Munch-Munch Fruit, Rebirth

"Impudent! You..."

Wapol flew into a rage and was just about to order the guards when he remembered they were not by his side. So he simply opened his huge mouth, intending to devour this insolent fellow.

But Dawn gave him no chance.

"Black Hole."

Whirlpool-like dark attraction suddenly surged from his left palm, and the powerful suction instantly seized Wapol.

Wapol felt an irresistible force tugging at him. With a startled cry, his feet left the ground as he was violently dragged toward Dawn.

Dawn's massive right hand precisely gripped Wapol's shoulder, its five fingers tightening like iron pincers.

Wapol cried out in pain and instinctively tried to use his ability to bite off the hand, only to discover in horror that his ability... had failed! It was as though something had completely suppressed the demonic power within him!

"How... how is that possible?!"

For the first time, genuine fear appeared on Wapol's face.

Without another word, Dawn clenched his other hand into a fist and drove it, carrying tremendous force, simply and directly into Wapol's fat chest.

"Pfft—!"

A terrifying dull impact rang out. Wapol's eyeballs instantly bulged, bloodshot veins filling them.

The clothes on his back exploded apart. A ring-shaped blast of air pierced through his body and blasted a deep trench into the snow behind him. Every one of his internal organs was shattered by that punch.

Before he could even scream, Wapol's body went limp, and the breath of life vanished in an instant.

Dawn released him, tossing Wapol's corpse onto the snow like a tattered sack. Crimson blood slowly seeped out, staining the pure white snow red.

Dawn stared expressionlessly at the corpse. With a thought, dense darkness poured from his body and swiftly formed an inverted bowl-shaped prison, completely enclosing both him and Wapol's corpse, cutting off all outside sight.

Inside the Darkness Prison, all was deathly silent, save for Dawn's steady breathing.

Before long, he keenly sensed that deep within the dark hollow, he seemed to have caught an invisible, intangible "presence" filled with bizarre vitality. It was struggling frantically, trying to break free of the darkness and escape into some unknown distance.

Demonic power!

Dawn's gaze flickered. His left hand continued maintaining Black Hole, its suction firmly restraining that "energy" attempting to escape. His right hand quickly reached into the backpack on his back and pulled out a Passion Fruit he had prepared in advance.

According to his theory, the Yami Yami no Mi could seize another person's ability by capturing the demonic power that dispersed after an ability user died.

He had also heard of the trait that demonic power would attach itself to the nearest fruit. To ensure nothing went wrong, he had specifically chosen a Passion Fruit, which somewhat resembled the Munch-Munch Fruit in his memories, as a prepared vessel—after all, he had no subordinate beside him to immediately entrust the fruit to.

He used the attraction of Black Hole to forcibly draw over that frantically struggling demonic power, then slammed it into the Passion Fruit in his hand.

That ordinary Passion Fruit underwent a visible transformation! Its color changed to a deep purple, bizarre patterns like spiraling clouds emerged over its surface, and its middle bulged and warped, forming two rows of tightly clenched teeth-like markings.

Paramecia-type Munch-Munch Fruit, reborn!

The corner of Dawn's mouth lifted slightly.

"It worked. The first experiment... just as expected, my theory about the Yami Yami no Mi's process of stealing abilities was correct."

He carefully examined the newly born Devil Fruit before cautiously putting it away in an inner compartment of his backpack.

Next, he activated his ability. The darkness beneath his feet writhed like a swamp, swallowing Wapol's corpse and sending it into the Subspace connected to the Yami Yami no Mi, where it could be dealt with after he left.

He could not leave the corpse behind now. The sudden death of a prince would be enough to make the entire Drum Kingdom search like mad, seriously affecting his next plan.

The Darkness Prison dispersed. The wind and snow continued as before, as though nothing had happened. Dawn once again covered his entire body in darkness, turning into a formless shadow as he silently headed down the mountain along the way he had come.

Coco Lodge Village.

Inside an ordinary home, the stove burned brightly, driving away the bitter cold. Kureha was skillfully bandaging a little girl's sprained ankle.

"All right, little girl. Don't go running around for the next few days."

After finishing the treatment, Kureha clapped her hands and took a swig from the bottle beside her.

The little girl's parents stood nervously nearby, thanking her again and again.

"Thank you, Dr. Kureha! Thank you so much! Um... the fee..."

"The fee? Just give me half of the supplies your family currently has stored away."

A pained expression immediately appeared on the little girl's parents' faces, but after exchanging a glance, they still gritted their teeth and nodded.

They had long been prepared for this. The cost of asking this "witch" to act had never been small. They quickly set aside more than half their food, dried meat, vegetables, and other supplies, packing them into an enormous bundle.

Kureha looked at the large bundle with satisfaction, easily hoisted it onto her shoulder, took another drink, and pushed open the door.

The moment she stepped outside, the biting wind and snow rushed at her. Yet even more eye-catching than the blizzard was the tall figure standing silently outside the door.

Brilliant golden hair shone dazzlingly amid the curtain of snow.

Kureha raised an eyebrow.

Before she could ask, Dawn spoke first and made his purpose clear.

"Dr. Kureha."

Before he could finish, Kureha interrupted him out of habit.

"Hm? Are you asking me about the secret to staying young?"

Dawn shook his head. He had long been mentally prepared for this witch's strange catchphrase.

"No, I wasn't asking."

He directly tossed a heavy money bag from his backpack onto the snow at Kureha's feet. The bag's opening hung open, revealing Beli bills stuffed tightly inside, all in substantial denominations.

"I'd like to ask you to give me a comprehensive physical examination. This is the fee."

After arriving in this village, he had immediately asked around about Kureha's whereabouts and her charging habits. Knowing full well her lion's-mouth style, he had prepared his bargaining chips in advance.

This money was merely loot from his voyage at sea, so he did not feel the slightest heartache spending it. Not enough? He could simply go "earn" more.

Kureha lowered her head and glanced at the bag of Beli, then looked up at Dawn's inhuman physique and unusually youthful, handsome face. A faint gleam flashed through her eyes.

She set down the bundle on her shoulder, bent over to pick up the money bag and weighed it in her hand, a reasonably satisfied expression appearing on her face.

"Tch, I hadn't planned on seeing any more patients today. But since you're so sensible, I'll make an exception. Follow me."

After accepting the consultation, Kureha shouldered the bundle, took the money bag, and turned toward a detached wooden house at the edge of the village. Dawn took long strides and silently followed.

TO BE CONTINUED