Kain kept his eyes on the horizon as the Crimson Serpent cut through the waves. His hands gripped the wheel tightly, knuckles white beneath his gauntlets. The mysterious island had disappeared into the distance almost an hour ago, but he couldn't shake the feeling they were being pursued.
"Any signs of ships?" he called to Ash, who stood at the stern with a spyglass.
"Nothing," Ash replied, lowering the instrument. "Just open water."
Kain exhaled slowly. The adrenaline that had carried them through the cave and back to the ship was beginning to fade, leaving him with a clearer perspective on what they'd done.
They had killed a Celestial Dragon. Not just any criminal or pirate, but one of the self-proclaimed gods of this world. The untouchable elite.
Talon approached from below deck, his expression unreadable. "Ship's holding steady. The storm damage isn't as bad as we thought."
"Good," Kain nodded. "Redd still down there?"
"Yeah, he's sorting through what we grabbed. Said he wanted to catalog everything before we made any decisions."
Ash bounded over, energy radiating off him despite the gravity of their situation. "Can you believe what just happened? We took down a fucking Celestial Dragon!"
"Keep your voice down," Kain hissed. "We're not in the clear yet."
"Who's going to hear us? The fish?" Ash laughed, but he lowered his voice all the same. "Come on, you have to admit it feels good. After what that bastard did, firing on us without provocation."
Kain didn't answer. Instead, he called down to the lower deck. "Redd! How's it looking?"
"You all need to see this," Redd's voice echoed up from below. "Now."
The urgency in his tone made Kain's stomach tighten. He gestured for Talon to tie off the wheel and followed Ash down the narrow stairs.
The captain's quarters had been transformed into an impromptu treasure room. Redd had laid everything out on the large oak table that dominated the space. Four Devil Fruits sat in a row, each distinct in its appearance. Beside them was the ancient book Kain had grabbed, its leather binding cracked with age. And spread across the rest of the table were stacks of Berries—more money than Kain had ever seen in one place.
"Holy shit," Talon whispered as he joined them, having tied off the wheel. "How much is that?"
Redd looked up, his eyes wide. "I've counted it three times. It's just over two hundred million Berries."
A stunned silence fell over the cabin. Two hundred million would change everything. It was enough to buy a small fleet of ships, let alone the single vessel they'd been planning to acquire.
"And that's not all," Redd continued, gesturing to the book. "This appears to be some kind of Devil Fruit encyclopedia. Not the cheap copies you see in port towns, but a comprehensive guide. It has detailed information on dozens of fruits, including these four."
Kain picked up the book carefully. The pages were thin but sturdy, covered in precise handwriting and detailed illustrations. "So we know what these are?"
"More or less," Redd nodded. "According to the book, we have the Sun-Sun Fruit, the Store-Store Fruit—also called the Castle Fruit—the Ink-Ink Fruit, and the Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Eagle."
Ash reached for the bronze-brown fruit with golden-yellow swirls. "This must be the Eagle one. Looks like it has feathers."
Kain consulted the book. "That's right. A Zoan type that allows transformation into an eagle or eagle-hybrid form."
"It's perfect!" Ash exclaimed. "Four fruits, four brothers. It must be fate!"
Redd nodded slowly. "I was thinking the same thing. Each of us could have one."
Kain exchanged a quick glance with Talon, who gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. They'd had this conversation before, back in Krevane, when they'd first learned about Devil Fruits.
"It's not that simple," Kain said, closing the book. "Devil Fruits aren't trinkets to be collected. They're a lifetime commitment—and a double-edged sword."
"What's the downside?" Ash asked, still eyeing the Eagle fruit. "We get amazing powers."
"And we lose the ability to swim," Talon reminded him. "In a world that's mostly ocean."
"Plus," Kain added, "a Devil Fruit isn't an automatic win. It's just a tool. Without proper training and understanding, it could be more hindrance than help."
Redd frowned. "So you're saying we shouldn't eat them?"
"I'm saying we should be careful," Kain replied. "These fruits are incredibly valuable. We should understand exactly what each one does before making any decisions."
Bringing them back to the more pressing matter, Redd said, "Are we still going through with our original plan? Kain and I join the Marines; you two start hunting pirates?"
The cabin fell silent as the weight of their recent actions settled over them.
"We killed a Celestial Dragon," Redd finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "If they find out, we're dead. Worse than dead."
"They won't find out," Talon insisted. "There were no witnesses. The island was uninhabited. By the time anyone realizes Saint Charlton is missing, we'll be long gone."
Kain thought about the slaves they'd killed—the unwilling participants in Charlton's expedition. A twinge of guilt flickered through him, but he pushed it aside. They'd had no choice. It was them or the slaves, and leaving witnesses wasn't an option.
"In a way, we freed them," he said quietly. "Those collars... they were never going to know freedom while they lived."
The others nodded, though Redd's expression remained troubled.
"So we stick to the plan," Kain decided. "We continue to Ironhearth. Redd and I enlist with the Marines. Ash and Talon establish themselves as pirate hunters with a new ship."
"And the Devil Fruits?" Ash asked, still fixated on them.
"We study the book," Kain replied. "Learn everything we can about them. Then we decide."
He looked around at his brothers, at the fortune spread before them, at the four mystical fruits that could change their lives forever.
"One thing at a time," he said. "Right now, let's focus on reaching Ironhearth safely. The rest can wait."
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