The Possibility of the Dark-Dark Fruit Absorbing Conceptual Things

Time passed. Two months had gone by since he set out from Spring Queen City.

The routes of the Grand Line were treacherous and ever-changing. Coupled with Dawn's need to repeatedly consult his charts and correct his course, the journey had inevitably been delayed.

At last, he had reached the base of the world-encircling Red Line: Red Port, a special district directly under the World Government.

If his map had not indicated that he had to pass through this place to reach the West Blue, he would never have come somewhere so close to enemy headquarters at a time like this.

Considering that he might encounter the Cipher Pol agent who had been responsible for eliminating his parents all those years ago, Dawn had not dropped his invisibility out of caution.

After all, in the world of pirates, most biological fathers and sons looked extremely alike.

All kinds of sailing ships were docked at the harbor, either awaiting passage or having just arrived. The twin-masted sailboat Dawn had steered ashore drew no unusual attention. Countless ships came and went here every day; it was nothing out of the ordinary.

Even after the ship docked and no one disembarked for a long time, it did not arouse the suspicions of the dockworkers or anyone nearby.

Such situations were common at Red Port as well. Those who could reach this place and sought to cross the Red Line were mostly forces intending to head to the latter half of the Grand Line. For ordinary people, doing so required applying to Mary Geoise for cumbersome travel permits, or they could easily be regarded as pirates by the Marines.

The permit process took a long time, often measured in months. Thus, it was commonplace here for a ship to dock and then show no sign of anyone for ten days or half a month.

On shore, darkness continuously absorbed the light around Dawn, rendering him completely invisible. But compared to two months ago, his ability had improved further. Beyond being visually imperceptible, even the sound of his footsteps had now vanished completely.

Inspired by how the Paw-Paw Fruit could repel everything, including conceptual things, and by how enemies had previously discovered him because of sound, Dawn began trying to use the Dark-Dark Fruit to absorb existences close to concepts, such as sound.

During the voyage to Red Port, after countless failures and experiments, he had finally succeeded in absorbing the very existence of sound around himself. This raised his stealth capabilities to another level.

Like a truly silent ghost, Dawn moved through the crowd, looking for somewhere to eat and restore his strength.

The provisions aboard his ship had long been depleted during the lengthy journey.

"Hey, invisible man up ahead. Release your ability."

Suddenly, a somewhat lazy male voice, yet one carrying an unquestionable authority, rang out abruptly in front of Dawn.

A tall figure blocked his path. The man had even immediately exposed the fact that he was hiding himself!

That shout instantly drew the attention of quite a few people nearby. Some sharp-sensed individuals turned their gazes toward the seemingly empty area.

Dawn looked toward the voice. The man blocking him wore a light blue shirt, an old-fashioned omamori hanging from his chest, and wooden clogs on his feet. He had a little stubble on his chin, and his face carried a weathered air.

Chaton, the future candidate for Admiral at Marine Headquarters!

Dawn was startled, silently cursing himself for being careless.

A place like Red Port was full of Observation Haki users. Sneaking around here could easily get him treated as a suspicious person, and he had yet to master the technique of absorbing his own presence. He had been focused on guarding against Cipher Pol, yet had overlooked the Marines here.

He had actually forgotten something so obvious. He really should not have.

But he quickly calmed down. Others might truly regard him as suspicious, but the man before him probably would not.

Dawn took a deep breath and released his ability as instructed. The profound darkness receded like an ebbing tide, revealing his true appearance.

His face immediately filled with just the right amount of apology and unease as he hurried forward.

"I'm so sorry, sir! I only obtained this ability recently... I just thought it was novel..."

He spoke slightly fast, sincere anxiety and unease in his eyes. Combined with his handsome, youthful face, he perfectly resembled a rookie ability user.

Chaton scrutinized Dawn, his gaze lingering briefly over his somewhat immature face and anxious expression. Most of the suspicion in his heart immediately faded.

Young and curious about a newly acquired Devil Fruit ability... hmm, a perfectly reasonable explanation.

The passersby who had been watching also mostly showed understanding upon hearing the explanation. One after another, they withdrew their gazes and stopped paying attention.

Once he confirmed that Dawn did not seem like some vicious criminal, Chaton's initially businesslike, stern expression relaxed as well, replaced by a faintly helpless yet earnest demeanor.

"You got lucky, kid. You ran into me. If it had been certain hot-tempered people, they might've attacked you right away. They wouldn't have given you a chance to explain."

"Off you go. Remember not to turn invisible again, or you'll be treated as a dangerous individual."

Chaton had always been tolerant toward ordinary civilians, so he could not help offering a few more reminders.

A great weight lifted from Dawn's heart, and he quickly bowed in thanks.

"Yes! Yes! Thank you very much for your understanding and reminder! I'll be careful!"

After saying that, he did not dare linger any longer. He immediately turned around and quickly blended into the crowd, soon disappearing from Chaton's sight.

Only after Dawn's back had disappeared did Chaton withdraw his gaze. He rubbed his chin and muttered under his breath, his tone thick with envy.

"Damn it... that should be the Clear-Clear Fruit... That guy actually ate the Devil Fruit I've dreamed of... What a waste..."

Shaking his head, Chaton tossed aside the minor incident and his envy, then continued his patrol of the area.

Elsewhere, Dawn swiftly turned into a bustling alley, found an open restaurant, ordered a large amount of food, paid, and took a seat in a quiet corner. While keeping an eye on his surroundings and staying alert for Cipher Pol agents who might appear at any moment, he silently replenished his nearly exhausted strength.

TO BE CONTINUED