"Hurry, Sister Anjie! If we don't find that Devil Fruit before Uncle Kelo does, we're done for."
On Torrance Island, Jade led Angeles into the location of the ruins she had just obtained through her cute act, searching for something as Jackie Chan had taught her.
Angeles looked around, trying to use her proficient Observation Haki to search for the Devil Fruit, but unfortunately, she found nothing.
If Observation Haki could detect it, even someone with top-tier Observation Haki like the Red Count would have discovered the Vampire Fruit long ago, and there would have been no need to search for it in the story.
"Jade, are you sure there's a Devil Fruit here?"
Angeles, who truly wasn't skilled in archaeology, couldn't help but ask. She was puzzled about how she had fallen for Jade's trick.
"Of course! Otherwise, why would Uncle Kelo rush here without stopping?"
Jade said proudly.
"Even though there's an adventure, Uncle Kelo didn't bring us along for the excitement. If they handle all the dangers first, then it won't be an adventure but just a picnic. What's the fun in that?"
"Hurry, hurry!"
As she spoke, Jade pulled Angeles deeper into the pitch-black underground ruins.
The flashlight she had taken from Jackie Chan's room emitted a faint glow in the darkness, gradually dispelling the blindness before them.
They navigated through winding passages, where old mechanisms had long lost their function under the erosion of time.
Occasionally, one or two still worked, but in the face of Angeles' Observation Haki, they were as good as useless.
Traps like pits or tripwire mechanisms were easily avoided as long as Angeles held Jade and flew over them.
"Anjie, you're really my capable assistant! Next time, you have to come with me again."
Tucked in Angeles' arms, Jade looked at the large pit they had easily crossed and felt extremely pleased.
"I'm not sure if this is right or wrong, but judging by the mechanisms here, Jade, it seems you really know about an undiscovered ruin."
Looking at the thick layer of dust ahead, with no footprints or signs of movement, Angeles couldn't help but sigh.
"Hehe, my luck has always been pretty good."
Jade said proudly, occasionally using the flashlight to observe their surroundings.
Suddenly, Jade seemed to notice something and quickly tugged at Angeles.
"Look, Anjie, what's that?"
"Hmm?"
Angeles followed her gaze and saw what appeared to be an altar-like area, with the ground marked by mystical patterns, mostly hexagrams.
In the center of the altar stood something very ancient and worn... a coffin!?
It was covered in dust, with traces of melted wax from burnt candles, and candleholders scattered everywhere.
Even more chilling were the piles of bones surrounding it, all darkened and in various unnatural poses, as if they had died under unusual circumstances.
Angeles didn't know what a coffin was. In Skypiea, where land was precious—or rather, where there was no soil at all—burials were conducted through cloud burials, sending the deceased into the White White Sea to be carried away by the sea of clouds.
"The hexagram, candles, and abnormally deceased corpses—this is clearly a terrifying cult ritual!"
Jade trembled as she spoke, unsure whether it was fear or excitement, or perhaps both.
"Anjie, do you dare open that coffin?"
Jade said in a tempting tone, certain that the coffin held secrets inside.
"Coffin? You mean that big wooden box?"
Angeles nodded, completely unafraid since she didn't even know what a coffin was.
"Sure."
With a flap of her wings, Angeles flew up, extended the inner side of her armored hand, aimed at the coffin, and unleashed a shockwave.
Boom!
The fragile coffin shattered into pieces in an instant. With a thud, the skeleton inside fell out, accompanied by the muffled sound of something round rolling out.
...
Huh!?
Chronos, who had just entered the ruins, suddenly looked up. The transmitted signals told him that someone had beaten them to it.
"Jackie Chan, Tohru, sorry, but we need to speed up. Grave robbers have already gotten here ahead of us."
"Moria, keep up."
Chronos said directly, as lightning spread out, enveloping the two and surging toward the depths of the ruins at breakneck speed.
Moria looked annoyed but waved his hand, allowing his shadow to dart forward, keeping pace with Chronos without hurry.
Since leaving the false God Valley, there had been no further obstacles in their way. With Jackie Chan's archaeological expertise, the ruins were quickly located.
...
"Wow!"
"Look what we found!"
Jade jumped out of Angeles' arms, completely unafraid of the fragile bones scattered around.
She even jogged over to the round object that had fallen out of the coffin.
It was a dark purple fruit, resembling a persimmon, covered in strange patterns, with its stem curved at the top.
"I found a Devil Fruit! Let's see what Uncle Kelo has to say about me now!"
Jade was thrilled and bent down as if to pick up the Devil Fruit.
But lightning suddenly flashed, and a large hand reached out first, grabbing the Devil Fruit in front of Jade.
"Sorry, Jade. Even though you found it, I'm still the one who gets to take it."
Under Jade's astonished gaze, Chronos' figure slowly materialized along with the lightning.
