"Baccarat, can you predict my success rate this time? It's my first attempt, so failure is possible."
Teach had already steeled himself as he asked. Among the Nightfall Pirates, Baccarat's ability was frighteningly accurate, and this was not a matter he could afford to take lightly.
His gaze settled on the first target. Tyera, the Hedgehog Fruit user.
Among the captured abilities, the Hedgehog Fruit ranked at the bottom. Even if something went wrong, Teach would not feel much regret starting with it.
"Alright. Give me a moment." Baccarat did not rush. Devil Fruits were priceless. Losing even one would be painful.
She closed her eyes and activated her ability.
At the same time, Teach began his preparations. He dragged Tyera's limp body to the edge of a table piled high with ordinary fruits.
Tyera was barely conscious. His body was weak, starved under strict control by Teach and the crew, given only enough sustenance to keep him alive. Terror filled his eyes. His mouth hung open, yet no words came out. Only shallow, broken breaths escaped his throat.
His lips were dry, his skin cracked, his body visibly shrunken from prolonged deprivation. With proper food, he could recover, but not now.
Teach held a small knife in his left hand and extended his right palm. Wisps of black mist poured out from his body, spreading rapidly. In the blink of an eye, the darkness swallowed the entire floor of the prison cage where the ability users were held.
The black mist carried a dreadful pull, subtle yet undeniable, as though it could drag away the soul itself.
It churned and climbed, wrapping around iron bars and stone walls, creeping upward like a living thing.
Baccarat opened her eyes. "Captain, the success rate is around eighty percent."
In her sight, luck accounted for most of it.
Eighty percent was high, but Teach was not satisfied. He refused to entrust something this important to chance. Fate belonged in his own hands. His target was absolute certainty.
The others frowned as well. Ordinary abilities were one thing, but these Devil Fruits were treasures. Losing one would hurt anyone present.
That was precisely why Teach had asked Baccarat. This was his first attempt, and eighty percent was already impressive. Still, improving the odds normally required repeated experimentation.
He knew the flaw in that approach.
Teach slowly closed his eyes, replaying every step in his mind, searching for imperfections and ways to refine the method.
"I didn't expect him to use Baccarat's ability like this," Redyat muttered, eyes bright with realization. "That means fewer experiments. This method is clearly tied to Teach's power. Now it's just a matter of having Baccarat keep raising the success rate."
The others caught on as well and looked at Baccarat with renewed interest.
"I didn't think her ability could work like a weather vane," someone remarked.
"Baccarat, then can you predict when I'll awaken Armament Haki based on my training?" Nelson asked with a grin.
"That should be possible," Baccarat replied. "Once you know a rough timeframe, you can push your training harder and awaken it earlier."
Lafitte stroked his chin and smiled. "Haki requires accumulation, and also opportunity, a real battle. Instead of waiting, you might as well let luck give you a shove."
Pito tilted her head in thought. "That reminds me of a novel I read. The protagonist was incredibly lucky. He tripped, hit his head, and awakened Observation Haki. While fishing, a wooden box floated by. Inside was a Devil Fruit. The Tremor-Tremor Fruit, no less."
She continued earnestly, "After that, he went to sea. During a fight with a Sea King, he awakened both Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki. He also had a special body that let him eat two Devil Fruits. The second one was the Dark-Dark Fruit."
Silence fell.
"The protagonist you're describing wouldn't happen to be Edward Teach, would it?" Baccarat sighed.
"How did you know?" Pito asked, genuinely puzzled.
Everyone stared at Baccarat.
She raised her hands helplessly. "Haven't you seen it? The video Den Den Mushi aren't just for battles anymore. People are telling stories, traveling, showing food and customs. There's a video called 'Edward Teach's Legendary Journey.' It's extremely popular."
"No," everyone answered in unison, except Pito.
Most of them trained whenever they had free time. The only videos they watched were recordings of top-tier battles in the New World.
Since the industry exploded with profit, countless people began carrying video Den Den Mushi. What was once the domain of reporters had spread everywhere. Any major clash was filmed.
The World Economic News Agency collected these videos, taking twenty percent of the profit. Fifty percent went to those appearing in the footage, and thirty percent to the agency itself.
The result was an explosion of content in just one month. Morgans' business sense was terrifying.
One of the most popular videos was only thirty seconds long.
Whitebeard.
Titled "World's Strongest," it showed Edward Newgate standing at the bow of the Moby Dick, facing the endless sea, a massive blade in his left hand.
He drew back his fist and punched the air.
Crack. Crack.
The sky itself shattered like glass. Space broke under the force of his blow. The sea roared, waves surged, and the world seemed to lose all color. The ocean split apart, forming countless abysses that displayed the terror of the world's strongest man.
