MTS: Marvel and Beyond

Chapter 131: Devil Fruit Runes

Retracting the enhancements he'd given to Usopp, Alex didn't open a portal to Fish-Man Island immediately. Besides admiring the deep-sea scenery, he also wanted to use this time to study the supernovas' Devil Fruits.

Seeing the tense faces of the supernovas, Alex gave a reassuring smile.

"No need to worry. It'll only hurt for a moment."

His words, however, did little to ease their nerves. If anything, the supernovas seemed more on guard, which made Alex sigh. Mental state plays a big role in experimental success, and he couldn't have his "little lab rats" constantly in a state of tension.

So, he used the Unlimited Void technique, forcing the supernovas to calm down. With a shiver, they all entered a tranquil, detached state.

Alex first approached Urouge. This big guy had been the first supernova to attack him, so Alex would start the experiment with him.

Seeing Alex walk over, Urouge tried to put on an ingratiating smile.

"Lord Alex, spare me! I'll gladly serve you!"

Alex smiled back. "Here's a task for you then. Describe every sensation in detail as I proceed. Do well, and I may let you go—even offer you the same treatment as the Straw Hats."

Urouge's eyes lit up. "Rest assured, Lord Alex! I'll report every feeling in full detail!"

And so, Alex began experimenting with Urouge. First, he examined his body structure, noting that people in this world were built tougher and more resilient, much like the Asgardians, with greater strength and endurance.

Then, using the level-5 RCT, he separated Urouge's Devil Fruit power. To the shock of the supernovas, Urouge was turned into a regular human, no longer vulnerable to seawater.

Studying the Karma-Karma Fruit he'd extracted, Alex found that the fruit modified the user's DNA, giving them a unique structure that connected them to the world, allowing them to wield seemingly supernatural powers.

This discovery sparked an idea. He rearranged Urouge's genes into a unique configuration and granted him partial access to his Pocket Universe's power. Then he asked, "How are you feeling now?"

Flexing his limbs, Urouge realized he had gained a new power: a nearly indestructible spatial slash. The power thrilled him, and a dangerous thought surfaced. He quickly formed his hand into a blade and swung it at Alex, launching an invisible slash his way, only for it to stop abruptly against Alex's Infinity.

Realizing his attack had no effect, Urouge forced an awkward smile. "Lord Alex, would you believe me if I said my hand slipped?"

Alex nodded with a smile, "Sure..." and in an instant, Urouge was reduced to a blood mist by countless spatial slashes.

With Urouge taken care of, Alex moved on with his experiments. He forced Basil Hawkins to consume the Karma-Karma Fruit. The moment he did, Hawkins' body expanded like a balloon before bursting, but the brief moment was enough for Alex to identify why a person couldn't consume two Devil Fruits.

When two Devil Fruits are consumed, the conflicting DNA structures disrupt each other, causing energy clashes that lead to the user's body exploding. Alex noted that this was ultimately an issue of energy management—something he could resolve with more research.

Next, Capone Bege tried to negotiate, only to be smacked into a pile of paste, as his Castle-Castle Fruit's strong defenses couldn't protect him for even a second.

As if a prisoner could negotiate terms!

X Drake and Scratchmen Apoo tried pledging loyalty, but Alex ignored them. Both exploded during his multi-fruit fusion experiment, leaving no trace.

Eustass Kid and Killer, meanwhile, resisted with pride, attacking Alex despite their captivity. Seeing no need for two more test subjects, Alex obliged their suicidal bravery, separating Kid's power and sending both to their deaths.

At last, only Jewelry Bonney and Trafalgar Law remained. Having witnessed the brutal fates of the others, they complied with Alex's experiments. Luckily for them, they survived.

Law felt his body, surprised to find he now possessed not only the powers of the Op-Op Fruit but also the abilities of the Karma-Karma Fruit and Castle-Castle Fruit. Meanwhile, Bonney discovered she now had the powers of the Op-Op Fruit.

Both stared at Alex, who was busy drawing mysterious square-shaped runes in the air, speechless.

They had just watched him go from having no knowledge of Devil Fruits to giving someone multiple powers and even copying abilities, all within the span of an hour.

Who was this person, really?

Seeing the fate of the others, they kept any rebellious thoughts to themselves, quietly waiting for Alex's next decision.

After completing his Devil Fruit experiments, Alex was in high spirits. Inspired by the unique energy structure of Devil Fruits, he improved the rules of his Pocket Universe, crafting a set of runes, each embodying a Devil Fruit's power, to reinforce the universe's energy fusion barrier and elevate its potency.

Alex was pleased with his results; he could now use these runes to replicate Devil Fruit powers himself or embed them in other beings, granting them powers. Runes proved to be an even more refined structure than DNA.

After leaving Bonney and Law in the Pocket Universe for future testing, Alex returned to the Thousand Sunny.

As he exited the Pocket Universe, the sunlight seemed dimmer without the Eternal Flame's glow.

However, in the murky depths of the ocean, a vast, glowing plant drifted from above, emitting a faint light.

