Not only could it precisely and unerringly lock onto a Devil Fruit user, but it could also strip away their "devil's power," bit by bit, as they were drawn in.
This trait was the very reason Blackbeard had gone to such great lengths to obtain the Dark-Dark Fruit.
However…
Despite its formidable abilities, the Dark-Dark Fruit had its drawbacks.
As the most unique of all Logia-type fruits, it did not grant its user the ability to become intangible, nor did it possess the sheer destructive power characteristic of other Logia fruits.
Because of this, Blackbeard, with his uniquely resilient physique, was so fixated on acquiring the Tremor-Tremor Fruit—a fruit of overwhelming destructive capability.
It was the final piece of his puzzle to ruling the world!
"I can take my time finding the Gura Gura no Mi. But right now, I have to get rid of you!"
Blackbeard's cold gaze locked onto Maude, who was unable to resist due to the gravitational pull.
To be honest, after witnessing firsthand how far Maude had developed the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, Blackbeard had, for a fleeting moment, considered reserving his second Devil Fruit slot for the shadow-based abilities he could extract from Maude.
However, reason ultimately prevailed over impulse.
What he truly needed was raw, overwhelming power—not the elusive and deceptive nature of shadow abilities.
"This time, you won't escape!"
A chilling murderous intent surged in Blackbeard's eyes.
This technique—Dark Vortex—was essentially a miniature black hole.
In other words, as long as he held onto both Maude and his shadow, he could send Maude directly into the void, compressing him under infinite gravitational force until he was utterly crushed!
However, there was a difference between pulling in inanimate objects and pulling in a powerful living being.
The former was effortless, while the latter required a few crucial seconds of delay.
And within those few seconds, it would come down to a battle of close-quarters combat.
Without the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit yet in his grasp, and facing an opponent as formidable as Maude, Blackbeard felt a rare twinge of uncertainty.
Even so, the initiative was in his hands. As long as he endured Maude's attacks for those brief seconds, victory would be his.
A pity, really—though he had ensured that both Maude and his shadow were caught in his gravitational pull, he had no allies nearby to deliver the finishing blow.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have to risk losing in close combat at all.
In that briefest of moments, countless thoughts flashed through Blackbeard's mind.
While he sat in a position of assured victory, Maude was teetering between life and death.
Yet, despite the dire circumstances, Maude remained utterly unshaken.
"If my manifested shadow, transformed by my Devil Fruit power, can't escape the black hole's pull… what about my normal shadow?"
Even if his Shadow-Shadow Fruit abilities were temporarily sealed, Maude had no fear of engaging Blackbeard in close combat.
His only concern was his detached shadow being sucked away.
If it were drawn into Blackbeard's void…
And if Blackbeard refused to release it…
Then his shadow would be trapped there forever.
That was an outcome Maude could not accept.
"Disperse!"
At Maude's command, his solidified shadow instantly reverted to its original, intangible form—a free-flowing, two-dimensional shadow that defied conventional optics.
Strictly speaking—
Under the influence of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, Maude's shadow had transcended natural physics and had become a manifestation of his very soul.
Freed from its solid state, the shadow, as Maude had anticipated, slipped from the grasp of the Dark-Dark Fruit's pull and fell to the war-torn ground.
At the same time—
Still ensnared by gravity, Maude was drawn into Blackbeard's grip, his throat caught in a crushing hold.
The moment their bodies made contact, Maude lost access to his Devil Fruit powers, eliminating any chance of swapping places with his shadow.
"You're finished, Bacardi Maude!!!"
Seizing the moment, Blackbeard clenched his left fist, already coated in hardened Haki, and drove it mercilessly into Maude's chest.
Boom!
A deep, concussive shockwave erupted as Maude's body arched backward violently.
The sheer force of the punch penetrated through his torso, exiting from his back.
Simultaneously, the black mist emanating from Blackbeard's palm coiled around Maude's throat.
It seemed that in just another second or two, Maude would be dragged entirely into the abyss.
"Zehahaha…!!!"
Blackbeard's laughter echoed, already picturing Maude's demise.
"Hmm!?"
Just as he was about to throw a second punch, he noticed something—
In Maude's left hand was an old, standard-issue flintlock pistol, its barrel angled downward, aimed at Blackbeard's stomach.
"Go ahead, shoot me. In just one more punch, the gravitational pull will consume you entirely."
Confident in his imminent victory, Blackbeard scoffed at the pistol, fully aware that the deciding factor was dragging Maude into the void.
In the split second that determined life and death, he casually reinforced his abdomen with Haki before launching another devastating punch at Maude's chest.
Boom!
The impact of Blackbeard's second punch sent Maude reeling, blood spewing from his mouth as his upper body was swallowed by darkness.
Bang!
At that very instant, Maude pulled the trigger.
A special bullet, wrapped in his last ounce of Haki, struck Blackbeard's abdomen at point-blank range.
Splat!
A crimson burst of blood bloomed.
The bullet tore through Blackbeard's Haki defenses, drilling into his flesh.
A piercing, searing pain shot through Blackbeard's body, forcing him to suck in a sharp breath.
But… the battle was already won.
This death match—was his victory!!!
"So this… is your last, desperate struggle, Bacardi Maude…?"
Before Blackbeard could finish his taunt, an abrupt wave of weakness overtook him.
"What…!?"
His fingers slackened, releasing Maude's throat.
In stunned disbelief, he watched as the surrounding darkness dissolved like melting snow, and his knees nearly buckled.
With the Dark-Dark Fruit's gravitational pull gone, Maude landed firmly on the ground, lowering the still-smoking flintlock.
Then, he raised a hand to his face, wiping away the blood along with his disheveled bangs, which were soon stiffened and shaped by the crimson streaks.
"Blackbeard, has no one ever told you?"
Maude, now standing at a measured distance, gazed down at Blackbeard with calm, piercing eyes.
"Arrogance and carelessness—those are your fatal flaws."
Blackbeard's wide eyes were filled with disbelief and rage.
"A… Seastone bullet… You… from the very beginning…?"
"Correct."
Without hesitation, Maude reached out and clamped his hand around Blackbeard's throat, cutting off his words.
As Bailey perched calmly on Maude's shoulder, the distant Marines stood frozen, faces stiff with shock.
Everything that had just transpired—
Had unfolded in mere seconds…
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