"At least for now, I haven't come up with any particularly good ideas."
"But…"
Seeing little Chopper's downcast expression, a trace of reluctance flashed through Red's eyes.
Although Merry and Nika had now appeared, putting Chopper's former status as the crew's beloved mascot in a precarious position, that didn't mean everyone had stopped doting on him.
It was just that, after traveling and adventuring alongside the Straw Hat Pirates for so long, Chopper had gradually become more reliable in everyone's eyes. Over time, they naturally stopped treating him as a child who needed constant protection.
"Don't worry, Chopper. We'll definitely find a way!"
Equally soft-hearted, Usopp immediately tried to comfort Chopper, while rapidly racking his brain for any Pokémon-world items or moves that might help with the current situation.
By now, the Straw Hats' understanding of the Pokémon world was no weaker than Red's. In fact, as Pokémon themselves, they were even more adept than Red when it came to applying Pokémon energy.
And yet…
Even Usopp, who was usually full of wild ideas, couldn't think of a perfect solution to Chopper's problem right away.
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself, Chopper."
Red suddenly stood up and gently patted Chopper on the shoulder, deliberately softening his tone.
"At worst, it just means you won't be able to use the awakened power of your Devil Fruit. We have so many other methods."
"Whether from a biological standpoint or through technology, there are plenty of ways for you to keep getting stronger."
"And don't forget—more than seventy percent of the reason we're this strong now comes from the Pokémon world."
"It's not that you can't keep growing stronger. Just focus on the power of the Pokémon path."
"When you can enter Pokémon-ization like Luffy and Zoro, losing something as minor as a Devil Fruit awakening won't be anything to regret."
Perhaps because Red's words were both comforting and grounded in reality, Chopper's expression slowly calmed.
The next moment, he nodded vigorously. "I understand, Red!"
"Then I'll temporarily slow down my training for a while."
"There's no need to be overly cautious," Red said with a relaxed smile. "I was just making some associations based on Luffy's situation."
"Maybe the reality isn't as bad as we imagine."
"And besides…"
Red suddenly snapped his fingers in midair.
In the next instant, a pink beam of light shot in through the window, flying straight toward the desk in front of Red.
That beam of light was none other than little Nika, who had been playing nearby.
It was as if it had just heard the announcement for dinner—like a cartoon cat—slamming straight into Red's desk. Its body skidded across the surface in a cloud of smoke, bounced a few times, and only barely managed to stop.
The entire sequence flowed so smoothly that it looked as though it had been practiced countless times.
Although it had already separated from the Nika Fruit and lost the power of Nika, little Nika had originated from that fruit and still retained some faint Nika traits.
Its level wasn't very high yet—only level 26.
Even so, raising a newborn Pokémon to this level in less than two and a half hours was more than enough to show just how terrifying Red's power-leveling was.
Unfortunately, this kind of all-out, full-speed training wasn't something even Red could maintain for long.
The physical and energy consumption were secondary; the real issue was the mental strain caused by endlessly repeating the same actions.
Only for someone as important as little Nika would he go to such lengths.
Even so, it was enough to prove how frightening a trainer's power-leveling truly was.
"Chopper, for quite a long time, I'll probably be working with Usopp on insect breeding."
"Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji are all at critical stages. Robin is learning Fish-Man Karate, Nami is training her weather-based Devil Fruit powers, and Franky is researching the future path of combat techniques and mechanical bodies."
"At the moment, only you and Brook really have time."
"Because Brook previously prevented it from fusing with Luffy, little Nika doesn't seem to like being around him. That makes you the only one who can take over caring for little Nika."
"And since little Nika itself is a fruit will with extremely unique abilities, spending time together might spark some kind of miracle and even help resolve your own problem."
"Got it!"
Accepting the task, Chopper nodded seriously, then stretched out his hands and carefully held little Nika against his chest.
"Then I'll leave little Nika to you, Chopper."
"Trust me—we'll solve your problem very soon."
"Mm!!!"
Chopper nodded hard once again.
When it came to his companions, his confidence was absolute.
And so, with his new childcare assignment, Chopper coaxed the playful little Nika out of the room.
The moment Chopper left, Red's expression darkened abruptly.
"Usopp, I'm going to need your help next."
"Red!"
Sensing the sudden shift in atmosphere, Usopp froze for a moment before quickly snapping back to attention.
"What is it?"
"..."
Red's eyes flickered. After a brief silence, instead of answering directly, he voiced another thought.
"I suspect that Chopper's Human-Human Fruit isn't as simple as we think."
"Huh?" Usopp looked stunned again. "Why do you say that?"
One inexplicable Nika Fruit had already made them this nervous. He really didn't want Chopper to have more issues.
Fortunately, Red's explanation eased his worries.
"Don't get so tense. I'm not saying Chopper is in danger."
"I mean that we may have underestimated the true power of his Devil Fruit."
"A Zoan-type Human-Human Fruit… it has no suffix, and perhaps that's exactly what makes it terrifying."
Seeing Usopp's increasingly puzzled expression, Red asked him directly:
"Usopp, in this world… what do you think truly defines a human?"
"Is it when ignorant apes first formed societies? When they began using tools unlike other animals? Or after tens of thousands of years of evolution into what we are today? Or the intelligent species that will still dominate this planet before its eventual destruction?"
