Michael looked at Yamato's excited face and chuckled softly:
"Yamato, no need to be so surprised. This is actually quite normal. The power of Devil Fruits will drift through the world after the death of their previous host, then randomly enter some fruit and transform it into a Devil Fruit."
"No, I understand that basic principle..." Yamato said with a mix of laughter and tears.
"But why did this Devil Fruit attach itself to a durian!?"
As he spoke, Yamato held up a bizarrely shaped Devil Fruit with both hands.
Though it had become quite abstract in form and its colors had turned vibrant after transforming into a Devil Fruit, the basic outline of a durian was still recognizable.
"Huh, that really is a bit strange..."
Michael took it with some surprise, weighing it in his hand.
The shell was still hard!
Most Devil Fruits are entirely edible, though they often retain some characteristics of the fruit they attached to.
For example, a Devil Fruit attached to a banana would need to be peeled before eating.
But this one? Without a doubt, the hard outer shell would need to be cracked open first.
However...
"Why does this Devil Fruit look so familiar to me?" Michael frowned, then found the stem of the fruit—it had two swirling wind patterns...
His mind raced through the memories of the Devil Fruit encyclopedia.
Though the type of fruit it attached to might change, the characteristics of the stem were always fixed.
After quickly searching his memory, Michael suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze toward the Devil Fruit now tinged with shock.
"This..."
"It's the Float-Float Fruit!"
Michael's words instantly caught the attention of Yamato and Jack.
The Float-Float Fruit!
They had just witnessed its previous owner engage in a brief but earth-shattering battle with Michael.
Now, their expressions turned serious as they looked at the Devil Fruit.
Jack even gulped audibly.
"Jack, that look... you're not thinking about the Float-Float Fruit, are you!?" Michael said with a frown.
"Don't forget, you've already eaten a Devil Fruit! Eating another would be no different from suicide."
"Of course I know!" Jack sighed. "This is just my natural reaction to seeing a durian."
"Oh? You like eating this stuff?"
"It's alright i guess?" Jack nodded, his eyes seeming to recall something. "Not that tasty, and it scratches your throat..."
"Scratches your throat...?"
Michael and Yamato exchanged glances, then looked at Jack with questioning eyes.
"Wait, how would it scratch your throat... Hold on, you didn't open the shell before eating it, did you? You're supposed to eat the flesh inside!"
"Michael-sama! You're definitely trying to trick me! I'm smart—I won't fall for it!"
Jack confidently pointed at the Float-Float Fruit attached to the durian and declared.
"The flesh of a durian is obviously stinky!"
...
"Hey! Teach! Look at this!"
On the vast seas of the New World, Thatch, the commander of Whitebeard's 4th Division, burst into the room of Marshall D. Teach—"Blackbeard"—a member of the 2nd Division, clutching a pale purple Devil Fruit in his arms.
"Hey, hey, hey, Thatch! Even if you're the commander of the 4th Division, you shouldn't barge in so recklessly!" Blackbeard sat up from his bed, sighing helplessly.
"What's happened now? Did you find some legendary treasure and come to share a piece with me?"
"This is far more precious than any treasure!"
Thatch cheerfully spread his arms, revealing the pale purple Devil Fruit.
Marshall D. Teach's drowsy eyes gradually widened.
Pale purple, shaped like a pineapple, with a spiral pattern resembling a snail's shell...
This... was exactly like the Yami Yami no Mi he had seen in the Devil Fruit encyclopedia!
In other words...
Thatch before him... had obtained the strongest Logia-type fruit he had dreamed of!
Once he reached this conclusion, Blackbeard's breathing grew heavier.
But this momentary lapse was quickly suppressed.
Instead, he put on an excited expression, "sincerely" congratulating his "good friend."
"This is the Logia-type Yami Yami no Mi! We actually found it!"
"Hahaha! We caught a group of desperate pirates during our patrol in the country and confiscated it from them!" Thatch's voice was brimming with joy.
"This is great! Now we can help Pops even more in creating the true utopia!"
Blackbeard wore a smile of approval and contentment on his face.
But in his heart, he was filled with disdain.
As a true villain, Blackbeard had long been dissatisfied with the current state of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Especially after Whitebeard made that seemingly foolish and idiotic clone the new commander of the 2nd Division!
What kind of happy family ending was this? It was utterly disgusting!
Though he thought this way, he had managed to endure it—until now.
But the Yami Yami no Mi in Thatch's hands became the final straw that shattered Blackbeard's restraint.
This fruit was the dream of his lifetime!
And at this very moment, boundless malice broke through the last shackles—Marshall D. Teach truly transformed into the "Blackbeard" he would become in the future.
"Thatch, I'm really happy you came to share this good news with me first," Blackbeard said, patting Thatch's shoulder with a smile.
"But I think we should tell Pops about this, don't you?"
"You're right! This is a huge discovery!"
Thatch nodded eagerly, too caught up in his excitement to notice...
The killing intent already surging in Blackbeard's eyes.
And so...
The moment Thatch turned around, a thick arm wrapped in Armament Haki so dense it appeared pitch-black pierced straight through his back and out his heart.
At first, Thatch didn't even feel much pain—just numbness.
Only when he turned his head and saw Blackbeard's twisted, grinning face did the excruciating pain explode within him.
"T-Teach!"
"Don't blame me, Thatch. Blame your incredible luck for finding the Dark-Dark Fruit..." Blackbeard shook his head helplessly as he took the fruit from Thatch's hand.
"If you'd eaten it right away, I wouldn't have had any thoughts about it and would've remained your best friend forever... But you brought it straight to me, so... I'm sorry."
"You... what..." Thatch's heart had been pierced, his life force draining rapidly, leaving him barely able to speak.
But Blackbeard knew exactly what he wanted to ask.
Leaning down with a sinister grin, he answered:
"Marshall D. Teach will always be your dearest friend."
"But I..."
"Am Blackbeard!"
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