"Lord Tenma. Lady Hancock."
The moment he saw the two arrive, Komps, the man in charge of the base, hurried over with a fawning smile to greet them.
Although his status was technically on par with Hancock's, that woman—aside from being utterly obedient to Tenma—was a living nightmare to any other man. After suffering once at her hands, Komps had learned his lesson well and very wisely added the honorific.
"Is what I asked for ready?" Tenma asked with a slight nod.
"It's been prepared for you for quite some time," Komps replied respectfully, stepping aside and gesturing toward a high-end equipment cabinet nearby.
Through the bulletproof glass, a long blade with an elegant design lay quietly within.
The blade shimmered like blooming autumn cherry blossoms, radiating a captivating, icy gleam.
This was not a black blade, but a replica crafted by top-tier artisans based on Tenma's personal weapon, Shidarezura.
Though it had yet to reach the rank of a Supreme Grade Blade, it was unquestionably among the finest of the Great Grade Blades.
What made this sword truly special was its construction—
It was forged from the latest high-strength memory-shape alloy.
That meant it possessed the potential to carry lineage factors… and to be imbued with a Devil Fruit ability.
"Then let's begin."
At Tenma's command, Hancock immediately understood and stepped up to the counter.
In her fair palm, an unusual light quickly condensed.
But this was not the ordinary white glow of a soul.
It was a dazzling golden orb, faintly emanating a terrifying aura of Conqueror's Haki.
Under Hancock's meticulous control, the golden soul flowed like liquid and seeped into the long blade.
"Buzz—"
A violent surge of energy swept across the room.
The once lifeless blade seemed to awaken in an instant, flying out of its rack on its own and hovering obediently before Tenma.
Tenma reached out and grasped the hilt.
The tactile sensation was no different from an ordinary weapon, yet he could clearly feel an awakening consciousness forming deep within the blade.
Everything was ready.
Without the slightest hesitation, Tenma gently traced his fingers across the surface of the Dark-Dark Fruit, recording its biological structural factors.
Then he issued a command for the blade to "open its mouth."
To the horror of everyone present, a mouth actually formed at the sword's guard—
And in one bite, it swallowed the Dark-Dark Fruit whole.
Only seconds later, thick, ink-like black smoke began pouring wildly from the blade.
"Hoo—hoo—"
Boundless darkness erupted in an instant.
Carrying an ominous, spine-chilling aura, it wrapped around Tenma's entire arm like black flames, rapidly spreading outward.
This was a Conqueror-grade soul, refined and cultivated by Hancock.
Its level of perfection far surpassed even Big Mom's Napoleon or Zeus.
Tenma's gaze sharpened.
His figure vanished in a flash, and in the next moment he appeared on a barren mountain outside the base.
He slammed the black blade straight into the ground.
BOOM!
Darkness burst forth like a breached dam, spreading wildly in all directions with the blade as its center.
In the blink of an eye, everything within a thousand-meter radius vanished—
Replaced by a bottomless black abyss.
—Dark Void!
With a thought, the pitch-black chasm seemed to come alive, transforming into rolling black waves that madly devoured everything they touched.
From afar, the scientists watching in terror saw that towering trees, solid rock, and even soil and grass—
The moment they were touched by that darkness, they sank like they were trapped in a swamp, slowly dissolving into nothingness until they ceased to exist entirely.
When Tenma withdrew the power and the black smoke dissipated, all that remained was a bald, desolate wasteland—
As though a piece of the land had been forcibly gouged out by a god.
Next, Tenma casually swung the blade.
A jet-black slash shot skyward, exploding in midair into a mass of dark clouds, as if night itself had suddenly descended.
—BANG!!
—RUMBLE!!
Moments later, countless fragments—debris compressed and pulverized by the black hole—poured down from the dark clouds like a torrential rain of trash.
This was the terrifying cycle of devour and release inherent to the black hole's power.
"Next… let's test gravity."
The corners of Tenma's mouth lifted slightly.
Darkness once again coiled around the black blade, forming a rapidly spinning vortex.
Far away, Caesar, who had been sneaking around to watch the spectacle, suddenly felt his whole body tense.
An irresistible, terrifying suction force locked onto him instantly.
"WAAAAAHHHH!!"
Before he could even attempt to elementalize, Caesar's body was dragged uncontrollably toward the blade's tip.
"Lord Tenma!! Don't use me as a test subject!! I'll die!!"
Snot and tears flew as Caesar struggled desperately—but before that absolute gravity, he was utterly powerless.
Just as his face was about to slam into the blade—
The suction abruptly vanished.
Caesar crashed to the ground in a sorry heap, gasping for breath like someone who'd narrowly escaped death.
"In that moment just now," Tenma asked calmly from above,
"Could you still use your Gas-Gas Fruit ability?"
Caesar froze, then recalled that overwhelming sense of helplessness. He shook his head violently like a rattle drum.
"No! Not at all! It was completely sealed! It felt exactly like being cuffed with Seastone!"
Only after the dark aura fully dissipated did Caesar feel his powers return.
Terrified, he immediately transformed into gas and fled several hundred meters away.
Tenma nodded in satisfaction.
This soul-bearing weapon had perfectly mastered the Dark-Dark Fruit.
Not only did it unleash its full power, but even the infamous 'double pain' drawback was borne entirely by the sword's soul.
Flawless.
"From now on… your name is Night."
Tenma gently stroked the blade.
The sword trembled faintly, transmitting a reverent intent:
"Thank you for granting me a name, Lord Tenma.
Night is willing to sever all light for you."
Tenma turned his head toward Hancock.
The Pirate Empress was covering her flushed cheeks, gazing at him with dreamy eyes—clearly waiting to be praised.
Tenma smiled.
This time, she truly deserved a proper reward.
He sheathed Night, as if sealing away a demon.
From this moment on, Tenma was officially a two-sword style swordsman.
With the talent inherited from Golden Lion, dual-wielding blades was effortless for him.
Since Night could perfectly accommodate the Dark-Dark Fruit—
Then what about his original blade, Shidarezura?
Could it also be paired with a powerful Devil Fruit?
For example…
Whitebeard's Quake-Quake Fruit?
The sheer thought of combining the Momo Fruit's amplification with the Quake-Quake Fruit's destructive force made even Tenma feel it would be downright cruel.
As for Blackbeard Teach…
Tenma glanced at Caesar, who still hadn't fully recovered, and a mischievous grin spread across his face.
"Caesar. I've got a new assignment for you."
"Yes, sir!" Caesar snapped to attention instantly.
"Based on the appearance of the Dark-Dark Fruit, cultivate a special SMILE artificial fruit for me."
"Huh?" Caesar blinked, then immediately caught on, his face twisting into a wicked grin.
"No problem. But if you want it to be indistinguishable from the real thing, it'll take at least half a year."
"That's plenty of time."
Tenma's gaze grew deep and unfathomable.
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