"Throughout history, humanity has produced peerless geniuses, invincible warriors, pioneering sages, and explorers of the world."
"So tell me—what kind of 'human' does the Human-Human Fruit Chopper ate represent?"
Red posed the question once more.
In his previous life, people had jokingly called Chopper's fruit a Zoan-Type, Mythical Zoan, Human-Human Fruit: Ordinary Citizen Model.
But judging from how Chopper gained a body tough enough to withstand bullets and remarkable intelligence the moment he acquired the fruit, it was clearly no ordinary citizen model.
"The concept of 'human' is far too broad," Red continued.
"So far, Chopper has focused his efforts on medicine and combat."
"His medical talent is undeniably impressive, but it's still far from world-class."
"Likewise, his combat ability isn't weak—but compared to natural monsters like Luffy and Zoro, it falls short."
"The reason Chopper has reached his current level is not just the Pokémon power boost, but the way he combined medicine and combat."
"But…"
A flash of light suddenly appeared in Red's eyes—and he noticed the same shock flicker through Usopp's gaze.
Knowing Usopp had already grasped the idea, Red smiled slightly.
"Why does Chopper, after eating the Human-Human Fruit, possess such exceptional medical ability—enough to create the Rumble Ball, which alters a Zoan's physiological wavelengths?"
"Is it because the Devil Fruit granted him medical talent?"
"No!"
Red slapped the table excitedly.
"The reason Chopper loves medicine so much is simply because the first human he ever met was a doctor!"
"If the first human he met had been a sniper, he might already be a sharpshooter who never misses."
"If it had been a chef, he might be like Sanji now, spending every day studying new recipes."
"Chopper's talent is absolutely not limited to medicine!"
"Chopper himself… might be an all-round genius!!!"
"..."
"..."
Gulp.
As Red's words fell, the room plunged into silence.
After a long while, Usopp swallowed hard and spoke in disbelief.
"Red… are you saying that Chopper can do anything a human can do?!"
"More or less," Red smiled. "To be precise—not what he can do, but his potential and talent for accomplishing things."
Rather than simply granting intelligence or a human body, Red believed the Human-Human Fruit bestowed Chopper with human potential.
In Red's hypothesis, the ability granted by the Human-Human Fruit was likely the average potential of humanity itself.
Not so strong as to let him soar instantly to the peak of power or knowledge, yet not so weak that he'd remain inept even after decades.
It would give Chopper extraordinary talent in whatever he pursued—without pushing it to absurd extremes.
In short…
The true power of the Human-Human Fruit wasn't how much potential it gave Chopper, but how all-encompassing that potential was.
Though still just a theory, when combined with Chopper's experiences and performance, it might be the closest thing to the truth.
"So… Red, you want me to help Chopper practice shooting for a while, to test whether this theory holds up?"
As sharp as Usopp was, he immediately understood why Red had spoken to him alone.
Among the Straw Hats, only Usopp's skills could produce immediate, measurable results in such a short time.
If the theory was wrong…
Given Usopp's personality and his relationship with Chopper, casually teaching him some marksmanship wouldn't feel out of place, nor would it require building expectations that might later disappoint him.
But if testing confirmed that Chopper also had remarkable talent in sniping, then Red's theory about the Human-Human Fruit would be all but proven.
Before long, the Straw Hat Pirates might gain a true all-round master.
Swordsmanship, cooking, sniping, navigation, archaeology, engineering, music…
Hopefully, when that day came, little Chopper wouldn't resent them for signing him up for so many "interest classes."
"I know what to do, Red."
After receiving Red's approving nod, Usopp nodded firmly and said:
"I'll use the possible crisis from fruit awakening as an excuse. Tonight, I'll have a heart-to-heart with Chopper and let him try shooting."
"But if I do that…"
At this point, Usopp's expression turned awkward.
Helping a crewmate grow stronger was important, but he still had plenty of his own work to handle.
"You're worried about your bugs, right?" Red laughed knowingly.
"Don't worry. While you're helping Chopper, I'll take full responsibility for them."
"They're all elite breeds you selected anyway—there aren't too many."
"I'll use hypnosis to turn them into Pokémon, strengthen them, and have them pass on their superior genes as soon as possible."
"Hehe~ Then I'll leave all those little guys to you!"
"With you handling them, there's definitely no problem."
Usopp nodded happily.
But Red only snorted.
"Little guys? Fine—I'll call those rhinoceros beetles bigger than elephants 'little guys,' then."
Who knew what Usopp had been feeding them to make them grow to that size.
If not for this chance to let them out for some air, who knew how long Usopp would've kept them hidden.
Granted, elephant-sized insects weren't unheard of in the pirate world—but remembering that their ancestors had only been slightly larger beetles made Usopp's methods feel absurd.
"Oh, right!"
Just as they were about to part, Red suddenly called out to Usopp.
"Bring me a few ordinary Zoan-type Devil Fruits. I want to run some experiments on your bugs."
"Let's see if we can find a way… to crack the method of fusing with fruit wills."
After looting Mary Geoise, the Straw Hat Pirates' Devil Fruit stockpile had climbed close to three digits.
Since most of them were already ability users, interest in Devil Fruits had dwindled.
Even the two Devil Fruits Whitebeard had asked Jinbe to deliver had been tossed straight into Usopp's possession, untouched to this day.
(End of Chapter)