yuan, then went right back to studying the Encyclopedia.

Smoker, on the other hand, continued pounding away at a scarecrow, quietly attuning himself to the flow of Armament Haki running through his fists.

"Stop the ship ahead! Bring us to a halt!"

Without warning, dozens of pirate ships closed in and surrounded them.

"Oh?" Shen Yuan was intrigued. This was a first — someone picking a fight with him.

"And you are?"

"We are the mafia. Best follow orders. You don't want blood on our hands."

The leader wore a black fedora and a neatly pressed suit, puffing a thick cigar with utter arrogance.

"A mafia group in the Grand Line? What kind of suicidal idiots are these?" Shen Yuan mused inwardly.

Rayleigh glanced up, scoffed, and went back to flipping pages.

Smoker gave them a look but continued practicing his form.

Kalifa glanced as well but stayed silent behind Shen Yuan, awaiting his word.

"Smoker, go stretch your limbs."

Shen Yuan reclined lazily on a deck chair, arms behind his head.

Cracking his neck and knuckles, Smoker lit a cigar of his own.

His gaze toward the mafia was ablaze with battle lust.

"Perfect. Time to loosen up."

In a blink, Smoker launched into the air, his body dispersing into white smoke as he charged toward the mafia leader!

"Open fire!!"

A storm of bullets erupted from the surrounding ships.

But they all passed harmlessly through Smoker's intangible body, splashing into the sea with hissing "splash splash" sounds.

Smoker's right arm extended midair, roaring:

"White Fist — Plus!"

A massive smoke fist materialized and slammed into the mafia leader's face like a cannonball.

Boom!

The man was hurled into the ocean with a loud splash, and the rest of his underlings froze in place.

"It's a Logia user! A Logia user! Everyone retreat! Retreat!"

They scattered in panic. It was like a cat toying with mice. Smoker the White Hunter had fully taken over the battlefield.

"White Snake — Plus! Smoke Shock — Plus!"

Shen Yuan, meanwhile, watched the Eternal Pose. It spun for a few seconds before pointing steadily toward Alabasta.

"Kid," Rayleigh called, holding up a devil fruit. It was white and translucent with swirling patterns etched into its surface. "This one's interesting. High potential."

"Oh?" Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Tell me more."

Rayleigh pushed up his glasses and spoke with practiced mystery.

"This is the Pamu Pamu no Mi — the Paper-Paper Fruit. A Paramecia-type. The user can generate and manipulate paper with extreme precision.

Once awakened, each sheet of paper can be hardened like steel, sharpened to blades, and imbued with explosive kinetic energy. Further development might even allow paper clones or airborne swarms."

"Sounds like trash," Shen Yuan said, waving dismissively.

Rayleigh chuckled and handed over another fruit — this one dark brown, with a swirling spiral.

"This is what you asked for: the Swallow-Swallow Fruit. Another Paramecia. It can consume materials — garbage, scrap, debris — and transmute them into usable resources like wood, steel, or even rare ores. Think of it as alchemy-lite. Limited transformation, no absorption."

"No," Shen Yuan corrected, "my aim isn't the ability. It's profit. Lots of it."

Rayleigh blinked.

"This fruit can industrialize recycling. Set it up in a port town and you're printing money."

He turned to Kalifa, holding out the Paper Fruit. "Want it?"

She hesitated. The fruit was oddly compatible with her CP9 techniques and her past usage of soap bubbles.

"You're giving it to me?"

"If not this one, I'll find you a Mythical Zoan. But make time to visit Impel Down."

Kalifa: …

"Impel Down?"

Rayleigh and Tashigi's jaws dropped.

"That's not somewhere people just go!" Tashigi protested.

"Don't worry," Shen Yuan grinned. "Consider it sightseeing."

He then nodded toward Smoker, who was still brawling in the distance.

"Master, they're all subdued. I tied them to a boat," Smoker reported.

Shen Yuan nodded, now absorbed in a thick book.

Without glancing up, he ordered coldly:

"Stab them all. Dump them at sea. Don't leave a mess."

Smoker froze.

Wait a minute… aren't these guys supposed to be the mafia?

The mafia leader paled and shouted, "No, wait! We know something! The location of a legendary, infamous Devil Fruit!"

Shen Yuan paused, closing the book — which, oddly enough, had a very adult cover.

"The Yami Yami no Mi! The Dark-Dark Fruit! A Logia so dangerous it terrifies other fruit users! It lets you nullify and steal their abilities!"

"Go on," Shen Yuan said flatly.

"It's on an island under Kaido's territory. Right now, the Beast Pirates are locking it down, searching for it. We were scouting to confirm its location!"

"Kaido's island…"

Shen Yuan rubbed his chin. The Dark-Dark Fruit offered pure power. But the Gravity Fruit would make his entrances much more dramatic.

Excitement bloomed in his chest as he opened his system panel.

Ever since reaching level 80, the wall-breaking system had gone silent. He'd maxed his speed and agility stats, farming islands for skill points. Still, no new awakenings had triggered.

"Maybe the next mission will break the threshold…"

"Alright," Shen Yuan declared, "I'll spare you. Go."

The mafia boss looked elated. He started squirming in his bindings… but couldn't move an inch.

Turning toward Smoker, he pleaded silently.

Shen Yuan suddenly spoke again, his voice like the devil's whisper:

"Cut off one of his arms before letting him go. Can't have him hurting anyone else."

And with that, he vanished into the captain's quarters.

Smoker snickered, reaching for the Ten Arms he'd been working on over the past few months — ten mechanical arms enhanced with Armament Haki.

No seastone, but who needed it?

They were brutal enough on their own.

His eyes locked on the mafia boss with a predator's grin.

The mafia boss finally realized — the real devil wasn't in their group. It was their group.

"No! No! I'm mafia, I swear! You can't do this—"

"AHHHHHHHHH!!!"