[RLOP] Chapter : 10 - Ruthless Lucci

"Alright," Lucci said, cutting through the noise as the siblings continued their scuffle.

He turned toward the corner of the bedroom, his voice calm but carrying weight. "Jack, Ulti, Page One—come with me. I have a surprise for you."

"Yes, Big Brother."

Jack followed quietly, but Ulti and Page One, true to their childish natures, lit up with excitement.

"A surprise!? What kind of surprise?"

"Tell us, tell us! Don't keep us waiting!"

They trailed after him, peppering him with questions, their voices overlapping like restless birds.

The bedroom wasn't large; within a few steps, Lucci stopped and gestured ahead.

"Each of you may choose an Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit. Consider it my welcome gift."

He stepped aside, revealing five heavy iron boxes neatly arranged before them.

"Ancient Zoan!?" This time, even Jack couldn't keep his composure. His eyes went wide, his voice trembling. "Big Brother Lucci… Are you really giving one to me!?"

He had known Lucci possessed many Devil Fruits. But never had he imagined receiving one himself—let alone something as rare as an Ancient Zoan. His strength within the Beasts Pirates wasn't exceptional, and so this gift struck him like a thunderclap.

At that moment, Jack felt certain he hadn't chosen the wrong Big Brother to follow.

"You were the first to stand by me," Lucci said quietly, meeting his gaze. "In my eyes, that makes you no different from family."

The words hit harder than any gift. Jack collapsed to his knees with a heavy thud, tears welling and spilling down his face.

"I'll go through fire and water for you, Big Brother!"

Lucci patted his broad shoulder, hiding the satisfaction flickering in his eyes. 'People in this world… aside from the schemers, most are painfully simple.'

Meanwhile, Page One's wide eyes lingered on one of the boxes, his tiny hands curling with hesitation. Finally, he tugged at Ulti's sleeve and whispered, "Sister… can we really take them?"

Even at just three years old, the son of a great pirate could grasp the value of what lay before him. His own father was feared as the "King of Lizards" because of his Tyrannosaurus Zoan—he knew exactly what it meant to eat one of these fruits.

Ulti caught the longing in her brother's eyes. After a brief silence, she crossed her arms and said firmly, "Of course we'll take them."

Then she bent low, whispering sharply into his ear, "But don't think it's free! Later, we'll make Dad work like an ox and a horse to pay him back!"

…

…

The results unfolded just as fate intended. Even if the river of destiny bent and twisted, it seemed determined to repair itself.

Jack chose the Elephant-Elephant Fruit, Ancient Zoan: Mammoth form.

Ulti took the Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Ancient Zoan: Pachycephalosaurus form.

Page One, his eyes sparkling, picked the Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Ancient Zoan: Spinosaurus form.

Perhaps it was more than coincidence. Perhaps the will of the Devil Fruits themselves played a role. After all, in the years to come, all three would grow into their powers spectacularly—especially Ulti.

On Onigashima, during the fateful battle, she would become the brightest star among the Tobi Roppo—standing again and again even after being crushed by Big Mom herself.

If circumstances allowed, Lucci would have liked to find her an even stronger Devil Fruit once she had fully sworn loyalty to him.

But reality rarely bent to ambition.

Hanafuda's decision to send his children away weighed heavily in Lucci's mind. For a pirate proficient in two colors of Haki, renowned as the "King of Lizards," to deem his mission too dangerous for them… it spoke volumes.

Coupled with the Beasts Pirates' deep ties to Wano, a dangerous suspicion began to form.

'Could it be the Beasts Pirates against Roger's remnants? Or perhaps the Whitebeard Pirates themselves? Both carried grudges against Kaido… if war broke out, it would be total, merciless slaughter.'

And that meant one thing: they would have no time to watch over the children left behind in Wano.

Lucci, saddled with this bizarre "kindergarten," would be left to fend for himself in hostile territory.

Though he had little respect for Wano's roaming samurai, he couldn't deny their strength. Which meant the only logical path was to seize every possible resource for himself—now.

