"Wait, wait, wait, are you saying you were a Devil Fruit?" Usopp almost bit his tongue in shock as he asked.
"No, it meant it took the form of a Devil Fruit, right?" Robin clarified.
Only then did the shocked expressions of others change into something normal. After all, this was a tool that could maintain the omniverse.
Just imagine something god-like, and it makes sense that such a thing could become a devil fruit.
After all, Devil Fruits by themselves give others superhuman abilities.
"So, you became Kake-Kake No Mi for Liam?" Luffy asked, still confused about this whole thing.
Liam's projection nodded and replied.
"Originally, I was supposed to be Roots-Roots Fruit. Liam originally wanted a fruit that would give him incredible abilities."
"And, with his knowledge, he would be able to utilize Roots Roots Fruit to a very high degree."
"For that reason alone, I changed the timeline, forcefully creating a history where Aramaki came to the East Blue."
Hearing that, Robin, Sanji, and Law showed a look of horror on their faces. After all, they truly understood the concept of changing history with just a thought.
That's exactly what this so-called tool did.
Calling it a treasure of the gods wouldn't be false.
Something clicked in, and Sanji spoke with realization.
"But Liam didn't eat that fruit."
"Butterfly effect! Since I brought Aramaki to the East Blue, he happened to encounter your crew."
"And, this resulted in a near-death situation for your crew. At that moment, Liam hopelessly begged for strength."
"I couldn't give him the strength to change that directly, or his existence would disappear from this world."
"So, you created a fruit that sounds logical, but it basically can be dominated by his Willpower."
Robin chuckled and shook her head.
"No wonder that fruit could do such ridiculous things. Liam would simply succeed because you want him to succeed."
"Indeed! Stealing abilities doesn't seem impossible, even replication has been proven, but stealing physical capabilities and skills?"
"That's complete bullshit ability. Not even a Devil Fruit should possess that kind of power, and if it does, it shouldn't just be determined by one's Willpower."
Law nodded his head and spoke.
At this moment, Sanji narrowed his eyes and said.
"Wait a minute! If you have such a power, why would Liam be erased from this world? It doesn't make sense."
"It's like a god creating a stone he can't lift. He is a god, he is almighty."
Liam's projection retorted.
"But if he is almighty, why can't he lift? But if he lifts that, then he can't create a stone that can't be lifted."
"You are talking about a paradox you can't even understand. I can interact with this world directly, but at the cost of erasing this world."
"This erasure doesn't mean the end of this world. It can lead to the death of your crew. It can lead to the stopping of time in your world."
"It could scrap your world. That's the cost of my interference. That's why I chose to be a Devil Fruit and do very little things to affect the world."
"I was only able to put Aramaki here, knowing that his being here wouldn't change much of the world."
Hearing that, Luffy couldn't help but clench his fist.
The main reason why Liam disappeared was simply that he tried to change something that shouldn't be changed.
At this moment, Liam's projection sighed.
"If you try to change something that shouldn't be changed, you need to cut off your connection to the real world."
"Liam still had a connection with the real world. His entry to this world was an accident, something that happened because of me."
"That's why I helped him with his wishes."
Zoro released a deep breath and said.
"And, he wished to be as strong as he needed to be."
Liam's projection nodded and continued.
"Kake-Kake No Mi allowed him to change his combat ability to a terrifying level and even affect his crew."
"This way, he believed he would be able to protect the crew. At the same time, a few minor changes happened due to my existence."
"Chopper shouldn't have the capacity to create potions that could improve one's strength by exhausting his potential."
"That shouldn't be possible, at least, not with his current knowledge."
Chopper nodded and said.
"I always found it confusing, but Liam kept encouraging me, so I just succeeded."
Liam's projection pointed at Luffy and said.
"You weren't supposed to master Advanced forms of Haki so quickly. Even with your talent, that shouldn't be possible."
"Because Haki only blooms in the heat of battle. Your battle with Kizaru was tough, but it wasn't so important to you."
"Your battle with Enel was neither tough nor important to you. Liam gave you the idea, and you gave it a try."
"You succeeded because Liam always believed you could. And his belief used a portion of my power to help you."
"Of course, I am not undermining your talent. It's just I sped up your progress."
Hearing that, Luffy nodded his head.
"I understand. By the way, I entered another world. Was it because of you?"
Liam's projection nodded, and it got serious.
"There are two ways to break the barrier of the universe. First, you need to complete the timeline. Second, you need to have the strength to do so."
At this moment, he looked at Luffy and said.
"You would do anything to get Liam back, wouldn't you?"
"Of course!"
Luffy replied without any hesitation.
This was always true for him and his crew.
"You wouldn't finish your adventure without him, would you?"
"Of course not!"
Luffy answered.
He didn't even think about completing his adventure without Liam. His dreams were important, but his partner was even more important.
He would rather abandon his dream than give up on his partner.
Of course, he would still help his friends achieve their dreams, but he believed they would still follow him to bring back Liam.
This was the Straw Hat Crew.
Liam's projection smiled and said.
"That means the first option is impossible to achieve. You can only go with the second option. But if you don't finish the story, your strength won't reach that level."
"Even now, you don't truly have the strength to cross the barrier. It's not just about breaking the barrier."
"I can do that part for you. The main problems are the creature that exists between the boundaries."
"They are the true trouble for you, and even with your current strength, you can't destroy those creatures to reach the Real World."
Hearing that, Luffy clenched his fist and said.
"If that's the case, I will just get stronger. Strong enough to bring back Liam."
Liam's projection stared at him speechlessly.
Seeing this, Robin patted Luffy on the shoulder and said.
"The problem is not with us, but with it, right?"
"Yes, I merged with Liam because of a malfunction. It took him nearly three years of Real World time to fix this malfunction."
"Now that I am fixed, I need to return to my job. Otherwise, someone will come and take me away."
"And if someone does come, that person will reset everything, which means erasing your entire timeline, even this multiverse."
"So, I have no choice but to help you bring back Liam as soon as possible. Once done, I will leave immediately."
Hearing that, Luffy said.
"Alright, send us then!"
Liam's projection got speechless, and Robin had no choice but to push Luffy down as she said.
"Please, continue!"
"My arrival here has changed a lot of things. Right now, Luffy is strong. So, the world will change itself to control his power."
"So, once I take you away, there will be a time displacement. This will cause a massive change to this world once you return."
"Make sure you have completed urgent tasks before leaving this world. And, I can only take original crew members with me."
"That means Bonney, Law, Kuma, and Bepo can't join us. Whitebeard isn't dead, which has caused some massive changes to this world."
"When you return, these changes could either be devastating or at least massive for you."
Luffy simply waved his hands and said.
"It doesn't matter to us. As long as my friends are not harmed, what happens to this world doesn't concern me."
He paused for a moment and asked.
"But this time displacement thing... Will a lot of time pass here once we leave?"
Liam's projection nodded.
This almost clutched Luffy's heart. The veins on his forehead bulged as he clenched his fist.
He took some deep breaths and thought.
'I'm sorry, Liam. You are more important to the crew. As much as you want to change this world, I absolutely can't sacrifice you for such changes.'
He turned around and grinned.
"Is everyone ready for this?"
"Of course, Captain!"
Liam's projection snapped his finger and said.
"Then, let's go!"