"How did you get down here... Oh, Anjie."
Spotting Angeles, who was also grinning sheepishly nearby, Chronos rubbed his forehead in frustration.
Glancing at Jackie Chan, who was wide-eyed at Jade's appearance, Chronos sighed.
"Now I finally understand your troubles, Jackie Chan. Your niece is truly no ordinary person."
"Thanks."
Jackie Chan said with a pained expression, not wanting this kind of sympathy at all!
"Since you're safe and sound and have Angeles with you, I won't give you another afro. But..."
With his other hand, Chronos grabbed Jade, who was trying to put on a smile to prove how well-behaved she was, and handed her over to Jackie Chan like a kitten.
"I'll consider whether I should send you back to Pops' antique shop, so you can grow up a bit, learn some skills, and then come back."
"Oh no, Uncle Kelo, you can't do this! No matter what, I found this Devil Fruit first. I'm very capable!"
Jade, who was being held back by Jackie Chan, pleaded with a pitiful expression. Chronos nodded absentmindedly while using his system to probe the Devil Fruit in his hand.
[Bat Fruit: Mythical Zoan: Vampire Form]
That's right—this was the Vampire Fruit that Red Count consumed in the game.
Chronos used an electric current to wash away the grime on the surface of the Vampire Fruit, then took a bite without hesitation, wanting to avoid any unexpected complications.
With a crisp sound, the Vampire Fruit, despite having been stored for so many years, still contained juice inside. The shelf life of Devil Fruits was truly terrifying.
Hearing the noise, the people around turned to look and were horrified at what they saw, as if questioning why he would commit suicide!?
Under everyone's watchful eyes, even though Chronos had already experienced this twice, he still scrunched up his face, showing an expression of discomfort.
Devil Fruits were conceptually disgusting. Chronos had eaten three of them, and each time the taste was different—a chaotic mix of flavors.
But the core sensation remained the same: that nauseating, gut-wrenching foulness that made you want to vomit from the depths of your soul.
And perhaps because it had been stored for too long, Chronos even detected a hint of corpse-like stench in this Vampire Fruit.
By the way, the Soul-Soul Fruit had a sharp, nose-piercing intensity, while the Rumble-Rumble Fruit brought a stinging, bitter sensation, like chewing raw durian skin.
"What a twisted design..."
Chronos muttered in discomfort, then closed his eyes, took a few more bites, chewed quickly, and swallowed with a gulp.
"Whew~"
Letting out a long sigh, Chronos finally looked at the others and saw their horrified expressions.
"Chronos, hurry—"
Jackie Chan made as if to put Jade down and rushed over, intending to slap Chronos on the back to induce vomiting.
In fact, everyone surged forward in unison, frantic with urgency.
Chronos raised his hand, flicked his index finger, and a sharp nail extended, blocking Jackie Chan's path.
The inhuman sight immediately stunned Jackie Chan, halting him in his tracks.
"Didn't I tell you? I can consume three different types of Devil Fruits. The Vampire Fruit is my final piece—a Zoan, Mythical Zoan type."
As he spoke, Chronos activated the new power within his body, and his form began to change.
His body grew taller but stretched out like a Slender Shadow; his canine teeth elongated, becoming sharp and menacing; a pair of fleshy wings sprouted from his back, seemingly connecting to his arms to form a membrane; even his face began to grow thick purple fur that drifted faintly.
Clearly, this vampire form was closer to the ancient legends—tall and slender, with a face covered in purple fur, like a mutated corpse.
Noticing this transformation, Chronos focused his thoughts, connecting the power of the Vampire Fruit with other vampire images in his mind.
Instantly, the previous changes halted, and a new transformation began.
His tall, slender frame reshaped, becoming well-proportioned and elegant. The purple fur on his face dissipated, revealing pale, flawless skin, with veins faintly visible beneath.
The fleshy wings that had connected to his arms vanished, replaced by separate, broad, and powerful wings sprouting from his back.
His pupils turned a deep crimson, complementing his original black hair like red eyes in the night, exuding an eerie, enchanting beauty.
After incorporating Chronos' modern reinterpretation of vampires, the transformation of the Vampire Fruit also took on a new appearance.
Chronos now resembled the modern depiction of a blood clan.
"Wow~"
Jade stared blankly at Chronos' transformation, her little face trembling.
"It's like you've become a completely different person."
"Are you still Chronos?"
Angeles, standing nearby, was also incredulous—the change was simply too drastic!
Chronos stretched his body, feeling the near-complete metamorphosis of his flesh and blood. A flood of new ideas and techniques surged into his mind, making him grin with delight.
"Of course, I am still me—Orpheus Chronos~"
Chuckling softly as he reintroduced himself, Chronos lightly traced a small cut on the pad of his index finger with his long fingernail.
Instantly, droplets of blood welled up, quickly solidifying into a blood blade the size of a fruit knife.
