281 Dark Fruit New User

"Marco, bring the Dark Fruit here," Whitebeard ordered.

Marco immediately flew out and fetched the Dark Fruit himself.

Soon, under everyone's gaze, Marco flew back with a lavender fruit.

"Oyaji," Marco handed the fruit to Whitebeard.

Whitebeard looked at the fruit closely. It was shaped like a pineapple, with a snail spiral on the outside. This was the most Vicious Devil Fruit in the sea, Logia: Dark-Dark Fruit.

Everyone looked at the Dark Fruit, known for possessing the most Vicious ability among Devil Fruits. Even if it was obtained from a low-ranking user, its ability could instantly elevate to a certain level.

However, in full view, Whitebeard handed the Dark Fruit to Benjamin and said, "Eat it."

"What!"

The most ferocious fruit in history, and Whitebeard actually wanted to give it to someone who had just joined the Pirates.

For a moment, everyone below started talking about it, and excitement filled the air.

But this wasn't hard to understand. After all, they had all followed Whitebeard for many years, and Whitebeard sometimes rewarded them with a devil fruit. They had no complaints.

However, Whitebeard giving the fruit to newcomers who had just joined the Pirates on the first day was something they couldn't accept.

This wasn't out of jealousy, but rather a complete lack of understanding as to why Whitebeard would do this.

Even core team commanders like Marco were shocked. They hadn't expected this at all and couldn't understand Whitebeard's intentions.

However, they were unaware of what had happened with Whitebeard at Fishman Island, leading to his newfound trust in a newcomer who had just joined the pirate crew—a newcomer who had previously been a Marine.

This is incredibly shocking; no one can understand this behavior, not even Benjamin himself, who feels a bit confused.

However, Benjamin's reaction wasn't as intense as those of the others. The reason was that he didn't know the fruit in front of him at all; he only knew that it was a Devil Fruit.

"Oyaji, this..." 

Benjamin hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to proceed immediately.

Although he had expressed a desire for a Devil Fruit before, he hadn't expected Whitebeard to give it to him so quickly.

Benjamin didn't want to receive the Devil Fruit so soon because he knew it was very valuable, and he was just a newcomer.

If he accepts this fruit, others will definitely be dissatisfied. Benjamin initially thought that after joining the Whitebeard Pirate, he would work hard and make his own contributions before receiving such a valuable item.

It wouldn't be too late to receive the Devil Fruit after earning some credit; it would be smoother then.

So, Benjamin hadn't made this plan at all. Whitebeard glanced at him and asked, "Why hesitate? Didn't you say you wanted a Devil Fruit? Hurry up and eat it."

"But, Oyaji, I've only just joined the Pirate crew recently, and I haven't made any contributions yet. It doesn't feel right to receive it now" 

Benjamin said without much hesitation

Marco also approached and whispered to Whitebeard, "Oyaji, the Dark Fruit is so precious. Are you really going to give it to this person? What if he's as good at hiding his intentions as Teach?"

"Marco, don't you trust my judgment? I believe in him. He's a suitable candidate for the Dark Fruit. I know it may seem like I'm being partial, but i'm aware of what i'm doing"

Whitebeard said.

With Whitebeard's statement, Marco stopped his questioning. He also said to Benjamin: "In that case, I support Oyaji's decision. You can eat this fruit."

"Yeah, it's such a valuable Devil Fruit. Even though it doesn't look delicious, you should eat it"

Shirahoshi said innocently.

"Okay!" 

Benjamin didn't hesitate anymore. He put the Devil Fruit in his mouth and took a bite.

Devil Fruit only requires one bite to gain the power of the devil. Soon, Benjamin felt a dark energy surging through his body.

As for the type of Devil Fruit, Benjamin didn't mind, as he believed he could adapt to any power he received.

Why would he still care about the type of Devil Fruit? However, after eating it, he discovered that this Devil Fruit was a bit unusual.

Benjamin felt a very peculiar force flooding his body, as an invisible black aura surged, giving him a sense of unease in his heart.

"Oyaji, what kind of fruit is this?" Benjamin asked immediately.

Marco replied, "This is Logia, Dark-Dark Fruit."

"Dark Fruit?" 

Benjamin's eyes widened suddenly; he had heard of the name before.

After all, Benjamin was a former Marine. The Dark Fruit had previously been acquired by Blackbeard. With its abilities, he defeated Ace and earned the position of Shichibukai.

Moreover, during the Summit War, Blackbeard went to Impel Down, released many pirates, and formed the Blackbeard Pirates.

After the Summit War, he became one of the Four Emperors and was the most famous pirate at that time.

Although Blackbeard was killed by Whitebeard, no one was ignorant of the power of the Dark Fruit since Blackbeard became famous because of it.

The Dark Fruit can nullify an opponent's fruit power and summon a massive black hole to swallow its surroundings. It's considered one of the most formidable Devil Fruits.

"Is it really the Dark Fruit? Why are you giving this to me?" 

Benjamin was a bit taken aback.

Although the Dark Fruit is powerful, it does not make Benjamin interested in its power. On the contrary, he feels strongly repulsed to Dark-Dark Fruit

First of all, the Dark Fruit belonged to Blackbeard before, so now that he has it, there's always a feeling of inheriting Blackbeard's legacy.

This made him feel very uncomfortable. Additionally, the appearance of the Dark Fruit was too sinister.

All of this filled Benjamin with regret. He felt he should have asked more clearly about what he was eating at the time. Now, unless he died, he would carry this devil fruit power for the rest of his life.

"Why did Dad give me the Dark Fruit? I don't even want such a special fruit," 

Benjamin said to Whitebeard with a hint of regret in his voice

Whitebeard also understands Benjamin's resistance. However, giving the Dark Fruit to Benjamin serves a specific purpose.

"Benjamin, if you don't like the Dark Fruit, can you tell me why?" Whitebeard asked.

Benjamin immediately replied, "Of course I don't like it. I heard it belonged to Blackbeard before. I don't want to have any connection with such an evil person."

"Benjamin, this is just a Devil Fruit; it has nothing to do with the previous user. I hope you can see it for what it is and not be affected by it" 

Marco said.

At that moment, the crew members below fell silent, their eyes changing between Whitebeard and Benjamin.

After receiving the Dark Fruit, Benjamin didn't seem as happy as everyone expected; instead, he showed some resistance.

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TO BE CONTINUED

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