Alex recognized this remarkable plant—the Sunlight Tree Eve. It absorbed nutrients from the seawater, growing for millennia with roots stretching thousands of meters into the ocean, carrying sunlight and oxygen to the depths. A true marvel, it rivaled the legendary Treasure Tree Adam.

Admiring its soft glow, Alex nodded to himself, "Beautiful. I'll take it."

When the time came to leave this world, he planned to bring the Sunlight Tree Eve along.

Without undergoing two years of training, the Straw Hats hadn't encountered Caribou and his Swamp-Swamp Fruit, but they did run into the Kraken.

As the loud roars from below grew deafening, Franky turned on the ship's large spotlight, and Chopper ran to Alex in a panic, shouting, "Alex! Up ahead...there's a giant sea monster!"

Without the experience from two years of training, the Straw Hats were no match for the Kraken, so they turned their hopeful eyes to Alex. If he couldn't handle it, they would be doomed.

Seeing the Kraken waving its tentacles at the Thousand Sunny, Alex furrowed his brow.

The Straw Hats' anxiety spiked, and Usopp clutched his head in despair, groaning, "Alex, you're not out of ideas too, are you?"

Chopper collapsed, clinging to Alex's leg. "No, no! I don't want to die! Waaaah..."

The other Straw Hats stared at Alex, worried that even his abilities might be useless against the Kraken.

Noticing their concern, Alex smiled and reassured them. "I was just thinking that this octopus isn't very pretty. But it's rare, so I was deciding if I should make it my pet."

The crew collapsed in relief, realizing they had worried for nothing. Now confident Alex could handle the Kraken, they relaxed, grabbed some tea, and prepared to watch Alex tame the beast.

But Alex surprised them by not taking action himself. Instead, he opened a portal and pulled Jewelry Bonney out.

The moment she regained her senses, Bonney found herself on a ship and heard the devilish voice whispering in her ear.

"Kill that octopus."

Bonney let out a breath, relieved it was only an octopus. As long as she wasn't the one at risk, she was fine with it.

Then she turned to look at the Kraken, and her whole body froze as her legs shook uncontrollably.

This was no ordinary octopus—this was a sea monster!

If they were on land, she might have a chance, but out here, in the ocean, her abilities were severely weakened, and there was no way she could fight the Kraken!

Turning back, she gave Alex a pleading look, which made Sanji's heart ache; he wanted to kick Alex into the ocean for putting her in danger.

But that was only a fantasy; he didn't dare actually try it.

Unmoved by Bonney's plea, Alex barely glanced at her. Such tactics, which could easily sway Sanji, had no effect on him.

A joke, really—he had far too many beauties in his Pocket Universe to be charmed by her. Where would she even rank?

After using the RCT to enhance Jewelry Bonney, optimizing her body and eliminating the fruit's seawater vulnerability, Alex imprinted her with Devil Fruit runes he'd mastered.

With everything set, Alex gave her a swift kick, sending Bonney into the water. "You're enhanced now. Go take care of it, and don't bother coming back if you lose."

Initially, Bonney was frightened to be thrown into the ocean. But to her surprise, other than the inability to breathe underwater, her powers weren't weakened at all. Based on the information flowing into her mind, she realized she now wielded several Devil Fruit abilities—including the Ice-Ice and Glint-Glint fruits!

Brimming with confidence, Bonney spoke to the Kraken charging her from below, "Ever been kicked at light speed?"

A flash of laser light, and the surrounding ocean was instantly clouded with the Kraken's blood.

Soon after, everyone gathered on the deck of the Thousand Sunny, cooking skewers over an open fire. Kraken meat, as it turned out, was incredibly tender and flavorful, perfect for grilling. Realistically, no one except perhaps Alex, and possibly an admiral or a Yonko, could safely capture the Kraken without significant risk.

The ship was now descending through the upper ocean currents, moving steadily toward the deep sea. Chewing on grilled Kraken, Nami glanced over at Bonney, now serving the group, and curiously asked Alex, "How did you give her the Glint-Glint Fruit's power?"

What had seemed simple to Alex was incomprehensible to the Straw Hats. Hearing Nami's question, the whole crew turned to Alex, waiting for his answer—even Bonney, who had been upgraded to maid status, leaned in to listen.

Alex smiled and answered, "I've figured out how Devil Fruits work. By observing the abilities of Aokiji and Kizaru, I can now easily recreate fruits with similar abilities.

"Of course, if any of you decided to join me, this would just be a basic perk."

Apart from the ever-oblivious Luffy and Chopper, the others swallowed hard. They suddenly had second thoughts about their adventurous path.

Why bother taking risks when they could just... take it easy?

During the rest of their journey, they encountered various challenges, though Bonney now handled most of them without Alex having to lift a finger.

At about eight thousand meters down, they came across a species of poisonous jellyfish, their beauty contrasting sharply with their deadly toxins. Fascinated, Alex decided to capture them, bringing the jellyfish and a section of seawater into his Pocket Universe to form part of its ecosystem.

Finally, after Bonney used her Ice-Ice powers to freeze a large volcanic section on the seabed, the crew arrived at Fish-Man Island.

