One Piece: The Avengers

The next day.

"Shanks, can you finally tell me what kind of fruit this is?" Shanter's impression of the red-haired man had greatly improved due to Shanks' friendliness and hospitality.

"Devil Fruits grow at the bottom of the Grand Line, produced by the Demon Tree. Their powers are diverse but generally divided into three categories: Logia, Paramecia, and Zoan. Furthermore, no two identical abilities exist simultaneously. A new fruit only emerges when the previous user dies…" Shanks rambled on.

"Stop! We all know that already." Shanter interrupted Shanks' endless chatter. "Get to the point."

"Then, have you ever heard of anyone seeing the Demon Tree?" Shanks asked.

Both Shanter and Robin shook their heads.

"Exactly. No one has ever seen the Demon Tree." Shanks paused briefly. "But it's said that, aside from the ordinary fruits, there are some special ones growing on it. Of course, in truth, no Devil Fruit is ordinary!" Shanks grinned widely.

Shanter and Robin were speechless at Shanks' intermittent eccentricities.

"For such a skilled individual to be so unreliable…" Shanter thought to himself. "His strength is nearly on par with Kuzan's—perhaps only slightly inferior. As a fellow Haki user, I can sense Shanks' immense power. If I had to describe it in four words, it would be 'unfathomable and immense.'"

(At this point in the story, Shanks hadn't yet reached his Four Emperors level of power. Both his and Aokiji's strengths were still developing.)

"These special fruits grow in unusual spots on the Demon Tree. For example, in the Logia category, there's the dual-ability Yami Yami no Mi and the Hai Hai no Mi, which cannot elementalize. In the Zoan category, there are mythical and ancient species like the Phoenix Fruit, Tyrannosaurus Fruit, and Buddha Fruit. As for the Paramecia category, there are fruits like the Yomi Yomi no Mi, which grants resurrection, and the Copy-Copy Fruit, which mimics other abilities." Shanks finally got to the crux of the matter. "The fruit you ate, if I'm not mistaken, should be the Paramecia-type War God Fruit!"

"The War God Fruit?"

"Yes, the War God Fruit!" Shanks continued. "It's the only fruit among all Devil Fruits that doesn't directly grant abilities and the only one unaffected by Haki nullification. The sole function of the War God Fruit is to enhance the body."

"The War God Fruit enhances strength, speed, reflexes, coordination, endurance, and especially regeneration," Shanks gesticulated animatedly, once again losing focus. "Seeing how you've gained no special abilities but are still recovering physically, I suspected it was the War God Fruit. And to think I'd witness such a miraculous fruit firsthand!"

"Wait," Shanter interrupted. "So you're saying this Devil Fruit, aside from having a cool name, is pretty much useless?"

"Uh—" Shanks was briefly at a loss for words. "Don't you know? There are no useless fruits, only useless users!"

"Of course I know that," Shanter chuckled. "But other than healing my back, this fruit doesn't seem to have any other functions. I can strengthen my body through training anyway."

"That's not how it works," Shanks retorted, visibly frustrated by Shanter's remark. "The body can strengthen itself, but it has limits! With this fruit, breaking through those limits becomes far easier."

"Besides, as a Haki user, you should know that Haki can nullify Devil Fruit abilities," Shanks added. "When you face a truly top-tier opponent, you'll understand the true value of this fruit."

"Thank you for explaining so much. Honestly, even without abilities, I wouldn't mind. As long as it heals my injuries, it's enough." Shanter smiled again, though his expression twisted slightly due to the lingering pain in his back. "Come to think of it, this fruit really does suit me!"

"Haha!" Shanks burst out laughing suddenly, causing his straw hat to shift slightly. "Do whatever you want! A remarkable kid like you is bound to discover the true potential of this fruit someday!"

---

Shanter and Robin had been aboard Shanks' pirate ship for a week. Thanks to the War God Fruit's powerful regenerative abilities, Shanter's broken spine had fully healed. During this time, his conversations with Shanks had erased all animosity and distrust. Even Shanter's perspective on pirates had softened considerably.

For the entire week, Shanter had lain on the ship, receiving Robin's meticulous care. Instead of feeling pitiful, he found it rather enjoyable.

Imagine being tended to by a stunningly beautiful young woman. Though Robin was still a young girl, her future elegance and charm were already apparent, enhanced by an added touch of innocence.

"Brother, are you sure you're okay now?" Robin asked as she helped Shanter out of bed.

"Yes, I should be fine." Shanter, who hadn't moved for half a month due to his injuries, swayed slightly as he tried to stand. "Just give me a moment!"

"Alright, let go now!" Shanter finally steadied himself.

"Brother, are you really all better?" Robin asked, rubbing her hands together.

"Yes, I'm completely fine." Shanter stretched and cracked his joints.

Smack! Robin slapped Shanter across the face. Though she couldn't bring herself to hit him as hard as she'd initially intended, her palm still left a noticeable mark.

"Wh-what was that for?" Shanter was stunned by the sudden slap.

"What was that for?!" Robin snapped, her previous gentleness gone. "Before you went to seek revenge, what did you promise me? Tell me!"

"Didn't you say you'd act within your limits?!" Robin demanded when Shanter remained silent. "Why didn't you follow your own words? Why?!"

As she spoke, Robin suddenly began to cry, her pent-up worry and pain pouring out. "Did you want to leave me all alone again? Do you know how worried I was about you?"

"Brother, I don't want to be all alone anymore. On this vast sea, you're the only family I have left. I don't want to lose you!" Robin hugged Shanter tightly, burying her head in his chest and sobbing softly. "Please, never, ever leave me again."

"Sorry for making you worry. I promise I'll never do anything like that again." Shanter wanted to kiss Robin but ultimately held back, simply wrapping her in his arms instead.

Neither of them spoke further, nor was there any need to. They simply basked in the warmth of the moment.

---

Enjoying the story? Want to read ahead?

Get early access to 70+ Chapters and faster updates by

joining the Pirate King Membership tier for just $5! You can choose to support me on :

Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/KZ478

Your support helps keep this story alive, and I deeply appreciate every contribution

Thank you for reading and supporting my work.