I forced myself to stay conscious.
The pain in my eyes was unbearable.
Burning. Tearing. Consuming everything.
I could feel my vision worsening with every second. The world blurred, sinking into red stains and darkness.
I knew it.
The Devil Fruit was my last chance.
Clenching my teeth, I began to crawl—slowly, painfully—toward the place where I had last seen it, near the roots of the tree.
— Look at what you did, — one of the mafia men said. — What if he goes blind?
The one who had struck me with the torch snorted.
— Did you forget? The boss already bought new slaves. They'll arrive tomorrow.
He laughed coldly.
— You really think he needs this trash? Forget about it.
— Hey… — another voice said. — He's still alive. He's even crawling.
While they were talking, their leader noticed my movement.
He narrowed his eyes.
Saw where I was crawling.
Followed my gaze.
At the roots of the tree lay a fruit.
Twisted. Unnatural. Wrong.
The leader's eyes widened.
Shock.
Then greed.
He knew what it was.
A Devil Fruit.
The one who ate it would gain unimaginable power.
In his mind, he was already imagining himself as the new boss.
Stronger. Untouchable.
— STOP HIM! — he roared. — DON'T LET HIM EAT THAT FRUIT!
The mafia men hesitated, confused by the sudden order, but commands were commands.
Gunshots tore through the night.
Bullets flew toward me.
But it was already too late.
I reached the roots.
My trembling hand closed around the fruit.
I could barely see it—my eyes refused to focus.
The fruit was gray and white, cold to the touch, covered in swirling patterns.
I didn't hesitate.
I brought it to my mouth.
And bit down.
The taste was horrific.
Bitter.
Rotten.
Worse than garbage.
I almost vomited.
And then—
Information flooded my mind.
A name.
A power.
A truth.
Kiri Kiri no Mi.
A Logia-type Devil Fruit.
The power of Mist.
At that exact moment, the bullets reached me.
But I felt no pain.
No impact.
Nothing.
Where the bullets should have struck, mist rose instead.
Thick.
Cold.
Unreal.
The bullets passed through me as if I were nothing but smoke.
I was still lying on the ground.
But I understood.
I was no longer human.