One Piece : Rise Of The Merchant Clan

"Hey brat, you better finish all this by tomorrow. Or else, Il trow you in the the pig pen, got it." A big ball of a man said.

"Of course sir. Il get on it right away. Oh and here are the books and doc.u.ments on the subjects that you ask for." Zen said with an exaggerated enthusiastic smile.

The man took a half step back, before he stop with a look of pure disgust mix with a little wariness, right before his face morph in distaste. He held his head up high and gave a sneer. "Good, I see that you have begun to accept your place among us. Be sure to pray too are benevolent mighty lord, for showing you the path." He then turn around with a confident swagger. Unfortunately for him, it look more like an odd ball badly swaying away from side to side.

Zen keep his smile fix on his face, he didn't let the man walk set off his urge to laught. He was already on thin ice as it we're, discreetly looked around making sure he was alone. He finally relax a little, but still remained alert. Moment later he finally let out a sigh, he then drop his happy maniac face mask. "It just had to be a bunch of f.u.c.k.i.n.g occultist, to have the info I need." He looked around at the underground huge library, the place was huge,a real maze of books and scrolls containing enough info to almost rival Ororah.

Back a few months after he manage to find a small fishing boat, he learn some frustrating news. His small bounty went up, he was now worth, five hundred belly. Someone had spotted him as he made his escape last time. So he did the only thing he could, he found a new organization to hide in. In short he joined a cult, not because he believe in any of their crazy view, but because they had access to info he needed.

During his trip in boat, and again once he found land he study his power. The verdict was not encouraging. He was piste off, on not getting a powerful boost in power. In all those web novel, the protagonist always manage to get his hands on a item, knowledge or power that created, some powerful plot armour that would help them in smithing down all enemy standing in there way. Instead he got the digesting devil fruit, as far as he could tell, the only thing he'd done with it of note. Was heal from malnourishment, repairing a few kinks, scars and hidden wound he had not been aware he had. So in essence, ever since he had it, he was now the healthiest he had ever been. Even his gut wound was completely healed, he no longer had any stabbing pain when any form of heavy or spicy food were digested. All that remain was a faint scare, even that was slowly healing away.

Zen creep slowly toward the books shelves, to pick out a book he had looked over many times. He brought it back to his desk, where he open it to different sections he'd been going over and over, hoping to find something he'd overlook.

"My tour too the best restaurant on all seas By Edward L Centrum, this is terribly depressing." Zen had poured over this book after he found the devil fruit book index in the library. This was the only reason he had stayed as long as he had here in this cult.

These idiots wanted to replace the current world government, by praying to a demonic entity. Oh lets not forget that they we're convince of being mages, sadly they had mistaken observing haki as some kind of prophetic power. Good for him, since he got to learn about haki, along with anything else he wanted. Thank in big part, from the various tomes in this library. It also had a few more, cryptic books on some of the hidden void history.

He lost interest in them quickly, when he found that they we're written in a languages he couldn't read, translate or research. The only reasons he knew what they talk about was because, someone had manage to translate the titles. But for an unknown reasons, had not keep going. For all the knowledge this place had, they lack the books to even begin on understanding those books. Nor could he ask for help since technically, he was only s'oppose to keep an eye on the library, do research for any senior member, and keep the place clean. One could argue, that with all the time he had it should be fine to read one or two books.

The original librarian had died of a heart attack, from old age last week. Not many member had wanted to be stuck under ground, in what could be argued to be called a dungeon. Away from any outside light, sitting at a desk with only getting the rare person coming down looking for knowledge.

The last librarian had obtain a weird reputation by doing anything for his guest/prisoner, in order for them to stay. He went from reciting long poem, tying people down in a chair, braking their legs to offering s.e.x.u.a.l advancing all in the hope of getting them to come back and see him.

An embarrassing rumour was quietly being whispered around. The master had come down in the dungeon/library, in order to get to the bottom of a few disturbing rumour and reports about the librarian. A few members had heard some shouting coming from the dungeon/library. They we're expecting a good show. Instead they found the librarian on his knees. With a derange expression, he was gripping the master lower wast line, the master lower robe had been ripe apart with pieces lying on the floor. The librarian was struggling in removing the master u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r. All while he was yelling, about how he could just satisfy him if he just stop struggling. The master had literal tears and snot on his face, he also had two panda eyes, a bloody lip and what seem like some broken fingers on his left hand.