Whether Ulti or Page One, once they ate the fruits, they'd be more than children. They'd be useful fighters, capable of survival at the very least.

Lucci wasn't about to let Hanafuda's children rot in Wano forever. Otherwise, he could already imagine the complaints that would come his way.

"Ugh~ it's so gross! No… no, this is Big Brother Lucci's kindness—I have to finish it! Ugh, but it tastes awful!"

"No, Little Pei! Spit it out! This fruit tastes like poop!"

"Sis, how do you even know what poop tastes like!?"

Their gagging and complaints snapped Lucci's attention back to them.

Watching the three force themselves to eat, he spoke calmly:
"The Devil Fruit's power only awakens once you finish every last bite."

"Eh!? Really!?"

Of course, he didn't know for sure.

Lucci simply ignored their pitiful wails and turned toward Sasaki, whose envious gaze betrayed his thoughts.

Though already a Devil Fruit user, who wouldn't covet another—especially a rare Ancient Zoan? Even if one couldn't eat it, just possessing such a treasure was enough to stir greed.

But Lucci cut him off before the thought could take root.
"Sasaki, you've already eaten a Devil Fruit. This surprise doesn't include you."

Sasaki's lips parted. "No, I—"

Lucci raised a hand, silencing him. "You're a swordsman, aren't you? Wano is a land overflowing with famous blades. I'll help you claim one."

!

That promise lit a spark in Sasaki's eyes. For a swordsman, the lure of a named blade was irresistible. His current weapon was serviceable, yes—but compared to even the most ordinary of the Ryō Wazamono grade, it was little more than scrap metal.

"Thank you, Big Brother."

This time, Sasaki's gratitude rang true.

"Don't worry," Lucci replied evenly, "that day isn't far off."

And so—Jack, Ulti, and Page One had gained strength, while Sasaki had gained something far subtler: loyalty.

Lucci leaned back slightly, amused. Sometimes he envied those other so-called transmigrators with their cheat-like systems, able to see loyalty points and stats tick upward. He didn't have that luxury. To hold his crew together, he had only guile, words, and a steady hand.

…Hm?

His gaze shifted.

Yamato stared at him, wide-eyed, practically shouting 'What about me!?' with every blink. Stroking his chin, Lucci met her gaze, then said in a thoughtful tone:

"Your Highness, rest assured—three meals a day. No deductions."

!

"You hateful brat!!!"

Her indignant cry echoed as Lucci simply turned away.

Meanwhile, Jack, Ulti, and Page One—now brimming with their newfound power—were practically vibrating with excitement, itching to transform and test their Zoan abilities. But out of respect for Lucci's presence, they held back.

"Follow me," he commanded.

The trio obeyed instantly. Sasaki moved with them.

As for why there were four…

"Hey! Where are you going!? What about me!? HEY!"

Yamato's furious shouts trailed behind them as the heavy door slammed shut, cutting off the last shaft of light. Her eyes blurred once more, misting over with frustration.

The shackles weighed too heavily on her frail, malnourished body. She couldn't even drag them along.

And then—

A whisper slithered into her mind.

"Where is the samurai you admire? Why has he not come to save you?"

But just as quickly, the voice was gone.

The training ground.

A wide, open field. Nearly two hundred pirates stood scattered across it—men and women who had once defied Lucci, only to be broken beneath his heel.

Now, every last one of them looked upward with feverish eyes at the young man sitting upon a cold iron throne.

Sasaki, Jack, Ulti, and Page One stood among them, equally entranced.

The atmosphere itself seemed to vibrate, heavy and stifling, like a storm about to break. Hearts pounded. Hands itched for weapons. A primal urge to fight clawed at their insides.

Finally, Lucci's voice cut through the tension.

"Fifty people," he declared. "The first fifty to stand before me—I will grant you a Devil Fruit that will change your destiny."

His words dropped like a spark into dry tinder.

"Begin the slaughter."