Learning The Secret of Stealing Devil Fruits

The Eustass and Blackbeard Pirates headed to Victoria Punk, leaving Bonney and Krieg behind with Burgess as a hostage at the top of Drum Rookies.

"When I return to normal, getting beaten up and dying will be your last concerns bitch!!" Burgess shouted his lungs out while wiggling and jiggling on the ground trying to free himself.

"So stubborn…Say something like that again and I'll have this muscle head right here slice your head off!!" Bonney exclaimed in rage, threating to kill him while Krieg looked pissed about the muscle head remark.

"Who are you calling muscle head you little runt!!" His forehead veins bulged and the only thing that was stopping him from attacking Bonney was Kai "You're testing my patience girl" he added before he sighed loudly and calmed himself down.

He turned back, admiring the Drum Castle that lay beside them "What's the use of an empty castle?...seems like the king has ran away leaving his citizens behind. Tsk…fucking insects, I'll never understand how those good for nothing nobles get so much power"

Bonney, whose father was once a king, didn't appreciate Krieg's words. She retorted "Not all of them are the same" She said "Hey, let's head inside and search the place while we're here. We might find something valuable" 

Krieg pointed at Burgess, asking, "What about him?"

"He's just a baby" she said with a smile.

"I'll make sure to tell the captain about that--" Burgess yelled but he was quickly interrupted when Bonney grabbed him by the leg and walked towards the castle gate "AGHH!! LET ME DOWN YOU FUCKING BITCH!!"

"Shut up or I'll throw you down the mountain!"

"Sucks to be you mate" Krieg remarked while walking beside her.

"AARGGHH!!"

"…"

In the river near Bighorn village where the Victoria Punk was docked, the two pirate groups approached the ship.

"You didn't tell me what you said to him. How did you convince that guy not to kill us?" Kid asked, leaning on Heat's shoulder. Their injuries and broken bones made every step unbearable.

"It seemed like you were negotiating," Killer noted, supporting Kai as they walked.

"Well, I shared some important information in exchange for him to show us a method that can be used to extract Devil Fruit powers from dead people" Kai replied, surprising them as they thought that something like that would be impossible.

"Isn't that some crazy knowledge to have?!" Kid exclaimed.

"How does he even know about it?" Gin inquired, clearly intrigued by Devil Fruits.

"I don't have all the details, but he's a dangerous individual," Kai warned.

"You're right, whenever I look at that Blackbeard guy it feels like there is something off about him" Killer added, glancing back at him.

"Alright, spill the beans. What did you tell him?" Kid pressed.

"Well, you should know since we're also going after the One Piece. There are things called Poneglyphs, large, mysterious steles with historical knowledge inscribed on them in an ancient script…" Kai explained "…long story short is that we need four Red Poneglyphs to reach the last island, they are called the Road Poneglyphs and if you gather the four together and decipher them, they point out to the location of the island where the One Piece is hidden, Laugh Tale"

Everyone was left dumbfounded upon hearing that.

"Laugh…Tale…"

"Seems too easy, just gathering some rocks to find the One Piece?" Wire questioned.

"No, if what Kai said is true then all the powerful pirates in the Grand Line will surely be after them…" Killer stated, he then added "…The Four Emperors of the Sea"

"The Emperors, huh? That means we won't get anywhere without a good fight. I prefer it that way; a boring adventure doesn't suit me," Kid said with a grin. "But how do you know all this?" 

"Well…I did some extensive research on my own. I'll tell you everything later" Kai replied.

Kid fell silence for a moment before speaking. 

"Come on, you know I'm not that dumb…" he looked at his brother with a serious face "Since we were young you always acted more mature than your age, you always knew a lot of things. I always felt like you keep hiding something…I won't pressure you tell me, but just know that if you ever want to talk about it, you can trust me…" 

"…I'm your brother after all" 

Kai was taken aback by Kid's words but smiled warmly "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind"

"…"

"Captain, are you sure about this? We could be walking into a trap" Van Augur inquired cautiously, ensuring that Blackbeard understood the situation and the potential risks. "I've got a bad feeling about those two brothers, especially that Kai fellow. He seems quite sharp and cunning"

"Don't fret, Augur. I doubt he'd try anything reckless after witnessing our capabilities. He strikes me as a cautious one," Blackbeard reassured his crewmate as he led the way, though they maintained a safe distance from Kai and his crew.

