Chapter 96

One Year Later, Grand Line, G-1 Branch.

The steel warship slowly docked at the harbor as a large number of Navy soldiers disembarked. They lined up in two orderly columns, their expressions solemn as they formed a pathway.

A tall man in a Navy cloak slowly emerged, flanked by two slim figures. Momonga had been waiting at the port for a long time, and when he saw the tall man in the lead, he immediately stepped forward, saluted, and said,

"Vice Admiral Carl!"

The man who had arrived was Carl, and behind him were Ginny and Lucia. Carl now looked sturdier and more robust, exuding a restrained sense of Haki. He wore black gloves, and the shoulder straps and cuffs of his Navy cloak were also pure black.

Looking up and smiling at Momonga, Carl raised his hand and released a large cloud of black mist. One by one, bloody heads fell to the ground. Momonga swallowed nervously, he recognized these heads as belonging to the Cat Pirates, a crew that had recently ventured into this sea.

Their captain, Caitlin, had a bounty of 120 million Belly and was a Zoan-type user of the Cat-Cat Fruit, Persian Cat Model. Although it was just a common species among the Animal-type Fruits, Caitlin had awakened Observation and Armament Haki, making her a formidable opponent. However, she had grown arrogant, and after reaching the Grand Line, she dared to trespass into the territory patrolled by Carl. Upon hearing she was a Devil Fruit user, Carl personally led the fleet to eliminate her.

Among the heads scattered on the ground, one stood out—a golden-haired woman with a beautiful yet terrified expression, her neck severed cleanly and a black hole at the center of her forehead.

Carl pointed at the head and said,

"Momonga, this is Caitlin, the captain of the Cat Pirates. She was killed by Lucia and Ginny. Please make sure this is noted when reporting to Headquarters."

After encountering Carl's fleet, the Cat Pirates were immediately pulled into the sky by a terrifying gravitational force and swallowed by darkness. Only Caitlin was left on the warship's deck, kept alive not because of her beauty but because of her status as a Devil Fruit user. Carl wanted to test a new ability he had developed.

When Carl extended a dark hand toward her, Caitlin knelt in fear, begging desperately for her life. In her terror, she even began to undress in a vain attempt to save herself. This infuriated Lucia and Ginny, who swiftly ended Caitlin's life with a sword and a gun, turning her head into the grisly sight it was now.

Carl seized the moment to test his ability, and it worked precisely as he expected.

Back in his office, Carl summoned the Dark Bible, and a purple, apple-shaped Devil Fruit emerged from it. He tossed the fruit in his hand, looking at Ginny and Lucia.

"Ginny, are you interested in eating this Persian Cat Fruit?" Carl asked with a smile.

Ginny shook her head in disgust. "Brother Carl, that woman's fruit is filthy. I don't want it!"

Ginny's distaste stemmed from the moment she had first seen Caitlin's ship through a telescope and witnessed a disturbing scene of Caitlin hosting a wild party in her half-beast form. The memory was so embarrassing that it still made Ginny blush, and she didn't even question how Caitlin's fruit had ended up in Carl's possession.

Lucia stared at the fruit, eyes wide in shock. "Young Master, isn't that Caitlin's fruit? But how...?"

Carl had already explained Lucia's status to Ginny, so there was no need for formality when they were alone. Ginny echoed Lucia's sentiment, asking,

"Yes, Brother Carl, isn't it true that when a Devil Fruit user dies, the fruit randomly rebirths somewhere? How did it end up here? That's too much of a coincidence!"

Carl chuckled and shook his head. "There's no such coincidence. Take a look."

With a thought, the Dark Bible opened, and a variety of fruits spilled forth—apples, bananas, pineapples, and more.

Lucia observed the display and suddenly realized, "I get it, Young Master! Devil Fruits attach their powers to ordinary fruits. You must have prepared these in advance so the ability can be captured immediately."

However, she quickly doubted her own explanation. If capturing a Devil Fruit ability were as simple as preparing ordinary fruits, this method would have been widespread long ago.

Carl's next words confirmed her suspicion. "Lucia, you've only got half of it right. The key to acquiring a Devil Fruit ability lies in this."

He extended a hand shrouded in darkness. Lucia, familiar with the powers of the Dark-Dark Fruit, felt a sudden, intense dread as if something within her was being pulled out by the darkness. Ginny, standing nearby, felt nothing.

Seeing Lucia's discomfort, Carl dismissed the darkness from his hand. "This is a power I recently developed. When a Devil Fruit user dies, I manipulate the darkness to bind the unseparated fruit ability and guide it into a prepared fruit. I call this technique the Dark God."

Carl spoke casually, but the revelation left Lucia and Ginny stunned. This ability shattered the conventional understanding of Devil Fruits, giving Carl complete control over their powers. With this strength, Carl could, if he wished, create an army of Devil Fruit users at any moment!

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+75 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg

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