Ayr followed Silver Axe and a large number of official crew members to the shores of the allied nation.
After scouring the coastline for a while, they finally spotted the Gertrude Pirates' ship anchored in a secluded port.
Before they could board and claim the spoils, Silver Axe turned to Ayr with a sharp glare.
"Ayr, I know Captain Rocks values you highly," Silver Axe stated, his tone carrying a warning. "But let's make something clear—I'll be the first to choose the treasures on this ship. You'll take whatever's left."
Ayr met his gaze with a calm smile. "What are you talking about, Captain Silver Axe? Captain Rocks gave us both permission to pick. Shouldn't it be whoever finds the best loot first?"
Silver Axe's eyes narrowed. "Don't forget—you're just a regular crew member right now," he said coldly.
"Are you threatening me?" Ayr asked, his tone flat yet edged with amusement. Though he wasn't a commander like Silver Axe, in terms of raw strength, Ayr wasn't afraid of him in the slightest.
Silver Axe merely snorted and said nothing more before leading the way toward the enemy vessel.
As soon as they boarded, they made quick work of the remaining crew, cutting down the last of the Gertrude Pirates who hadn't managed to flee. Once the deck was cleared, they descended into the ship's storage hold, where their true prize awaited.
The Gertrude Pirates were a well-known crew in the New World, and their treasure hold reflected that. Piles of gold, rare gemstones, and weapons were stacked in crates, shimmering under the dim lantern light.
Without hesitation, Silver Axe started gathering valuables. Within minutes, he had already found a fortune's worth of items. Ayr, however, wasn't interested in mere wealth.
He was searching for something far more valuable.
Devil Fruits.
Ignoring the heaps of gold and silver, Ayr systematically searched through the treasure chests, pushing aside trinkets and valuables.
Then, in the farthest corner of the room, he found it.
A massive treasure chest, larger than the others. Ayr's heart quickened as he slowly lifted the lid.
"Kachak!"
The wooden lid creaked open, revealing what lay inside.
Three Devil Fruits.
Each one bore the distinctive swirling pattern, marking them as one of the most sought-after treasures of the sea.
"Three at once?" Ayr muttered in disbelief. A slow grin spread across his face. This was beyond lucky.
Before joining the Rocks Pirates, Ayr had been at sea for a year and had only found one Devil Fruit in all that time. Yet now, in mere weeks, he had acquired three at once.
And according to Rocks' orders, Ayr had priority in choosing his share of the loot.
Meaning… these three Devil Fruits were his to take.
Ayr clenched his fist in anticipation.
These weren't just rare treasures—they were the key to unlocking more of Kurama's power.
Right now, he had only unlocked three tails of Kurama's chakra. With these three Devil Fruits, he would be able to unlock the fourth tail—and with it, a new ability.
"Tailed Beast Transformation."
Kurama possessed two legendary abilities that made him one of the strongest creatures in existence.
Tailed Beast Bomb, an S-rank attack capable of obliterating islands.
Tailed Beast Transformation, the ability to partially manifest into a Tailed Beast, increasing his destructive potential exponentially.
Ayr took a deep breath and grabbed the three Devil Fruits.
The moment they were in his hands, a familiar system notification echoed in his mind.
"Ding! Three Devil Fruits detected. Would you like to sacrifice them to Kurama to unlock more of his power?"
Ayr didn't hesitate. "Yes."
His vision flickered momentarily as an overwhelming wave of chakra surged through his body. The air around him vibrated with an oppressive force.
"Ding! Sacrifice successful. Four-Tail form unlocked: Partial Tailed Beast Transformation!"
Ayr's body trembled as he felt new power flooding into him.
Half-Tailed Beast Transformation—this was the first stage of completely merging with Kurama's form. His physical strength, speed, and durability would skyrocket, and his Tailed Beast Bombs would be several times more destructive than before.
He clenched his fists, feeling the raw energy surging through him.
Just a few months ago, when he had only unlocked one tail, he had already been able to shatter Adam's Treasure Tree, the hardest material in the world, with a single Tailed Beast Bomb.
Now, with four tails unleashed, his power had reached a whole new level.
Ayr grinned.
The New World had no idea what kind of monster it had just welcomed.