The Five Elders' Shock, the Second Fruit!
Holy Land Mary Geoise Room of Authority
At night, the Red Line, shrouded in mist, resembled a sleeping behemoth. In the "Room of Authority" of the Holy Land Mary Geoise, five figures sat around an ancient round table, the candlelight flickering gently in the wall lamps, casting their faces in shifting light.
A chilling sense of oppression filled the air, and even the servants outside held their breath, not daring to take a single step closer.
"Whoosh--"
Guided by the guards, the gate slowly opened, and Sengoku, dressed in Fleet Admiral's cloak, walked into the hall with a solemn expression. His steps were steady, yet carried an aura of suppressed turmoil.
Saint Saturn slightly raised his eyes, looking at Sengoku who had rushed over, his brows furrowing slightly. "Sengoku, what's going on, suddenly saying there's urgent intelligence so late at night?"
Without any further pleasantries, Sengoku simply stood still and took a deep breath.
His voice was low, yet it resounded like thunder in the hall. "Whitebeard... is dead."
"?!!!"
The candlelight flickered violently, Five Elders were startled at the same time, their eyes sharp as swords.
"What did you say?!!"
Saint Saturn abruptly stood up, slamming his scepter onto the ground with a loud thud, causing the walls to tremble slightly. "Say that again?!"
Sengoku said in a deep voice, "Whitebeard Edward Newgate... was killed in a conflict with our side."
Saint Nusjuro's expression changed drastically. "Killed?! He's Whitebeard, Four Emperors!!"
Saint Mars frowned. "How could this be? Whitebeard is always cautious, why would he rashly engage in a direct confrontation with the Navy?"
"What on earth is going on?!"
Sengoku nodded and slowly recounted the entire incident.
"Vice Admiral Roy, accompanied by Colonel Captain Ace to Deserted Island in the New World, preparing to annihilate the 'Blood Rage' Red Pirates, who have a bounty of 628 million Beli, based on intelligence."
During the annihilation, the Whitebeard Pirates happened to land on the island, preparing to hold a banquet.
"While exploring the terrain, Vanguard Teach mistakenly entered the central area of the island and encountered Ace, attempting to kill him."
Roy stopped him, and a conflict broke out.
Whitebeard arrived shortly after and, without asking any questions, immediately led his men to attack Roy and Ace.
"Before the battle Ace urgently contacted nearby naval forces using Den Den Mushi..."
"Result--"
"Admiral Sakazuki and Rear Admiral Enel happen to be on a mission nearby."
"Enel and Sakazuki arrived at the Battlefield one after the other, and several hours later, Whitebeard was killed in action."
"More than half of the Whitebeard Pirates' captain-level combatants have died, and Marco and Teach have been captured."
"The remaining survivors fled after the defeat..."
"..."
After listening to the report from the Sengoku, the air in the Room of Authority froze instantly. The Five Elders looked at each other, speechless for a moment.
Immediately afterwards--
"He's gone mad... that old man has really gone insane?!" Saint Saturn slammed his fist on the table and roared, "You're having a banquet, why did you have to start a fight with Roy?!"
"Roy Sakazuki? And Enel?"
Saint Nusjuro pressed his forehead, muttering repeatedly, "These three appearing on the same Battlefield, Whitebeard is charging into hell!"
Saint Mars said in a deep voice, "No... there are too many 'coincidences'."
"Roy's trial was held on that island, and the Whitebeard Pirates happened to land there."
Sakazuki and Enel also happened to be nearby.
"If all these killing gods got together, no Pirate crew could stop them."
Saint Warcury squinted. "Roy plus Sakazuki... I really can't imagine how Whitebeard escaped..."
Saint Mars pondered for a moment, "'Blood Rage' Red... is indeed a training target Roy would choose, but why did Whitebeard have to walk into the line of fire? Couldn't they just give up on one of the crew members?"
