"What do you think I should do with them?"
At that moment, Natsuya's voice sounded by Nami's ear again.
Nami could not help turning to look at Natsuya.
A mysterious smile rested on his handsome face.
Nami was deeply puzzled. Hadn't Natsuya decided to have Olig and the others assist him in testing and developing his abilities?
Why was he suddenly asking this!?
"Um, I'm not sure. Lord Natsuya, you should decide for yourself."
Nami did not dare say much despite her confusion.
In truth, she hoped Natsuya would kill Olig and the others.
That way, she would have no future worries.
Otherwise, if she continued making her way through the East Blue and ran into Olig and the others again, it would be troublesome.
Unfortunately, Natsuya did not learn any of those thoughts.
"No effect?"
Natsuya murmured and tried again.
Sure enough, a small door appeared on Nami's back, but he still could not hear her thoughts.
His attempt to open the Gate of Heart and peer into someone's mind had failed.
However, Natsuya was not discouraged.
It would have been strange if a conceptual ability like this had succeeded so easily.
There was no rush. He had plenty of time anyway.
After trying several more times on Nami without success, Natsuya shifted his target to Olig and the others.
A week passed like this.
Out at sea.
Olig and the others stared at Natsuya on the pirate ship opposite them, their faces filled with disbelief.
"You're letting us go!?"
At that moment, Olig and the others were beyond shocked. Yes! Just moments ago!
Without any warning, Natsuya had actually told them to leave!
Nami was also dumbfounded when she heard this.
Natsuya was really letting Olig and the others leave just like that!?
So Natsuya had captured Olig and the others only to test and develop his abilities, with no ill intent at all?
As she thought this, Nami could not help growing anxious.
She did not want to see Olig and the others walk away safe and sound.
Of course, despite thinking so, Nami did not speak up.
After all, what happened to Olig and the others was not for her to decide!
And since Natsuya wanted to let them go, she naturally had no right to object.
"What, you don't want to leave?"
Natsuya chuckled as he looked at the bewildered Olig and the others.
If he were still with CP9, Olig and the others might have been eliminated.
But he was no longer part of CP9. Now, he acted according to his own heart.
Olig and the others had helped him test and develop his abilities, so he had naturally decided to spare them.
"Yes! Yes!!"
Olig and the others came back to their senses and nodded frantically.
Without another word, the pirate ship immediately set off, carrying them swiftly away from Natsuya.
Only after Natsuya had disappeared from sight did they finally let out a huge sigh of relief.
Only then were they certain that Natsuya had truly let them go!
Yet after realizing that, they could not help feeling even more confused.
"He really let us go!?"
"Uh, that's so strange."
"Captain, what do you think that Natsuya is thinking?"
"Yeah, we didn't seem to do anything. Why did he suddenly let us off?"
It was not that they did not want to leave. Natsuya's action had simply been too abrupt.
Over the past few days, although they had supposedly been helping Natsuya test and develop his abilities, it felt as though they had done nothing at all.
In short, they had felt nothing while assisting Natsuya with his ability development, and there had been no danger whatsoever.
So in their eyes, their existence had offered Natsuya almost no help.
Yet now Natsuya was letting them leave unharmed!
It was far too strange!
At that moment, Olig could not help frowning as well.
He recalled what he had experienced over the past few days.
Unlike his underlings, the process of helping Natsuya test and develop his abilities had been completely different for him!
The other underlings had undergone it while conscious. Only he had been knocked out by Natsuya every time.
After waking up, Natsuya would tell him it was done.
And every time, Olig found himself completely uninjured.
So Olig could not help feeling deeply confused as well.
Of course, Natsuya letting them go was ultimately a good thing!
Thus, Olig quickly cast his doubts aside and began celebrating with his underlings.
However, the next time Olig encountered an enemy and tried to activate his Monkey-Monkey Fruit ability in battle, he was shocked to discover that he could no longer use it!
It felt as though his Devil Fruit ability no longer existed!
Because of this unbelievable development, Olig suffered defeat once more. In the end, even his pirate crew was crushed, meeting a miserable end.
The Beast Pirate Crew consequently vanished completely from the East Blue. Of course, that was a story for later.
At this moment.
Watching Olig and the others disappear, a mysterious smile appeared at the corner of Natsuya's mouth.
He suddenly reached into his clothes, activating the Door-Door Fruit ability.
A door to the Different Dimension opened and closed, and a golden, oval fruit covered in spiral patterns appeared in Natsuya's hand.
This fruit was a Devil Fruit!
Its name was the Zoan-type Monkey-Monkey Fruit!
Needless to say, this Zoan-type Monkey-Monkey Fruit had come from Olig!
How should he put it?
Natsuya's idea of opening the Gate of Heart seemed to have succeeded!
Because he had opened Olig's Gate of Heart and extracted his Devil Fruit ability!
The reason Natsuya had thought Olig was more suitable for testing than Nami was precisely because Olig was an ability user!
An ordinary person's heart truly contained only their inner voice and thoughts.
But an ability user's heart hid their Devil Fruit ability!
So when Natsuya had seen Olig's ability, an idea had suddenly occurred to him.
Could he open Olig's Gate of Heart and steal his Devil Fruit ability?
Just like Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit.
And now, he had clearly succeeded!
After many experiments, he found the trick and extracted Olig's Monkey-Monkey Fruit ability!
After being extracted, the Monkey-Monkey Fruit ability condensed from an intangible mass of power into the fruit's original form!
Even Natsuya could not help marveling at such a miraculous phenomenon.
And with that, the practicality of this method naturally increased greatly!
Originally, Natsuya had only wanted to see whether he could strip an ability user of their powers.
But now, after stripping an ability user of their powers, he could even obtain the corresponding Devil Fruit. This was simply an unexpected delight!
Although Natsuya was already an ability user and could not eat another one,
who would ever complain about having too many Devil Fruits?
Keeping it would always be useful.
Even if he merely sold it, it would be worth one hundred million!
This time, Natsuya had gained tremendously.
What he had originally wanted to develop was the ability to eavesdrop on inner thoughts.
But unexpectedly, he had even developed the ability to steal powers!
The effect of opening the Gate of Heart was far stronger than Natsuya had imagined!
Just then, Nami's voice sounded behind Natsuya.
"Lord Natsuya, where are we going now?"
Hearing this, Natsuya put away the Monkey-Monkey Fruit and looked at Nami. Then another thought came to him.
"Why not test eavesdropping on inner thoughts again?"
Before you continue