"Hmm?"
Blackbeard Teach suddenly realized that Shirogai was smiling at him. He hadn't even noticed when it began.
The first words from this seemingly harmless man sent a cold sweat trickling down Teach's back.
"Hey, Teach. I've been waiting for you."
Shirogai's smile widened as he stared directly at the grinning Blackbeard.
"So, how useful is that Dark-Dark Fruit of yours?"
"…!"
Teach's heart sank.
How does he know I ate the Yami Yami no Mi?
He didn't think for a second that his own crew had betrayed him. Instead, one chilling thought crept into his mind:
Could this 'Plunderer' Shirogai have some way of peering into Devil Fruit powers?
At that very moment, the system's voice chimed inside Shirogai's head:
[Host observed: The user of the Dark-Dark Fruit. Understood: Wields infinite gravity and space like a black hole, and possesses the ability to nullify other Devil Fruit powers.]
[Host observed: A person with the special constitution of a Chimera Hybrid. Understood: Chimera Hybrid.]
Shirogai's grin sharpened as he studied Blackbeard.
"As I thought, your body's not normal either."
Nearby, Burgess, Doc Q, and Van Auger spotted their captain.
"Captain!"
Their faces lit up as though salvation had finally arrived.
But how did these four end up together? And why were they in this bar gambling with Fishmen?
It all went back about ten minutes earlier.
Back then, under the eyes of countless onlookers, Shirogai had floored Burgess with a single punch. Without a word, he dragged the unconscious man by one leg, with Van Auger trailing behind silently.
They wandered through the streets, seemingly aimless, until they stumbled upon Doc Q, who was hawking apples at a corner.
"Doc Q, I've been looking for you," Shirogai said cheerfully, snatching an apple straight from the basket and biting into it.
"???"
Doc Q froze, staring at Van Auger in disbelief. Isn't this the man Captain wanted us to capture? And he just… delivered himself?
Van Auger only looked back blankly. He had already given up trying to make sense of Shirogai's mind.
"Boom!"
The apple exploded in Shirogai's mouth, flames and smoke bursting outward.
"Hahaha, cough—hahaha…" Doc Q chuckled hoarsely, face flushing with sick delight.
"Your luck is really bad…"
A hundred million Berries, Doc Q thought, were as good as his.
But then, impossibly, all the fire and smoke collapsed inward, sucked straight into Shirogai's mouth.
"Cough… cough… what?!"
To Doc Q's horror, Shirogai calmly chewed the remains, swallowed, and let out a casual burp.
"Burp. Strong flavor. Got any more?"
Before Doc Q could stop him, Shirogai grabbed another apple. Another explosion. Another effortless swallow. Then another. And another.
Soon, every last apple in Doc Q's basket was gone.
"Cough… my apples…" Doc Q croaked, watching in despair. He felt utterly humiliated. I'm not a peddler, damn it. Can you at least pay?
The endless explosions even stirred Burgess awake.
"Ugh… my head." He staggered up, rubbing his mask, and froze at the sight of Shirogai eating explosives like snacks.
"…Am I dreaming?"
The three exchanged uneasy glances. For the first time, they wondered if even with their captain, they could deal with this man.
Just then, three burly Fishman pirates swaggered out of the bar, eyeing them.
"Oi, you humans! Who said you could stand here?" one sneered.
"Block the road of the Three Fishman Maniacs, and you pay with your lives!"
"Hah! You'll gamble with us. Loser drinks, winner takes all. And the loser pays the tab!"
Shirogai smiled easily. "Fine. Lead the way."
The others had no choice but to follow.
Inside, the bar became Shirogai's stage. Every time he rolled the dice, his number was just barely higher.
"You've got good luck, human," one Fishman growled, frustration building.
No matter what tricks they pulled, Shirogai always rolled slightly better, until their confidence turned to despair.
"Cheating! You're cheating!" the fattest of them roared, slamming his hand on Shirogai's dice cup.
"Don't touch," Shirogai said calmly, pressing back with just one finger.
The Fishman strained, veins bulging, but no matter how much force he used, he couldn't budge Shirogai's finger.
"…What?!"
Fear spread across his face. He's a monster in disguise.
The octopus Fishman tried next, shaking eight dice cups with dizzying skill. He rolled five sixes, an unbeatable spread.
But Shirogai simply crushed one die between his fingers and rolled it—showing half of a six, making his score just slightly higher.
"You're amazing, sir!" the octopus Fishman blurted, admiration spilling out despite himself.
But then—
"Zehahahahaha!"
The doors slammed open, and Blackbeard entered.
The moment he appeared, the uneasy alliance dissolved. Burgess, Doc Q, and Van Auger pushed through the crowd to his side, glaring at Shirogai.
"Captain, this man's dangerous!"
The Fishmen wisely paid their tab and fled. The rest of the bar emptied fast, leaving only the trembling owner and the five men locked in a standoff.
"Teach."
Shirogai leaned back in his chair, completely relaxed. His smile hadn't wavered once.
"I want to discuss something with you."
Blackbeard sat across from him, eyes burning with anticipation. His laugh echoed like thunder.
"Zehahahaha! Shirogai Yamikuro, 'The Plunderer'! Do you have any last words before I end you?"