Chapter 29: One Year (1)

After Yuki left Dressrosa, he soared through the skies, the wind whipping against his face. Thoughts flickered within his consciousness, like shards of crystal catching the light. 'I need to find an isolated island,' he mused, his thoughts echoing through the vast expanse of his mind.

With a deft motion of his hand, he conjured a detection spell, channeling his magical energy to sense the energy signatures emanating from the surrounding islands. The spell functioned akin to an improved Log Pose, instead of a Log Pose that always only pointed to the next island, his magic detected multiple of them in every direction.

Upon reaching the island, he embarked on a meticulous exploration, examining every nook and cranny, seeking signs of life. With a wave of his hand, he conjured a search spell, its ethereal tendrils delving deep into the island's secrets. His keen eyes scanned the surroundings, hoping to find a sanctuary devoid of inhabitants, a place where he could find solace and tranquility.

He repeated the process tirelessly, soaring from one island to another, determined to find the ideal safe haven he sought. Days turned into nights as he tirelessly scoured the archipelagos, his determination unyielding. And at long last, his efforts bore fruit. With a sense of elation, Yuki discovered the island that perfectly matched his criteria. Its serene beauty and untouched wilderness captivated his heart, assuring him that this was the haven he had been yearning for.

Not wanting to be discovered, he cast a powerful concealment spell, shrouding the island from prying eyes. Ensuring its isolation and seclusion during the following year. As a result no Log Pose could find it and when looking at the island from the outside, it looked just like another part of the ocean.

Seeking further assurance and protection, Yuki ventured deeper into the heart of the island where a dense forest was. There, amidst the tranquil embrace of nature, he carefully selected a secluded spot as the center of his grand formation. With great precision, he began the intricate process of casting multiple spells, each serving a distinct purpose. Some were intricately designed for defense, fortified barriers erected to ward off any intruders who dared to trespass upon his domain. Others, infused with potent energy, were crafted with the intent to unleash devastating attacks, against any who might threaten him during the next year.

Yuki's intricate arrangement also acted as an invisible shield, preventing curious animals from venturing too close, ensuring that he remained undisturbed. And should any unwitting creature defy the warnings, the spells, imbued with an unforgiving force, would swiftly deal with them, preserving the sanctity of his secluded paradise.

Although he did not believe that all these layers of defense were necessary, Yuki is the type of man that has rather another layer of defense than one to few. After feeling safe enough, Yuki meticulously arranged the components of the Rite of Restoration, a complex ritual that normally restores any injuries but in his particular case held the key to unlocking the full potential of his race.

Every symbol and sigil he laid down, resonated with his power. As the final piece fell into place, Yuki positioned himself at the heart of the intricate formation, suspended in mid-air.

His gaze focused and a surge of energy coursed through his veins. With a decisive gesture, Yuki initiated the ritual. In an instant, the formation came alive, pulsating with vibrant energy. Arcane currents weaved around him, as if the very fabric of reality responded to his call. The formation's power enveloped him, weaving its way through his very essence.

Although this has many benefits, the activation of the formation is not without its drawbacks. Once activated, Yuki was rendered immobile until he either choses to halt the process prematurely or until it reached its completion.

And so Yuki willingly immersed himself in the profound embrace of the formation for an entire year. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, as time flowed by in a blur. 'This boredom is killing me, I should have taken some All Might with me, he won't be able to find a solution to his problem either way' Yuki thought as he regretted insisting on going out alone.

Finally, as the final moments of the year-long boredom approached, Yuki emerged from the confinement, stepping forth with newfound radiance. His very presence exuded an awe-inspiring aura, much stronger than it ever was before. The unlocking of his potential was undeniable, marking him as a being several magnitudes stronger than before.

—

Much like Yuki, Black Star departed from the island, driven by a different objective - the purpose to search and research a Devil Fruit.

As a Emperor Mechanic that possessed all Mechanical Knowledges apart from the Ultimate category, Black Star could be said to be on a completely different level, even compared to the likes of Vegapunk. In terms of technology no one could match him on this planet.

However, such comparisons were to be expected, for the world of One Piece in the eyes of Black Star, is merely a surface civilization. It should be noted that Black Star's home Aquamarine, also a surface civilization, had been thrust into a devastating conflict, triggered by a single Godoran citizen. This catastrophic war had decimated the once countless nations, reducing them to a mere handful, no more than six. Astonishingly, that particular Godoran was not even a mechanic, but a mere civilian driven by boredom, belonging to a star system-level civilization. In stark contrast, Black Star stands at the forefront of mechanical knowledge. Only very few could surpass him in the field of mechanics, even in his own world.

While soaring through the skies, Black Star's mind suddenly echoed with a realization, 'I forgot to gather the necessary information about Devil Fruits!' Realizing the gravity of his oversight, he gracefully descended onto an island near Dressrosa.

Black Star's descent onto the island left the inhabitants astonished and perplexed, their whispered comments revealing their mixed emotions. "What is this?" one murmured, while another speculated, "Is it some kind of monster?" Unfazed by the attention he garnered, Black Star pressed forward, his imposing presence wrapped in an awe-inspiring Mechanical Combat Suit.

Unfazed by the bewildered gazes that followed him, Black Star strode forward with purpose. Ignoring the whispered speculations, he swiftly made his way towards a nearby library, to get some knowledge about this world.

Entering the library, he commanded with authority, "Phillip, scan the books and give me necessary information."

