One Piece:The Fruit of Evolution

"Marine, you've heard about my deeds too, haven't you?" 

Ross grinned, revealing two rows of sharp teeth. Although he acknowledged the man's strength, he looked down on the World Government's lackeys deep in his heart. 

"Deeds? If killing two Celestial Dragons is all, you might be a hero," Ron said flatly. "But wantonly killing civilians—that makes you a full-blown criminal, and that crime cannot be pardoned." 

This was a common flaw among most pirates. When they gain strength—often from a Devil Fruit or other power—they lack the mindset to handle it responsibly, growing arrogant and unscrupulous. They begin to see themselves as superior to ordinary people, even a different species, caring little for human life. This mindset, like that of new money, is why pirates are despised.

Wherever pirates go, towns often lie in ruins, with years of wealth looted, leaving only bones and cries behind. That's why they're called thieves—they don't behave humanely. Sure, you might find crews like the Straw Hat Pirates who mean no harm, even helping people. If they faced persecution, they should have become Marines. 

As Ron listed his offenses, Ross's expression remained indifferent. 

"Ordinary people," Ross scoffed. "Killing them is nothing. And a brat like you wants to judge me?" 

"Judge you?" Ron slowly drew out the Crimson Cry. "For a villain as heinous as you, judgment isn't necessary—I intend to execute you right here." 

Ross's face froze, his pupils contracting. "I've still got two years in prison—you can't kill me yet!" 

"It seems you're not seeing things clearly. I'm the director of Impel Down; my word is law. If I decide your sentence ends here, then it ends here." 

Ron's lips curved slightly, enjoying the moment—a rebellious criminal reduced to a fleeing dog. "But I can give you a fair chance. If you can defeat me, you'll be free to leave." 

Without waiting for Ross's reply, Ron tossed a set of keys toward him. 

Ross hesitated, unsure if this was a trick or an actual offer of a fair fight. Cautiously, he picked up the keys and unlocked the seastone shackles on his feet. The shackles dropped to the floor, and Ross felt a sudden, exhilarating sense of freedom. 

"Kid, I should thank you!" he sneered, crushing the keys in his hand. With a ferocious expression, he looked at Ron. "As thanks, I'll kill you first!" 

Even after years on the sixth level, his strength had waned, yet Ross felt more than capable of handling this kid. If he could defeat him, Ross could break out the prisoners on Level Six and escape from this hell to sail the seas once again.

"Pirates," Ron murmured, watching Ross prepare to attack. "Dogs just don't change their nature." 

Releasing him had been Ron's plan from the start—a brief test before the final kill, exactly as he wanted. 

"Prisoner Ta Ross has attempted to escape from prison," Ron declared, "adding to his crimes. As director of Impel Down, I hereby sentence him to death on the spot!"

"You little—!" Ross's face twisted, realizing Ron meant to frame him for his own escape attempt. If Ross died here, he'd die in disgrace. Did this kid really think he could kill him?

"Breakthrough Strike!" 

Ron slashed, an ordinary strike that still exuded an intimidating edge.

"You think you can kill me?" Ross sneered. Placing his hand on the ground, he caused the ice to shatter as countless metal shards gathered to form a massive mechanical arm. 

"Armament: Mechanical Fist!" 

The pitch-black Armament Haki covered the entire fist, a giant mechanical arm smashing down with brutal force. 

"Fruit awakening?" Ron's eyes narrowed in surprise. Only a handful of Devil Fruit powers could alter the environment on a large scale, like Doflamingo's String-String Fruit, capable of turning surroundings into deadly threads.

Most Devil Fruits couldn't awaken, but certain Paramecia types like the Gold-Gold and String-String Fruits, and even some Zoan types, could. Awakened Zoan types could recover quickly from near-death, with greatly enhanced strength, resilience, and speed. 

He hadn't expected Ross to be an awakened Fruit user. 

A massive fist smashed into the ground, leaving a deep crater. 

"Escaped?" 

Ross squinted, dust settling, only to see Ron perched atop the mechanical arm, poised to strike.

"Die!" Ross shouted, raising his left hand to form a new arm, which shot down toward Ron. 

Ron held his blade, enveloped in Armament Haki. 

"Ittō Ruō: Random Flash!" 

A dark red slash in a grid-like pattern sliced the mechanical arm into fragments. Ron leaped, looking down at Ross with a calm demeanor. 

"Perhaps at your peak, I couldn't take you. But now, how strong are you?" The dark red blade flashed, filling Ross's vision.

Ron sheathed his sword slowly. "Ittō Ruō: Frostfall Cold Prison."

Is it snowing? Ross looked up, watching snowflakes drift down. As one landed in his hand, blood filled his vision. His body froze, paralyzed by the chill, his mind slipping into eternal darkness.

"Ta Ross attempted to escape from prison," Ron announced, "but I've executed him. Dispose of his body at sea."

Ron donned his cloak as a group of jailers arrived, eyeing the scene with blank expressions before silently obeying, gathering up Ross's remains. They weren't fools—they knew what had really happened.

"Quite the haul," Ron mused, his eyes narrowing. Although weakened after three years of imprisonment, Ross had still possessed semi Admiral-level power, The power that Crimson Cry brought back was equivalent to a whole year's training for him.

Moreover, devouring Ross's energy had propelled his Crimson Cry weapon closer to its third evolution. A few more kills like this, and it would reach the next level of power. 

What kind of strength would Crimson Cry have then? The thought intrigued Ron. "Once Crimson Cry evolves, the undead warship should reach the next level, too," he mused. "If it could absorb a few more Admiral-level corpses, it might rival the Marine Headquarters."

Marine forces, with their hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers, numbered in the millions, with thousands of officers of general rank and numerous Admirals. Combined, they could crush the entire New World. For his undead warship to match such might would take years of fighting and sacrifice.

But with its ability to resurrect the undead endlessly, the warship only needed one-third of the Marine's total force to stand against them.

Of course, Marines were only one faction within the World Government. Taking it down would be a long journey, but Ron was confident. In forty years, he believed he could use his "protagonist's team" to become the ultimate victor.

He pictured those protagonists fighting tooth and nail to defeat the final boss, only for him to step in and take the prize. No wonder everyone liked playing the role of the hidden mastermind. This behind-the-scenes work was exhilarating—you didn't have to risk much but still came out on top.

"Longevity really is an advantage," Ron muttered.

I hope your like the chapter 😊.