Saint Saturn sneered, " With Whitebeard dead, Red-Hair will definitely make a move, Kaido and Linlin won't remain indifferent either..."
Saint Shepherd Ju Peter said coldly, "What's the use of saying all this now? Whitebeard is dead!!"
A moment of silence fell Room of Authority.
Meanwhile, the Warship's Rest Room
As Ace gradually recovered from the Impact of Rocks, Roy suddenly raised his hand, and a spatial ripple flashed.
"Whoosh--"
A pale purple, spiral-shaped fruit lay on the table, its peel bearing deep, swirling patterns, as if endless darkness lurked within.
"This is..."
"Dark-Dark Fruit."
Ace froze, his gaze fixed on the pale purple fruit.
It lacks the luster expected of a Logia- Mythical Zoan, and even the slightest dazzling appearance, yet it evokes a suffocating sense of foreboding and heaviness.
"This fruit..." Ace murmured, "What's so special about it?"
"If Teach really is Rocks' son, given his knowledge and status..."
Is it really necessary to obsessively focus on it like a madman?
"He'd even go so far as to kill a brother he'd shared a ship with for over 20 years?!"
At this point, Ace frowned, his face turning grim.
The swirling eddies on the peel resembled a slowly rotating abyss, and the air seemed to be swallowed up by this "Dark-Dark Fruit," making it so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.
Roy gently placed his fingers on the surface of the fruit, his knuckles tapping the tough outer shell.
"Thump--Thump--"
Each sound was like a coffin closing, as if some indescribable being was awakening from its slumber.
His voice also turned serious, "This fruit is known as the 'most ferocious Logia '."
Ace frowned, still somewhat skeptical. "How exactly is it 'fierce'?"
"No matter what, it's just a fruit... not Rocks himself."
"The 'most vicious'? Are you kidding me? Even the most vicious can't be more vicious than Rocks, can it?"
Roy's lips curled into a slight smile, as if he had expected him to say these words.
"It can absorb everything, devour everything."
"Including the abilities of Devil Fruits."
Ace was slightly startled, but quickly regained his composure.
"To disable the abilities of those with special abilities?"
"It is indeed tricky, but it's not that bad..."
However, Roy's next words plunged him into an icy abyss: "And—"
"It can also 'steal' the Devil Fruit abilities of others."
"Boom--!"
Ace's mind went blank, and his expression froze completely.
"Wh... what?" He turned his head mechanically, his throat tightening. "What did you just say?!"
"Steal... steal ability?!"
"Is it what I understand it to mean?"
Roy's gaze turned incredibly serious, his tone as firm as iron. "Yes."
"As long as the ability user is killed, it can 'pull' the 'demon' out of the corpse."
"Extract the Devil Fruit... and the process can be reused."
"Hiss--"
Ace gasped, feeling a chill creep down his spine.
He suddenly stood up, instinctively taking a step back as if avoiding some kind of poison, and pointed at the fruit on the table.
The earlier teasing was gone from his eyes, replaced by intense fear and vigilance.
He gritted his teeth, his voice low and hoarse. "... No wonder Teach wanted to take it."
"No wonder he betrayed his brother of over 20 years, and even his Pops."
He wasn't gambling with luck at all!
"He wants to inherit the 'will' of some monster..."
He looked up abruptly, about to say something, but noticed that Roy's expression had changed.
Roy's gaze as he stared at the fruit revealed an indescribable emotion.
That wasn't greed, nor was it hesitation.
It is a decision.
It is a decision that inevitably leads to shouldering a heavy destiny.
"Roy, you..."
Ace's expression changed drastically, his chest pounded, and he almost lunged forward to stop him!
You wouldn't be thinking of...
But before he could finish speaking, Roy had already raised the fruit, and to Ace's horrified gaze—
"Snap!"
The crisp sound of the fruit being bitten off was particularly jarring in the quiet Rest Room.
"Roy!! No!!"