Phillip, Black Star's ever-reliable AI, acknowledged his command and began the lightning-fast process of scanning the entire library. In a matter of seconds, the vast knowledge contained within the books was condensed and arranged, finally materializing as processed information displayed on a screen embedded within Black Star's suit.

Meanwhile, the inhabitants, unable to comprehend his request, hesitated to approach that man. One however cautiously approached him, his bodies trembling with fear as he timidly inquired, "W-what do you want?" Clearly, the others in the library had coerced him to confront the enigmatic figure clad in armor.

Having acquired the basic knowledge about this world, including the classifications of Devil Fruits, Black Star left the library, his mind buzzing with newfound insights, while ignoring the man who had approached him earlier.

He gracefully ascended into the sky once again, his mechanical suit gleaming in the sunlight. As he soared through the clouds, Black Star couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement coursing through his veins. 'Now that I understand the intricacies of Devil Fruits, it's time to look for one,' he thought, his eyes sparkling with determination.

His destination firmly set in his mind, he couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation coursing through him. 'Wano Kuni, the land claimed by the infamous Kaido,' he mused.

Having absorbed all the knowledge on Devil Fruits, Black Star's curiosity was piqued by the enigmatic Logia and Mythical Zoan types. Furthermore, according to the information he had gathered, Kaido was the easiest among the Mythical Zoan users to locate, therefore he chose Wano as his next destination.

Apart from Kaido, Wano also had many other Devil Fruit users, making the location even more perfect for him.

A while later Black Star touched down on the soil of Wano. 'Wano has many research subjects' he thought, a mischievous grin tugging at the corners of his lips. This was the perfect playground for him.

His arrival, however, did not go unnoticed, well he did not hide to begin with. The air crackled with tension as a group from the Beasts Pirates surrounded him. Their leader, a formidable figure, stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with confidence. "Surrender," he commanded, his voice laced with arrogance.

Black Star's mechanical suit hummed with energy as he prepared to face his adversaries. His heart raced with exhilaration, eager to put his skills to the test against a formidable opponent. "You dare challenge me?" he declared with a determined glint in his eyes.

With a sudden surge of power, the leader of the guards activated his Devil Fruit, the Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Spinosaurus, transforming into a one. The ground trembled beneath the weight of the dinosaur, but Black Star stood his ground, undeterred.

Black Star, not taking his enemy seriously at all, engaged in a breathtaking display of combat. Each punch and kick resonated with precision and power. Despite the leader's Devil Fruit and Haki, Black Star effortlessly outmaneuvered him. In fact he was so weak that Black Star did not even need to use any of his machinery. With a final strike, he killed his opponent, leaving him lifeless on the ground.

As he observed the defeated enemy, a peculiar phenomenon unfolded before his eyes. The fallen warrior's devil fruit left his body and was reborn as a random fruit growing on a tree next to the battle.

After killing the remaining enemies, two more fruits on the tree transformed into Devil Fruits, Black Star then plucked the Devil Fruits from the tree. With the Devil Fruits in hand, Black Star wasted no time in constructing a makeshift research site amidst Wano Kuni, where he could study the mysteries of the Devil Fruits.

However, peace proved to be short-lived as the onslaught of the Beast Pirates continued. Each attack was met with a smirk of anticipation on Black Star's face, a gleam of excitement shining in his eyes. "Just come," he muttered to himself, his voice laced with a mix of amusement and enthusiasm. "Test subjects are always welcome!"

Internally, Black Star reveled in the multitude of 'volunteers' that fate had sent his way. The relentless assaults provided him with an ever-expanding pool of subjects for his experiments, some which he captured alive and some which he killed to study more Devil Fruits.

Among the tests Black Star conducted were throwing Devil Fruit users into the water, letting them eat multiple devil fruits and testing how Haki effects Devil Fruits in regard to resistance against weaknesses like water and seastone.

However, one day it was not just a few officers that attacked, but the captain of the Beast Pirates himself. Kaido however still could not fight against Black Star and ultimately lost, becoming another captive of him.

With their captain defeated and held captive by Black Star, he forced the entire Beast Pirates to work for him and gather all kinds of Devil Fruits for him to study. Although this did make other forces like the World Government suspicious, never would they have expected one of the Four Emperors to be held captive and used as a guinea pig.

After a year Black Star had many results. He successfully managed to clone devil fruits of any kind and was even able to flawlessly create his own. Furthermore, after a few experiments with many casualties, Black Star was able to develop a syringe that negated the negative effects of Logia Devil fruits. However this syringe had the flaw that it only worked when directly injected into the devil fruit before eating it. If directly injected into the body of the devil fruit user, it will think that the user consumed another devil fruit, which results in body explosion.

On the other hand, the Beast Pirates had severe losses, not only due to Black Stars experiments, but also because he forced them to 'collect' Devil Fruits for him. Although Kaido survived, the same could not be said for his strongest commanders, of whom only King remained.

Queen, among others, died a painful death due to a certain experiment by Black Star, that caused her body to explode, while Jack was forced to attack a Logia Devil Fruit user that defeated him and exchanged him for his bounty with the marines. By now Jack has a 'comfortable' cell in the sixth level of Impel Down.

Throughout the entire year, not a single person outside of Wano Kuni managed to hear about the actual situation on the island, as all information on this already isolated country was under tight lockdown under the order of Black Star and those leaving it feared what Black Star would do if any information got leaked.

—