As the master fought off the librarian with one hand, he keep begging and pleading the librarian to release him. The whole incident was stricken from any record, and the next week the librarian died from a 'heart attack', at least that was the official announcement. It was back up by a few new council elders. With that kind of rumour running around, not many had jump at the chance to be the new librarian, letting Zen take this spot with very little objection.

"Don't really know how long I have, before they come to their senses, and replace me with someone else. But while Im here, I might as well as get the most out of it. Sigh if only, my power was something else, instead I get the perfect food critic power. Sure it had some interesting ability, sadly all of then are only passive." Zen close the book in frustration, in the book the author had explain in great detail how many nobles express their envy in his luck at getting this devil fruit power. He had smack his head on the desk when he read that part. He was terribly depress in loosing a fortune to his short sighted greed.

He look to the book he had pulled from the library. The book was a journal slash doc.u.mentary, inside it was a step by step method of a long expressive twelve year journey. The author had noted down everything he did and discover about the digestive devil fruit. Their was a very small number of books likes this one in the library and in the world, all of them had something in common. All the devil fruit power we're of those to be consider weak devil fruits. Its not to say, that books on more powerful devil fruits were never made. No all those we're either destroyed, or keep by those who held consider great amount of influence or power, in various faction.

Zen read for the hundred time the same lines, hoping that the author had miss something. The author and user of the digestive power, explain a set of exercises he plan to further test his power. In it he found that

When Zen first read this he was excited, it was soon followed with disappointment. In the book the author tried various test and training, one was exposing himself to fire until he would burn. Eventually his skin develop a oily substance that would coat the skin, it activated only when it was expose to high heat. It did not make him fire proof, only better fire resistant, at lest as long as their wasn't to much fire.

The author when trough all kinds of things, swords, guns, cannon balls, explosion, electricity, poison and a whole lot more. After eight long years of pain and suffering, he manage to only create some very limited resistance to everything he had expose himself too. Every time, he alway hit some kind of limit, his body would mutate in order to increase his resistance. And during all this time he still drain his blood and filter through different blood types. For the remaining two years, he travelled around challenging various devil power user in combat, by only using what he had develop over the years.

He obviously lost more then he won, his victory was often more about him just out lasting the other fruit user. Many a times the other just collapse from exhaustion, all the while the author blood shooter just plainly annoyed or aggravated his opponent. Sure his body did grow stronger, but beside a few weird and creepy mutation, his devil fruit power never seem to grow or present a clear path to getting better.

"After all that, he committed suicide after he wrote this book. Drowning seem like a harsh way to go." Zen just shook his head.

Inside the book in the final pages, the author started raving about getting some passive endurance from drowning. He then explain that he would trow himself in the sea, so that his body could adapt to water. In the end the final part was added by some else, it simply explain that many tried and failed to stop him. The author took a small boat rowed out to sea alone, and jump in, his boat was found two hours later. His body was found, he was pronounce dead after a quick examination. It was noted by the doctor that he had never seen a body so mutated by the owner of a devil fruit power.

"The only thing he ever found about this power is that, I could gain a small mutation if I put a lot of effort." He close the book as he let his eyes wander around. Suddenly he froze, the dead light in his eyes started to shine, growing stronger.

"Wait, is that it? I need to make sure." Zen scramble out of his chaire, he zoom toward the medical section. Quickly searching until he spotted the book he was looking for, grabbing it off the shelve. He frantically turn page after page until he found what he was looking. He read the part over and a grin spread across his face.

"So just like home, this is true here as well. Now all I have to do, is test it." Zen place the book down on the floor keeping it open at the page he just read. He then stood straight bringing his right hand up to his face, closing his eyes he dug deep into is power. He created an image of what he wanted following half instinct and guess work. He push out, he felt a weird sensation from his hand, but he keep going. Finally he stop, he was gasping he felt like he had run a marathon, he slowly open his eyes.

"Yes, it work! They were wrong! Oh this is rich, I'm going to have so much fun. Wait it not all good. Just this little bit and Im almost dead tired on my feet. This mean, anything I do will require allot of training." Zen was feeling a high like never before, the power he though was useless. Was in fact miss understood, and had been never properly wielded, Edward L centrum had been close but he had gone down the wrong path since the very begining.

With a maniacal look on his face, Zen was staring at his right hand, who now had five inch long nails, and on each the tip was now raiser sharp edges. He had created five long nails that could easily cut trough skin and flesh.