Chapter 15: Terrifying Fruit Ability

"Is it coming..."

White Fox suddenly seemed to sense something, murmuring in a voice only the two of them could hear.

Who is coming?

Siano became increasingly impatient. This guy was acting all mysterious; were they going to fight or not?

He talked to him but wouldn't explain himself, standing there like a wooden pole, making people guess.

He hated riddlers more than anything in his life.

Fine.

If he could use his hands, he wouldn't waste words. If he wouldn't give an answer, he would take it himself! With this thought, he made a decision, flicked his wrist, and the bamboo sword thrust out abruptly.

By the time White Fox realized it in a daze and turned his face to look, the bamboo sword had already precisely flicked his mask away.

*Clatter—*

The fox mask fell to the ground, and a withered, thin face, full of exhaustion and vicissitudes, about fifty years old, was displayed to everyone through the big screen hanging above.

For a time, the whole arena was silent, so quiet that even the sound of the mask rolling on the ground could be heard clearly.

Siano felt the strangeness in the arena and frowned at the face. Is this person famous?

The next instant.

Like a giant rock thrown into a calm lake, the whole arena erupted in an uproar! Almost all the audience members couldn't help but stand up.

"Hey! No way! If I’m not mistaken, that, that face is..."

"Master Sakuraba Tree!"

"He’s actually still alive?!"

What on earth is going on!

Wasn't the famous Mr. Sakuraba Tree supposed to have died in a shipwreck during a storm five years ago?!

"Father!!!"

The locker room curtain was ripped open, and Junichi ran out like a madman.

When he reached them, he was trembling all over, his eyes wide as he looked at the withered man, fearing that everything before him was a dream. "It’s really you, it’s really you..."

"It’s me, Junichi."

The withered man reached out with slightly trembling hands to stroke Junichi’s head, as if he had a thousand words to say.

But in the end, his eyes just turned red, and two lines of tears fell as he muttered to himself: "Junichi, my Junichi..."

"Father!!!" Junichi couldn't hold back anymore, burrowed into his arms, hugged his somewhat bony, withered chest tightly, and wailed.

"Wuwu, what’s going on, I’m going to cry too..." The host standing at the edge of the ring also sobbed, took off his glasses, and wiped his tears, making Siano look at him sideways.

He stepped back silently, leaving the center of the stage to the father and son.

"...Junichi, move aside first, be a good boy. I don't have much time to struggle out of the control and stay awake. Let me finish the important things first."

The withered man patted his son’s head. Junichi wiped his tears, nodded vigorously, and let go of his arms. Even though he was reluctant, he knew that some things were more urgent than others.

The withered man turned around and faced the audience.

"Everyone, long time no see. Or rather, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen everyone as Sakuraba Tree."

He said in a low voice with a somewhat hoarse throat, "I think what everyone wants to know most is what happened in that shipwreck five years ago, and why I am still alive?"

In the audience, the vast majority of people nodded subconsciously.

"That wasn't a shipwreck, but a carefully planned trap."

Recalling that nightmare, Sakuraba Tree’s eyes showed pain. "A devil called 'Carpenter,' or rather, someone who obtained the power of a devil, set his sights on this body of mine that still had some strength. So he designed a scam to lure me outside the island, knocked me out, and took advantage of my unconsciousness to control me with his ability."

Carpenter?

Most of the outsiders present looked confused, but many local residents were shocked. They were all too familiar with this name.

This "Carpenter" was an underground boss who rose to power about five years ago.

Professional beggars, casino thugs, loan sharks, and several brothels on the island—he was involved in all these shady industries and was notorious.

Ordinary citizens would usually avoid him if they saw him, knowing they couldn't afford to provoke him.

But on the surface, his status was far from that of the truly big shots on the island.

And Sakuraba Tree was undoubtedly one of those big shots.

A rat in an underground sewer actually dared to make a move on such a person?

Where did he get the guts and the ability!

Could it be that he relied on the power of the devil that Mr. Sakuraba Tree mentioned?

"Chairman Sakuraba Tree! Do you mean that guy Carpenter is actually a Devil Fruit user?"

There were knowledgeable people in the audience who immediately understood the meaning and couldn't help but ask loudly.

"That’s right!" Sakuraba Tree nodded bitterly. "To be precise, he is a Paramecia-type Puppet Fruit user, capable of..."

"—Capable of turning humans into puppets under his control!"

*Bang!* The dojo door was suddenly kicked open violently from the outside. Accompanied by a wanton and arrogant voice, the middle-aged man in a luxurious trench coat, biting a cigar with a gloomy face, appeared at the door.

It was exactly the notorious "Carpenter" in the eyes of the local residents.

And behind him, two more figures followed.

The audience looked closely and was surprised to find that the two people who looked like lackeys were actually the town sheriff and the highest officer of the 129th Marine Branch base on the north side of the island, Major Tomt!

"Tsk tsk tsk, it’s really surprising, Sakuraba Tree. It seems I underestimated your willpower and resistance."

"Carpenter" stared coldly at the withered man on the ring, his voice chilling:

"Other puppets only need to be brainwashed once to be safe, but you are the only exception. Every once in a while, there are signs of struggle and loss of control. I clearly brainwashed you again just last month. What stimulated you this time? Let me guess... could it be this brat?"

He turned his gaze to Junichi. Major Tomt, the Marine branch major standing behind him to the right, raised his flintlock pistol expressionlessly and aimed it at Junichi.

"Major Tomt, what are you doing! Why are you obeying the orders of a thug leader and pointing your gun at a child?!"

An unbelievable roar came from the audience.

—It was actually Marines from the 129th Branch who were visiting the city during their vacation, and seeing this scene, they couldn't believe their eyes.

Is this still the kind, gentle, upright, and good Major they were familiar with?

"Didn't I say it? That is the power belonging to the Paramecia-type Puppet Fruit."

Sakuraba Tree laughed miserably. "Your Major, and that sheriff, are all like me, having been secretly controlled by him long ago. They look no different from ordinary people on a daily basis, but as long as Carpenter moves his mind, they will immediately become puppets who obey his every command."

"In addition, controlling one puppet requires one finger. Carpenter has ten fingers, so of course, he won't waste any of them."

He looked at the seven dojo masters on the south side again, his voice becoming increasingly hoarse. "So, my old friends have all, without exception, fallen victim one after another."

The audience was in an uproar again.

The seven dojo masters still sat there with cold expressions, showing no intention of refuting, which precisely confirmed Sakuraba Tree’s statement.

The surrounding audience immediately stood up in panic, as if they had seen a plague, pushing and shoving each other to retreat to the periphery.

There were also some people inside who were family members or close subordinates of these dojo masters.

They suddenly recalled the increasingly strange things about their masters over the past five years, and at this moment, they finally understood the reason. Looking at those rows of strange yet familiar backs, they couldn't help but feel a chill down their spines.

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 18 =====