I agreed to win with Roger, but the guy I met was too young Chapter 039

On the azure sea, the Oro Jackson had just finished an easy battle.

The deck was piled with spoils plundered from an unlucky pirate crew—gold, silver, jewels, rare wines, and a strangely shaped Devil Fruit covered in spiral patterns.

Rhyt narrowed his eyes, a cunning smile playing on his lips. “Oho? Isn’t this the legendary Chop-Chop Fruit?”

He wondered if Buggy would still hide it, intending to sell it for money.

Jabra leaned over, scrutinizing the fruit with a look of disdain. “What’s that? Doesn’t sound very powerful.”

Rayleigh pushed up his glasses. “It allows the body to split, theoretically making one immune to slashing attacks, but…”

He glanced at Rhyt. From his understanding of Rhyt, he wouldn’t just simply introduce a Devil Fruit. Rhyt had ignored all the previous Devil Fruits, so this one must have a trick to it.

“What devious scheme are you cooking up now?”

Rhyt flashed a pure, innocent smile and called out to the distance, “Heheheh, Buggy—! Come here! I’ve got something good for you!”

Buggy scurried over, his tail wagging. “What’s up, Brother Rhyt? Is there treasure to share again?”

It was worth noting that the two youngsters on Roger’s ship regarded Rhyt as their elder brother. Most of their childhood had been spent under Rhyt’s care, as the other rough and tumble crew members simply couldn’t look after them. They were only responsible for teaching practical combat.

Rhyt solemnly held up the Devil Fruit. “It’s even better than treasure! Eat it, and you’ll gain the power of a devil!”

Buggy’s eyes instantly lit up. “Really?!”

Shanks, suspicious, leaned closer. “Brother Rhyt, you’re not trying to trick Buggy again, are you?”

Rhyt immediately put on a righteous expression. “How could I! When have I, Rhyt, ever lied to anyone?”

As soon as he spoke, the crew members on deck all turned to look at him in unison, their eyes filled with doubt.

Rhyt bared his shark-like teeth and yelled at the crew, “You bastards, what kind of expressions are those?”

Rhyt patted Buggy’s shoulder and began his impassioned speech. “Buggy, just imagine—”

“Immune to slashing attacks, impenetrable!” He gestured wildly, his tone exaggerated. “From now on, during Uncle Rayleigh’s sword training, you can just stand there and let him chop you, and you’ll be fine!”

Buggy’s eyes sparkled, and he asked excitedly, “Really?!”

Rayleigh raised an eyebrow, giving Rhyt a meaningful look, but said nothing.

Rhyt continued to gesticulate, painting a vivid picture. “Split freely, run when you want to! Being chased by the Marines? Just disassemble yourself and slip away!”

Buggy excitedly rubbed his hands. “So no one will ever be able to catch me?”

Jabra interjected, “But your feet might run off by themselves, leaving your head behind.”

Rhyt lowered his voice, speaking mysteriously. “Collect all the treasure! You can reach your hand into a treasure chest without needing to pick the lock!”

Buggy jumped up in ecstasy. “This great me is going to get rich!”

Shanks facepalmed, speechless. “Hey, did you forget about the three types of Haki? Everyone on the ship knows at least Armament and Observation Haki. Don’t get too carried away, kid…”

Rhyt exaggeratedly demonstrated. “Taunt, infuriate your enemies! An enemy slashes you, you just split apart, then taunt: ‘Can’t hit me, can’t hit me!’”

Buggy was practically full from the pie Rhyt was feeding him. “Hahaha! That’s awesome!”

Roger watched from the side, laughing heartily. “Kuhahaha! Rhyt, you’ve painted such a delicious pie, even I want to eat it!”

Buggy swallowed, staring at the Devil Fruit, and hesitated. “But… I heard Devil Fruits taste terrible…”

Rhyt patted Buggy. “I’ve been there. It’s sweet when it first enters your mouth, trust me.”

Buggy scratched his head in a conflicted manner. “What if the ability isn’t as powerful as you say?”

Rhyt thumped his chest, guaranteeing, “I guarantee it on behalf of the Roger Pirates! If I’m lying to you, I’ll…” He thought for a second, then smirked. “…I’ll make Shanks wear a dress!”

Shanks bristled, jumping up. “Hey! What does that have to do with me?!”

After teasing Buggy, Rhyt also seriously told him, “It can indeed allow you to split apart and be immune to slashing attacks, but you can still be hit by Armament Haki or blunt weapons. The Chop-Chop fighting style, combined with your daggers, will make your combat even more unpredictable. However, gaining this ability means you will also lose the ability to swim. Whether you eat it or not is up to you. I hope your choice won’t leave you with regrets.”

Having satisfied his own mischievous streak, Rhyt was also very responsible, as Buggy and Shanks were like his own children. He didn’t have a compulsive need for Buggy to eat the Chop-Chop Fruit.

Buggy held the Chop-Chop Fruit. “Brother Rhyt, if I eat this Devil Fruit, can I catch up to you guys?”

Rhyt shook his head, indicating he didn’t know. “Devil Fruits are a power of the mind. I don’t know your future, but I believe you have a heart that wants to become stronger. Whether you eat a Devil Fruit or not, you will become stronger.”

“Alright! This great me will eat it!” He took a bite, his expression instantly contorting, and he gagged. “Ugh—!!! What the hell is this?!”

Rhyt stifled a laugh and handed him some wine. “Drink, drink quickly! The power will come soon!”

Buggy gulped down several mouthfuls of wine, then suddenly felt his body lighten. He looked at his hand in horror. “My hand… why is it floating?!”

Shanks’ eyes widened in shock. “Wow! Buggy, your hand really can fly!”

Buggy tried to control it, but his fingers flew wildly, and he panicked. “Wait! Why can’t I control it?!”

Rhyt trembled, trying to suppress his laughter. “Adjustment period, adjustment period~”

It wasn’t Shanks who scared Buggy into eating the fruit; Buggy had eaten it willingly. Rhyt wondered if this incident would prevent future conflicts between them. Wouldn’t life lose a lot of its fun then?

At dinner, Buggy’s right hand suddenly flew off, and his fork poked Shanks directly in the face. Shanks angrily exclaimed, “Buggy! You did that on purpose, didn’t you!”

Buggy explained with a tearful face, “It wasn’t me! My hand has a mind of its own!”

While sleeping, Buggy’s head floated up to the mast, while his body remained on the bed, snoring. Roger looked up during his morning exercise and laughed. “Buggy, how did your head get up there?”

Buggy cried out in horror, “Captain! Help me get it down!”

During combat training, Buggy displayed extraordinary combat talent. The Chop-Chop Fruit gave him the ability to make his limbs fly. Combined with his thrown daggers, his attack range became much wider and his angles more cunning. Rhyt felt that if the daggers were imbued with Armament Haki, their lethality would be even greater.

Shanks and Buggy were both crew members of Roger’s, veritable “strong second-generation” individuals. With the guidance of top powerhouses like Roger, Rayleigh, and Rhyt, if Buggy were still as weak as he was in the original plot, Rhyt would certainly beat him up.

The sea voyage was so leisurely; since they were idle, Rhyt and the others began training Shanks and Buggy in Armament and Observation Haki. Because Rhyt had been drenched in the rain himself, he intended to tear away both of their umbrellas.

“My two little brothers, don’t blame your big brother for being ruthless.” The sadness on Rhyt’s face was impossible to suppress as he thought of their future lives.