Upon reaching the river, a ship came into view.

Blackbeard and his group proceeded to approach Kai and the others, admiring the pirate vessel. 

Approaching Kai and his crew, Blackbeard examined the pirate vessel and asked, "Is that your ship?"

"Yes, it's the Victoria Punk" Kai stated its name to him.

Blackbeard, showing an interest, quipped, "Named after a lover or something?"

Kid chimed in "A childhood friend" he responded.

"Pretty cool"

The sailors onboard the ship finally noticed their guests, including shipwright Donovan and several others left behind to watch the prisoner.

"Captain, you're back!!" Donovan greeted them.

Kai asked, "Everything in order?"

"Just as you left it!"

"Good," Kai said, then turned to Blackbeard and his crew, saying, "Come on, I'll show you the prisoner. She's locked in the brig"

Kai led them inside the ship to the brig, where Hina was confined in a small prison cell.

"A Marine?!" Blackbeard was taken aback by the sight of the high-ranking Marine prisoner. "Zehahaha!! You don't seize to surprise me!"

Hina shouted angrily, "How long are you going to keep Hina here? Someone will notice her absence and report to HQ. You'll have more Marines on your tail!" 

"She's got sea stone cuffs on her so don't worry, you can approach her" Kai reassured Blackbeard "She has the Cage Cage fruit, pretty strong in the right hands I would say" he stated.

Blackbeard approached the cell, inspecting Hina more closely "What a shame, we're gonna have to kill this beauty"

"Y-You…I know you…" Hina muttered in recognition, taken aback by Blackbeard's face.

Kai was visibly disgusted by Blackbeard's comments as even as a pirate he still has a moral code. He stated firmly "I won't let you rape her if that's what you're trying to insinuate, and don't say 'we' you're the one who's gonna kill her. Now, stop wasting my time and show me already"

"Hoi hoi, you're making look like a monster here" Blackbeard said amused by Kai's words "Alright, I'll show you. I'm gonna need something sharp for this"

Kid pulled out his dagger and handed it to him.

"Thanks," Blackbeard grinned wickedly, clutching the dagger firmly. "Now, listen up, 'cause I won't repeat myself. Doc Q, hand that thing over!"

"Yes Captain!"

"There are two ways to go on with this and both are bloody savage" He explained while approaching Hina with the sharp end of the dagger pointed at her.

"Hey…What are you doing?" Hina looked at Blackbeard in horror "Stop it…please no--"

SPLASH!!

Blackbeard started explaining the method while demonstrating it in front of both crews.

"…"

… 

...

...

A few minutes later, on the ship's deck,

"I've got a feeling, Eustass Kai, Eustass Kid, that our paths will cross again. I'll be waiting for it. Just don't die pathetically until then," Blackbeard remarked, then turned away and left the ship. "Alright, folks, let's move out! Zehahaha!!"

*FOOTSTEPS*-*FOOTSTEPS*

"…"

"Yeah, next time we meet we'll make sure your head's on a spike asshole" Kid muttered then turned to Heat and Wire.

"Heat, Wire, head back to Drum Castle. Inform Bonney and Krieg to release Burgess," Kid ordered, and the two immediately departed.

"Yes!!" x2.

"…"

"What's your take on this, Captain?" Gin asked, still processing what happened a few minutes ago "Honestly, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes"

"Yeah, the way they acquire Devil Fruits is quite something" Kai said, taking a bite from an apple "It's very interesting, and explains a lot"

"What should we do with her body?" Killer inquired. 

"Just dump it into the sea" Kai suggested, sitting down, resting against the ship's rail. "Ugh... These injuries are killing me."

"Me to!" Kid collapsed on his back, gasping for breath.

"We should find a doctor for you as fast as possible before your injuries worsen," Killer advised.

"This island is reputed for its medical expertise. There's bound to be a skilled doctor who can help you," Gin pointed out. 

"I know just the person for the job," Kai said. "We need to head back to Drum Castle."