Then, faint electric currents flickered around the blade, as if enchanting it.
Finally, the soul lifespan from the Soul-Soul Fruit infused into it, causing the blood blade to radiate a distinct glow, as if it had come to life.
A triple combination of Devil Fruit abilities.
How did that saying go again?
"I lack nothing now."
Chronos smiled at Jackie Chan and Jade, but the two turned their heads in confusion, clearly not getting his reference.
"Triple Devil Fruit—Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Vampire Fruit... and what's the third one?"
Moria also snapped back to reality, looking at Chronos as if he were a monster. In awe, he couldn't help but ask.
"Soul-Soul Fruit. It can extract soul lifespan based on an enemy's fear, nourishing the body or creating soul constructs like Homies."
Chronos didn't hide anything, explaining directly. Moria was already a companion he had chosen.
Now that he had the Vampire Fruit and could confirm that Devil Fruit abilities could be combined, he could begin mass-producing Homies.
"The Soul-Soul Fruit, huh?" Moria pondered. While it might not directly enhance combat power, its potential on a larger scale was terrifying.
"You really are a monster."
"Thank you for the compliment."
Moria's sigh of admiration was met with Chronos' cheerful acceptance.
With another snap of his fingers, electric currents shot from Chronos' fingertips, illuminating the entire tomb like floodlights.
Only when the surroundings were fully lit did everyone notice the eerie, cult-like ritual scene.
The most dramatic reaction came from Tohru. The big guy shuddered and, with astonishing speed, immediately hid behind Jackie Chan.
"Oh, heavens! Who destroyed that coffin? It's a cultural relic!"
Jackie Chan was about to say something when he spotted the severely damaged coffin. He immediately rushed forward, his face filled with distress.
Chronos glanced at Jade, his gaze speaking volumes.
Jade shuddered and pointed directly at Angeles. "Anjie did it!"
Angeles stared in disbelief, her eyes filled with the fury of betrayal.
"It was Jade who told me to do it!"
Their once-solid sisterly bond instantly turned into a fragile, plastic friendship.
Jackie Chan didn't press the matter further, instead focusing all his energy on salvaging the cultural relics.
Chronos initially wanted to step forward and help, but he was utterly clueless and had to step back.
Chronos, Moria, and Tohru—three grown men—stood to the side, tilting their heads as they observed for a long while before Jackie Chan finally stopped his work.
"Hah..." Jackie Chan let out a long sigh, his expression quite complicated.
"What's going on?" Chronos asked. "Did something happen here?"
"No, nothing." Jackie Chan shook his head, gathering his thoughts.
"This was originally the tomb of a king—the one who started the war on Torrance Island. He was capable but ambitious and extremely cruel.
Fearing old age and death, the king went to great lengths to find the legendary Vampire Fruit, said to grant eternal youth.
But before he could consume it, the king passed away.
Thus, the Vampire Fruit became a burial offering for the king.
At the same time, the succeeding prince followed the advice of a sorcerer at the time and initiated a blood ritual in an attempt to resurrect the king.
The surrounding skeletons are the sacrifices from that blood ritual. It was also because of this ritual that neighboring kingdoms grew dissatisfied and launched attacks.
Without the old king's leadership, the kingdom quickly fell.
The blood ritual and the tomb's burial offerings were eventually abandoned, leaving only what you see now."
Jackie Chan recounted the story in detail, and Chronos suddenly understood.
After all, the game never directly described how Red Count found the Vampire Fruit.
There were only indirect mentions—that the Vampire Fruit was deeply hidden, with rumors circulating outside, requiring Robin's ancient script deciphering to locate it, and so on.
The story of a tyrannical ruler, burial offerings, and an unfinished tomb—it all made sense now.
Of course, this might only be the origin story of this parallel world; other worlds could be different.
"Did you figure all this out through research?"
Chionos asked. Jackie Chan's archaeological skills were truly impressive.
"Not exactly."
Jackie Chan shook his head honestly, pointing to the inscriptions carved near the altar.
"It's written right there. I just translated it."
Alright then.
Aside from the Vampire Fruit as a burial offering, there was nothing else in the tomb, as it had fallen into ruin before construction was completed.
As for having consumed a burial offering, Chronos took it in stride.
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
"In that case, an uninteresting but rewarding adventure has come to an end. Shall we leave this place and return to the surface?"
Chronos shrugged with a smile. Naturally, no one objected.
Once again teaming up, as Jackie Chan began another round of lecturing Jade, Chronos didn't stop him this time. The group slowly made their way out.
...
At the same time.
"Boss!"
The pen-wielding tanuki Patton happily leaped into Red Count's arms, rubbing against him affectionately, as if reminiscing about something.
Red Count smiled and patted Patton's large head, then gazed thoughtfully in a certain direction.
Taken care of, huh?
What an impressive junior.
.