"Do you enjoy explaining your abilities to others so much?"
Dreke sensed a thick sense of superiority in Blackbeard's tone, a feeling that seemed all too familiar to her. Queen was like that too; whenever he had a new invention to show off, he used the same kind of tone.
"No, no, no, this is obviously an exception. I told you, you're worth recruiting. Come and join me; the status of a High-Level Official is much better than a NO.4, isn't it? If you're willing, even Vice Captain is not out of the question."
Blackbeard wasn't one to explain his abilities to everyone; he was flaunting his assets in an attempt to attract others to join him. As for the mention of Vice Captain, Blackbeard clearly had ulterior motives.
He knew that recruiting someone isn't easily accomplished with just a few words, which is why he was demonstrating his abilities to prove he has the potential to stand at the pinnacle of the world.
"Don't look at me with that disgusting eye; no matter how much you babble, I have no interest in you."
Dreke didn't pay any attention to the spherical mass of debris overhead. Instead, she used her speed to close the distance with Blackbeard. The debris in the sky, under Blackbeard's control, crashed towards Dreke, but the slow attack couldn't even touch her.
As the debris from houses and rocks struck the ground, they stirred up a massive dust cloud, but Dreke's X-ray Vision allowed her to completely ignore the obstruction. Her claws shimmered with deadly cold light as they slashed towards Blackbeard.
The claw landed solidly on Blackbeard's stomach, but the sensation felt off. It didn't possess the hardness provided by Armament defense, nor the softness of an ordinary abdomen.
What should have been a gut-wrenching blow felt as ineffective as mud sinking into the sea, failing to achieve the impact Dreke anticipated.
Seeing Blackbeard once again rolling on the ground in pain, Dreke didn't stop like before. Instead, she swung her tail, releasing countless star-like energy blocks bombarding Blackbeard.
"Dark Water!"
Under the assault of high-speed stars, Blackbeard, enduring the pain, stretched out his right hand. Darkness congregated in his palm, absorbing all of the high-speed stars Dreke launched.
"It's useless. Another thing my Dark Gravity can absorb are Devil Fruit abilities! Whether you're a Logia-type, Paramecia-type, or Zoan, any Fruit Ability User will be restrained by me! You should feel it by now, shouldn't you?"
Blackbeard increased the pull of the Dark Water in his hand, attempting to draw Dreke in front of him, but although Dreke's body swayed slightly, she wasn't dragged towards him as expected.
"Strange, how can this be..."
Gravity is a manifestation of the Dark-Dark Fruit's power. Whether you're an Ability User or not, you'd be affected by the gravitational pull generated by the Dark-Dark Fruit, as evidenced by the earlier houses and rocks.
However, due to the Devil Fruit inside an Ability User, they would experience a sense of powerlessness when facing Blackbeard, making them easier targets for his pull.
But Dreke is purely a Pokemon Ability User, with no trace of Devil Fruit within her.
The Dark-Dark Fruit could absorb her attacks, but it couldn't affect her body in any other way. She was merely contending with simple gravity, which her physique could completely withstand.
"Zehahaha, you're indeed strong, actually managing to resist my not yet mastered ability."
Blackbeard attributed all this to his lack of proficiency with his powers. He didn't want to believe that the object of his years-long pursuit would be ineffective against Ability Users. So it was either due to his inexperience with his abilities or Dreke's extraordinarily strong physique.
Blackbeard maintained the release of Dark Water and approached Dreke at a completely different speed than before, directly reaching for her shoulder.
"I've caught you, haven't I? This is the true strength of the Dark-Dark Fruit. Once I touch you, any Ability User's ability is nullified,
No matter how powerful the Fruit Ability, it becomes ineffective against me!
This time, you should feel it, that your ability can no longer be used... right...."
Blackbeard seemed to detect something amiss; Dreke, who was caught by him, remained in her Zoan Transformed State.
It's known that the Dark-Dark Fruit affects other Ability Users similarly to seawater and Seastone, preventing Logia from Elementalization, and Paramecia-type from using their abilities—this is the unique aspect of the Dark-Dark Fruit.
Theoretically, when he caught Dreke, she should have been forced to revert from her transformed state.
"I underestimated your skills, but that statement applies to you too; your ability is also ineffective against me!"
Blackbeard's reaction speed surprised Dreke. Among the Hundred Beasts officials, none were weak in close combat. Successfully grabbing Dreke already showcased his body techniques to a certain extent, indicating that this body was not as lacking as she imagined.
Yet his plan was utterly shattered by "Divine Power."
Against someone who is not a Devil Fruit User, his ability to counter fruit abilities naturally became ineffective, and the next instant, he was forced to let go of Dreke.
"Take your filthy hands... off me!"
Due to the close proximity, Dreke unleashed Wild Charge directly, encasing her entire body in a powerful electric current.
The side-effect of the Dark-Dark Fruit, which doubles the pain, intensified the agony for Blackbeard, while the potent electric current gave Blackbeard a pair of "Black Arms."
Additionally, Dreke took the opportunity to shift into her Beast Form. The transformation, coupled with the electric attack, forced Blackbeard to release his grasp, and Dreke's teeth ignited with blazing flames. The intense Fire Fang aimed directly for Blackbeard's neck.
Though using teeth to bite might seem unrefined, if it could eliminate the enemy, she wouldn't mind.
"Liberate!"
Blackbeard raised his other arm, releasing a multitude of stones and trees from the darkness in his palm—these were the items he'd previously absorbed through the Dark Acupoint Path, which he hadn't entirely discarded, and could release again this way.
After forcing Dreke back, Blackbeard's face had lost its earlier composure.
"Impossible! The Dark-Dark Fruit is the most ferocious ability in history, the bane of all Ability Users! How can you possibly ignore the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit?! This is impossible!"
"Heh, such questions, someone will answer for you when you're in hell."
Arrogance and rashness were Blackbeard's significant weaknesses. When he thought he had the upper hand, he would become incredibly conceited, like when he flaunted his abilities to Dreke moments ago because he believed he had her in control.
Dreke was different; she had no interest in being a battlefield commentator. If anyone wanted to know her true capabilities, they had to learn through combat, exploring bit by bit.