Chapter 28: The Winter Island's King and the Sakura's Promise
[SYSTEM MISSION: DEFEAT WAAPOL. RECOMMENDED ACTION: ENGINEER DEATH. ACQUISITION: BASIC METALLURGY / DIGESTIVE ADAPTATION (MINOR). SECONDARY GOAL: SECURE DRUM ISLAND.]
"Wapol. The Munch-Munch Fruit user. This is a chance for a very unique material-based skill. 'Basic Metallurgy' would be incredibly useful for understanding metals and their properties, or 'Digestive Adaptation' for resisting internal attacks. I need to get eaten by Wapol, experiencing his unique digestive process. This is about understanding material consumption and internal biological processes. Time to become a very temporary snack, and then come back with a new appreciation for digestion, and perhaps a knack for eating anything."
With Chopper now a part of the Straw Hat crew, their attention turned to the tyrannical former king of Drum Island, Wapol, who had returned with his forces to reclaim his kingdom. Wapol possessed the Baku Baku no Mi (Munch-Munch Fruit), allowing him to eat anything and incorporate its properties into his body, or even transform into a Wapol House.
Luffy, enraged by Wapol's cruelty and his mistreatment of Chopper and the islanders, immediately confronted him. The battle for Drum Island's future began.
My compass, which had been pointing towards Alabasta, now pulsed with a distinct, almost metallic energy, reacting to Wapol's unique Devil Fruit power. A new system prompt, emphasizing material absorption and internal biological processes, appeared in my mind.
[SYSTEM MISSION: DEFEAT WAAPOL. RECOMMENDED ACTION: ENGINEER DEATH. ACQUISITION: BASIC METALLURGY / DIGESTIVE ADAPTATION (MINOR). SECONDARY GOAL: SECURE DRUM ISLAND.]
"Wapol. The Munch-Munch Fruit user. This is a prime opportunity for a material-based skill. 'Basic Metallurgy' would be incredibly useful for understanding metals and their properties, and even creating them. Or 'Digestive Adaptation' for resisting internal attacks and corrosive environments. I need to get eaten by Wapol, experiencing his unique digestive process, his internal mechanics. This is about understanding material consumption and internal biological processes. Time to become a very temporary snack, and then come back with a new appreciation for digestion, and perhaps a knack for eating anything."
"Wapol, you overgrown vacuum cleaner!" I taunted, jumping into the fray. "Still eating everything in sight? Don't you know that's bad for your figure? And your kingdom?"
Wapol, enraged by my insult, opened his massive, toothy maw, which was now reinforced with various metals he had consumed. "You insolent human! I'll eat you and spit out your bones! Baku Baku Factory!" He lunged, attempting to swallow me whole.
"This is it. The internal death. The death by consumption and digestion. I need to let him swallow me, to experience the full process of his Devil Fruit. My Gum-Gum body will stretch, but his internal acids and crushing teeth will be overwhelming. This is a death by complete internal biological breakdown and material absorption."
I didn't resist. Wapol's massive mouth engulfed me, pulling me into the dark, cavernous interior of his body. I felt the crushing force of his metallic teeth, the searing burn of his digestive acids, and the relentless pressure of his internal organs attempting to break me down. My Gum-Gum body stretched and contorted, but the combined forces of his unique digestive system were too much. My body was rapidly dissolved, broken down into its base components, utterly consumed and assimilated by Wapol's power. My consciousness was extinguished in a flash of burning, agonizing dissolution, utterly annihilated by the internal processes of the Munch-Munch Fruit.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: DEATH RECORDED. KILLER: WAAPOL (MUNCH-MUNCH FRUIT/DIGESTION). ABILITY ACQUIRED: BASIC METALLURGY. REVIVAL INITIATING. PLEASE WAIT.]
"Basic Metallurgy! Excellent! This is going to be incredibly useful! I can feel it – an intuitive understanding of metals, their properties, how to forge them, even how to identify them. This is a versatile tool for crafting, repair, and even understanding metallic constructs. Wapol just gave me his secret! Time to pop back up and show him how a real metallurgist works."
I gasped, sitting upright, perfectly whole and free, emerging from Wapol's mouth, covered in a strange, metallic residue that quickly evaporated. My body felt no pain, but my hands instinctively twitched, feeling a phantom sensation of manipulating metals. I looked at Wapol, who was still trying to digest me, his eyes wide with utter shock.
"My dear Wapol," I said, standing up and stretching, a wide, triumphant grin on my face. "That was a truly… digestible experience! I give it a 7 out of 10 for internal discomfort! But you clearly underestimated my… resistance to being a permanent meal. And now, thanks to your generous lesson, I'm also a little bit better at… understanding metals." I then held out my hand, and a small, perfectly formed, shimmering metallic sphere appeared in my palm, then dissolved into dust.
Wapol shrieked, scrambling back, his face turning pale. "You… you're alive?! And you can use my power?! Impossible! You're a demon! A true monster!"
"Just a very quick study, my metallic friend," I chuckled, then launched myself at him, using my new ability. I wasn't as proficient as him yet, but I could instinctively identify the metals he had absorbed, and even subtly disrupt his metallic forms by understanding their weaknesses. My Pressure Point Knowledge combined with my new Metallurgy abilities made me a surprisingly effective counter.
Luffy, who had been struggling against Wapol's various forms, stared in stunned disbelief as I battled Wapol, using his own power against him.
"Adam! You're amazing!" Luffy cheered, renewed.
"He's terrifying!" Chopper retorted, equally impressed and horrified.
With my new ability, I was able to disrupt Wapol's metallic transformations and create openings, eventually allowing Luffy to deliver the final blow, sending Wapol flying. Drum Island was free, and I had gained a uniquely versatile and practical power.