It was said Whitebeard himself released the video. The profit reached billions. A declaration to the world.
Shiki the Golden Lion followed soon after.
He hovered in the sky, unleashed a massive slash, and the golden blade of force carved the sea open, creating a chasm tens of thousands of meters deep and stretching for hundreds of kilometers.
Other overlords were no weaker, each displaying monstrous power.
The seas trembled. These were the true monsters of the New World.
Yet with Teach blazing a path, and with people repeatedly exposed to such scenes, the psychological tolerance of pirates and civilians in the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line had risen sharply. Even so, countless weak pirates lost their nerve, and confidence wavered among civilians and Marines alike.
To counter this, the Marines released their own videos.
"Great Buddha: Impact!"
"Meteor Volcano!"
"Yasakani Sacred Jewel!"
"Ice Age!"
"Bone Fist: Shattering Bone Meteor Shower!"
These displays reassured the world. The Marines were still standing.
Outside the prison, Poof sighed. "That storyteller must be a fan of Whitebeard and the Captain. He even merged their abilities. Quite the imagination. I'll watch it sometime."
The others nodded.
In the shadows, Redyat glanced at Teach. Teach was deep in thought, yet clearly heard everything. Both of their mouths twitched.
Was there really someone so perceptive on the seas?
Redyat knew Teach's secret. Teach had already told him his second Devil Fruit target was the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
The coincidence was unsettling.
"Well, according to that creator, it's only a direction," Baccarat explained. "He hasn't given the protagonist the Dark-Dark Fruit yet. The Captain hasn't shown enough techniques on camera. He wants to wait. He even thought of some moves, but felt they were too crude and didn't want to be scolded by the Captain's fans."
"The Captain has fans already?" Pouf asked. "What about us?"
"The video Den Den Mushi aren't fully developed yet," Baccarat said. "Several major cultivation forces have formed the Den Den Mushi United Cultivation Company to improve them. It won't be long before we switch models."
"The fan rankings are compiled by the World Economic News Agency, but they aren't precise. In the future, people will vote directly."
She glanced at Pouf. "Right now, you're ranked first. Far ahead of second place. Ninety-five percent of your supporters are women."
Pouf smiled calmly and pulled out his mirror. "I suppose that's inevitable."
Teach shut out the noise and returned to his thoughts. He refined his method, identified the flaws, and corrected them one by one.
Finally, he opened his eyes. "Baccarat, try again. What's the probability now?"
She nodded and activated her ability.
Moments later, her eyes brightened. "Captain, it's about ninety-five percent."
"That's close enough," Redyat said. "The remaining risk should come from external interference or operational error. This is nearly perfect."
Teach nodded and looked at Tyera. "Then let's begin."
Everyone held their breath.
The black mist sealed the cage completely, leaving no gaps. It also ensured the Devil Fruit ability could not escape.
Even Observation Haki failed to penetrate it.
Inside was absolute darkness. No sound. No movement.
This was Teach's domain.
Darkness devoured everything. Light, sound, even perception vanished. It was like a miniature black hole, isolating the inner world from the outer one.
Dark Realm.
During this time, Teach's mastery of the Dark-Dark Fruit had grown rapidly. Techniques unfolded exactly as he predicted. Now, all that remained was to strengthen them through constant use and refinement.
His left hand moved.
The knife sliced across Tyera's throat.
Even then, Tyera clung to life. People in this world possessed terrifying vitality. Teach stabbed again.
Tyera died.
The black mist in Teach's palm began to rotate, drawing something unseen.
Devil Fruit abilities were invisible and intangible, but Teach could perceive them. He could seize them.
The power lingered inside Tyera's body, trying to escape.
Teach reached out. Darkness surged. The gravitational pull of the Dark-Dark Fruit asserted itself, the natural nemesis of Devil Fruits. The ability was torn free without resistance and trapped in Teach's grasp, unable to flee.
He felt it clearly.
For a moment, it even felt like he could absorb it himself. He dismissed the thought.
Teach turned to the table of fruits. Another layer of black mist spread, engulfing the entire pile. He extended his hand and released the captured ability into the darkness.
It drifted, searching.
This was a double safeguard. Even if it broke through the inner mist, the outer layer would stop it.
It never needed to.
Blocked by darkness, the ability rushed into one of the fruits.
Teach watched through Observation Haki as the fruit swelled and twisted, strange patterns forming across its surface.
The dark domain receded.
When the others could finally see again, their eyes went straight to the table.
Six Devil Fruits lay there, unmistakable.
Hedgehog Fruit.
Wave-Wave Fruit.
Rage Fruit.
Pierce Fruit.
Ancient Zoan: Giant Kraken Fruit.
Ancient Zoan: Hawk-Hawk Fruit, Giant Hawk Form.