Massive roots of the Sunlight Tree Eve enveloped large bubbles, channeling sunlight and oxygen from the surface to the depths, creating a vibrant and thriving underwater realm.

As they prepared to enter, enormous sea beasts surrounded them, including gorillas, giraffes, and lions, each several times larger than the Thousand Sunny. Despite the intimidating sight, the Straw Hats were unfazed, having already experienced far more dangerous encounters with Alex.

Not too long ago, they had crossed through a Sea King habitat, where Alex had attempted to capture every creature as a pet. Some of these Sea Kings were so powerful that even an enhanced Bonney had struggled, but Alex had easily subdued them. Some were now part of his Pocket Universe ecosystem, while others were, well... dinner.

The Straw Hats had concluded that as long as Alex intervened, no challenge would remain for long.

From atop the sea beasts, a few figures looked down at the Straw Hats and Alex.

"You must be the Straw Hats—and the infamous Alex, the world's worst criminal, right?"

Luffy jumped in, "How do you know us?"

A green-skinned Fish-Man replied, "Of course we know you. You're the pirates who crushed Arlong's ambitions. But that's not all; just two days ago, one of your crew killed two Celestial Dragons and even captured a female one.

"Such a feat rivals that of our Fish-Man hero, Fisher Tiger. But a victory like that can't just go to any other race. So, make your choice: join us and hand over that female Celestial Dragon, or die here under the sea!"

In the original storyline, Nami had suggested emptying the air reserves in the coating bubble to escape. But now, instead of panicking, she and the Straw Hats simply looked at the Fish-Men with a mix of pity and dread.

Poor Fish-Men. They'd offended Alex—there was no way they'd survive this.

As if on cue, Alex gave Bonney another firm kick. "Go get 'em, Bonney Beast!"

Bonney rubbed her sore backside, which had grown tender from repeated kicks. Tears welled in her eyes as she realized that fighting back against Alex was hopeless, so she turned her anger toward the New Fish-Man Pirates.

Composing herself, Bonney flashed a smile at Alex and asked, "Dear Lord Alex, how should I handle them?"

Alex glanced at the Fish-Men with a look of disgust. "Too ugly. Just grind them into paste."

"Understood!"

Seeing Jewelry Bonney kicked out of the coating bubble by Alex, the New Fish-Man Pirates were momentarily surprised she wasn't crushed by the deep-sea pressure. Still, they didn't take her seriously.

Humans were naturally weaker than Fish-Men, especially in the ocean's depths. Here, even a Marine Admiral would be challenged, let alone a woman of little renown.

They ignored Bonney and taunted Alex, "What do you mean? You think you can beat us with just this woman?"

"Haha, you're dreaming! You must be insane!"

"Stop resisting and just sink to the bottom of the sea! Death is the only end you deserve!"

With Alex backing them up, Chopper and Usopp couldn't hold back and began to exchange insults with the New Fish-Man Pirates. Against the legendary "God Usopp," the Fish-Men found themselves overwhelmed in a verbal battle, angered and humiliated beyond words.

"Damn it, we're going to rip you to pieces!"

"You're all going to die here today!"

As the insults flew back and forth, Alex, growing weary of their antics, spoke impatiently to Bonney, "Enough time-wasting—finish them off!"

The New Fish-Man Pirates sneered. The yellow-skinned Fish-Man named Hammond jeered, "Hah! Just some land-dwellers. In the sea, you're nothing! Brothers, attack! Kill them all!"

Dozens of massive sea beasts and Fish-Men surged toward Bonney, eager to tear her apart before moving on to Alex and the Straw Hats.

As they closed in on her, they suddenly felt the water around them grow cold. Before they could react, the water froze solid around them. The source? None other than Bonney, the woman Alex had kicked out of the bubble.

They watched in shock as she unleashed the power of a Devil Fruit.

"Impossible! How can you use a Devil Fruit underwater?" The Fish-Men froze in horror.

One Fish-Man behind Hammond stammered, "Hammond, that looks like the power of the Ice-Ice Fruit... but isn't that Admiral Aokiji's power?"

Realizing Bonney's half-frozen form, Hammond's eyes widened in disbelief. Was Aokiji dead? But the last they'd heard, he was only injured, not dead.

Seeing his comrades' morale wane, Hammond gritted his teeth and yelled, "Charge! Even if she has some way to use a Devil Fruit in the sea, her power must be weakened. She's no match for us!"

Motivated by Hammond's words, the Fish-Men and sea beasts charged again. But Bonney merely looked at them with disdain, her gaze cold.

"Ice Age."

*Crack! Crack!*

The frigid power froze the surrounding sea instantly, creating a mountain of ice hundreds of meters tall beside Fish-Man Island. The New Fish-Man Pirates were frozen solid, their lives extinguished in an instant.

Behind her, the Straw Hats stared, swallowing hard. Even though they had seen Bonney in action several times, each display of her power left them in awe. And each time, it reminded them how someone who was once weaker than them had been transformed by Alex into a powerful fighter, far exceeding their strength. It made them all the more eager to join him and gain such power for themselves.

°°°

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