Phantom of the Devil Fruit

Kenma thought it over again and again, then abandoned the idea of taking in all these Pirates.

There were simply too many of them.

If he took them all, then even if Kenma one day reached first-class Spiritual Might and became a powerhouse like Yamamoto or the Monk, he still would not be able to form contracts with every Lost Soul who died in this world.

There were many worlds waiting for him to explore and uncover in the future. He could not possibly contract a huge number of ordinary Lost Souls who were not Shinigami every single time, could he?

It would consume far too much of Kenma's energy and simply would not be worth it.

He had originally contracted the entire Uchiha Clan out of caution.

That was also because the Uchiha Clan was not particularly numerous, and Kenma could still bear the burden.

Later, after seeing the exceptional talent displayed by the Uchiha Clan, he became even less willing to let them go.

The Uchiha Clan had now begun to show their edge, and they were already enough for Kenma to command.

In the future, it would be better to contract only those with the aptitude to become Shinigami.

That alone would be enough to raise Kenma's strength and influence to heights no one could shake.

As for these ordinary Lost Souls, once he brought them back to the Soul Society, he would simply let them fend for themselves.

As for whether the other world would be exposed... Kenma was not overly concerned.

With the Uchiha Clan members who possessed Spiritual Pressure, they would be enough to suppress those ordinary Lost Souls and help Kenma manage them.

Even if the Uchiha's management proved inadequate, how many Shinigami would spare a glance for ordinary Lost Souls?

And how many would believe what those Lost Souls said?

The number of Lost Souls Kenma was bringing over was still far from enough to disrupt the balance of the Three Worlds. It was not worth the Shinigami investing any effort.

If he truly reached that point in the future, Kenma's great cause would already be established. Then there would be even less to fear!

Besides, perhaps his actions had long since been discovered. Kenma had never forgotten those five figures in the sky!

No, there should only be four now.

Even now, they had not appeared to stop him. That meant they were tacitly allowing it.

Hearing Kenma's words, Whitebeard nodded. "The first condition is naturally no problem. Since they are to be set free, we would not shamelessly ask you for protection again."

"The second point..."

Whitebeard's heart stirred, and he suddenly asked, "What sort of aptitude are you referring to?"

"Naturally, the aptitude to become a Shinigami."

Kenma pointed at Fugaku beside him, as well as the Uchiha Clansmen supervising the many Lost Souls.

"Like them."

Whitebeard and the others glanced at Fugaku beside the rubble, surprise appearing on their faces.

"You mean... people like us can also become gods like them?"

They had experienced the pressure emanating from those people several times before. Its impact was even more suffocating than Conqueror's Haki.

That oppression reached deep into the soul, making them almost no different from gods.

They had assumed that such power belonged only to deities born with it.

But now they learned that such godlike, exaggerated strength could actually be cultivated.

This was undoubtedly a tremendous shock to Whitebeard and the others.

"Not gods. Shinigami is merely a profession, though to ordinary people, they are no different from gods."

Kenma shook his head. After explaining, he poured another bucket of cold water over them.

"You had better not get your hopes up too high. Lost Souls with the aptitude to become Shinigami are exceedingly rare, perhaps one in ten thousand."

"For people like you, having two or three such individuals would already be a miracle. Even having none would be normal."

Whitebeard frowned and asked, "If that is the case, then perhaps Ace, Oars, and I cannot become Shinigami. Wouldn't all this effort you put into forming a contract with us be for nothing?"

"That is possible, and the possibility is not small."

Kenma's gaze gleamed as he looked at Whitebeard.

"But that does not stop me from admiring you. You are worth going to such lengths for."

"As for the specifics, once you sign the contract with me, you will understand better by experiencing it yourselves."

Kenma's face appeared expressionless, but from his series of words and actions just now, Whitebeard could deeply feel how seriously the other man regarded them.

That earnest and kindly attitude did not seem false.

"In that case, I have no further questions."

At the side, Ace let out a sigh of relief when he saw that Old Man and Kenma had reached an agreement.

At least this would ensure that the Lost Souls of their many companions would be properly settled.

The gigantic Oars behind the crowd of Lost Souls did not have many thoughts on the matter.

"Old Man and Ace have agreed, so I have no objections either."

"Good."

Seeing that all three agreed, Kenma rose to his feet and stepped down from the pile of rocks.

At the same time, he drew the Zanpakuto at his waist and walked over to Whitebeard.

"Next, it is time to form the contract with you."

"When we sign it, I have a new idea I want to try. Do not refuse when the time comes."

"That will not be a problem." Whitebeard and the other two nodded, then asked, "But how should we cooperate?"

"You only need to agree in your hearts."

Kenma held the Zanpakuto horizontally before him and told the three men the terms of the contract.

"Once I form a contract with you, I will gain a portion of your abilities. Likewise, I can grant you certain protections. But there is something I must make clear in advance."

"Once the contract is complete, there will be no room for regret. You will live and die alongside me, and you must not act in defiance. If you betray me, blades will fall upon you, and you will die an unnatural death!"

Whitebeard looked at his two sons, then nodded to Kenma. "No problem."

Ace and Oars voiced their agreement as well.

"Very good."

Seeing that none of the three objected, Kenma no longer hesitated and released his Zanpakuto.

"Connect, Kiritsugu!"

As the Release Command fell, a burst of Clear Light lit up the blade. The radiance transformed into three threads that connected to the chests of Whitebeard and the other two.

The majestic will that arose in their hearts felt exactly like the Kenma standing before them.

When their gazes fell upon Kenma, they naturally realized that this will came from him.

The three had long been prepared, and all nodded heavily.

"Thus, the contract is formed."

Yet the Clear Light and threads on the Zanpakuto remained. Only the thread connected to Oars began to fade before vanishing.

The two threads connecting Ace and Whitebeard did not immediately disappear.

Kenma was not finished yet.

He gripped the hilt tightly, precisely controlling the two threads extending toward Whitebeard and Ace.

The threads passed through their bodies and extended without end, reaching into the distant sky beyond sight.

Fugaku frowned. This was quite different from when their Uchiha Clan had formed their contract.

He looked toward Shisui, who also shook his head in confusion.

He did not know what Kenma intended to do. Kenma had not told him beforehand, either.

After a brief wait, Kenma suddenly let out a roar. "Sever, Kiritsugu!"

As his voice fell, the blade erupted with light once more.

Spiritual Pressure surged within Kenma. A dense sheen of sweat appeared on his face before he finally let out a breath.

The threads extending to some unknown place began to retract, returning here in the blink of an eye and reentering Ace and Whitebeard's bodies.

Ace's thread came first, followed closely by Whitebeard's.

Fugaku and Shisui had the sharpest eyes. Though it lasted only an instant, they saw it clearly.

At the end of both threads hung something rather illusory. It looked like some sort of fruit, its surface covered in spiraling patterns, bizarre in appearance.

Pulled by the threads, the phantoms of the two fruits embedded themselves within Ace and Whitebeard.

The threads connecting the two gradually faded into nothingness as well.

"Fuu..."

Kenma slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, and the tense expression on his face eased considerably.

The deed was done.

"This..."

"What is this?"

Whitebeard and Ace stared at their hands, their pupils shaking as disbelief filled their faces.

They could feel that they had become closely linked to Kenma in some way.

As though they were bound together by fate.

Kenma's figure abruptly seemed far taller within their hearts, and they felt an instinctive sense of closeness toward him.

This was naturally the effect of the contract, and both understood that clearly.

But beyond the psychological effects brought by the contract, there was something else that left them so stunned.