Eight-Headed Dragon

The effects of Impure World Reincarnation had not met Yota’s expectations, leaving him somewhat disappointed.

"Other than Impure World Reincarnation, perhaps only the Rinne Rebirth Technique can truly threaten the World Government."

"But… Rinne Rebirth requires one life for another. And according to the research, having immense Chakra or powerful vitality doesn’t let you avoid that price. It seems more like a rule: one life for one life."

"Whether the Revive-Revive Fruit can bring someone back after such a life-for-life ninjutsu is a major question."

"And the Revive-Revive Fruit requires the soul to return to the body… Who knows whether some other accident might happen then?"

"Forget it. No matter what, Impure World Reincarnation is only external power. What matters most is my own strength."

After awakening the Munch-Munch Fruit and the Dark-Dark Fruit, Yota’s strength had improved somewhat. Unfortunately, neither Devil Fruit possessed particularly overwhelming offensive power. Otherwise, he would have dared to challenge Imu to another one-on-one fight already.

"But for me, the real enhancement should come from fusing Devil Fruits."

Looking at the Eight-Headed Serpent Fruit and the Azure Dragon Fruit in his hands, Yota smiled.

Dragons were great serpents, and serpents were lesser dragons. The two had always been inseparably linked. Not to mention that a mythical creature like Serpent itself had an inextricable connection with dragons. There was definitely a basis for fusion between them.

"Two top-tier Mythical Zoans. And the Azure Dragon Fruit itself carries elements such as clouds, flames, lightning, and violent winds. In the future, it can fuse with even more Devil Fruits."

"The Eight-Headed Serpent Fruit can fuse with poison-type Devil Fruits. Besides that, Devil Fruits with dragon, fish, or snake attributes can all be incorporated as well."

"If I can fuse a few more Devil Fruits, then it won’t matter whether it’s the World Government or the Celestial Dragons. I’ll beat them all flat!"

As he thought, black mist swept out and fused the Azure Dragon Fruit covered in blue dragon scales with the Eight-Headed Serpent Fruit bearing eight forked leaves.

The blue dragon scales turned half-black and half-red, while a pair of tiny horns grew from each of the eight forked leaves. This was the fused Devil Fruit.

Yota replaced the Soul-Soul Fruit he had been using and bit into the new Azure Dragon Fruit. Instantly, he felt surging power roiling through his body.

Zoan-type Devil Fruits produced the most immediate effects after being eaten. Even in a human’s ordinary form without activating their Devil Fruit abilities, the fruit’s power would gradually improve the user’s physical qualities.

But Yota had never experienced anything like this before, where he could practically feel terrifying power churning within him. Even when he had first eaten the Azure Dragon Fruit and the Eight-Headed Serpent Fruit, the increase in power had been subtle and silent.

Only when Yota had first modified his body using Ace’s physical structure, or when he had fused with Hashirama Cells, had he experienced such a clear sensation of growing stronger.

"Roar!" With a long howl, Yota’s body slowly stretched out. In the end, he transformed into an Eight-Headed Dragon God with eight heads and eight tails, draped in dragon scales, its horns fierce and majestic, its scales dark in color.

Countless Flame Clouds drifted around him. In moments, the entire dragon soared into the sky.

"Wow, what a huge dragon! Why does it have so many heads?"

Ryuma the Dragon-Slaying Swordsman, who happened to have nothing to do at the moment, looked up at the sky with a stunned expression.

Charlotte Pudding, Violet, and the others, however, immediately recognized the many traces left behind by the Azure Dragon Fruit in the Eight-Headed Dragon before them.

"Lord Yota, did you fuse another Devil Fruit? It looks so much stronger than the Azure Dragon Fruit."

"You must have fused another Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit! That kind of presence…"

Watching the enormous dragon flying through the sky, spewing flames, lightning, and violent winds from its mouths, Ryuma clicked his tongue. "If I’d encountered this kind of dragon back then, I’d probably have been dead long ago! Yota’s Devil Fruit is so powerful!"

After testing his power for a while, Yota turned back into human form and landed once more aboard the Ghost Ship.

Just then, Ryuma, who had been idly honing his swordsmanship ever since his Impure World Reincarnation, came over.

"Captain Yota, I heard you can fuse Devil Fruits… Was that thing just now made by fusing the Eight-Headed Serpent Fruit?"

Yota froze for a moment, then nodded. "I didn’t expect you to know about the Eight-Headed Serpent Fruit… Come to think of it, I obtained this Devil Fruit in Wano Country as well. Could this Devil Fruit have some connection to Wano Country? Right, this Devil Fruit seems never to have appeared anywhere else."

Yota had heard before that some Devil Fruits tended to circulate within a certain country, almost never making their way outside.

This was especially common with Zoan-type fruits. It was said to be due to the spiritual nature of the Devil Fruits themselves.

The Miniature Kingdom often had insect-type fruits, while the Desert Kingdom frequently produced fruits like jackals and falcons. Those Devil Fruits seemed to have set their sights on those countries, rarely appearing elsewhere.

A Devil Fruit with traits as distinctive as the Eight-Headed Serpent Fruit had basically never appeared outside Wano Country. The Okuchi no Makami Fruit was the same; both were specialties of Wano Country.

A trace of nostalgia appeared in Ryuma’s eyes. "Yeah! I encountered a user of that Devil Fruit before. I cut off his head at the time, but he could still revive. It scared the hell out of me."

"But come to think of it, Captain Yota, you’re even more amazing… You can pull back people who are already dead."

A flash of inspiration suddenly crossed Yota’s mind, and he hurriedly asked, "What did you just say?"

Ryuma blinked. "I said, Captain Yota, you’re amazing. You can revive even the dead!"

"No, earlier than that."

"Uh, that Eight-Headed Serpent Fruit user could revive even after his head was cut off?"

"That’s right, that’s it." A smile suddenly appeared on Yota’s face. "If he could revive even after his head was cut off, then if Impure World Reincarnation is released, couldn’t he revive then too?"

"Captain Yota, you mean…?"

Without another word, Yota activated the Munch-Munch Fruit’s ability to split apart the Eight-Headed Dragon Fruit, taking out the Eight-Headed Serpent Fruit again.

"Here, hurry up and eat it!"

"Uh… Isn’t something this precious a little…"

Yota rolled his eyes. "I’m lending it to you, not giving it to you outright."

"Oh…" Hearing that, Ryuma somewhat sheepishly bit into the Eight-Headed Serpent Fruit.