The Moby Dick rested under a white moon that illuminated the calm sea. The battle against Big Mom's Pirates had ended days ago, but in the hearts of Whitebeard's men, the flames of duty still burned.
Zed sat at the bow, his gaze fixed on the horizon. His body still bore marks of combat, but his determination burned brighter than ever.
Marco watched him from the upper deck, knowing the boy was preparing something. Finally, Zed stood and walked towards the commanders' training room, where he knew Jozu was.
The door creaked open, revealing the enormous third division commander, wrapped in a towel, drinking water after a brutal weight training session with several-ton weights.
"Zed?" Jozu grunted, raising an eyebrow.
"Juzo... I want to ask you something important."
The commander looked at him attentively. Zed stepped forward, serious as rarely before.
"I want to copy your fruit. The Diamond-Diamond."
Silence.
Jozu lowered the water bottle and crossed his arms, his massive figure overshadowing the young man.
"Do you know what you're asking for?"
Zed nodded.
"Yes. Your fruit is classified as medium-high level. It's tough, brutal, an almost absolute defensive power. If I want to keep protecting this family… I need more strength. More than fire."
Jozu stared at him for several seconds. The air grew heavy.
"It's not that simple, kid. This fruit not only turns your body into diamond. It turns your will into a shield. Are you ready to carry that weight? For every blow of yours to feel like a judgment?"
Zed didn't flinch.
"I trained for three years with the fire of the Phoenix burning inside me. I have bled alongside you all. And if I still have to suffer to deserve that power… I will. But I want that power to protect. To be a shield like you."
A pause.
Then Jozu smiled faintly.
"Hmph… So you're not a chick anymore, huh?"
He turned, extending his arm. His skin shone, hardening, transforming into a brilliant mass of pure diamond.
"Then come, Zed. Touch the power of a living shield."
Zed extended his right hand, wrapped in a faint glow from his Robo-Robo Fruit. Upon contact with Jozu's diamond form, his fruit activated its mechanism: a current ran through his arm and his mind was invaded by an overwhelming sensation of weight, density, and total defense.
The Robo-Robo Fruit absorbed, interpreted, and partially replicated the structure of the target fruit.
Zed's body reacted immediately. His left arm began to coat itself in a crystalline, shiny material with a crimson hue in its reflections. It wasn't pure diamond like Jozu's, but a version with its own unique touch, as if the fire of his spirit fused with the hardness of the mineral.
Jozu burst out laughing.
"Tsk! The red diamond, huh? It suits you!"
Zed panted a bit, sweating.
"It's… heavier than I thought…"
"And that's only because you copied part of it. You're still far from awakening its true potential."
Marco entered the room just then, crossing his arms.
"I guess there's no turning back now. The kid's serious."
Zed smiled with effort, feeling his arm shine like a jewel.
"Now I'm fire and diamond…"
Jozu approached, placing a slab-like hand on his shoulder.
"Never forget, Zed. Diamond is what endures pressure. Don't break before you deserve it."
Zed nodded respectfully.
"Thank you… brother."
Three years had passed since that crucial decision of Zed: to copy the power of Jozu's Diamond-Diamond Fruit. During that time, the young man had forged his body and spirit with extreme rigor, following the teachings of the best commanders of the Moby Dick and the iron will of Edward Newgate, the legendary Whitebeard.