It turned out that Camie was once a pirate.
Years ago, he came to this island with his crew in search of treasure. While exploring, he discovered a pile of boxes on top of the mountain. But by accident, he got stuck inside one—and his so-called friends completely forgot about him and left.
That was twenty years ago.
Over time, he became one with the box, completely adapting to his strange new life. He also befriended the island's unusual animals and decided to protect them. To do so, he started using tricks to scare off any pirates who landed on the island—just like he had tried to do with Luffy and the others.
But not only did his scare tactics fail, he was immediately found out.
Still, there was something Camie had kept buried in his heart all these years—the unopened treasure chest on the mountain. Finally, he asked Luffy to help him retrieve it.
Luffy climbed up the mountain, only to find that the chest was completely empty.
"The Straw Hat kid said he wanted to keep all the treasure for himself, what a great guy... Even though the chest was empty, he still played along for my sake..."
Camie's voice was filled with emotion.
Carl, however, wasn't surprised. This was exactly how things happened in the original story.
Even without his presence, the plot was unfolding just the same. That was enough for him.
Nami let out a frustrated sigh. "I thought we'd find treasure, but it turned out to be a bunch of rare beasts instead... What a disappointment!"
Luffy, completely unfazed, just grinned. "Hee hee! It's fine, Nami! Wasn't this a fun adventure? Getting scared by those rare beasts was pretty exciting!"
Hearing that, everyone couldn't help but laugh.
Carl thought for a moment, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a Devil Fruit radar. Pressing a button, he noticed a bright signal flashing right where they were standing.
"Heh, Luffy, there really is treasure on this island," Carl said, grinning as he turned on the radar.
"Could it be...?" Nami and Luffy's eyes lit up.
Carl followed the radar's direction, stopping in front of the same mountain Luffy had climbed earlier.
Swish!
With a single swing of Obsidian, Carl slashed through the mountain, splitting it open in an instant!
The entire peak cracked apart, revealing a hidden cave inside.
And lying there, untouched for years, was a treasure chest.
This...
"There really is treasure!"
Carl used his sword to flip open the lid of the chest, revealing a strange fruit covered in spiral patterns.
"It's a Devil Fruit!" Luffy and Nami cheered excitedly.
The others, while aware that Luffy and Carl were Devil Fruit users, had never actually seen a real Devil Fruit before.
So this is a Devil Fruit…
Carl pulled out the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia and flipped through its pages, comparing the fruit to the illustrations.
"Hmm… This is a good one! It's the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Tengu, a Mythical Zoan! Anyone who eats a Mythical Zoan becomes a powerhouse feared across the seas!"
Everyone's breathing grew heavier at Carl's words.
Even though they didn't fully understand the details, the meaning was clear—anyone who ate a Mythical Zoan was incredibly strong!
Carl put the fruit away and began explaining.
"Devil Fruits are divided into three types: Paramecia, Logia, and Zoan.
Luffy and I are both Paramecia users. The Four Emperors Whitebeard and Big Mom are also Paramecia users.
Whitebeard, in particular, is known as the strongest man in the world. His Gura Gura no Mi allows him to create massive earthquakes, powerful enough to trigger tsunamis and destroy entire islands with ease.
The Marine Admirals are all Logia users, and each one of them wields the power to devastate an island.
Then there are the Mythical Zoans, like Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Emperor Kaido. Mythical Zoan users are in a league of their own.
Sengoku has the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Buddha, while Kaido… Well, Kaido is immortal.
That guy jumped from 10,000 meters just to kill himself for fun—and survived without a scratch.
Right now, if Luffy and I were to fight any of these monsters… our chances of winning are slim."
Everyone was left stunned.
Carl's words completely shattered their previous understanding of strength. For the first time, they realized just how terrifying the world's true powerhouses were.
But instead of being shaken, Zoro looked calm—even excited.
"Mr. Carl," he said, "last time, you mentioned that Luffy could fight an Admiral… So does that mean Luffy has the power to sink an island?"
Carl turned to Luffy.
Luffy smiled, pressing down on his straw hat.
"If I go all out," he said casually, "this island could disappear."
Hiss!!!
Both Usopp and Jango sucked in sharp breaths.
They had never imagined that they had a world-class powerhouse traveling right beside them.
Nami, meanwhile, stood frozen in a daze.
She had seen Luffy and Carl fight before—the destruction they caused was unreal.
And now, an old thought resurfaced in her mind.
If I bring Luffy and the others back home… maybe…
Maybe he was so lost in thought that he even forgot to take the Devil Fruit from Carl.
As for Camie, he stood there completely stunned. Carl spoke about Devil Fruits like it was common knowledge, as if he were reading from a bible—Camie could hardly believe it.
After their exploration, it was time to leave the island.
Luffy once again invited Camie to join their crew, but Camie shook his head.
"The real treasure of this island… is these rare beasts," he said with a smile.
Luffy didn't insist. He simply grinned and waved.
"Alright! Take care, Camie!"
With that, the crew returned to their ship.
Even after setting sail, Usopp, Jango, and Nami still hadn't fully recovered from what they had learned.
As their pirate ship slowly drifted away from Treasure Island, Carl called everyone together on the deck.
Then, he placed two Devil Fruits in front of them.
Usopp, Jango, Liki, and Nami couldn't help but swallow nervously.
The first reaction? Greed.
The second? Realization—these weren't just any Devil Fruits.
Luffy grinned. "Mr. Carl, are we deciding who eats the Devil Fruits?"
"Exactly."
Carl nodded.
"I've taught you all breathing techniques, but those can only help stabilize your strength, not rapidly increase it.
We're about to enter the Grand Line—a place that's basically a pirate's graveyard.
If you don't have power, you won't survive.
Luffy, Zoro, and I are strong enough, but we can't protect everyone all the time.
So, for those who want to get stronger quickly, the best option right now is a Devil Fruit."
The crew exchanged glances, their expressions serious.
Carl continued.
"I've decided that the Mythical Zoan: Tengu Fruit should go to Usopp.
Usopp's current strength is too weak, but the Tengu form will change that completely.
It can fly, it has enhanced eyesight, and for a sniper like Usopp, that's perfect."
Everyone turned to Usopp, who was frozen in shock.
"The downside of not being able to swim?" Carl smirked. "That doesn't matter.
Our battles are on ships or islands. We're not Fish-Men, so fighting in water was never an option anyway."
Usopp's heart pounded.
He knew he was the weakest in the crew. If he entered the Grand Line like this, he'd be as good as dead.
But now, Carl was handing him a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit—a fruit that could turn him into a powerhouse like Kaido or Sengoku.
This was his chance.
His chance to become stronger.
His chance to change his fate.
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