She didn't know that above ground, her "bastard otousan" was holding a sniper rifle, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's. Through Observation Haki, he was firmly locked onto her, his finger on the trigger. Every slight vibration represented a precise remote removal of danger.
Charlotte Linlin, having fired once again to resolve a danger for Kuri, murmured to herself:
"I think I understand how that guy Garp dared to throw Luffy into the forest now. Garp's Observation Haki must have reached the level of predicting the future back then as well."
The continuous tension, fear, physical exhaustion, and extreme focus on her surroundings were subtly stimulating Kuri's potential.
Her mind was highly concentrated, and her senses were being constantly tempered and amplified under the pressure of life and death.
Finally, while passing through a narrow passage covered in slippery moss, her foot slipped, and she was about to crash into a sharp, protruding stalagmite ahead.
If she hit it solidly, the consequences would be unthinkable!
In that split second, a "buzz" sounded in Kuri's mind, as if some barrier had been broken.
She didn't "see" it, but she clearly "perceived" the existence of the stalagmite ahead, perceived the trajectory of her slip, and even foresaw the image of herself crashing and bleeding a fraction of a second later!
"No!"
A strong desire for survival made her violently twist her waist in an impossible situation. Her small hand braced against the slippery rock wall just in time, and her body rolled past the edge of the stalagmite in an extremely awkward but effective posture. Although she looked disheveled, she avoided fatal DMG.
She lay on the ground, panting heavily, her heart pounding wildly.
Just now... what was that?
She clearly hadn't seen anything, yet it was as if she had "seen" everything. That feeling was mysterious and profound.
"Observation... Haki?"
Kuri murmured to herself, remembering the power her otousan and Mamas occasionally mentioned.
Did she actually... awaken it in a place like this?
There was no time for her to savor the feeling. An unusual energy fluctuation faintly came from ahead, carrying a cold yet life-filled aura.
Kuri's spirits lifted. Relying on her newly sprouted and still very vague Observation Haki perception, she felt her way forward in that direction.
Turning a corner, the view suddenly opened up—a small underground cave. In the center of the cave was a natural stone platform. On the platform, in a spot illuminated by a beam of light, sat a simple, ancient treasure chest with chains.
And that strange energy fluctuation was precisely emanating from the treasure chest!
Kuri's heart pounded wildly again, this time out of excitement and anticipation.
She stepped forward quickly and found that the treasure chest was not locked. Taking a deep breath, she suddenly flipped open the lid—
Inside was lined with red velvet, and on top of the velvet lay a strangely shaped fruit covered in spiral patterns.
The fruit's color was a deep dark purple, and the patterns were like flowing blood. Its overall shape vaguely resembled a bat with folded wings, exuding an ominous yet powerful allure.
"This is it! Mythical Zoan Type · Bat-Bat Fruit · Vampire Model!"
An unprecedented brilliance erupted in Kuri's eyes. All the hardships, fear, and grievances along the way were worth it at this moment!
Without the slightest hesitation, she grabbed the fruit, opened her mouth, and bit down hard!
"Blegh—!!!"
An indescribable, terrible taste—as if all the filth in the world had been mixed together—instantly filled her mouth, making her almost throw up her stomach.
"Bastard otousan... to become stronger... I'll do it..."
She endured the nausea that was enough to make her soul tremble, forcing herself to swallow that mouthful of fruit flesh. Then, as if treating it like an enemy, she finished the entire fruit in a few bites!
Kuri leaned against the stone platform and gagged a few times, her small face scrunched up.
A few seconds later, an unprecedented sense of power began to emerge from within her body. Along with it came the instinctive recognition and usage methods of this power.
A trace of blood-red light flashed in her eyes in the darkness, and her already sharp small canine teeth extended again, becoming even sharper and more pointed.
She, Charlotte Kuri, had successfully obtained the power she had dreamed of!
Above ground, Charlotte Linlin, perceiving through Observation Haki that Kuri had successfully eaten the fruit and that her aura had undergone a transformation, slowly lowered the sniper rifle, a satisfied and proud smile on her face.
"Well done, my little vampire."
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