Chapter 1620 Two Mythical Beast Species
Hawkins's ordeal, stemming from Fiddlesticks's primal fears, remains like a cold spiderweb, clinging to the corners of every witness's soul.
But reason tells them that talking about that name, discussing that existence itself, only fuels fear and tightens the invisible spiderweb.
Silence became the only option at that moment.
Kaku understood the importance of strength better than anyone else, and he also understood the fleeting nature of opportunity. He suddenly shoved Lucci hard from behind.
"At this moment, Lucci should not hesitate any longer. He must not miss this opportunity to change his destiny!"
He was awakened by Lucci's words that he was afraid he would regret it for the rest of his life, and now he wants to return that awareness to Lucci.
He knew that Lucci was weighing his options, having doubts, and calculating the costs and risks, but Kaku knew even better that in the face of someone like the shopkeeper, too much hesitation would only cause the opportunity to slip away, and might even invite displeasure.
Lucky was pushed forward by Kaku and stumbled, half-pushed and half-forced, to stand in front of that unfathomable counter.
The shopkeeper's gaze fell on Lu Qi, and a hint of interest seemed to flash in his deep eyes.
Unlike his treatment of Kaku, Capone Becky, or even Hawkins, the way he looked at Lucci carried the air of someone observing a rare specimen.
"Rob Lucci, on a different timeline, you will be defeated twice by that Straw Hat kid," the shopkeeper said calmly, but every word was sharp and forceful, a testament to his genius and the pride of CP9's strongest in eight hundred years.
Lu Qi's brows furrowed deeply, and for the first time, an undisguised humiliation appeared on his usually cold face! Twice?
Losing to the same person twice?!
In a possible future, he became a stepping stone for the grandson of a naval hero, and was repeatedly trampled on.
In that future, CP9's reputation as geniuses was nothing more than a stubborn rock that Luffy kicked aside on his path to fame.
To have one's dignity trampled upon is worse than being killed!
The shop owner was already being very accommodating by not mentioning that in the later Egghead Island timeline, Lucci, after awakening his Devil Fruit, was first defeated by Gear Fifth Luffy, and then quickly defeated by Zoro.
They were even jokingly told that if they continued to lose, even the Straw Hat crew's pets would be worth a fight.
Luffy looked up at Lucci's back, tilted his head, and muttered to himself, "This guy, in his normal state, could probably be taken down in two punches."
Lucci's fists clenched so tightly they cracked. He recalled his fight against Kaido's son Yamato in the Sabaody Archipelago not long ago. With just one move, Thunder Bagua, imbued with the terrifying power of Conqueror's Haki, Yamato was utterly defeated, leaving Lucci helpless and unable to move amidst the ruins.
His domineering aura, Devil Fruit abilities, and fighting spirit were completely overwhelmed!
At that moment, his so-called genius aura became as fragile as a joke in the face of truly monstrous power, turning him into a stray dog that could be trampled to death at will.
Become stronger!
Must become stronger!
Become stronger at all costs!
Pride, humiliation, and resentment towards the Celestial Dragons' unfair resource allocation—why was Lucci only given an ordinary Leopard Fruit?!
He abruptly raised his head, his gaze burning with an almost obsessive intensity, fixed intently on the shopkeeper: "I want to become stronger, no matter the cost!"
He was fed up with stagnation, fed up with being limited by his talent, and fed up with being powerless to struggle in front of true powerhouses.
He needs power, enough to wash away all shame, break all shackles, and ascend to the ranks of the truly strong.
The shopkeeper quietly watched the flame burning in Lucci's eyes, a flame that held ambition. He slowly nodded, as if he had finally received the answer he had been waiting for.
"As you wish, ordinary Zoan-type is indeed unworthy of your talent and awareness. Only Mythical Zoan-type is suitable as the starting point of your new journey."
He turned around and faced the seemingly all-encompassing wooden cabinet again, taking out two Devil Fruits one after the other and placing them on the counter at the same time.
These two fruits are unlike any I've ever seen before; their appearance alone is extraordinary.
The one on the left has a dark golden color and its shape is not a regular sphere or melon, but rather resembles a lifelike wolf's head.
The peel is covered with dense, insect-shaped patterns. These patterns are not carved, but rather naturally formed, making the whole fruit look like a sculpted work of art.
The one on the right has a deep, dark red fruit, like congealed blood, and its shape is even more peculiar. It is not a single fruit, but hundreds of round and plump grapes, each about the size of a thumb.
The grapes are tightly clustered and spiraled together in a way that defies gravity, forming a bunch of fruits that is strangely shaped yet full of power.
The surface of each grape is not smooth, but naturally imprinted with a miniature fist mark. Hundreds and thousands of fist marks are densely packed, as if countless invisible giant fists have pounded on it, hammering the extremely violent force into the inside of the fruit.
The customers in the shop aren't fools. Some Devil Fruits are powerful just by looking at their appearance. Only ordinary Devil Fruits look very rough and are not easy to identify.
Everyone had their own guesses, but they were still shocked by what the shop owner said next. Their vision was too narrow, and they couldn't see a higher level of the world.
The shopkeeper's voice rang out at the right moment, clearing up the confusion for Lucci and all the customers who were stunned by the two fruits:
He pointed to the golden wolf-head apple, "The one on the left, Zoan type, Dog-Dog Fruit, Mythical Zoan type, Anubis form!"
He turned to the grape with the dark red fist mark, "The one on the right, Zoan type, Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan type, Hundred-Armed Giant form!"
Mythical Zoan type, and there are two of them!
Two completely different directions, yet both mythical forms at the pinnacle of mythical beast species. Although the shopkeeper doesn't know what abilities mythical beast species possess, he really thinks highly of Lucci.
Lucci's breath caught in his throat the moment he heard those two names. For the first time, he felt so close to obtaining a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit.
He stared intently at the two fruits on the counter, his eyes burning with a fire that seemed about to burst forth. This was the power he had always dreamed of, transcending the mundane and reaching the realm of myth.
Kaku stood behind him, trembling with excitement, yet also anxious about the choices Lucci was about to face.
Everyone else, whether pirates or CP9 members, was shocked by the two Mythical Zoan Devil Fruits, which exerted immense pressure simply by their existence, and looked at Lucci with incredibly complex expressions.
The shopkeeper calmly watched Lucci, waiting for his choice and for him to be prepared to pay the corresponding price.
"Choose, Rob Lucci: the god of the dead who will judge the underworld, or the hundred-armed calamity that will shake the world?"
"The price you pay will vary drastically depending on your choices..."
