Chapter 116: The Rumble-Rumble Fruit [Second Update]

"Huff..."

With a single strike, Enel’s body was severed in two, his halves plummeting from the high altitude. Shu Mingyuan sat limply on the ground, gasping for air. That final blow, intended to slay a god, had drained nearly all of his chakra and physical strength. Yet, the power it had unleashed was staggering.

The surrounding area for dozens of miles had been scorched into a wasteland. The battle between the two had nearly obliterated the sacred land of Upper Yard.

Suddenly, invisible ripples seemed to surge through the air, emanating continuously from Enel’s remains.

"Hmm?"

Shu Mingyuan’s senses were incredibly sharp; under the gaze of his Sharingan, nothing could remain hidden. This was a mysterious power, drawn out from Enel’s body and flowing directly toward Shu Mingyuan’s waist.

Although he had been occupied with the battle, he had kept the artificial Devil Fruit with him the entire time. Now, as it absorbed this mysterious energy, wisps of black mist dissipated from the fruit, and it gradually began to revert to its original form.

"Could it be..."

Watching this bizarre scene, Shu Mingyuan was stunned, recalling a phenomenon from the original story. He quickly took the fruit into his hands and stared at it intently.

Just as he had suspected, as the fruit returned to its true state, those wisps of mysterious energy poured entirely into its core. The artificial fruit suddenly crackled with electric arcs, and spiral patterns began to appear on its surface. Finally, the entire fruit was wreathed in a mass of lightning!

"This... is this the Rumble-Rumble Fruit?"

Shu Mingyuan was struck with astonishment. A Devil Fruit was manifesting right before his eyes—such a thing was inconceivable. The power of the Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit had purged the abilities of the artificial fruit, claimed its vessel, and in doing so, given birth to the true Rumble-Rumble Fruit.

"Is this even possible?"

The only explanation Shu Mingyuan could fathom was the concept of "Rules"—a manifestation of the world’s will. It was as if an invisible hand were manipulating everything from the shadows. Anything involving the power of these rules was profoundly mysterious.

Although the fruit looked peculiar, it radiated the destructive power characteristic of the world’s most potent lightning. The crackling thunder made Shu Mingyuan’s skin tingle.

The Rumble-Rumble Fruit was hailed as one of the most invincible Devil Fruits. It not only allowed for elemental transformation but also generated massive amounts of high-voltage electricity. The temptation for Shu Mingyuan was immense.

He stared at the fruit with burning eyes. Should he eat it or not? If he consumed it, his power would undoubtedly increase by a massive margin. But his fatal flaw would become just as obvious: a vulnerability to seawater and Seastone. In a world defined by the vast ocean, both were often lethal.

Wyper had initially used Seastone to land a Reject Dial hit on Enel, exploiting that very weakness. If his strength had been just a little higher, Enel’s life might have ended right then and there.

After much deliberation, Shu Mingyuan gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut, suppressing the burning desire in his heart.

His goal was to be invincible—flaws were unacceptable. Shu Mingyuan would not leave any opportunity for his enemies to exploit; he intended to reach the pinnacle of this world. Having the system was enough. If the Rumble-Rumble Fruit were truly invincible, why had he been able to strike it down with a single sword slash?

Furthermore, in the New World that awaited him, those who mastered Haki were as numerous as carp crossing a river. The strength of Logia users was infinitely diminished. He could only rely on himself. With his infinite Ninjutsu system, he could achieve what others deemed impossible—what they called miracles.

Shu Mingyuan carefully tucked the Rumble-Rumble Fruit away. Not eating it himself did not mean the fruit was weak; in fact, wherever it appeared, the user of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit could be called invincible.

He could not simply give it away now. If he were to give it to anyone, it would have to be a trusted companion. Otherwise, if someone with poor character obtained it, they would likely just become the next Enel.

He was highly satisfied with this trip to the Sky Island. Not only had he mastered the essence of Lightning Release, but he had also chanced upon a heaven-defying fruit. It was entirely beyond his expectations.

He turned his focus to the system. At the moment he had killed Enel, he had vaguely heard a notification sound, but his attention had been diverted by the transformation of the fruit. Now that he had suppressed his inner turmoil, he remembered it.

So far, every time the system had provided an active notification, it had brought him unexpected benefits. He was certainly more concerned with the system than the fruit.

After a brief pause, a look of wild joy appeared on his face. Within the system interface, his attributes had undergone a earth-shattering change.

Name: Monkey D. Shu Mingyuan
Rank: Genin
Chakra: (500,000/50,000) - Promotion requirements met
Tailed Beast Chakra: Infinite
Justice Points: 193,447

Ninjutsu Acquired: S-Rank Forbidden Technique Lightning Release: Kirin, Lightning Release: Chidori, Lightning Release: Chidori Current, Lightning Release: Thousand Sharp Spears, Clone Technique, Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, Super (Partial) Expansion Jutsu, Super Beast Imitating Drawing, Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.

Taijutsu Acquired: Leaf Shadow Dance, Lion Combo.

Tailed Beast: One-Tail Shukaku.

Ninjutsu Rating: 2,000
Taijutsu Rating: 1,872

His Justice Points were approaching 200,000 again, and he had gained a new technique: Lightning Release: Kirin. This powerful S-Rank forbidden technique had been self-realized, pushing his Ninjutsu rating past the 2,000 mark.

Having grasped the essence of Lightning Release, his other techniques would now be at least fifty percent more powerful. But that was not what made him happiest. What truly delighted him was the notification that his long-stagnant ninja rank was finally ready to be promoted.

Since entering Impel Down, he had long satisfied the basic chakra requirements, yet until now, he had received no prompt for advancement.

He had been baffled by those requirements, once thinking the system was just playing games. He had lost interest in it—if he could trade for infinite ninjutsu with Justice Points, what did it matter if he remained the "strongest Genin" like Naruto or Sasuke?

But today, the system slapped him with the truth: anything the system produced served a purpose.

"Could the hidden condition be defeating a powerful opponent?" he mused. According to what Oda had written, even if Enel arrived in the Blue Sea, he would have a bounty of at least 500 million. It stood to reason that defeating him had triggered the system’s promotion criteria.

"So, becoming a Chunin requires killing an enemy worth at least 500 million?"

Shu Mingyuan looked at the semi-transparent interface, where the golden characters "Upgrade?" pulsed rhythmically.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he tapped "Confirm."