As Ren's Wind Style Rasengan slammed into Blackbeard's abdomen, a violent, twisting agony surged from his stomach to his brain—enough to make any sane man lose his mind!
In the next instant, a wail erupted from Blackbeard's throat. It was ten thousand times more harrowing than a slaughtered pig; if Ren hadn't seen it himself, he wouldn't have believed a human could produce such a sound!
"Aaaagh— Ooooh— Gyaaah—!!"
After a series of bizarre, guttural shrieks, Blackbeard's eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the snow, his body twitching rhythmically.
"This... what is this... why does it hurt so much..." Teach gasped, his voice broken and wheezing.
Ren didn't bother answering. His eyes were fixed on the impact zone. Wisps of black smoke rose from Blackbeard's stomach, and the internal damage caused by the Rasengan was stitching itself back together at a visible rate.
So this is the Yami Yami no Mi. Truly formidable.
The Dark-Dark Fruit, though classified as a Logia, didn't allow the user to become intangible. In fact, the host absorbed double the pain from any attack. But the trade-off was god-tier: as long as you aren't obliterated instantly, you can recover from almost any wound in a short time—provided you can endure the mental torture of that doubled pain.
Furthermore, it acted like Seastone, nullifying other Fruit powers and allowing the user to grab the "entity" of Logias without Haki. And of course, the ultimate trump card: devouring other powers to become a dual-ability user.
Ren thought of these benefits, yet he felt no desire for the fruit. His first choice was still a Mythical Zoan; at the very least, he wanted a "cool and strong" Logia like the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. The Dark-Dark Fruit just wasn't his style.
"To endure that much pain without losing consciousness... it seems you truly are that 'freak' who never sleeps."
Hearing Ren's words, Blackbeard's body stiffened. Had his biggest secret been exposed just like that?
No! Wait, Teach thought frantically, he only said I won't go unconscious. That means he doesn't know the full truth of my body yet. I can't panic.
Struggling to lift his head, Blackbeard forced a fawning smile. "Great... Great Lord! Please, a man of your stature... forgive a small fry like me this once?"
"Not a chance." Ren shook his head decisively. A man as dangerous as Blackbeard couldn't be left alive; if he let him go today, he'd have to spend every waking moment looking over his shoulder for revenge. Besides, even if Ren didn't want to eat the fruit, it would make an excellent addition to his collection!
Under Blackbeard's despairing gaze, Ren raised a finger and pointed it directly at the man's forehead.
"NO!!" Teach roared. At the precipice of death, he stopped hiding his strength. Thick black fog erupted from his body, surging toward Ren!
However, in the next second, everything stopped. The world hit a "pause" button. In this frozen reality, only Ren remained unfettered.
Looking at the rising black smoke, Ren showed no mercy. A Cero manifested and struck Blackbeard right between the eyes.
As time resumed, the spectators only saw a massive hole suddenly appear in Blackbeard's forehead. Amidst their collective horror, his corpse hit the ground with a heavy thud.
Ren grabbed the body and tossed it into the Seastone cage Hill and Gray had hauled out. Inside the cage, along with the corpse, were several fruits—pineapples, melons, and the like. These were the "vessels" for the Devil Fruit's reincarnation.
Done with the primary target, Ren looked at the Blackbeard Pirates, who were already trying to sneak away. He glanced at Klin and the others. "Kill them if you want. If you're too lazy, it doesn't matter."
Without Teach, these "stinking fish and rotten shrimp" were no threat. Ren didn't care if they lived or died.
But to Klin, Law, and Blue, those words sounded like a jab—as if Ren were asking, 'How are you guys not finished yet? Are you incompetent?'
In an instant, Klin's blade turned pitch-black. He stared at Laffitte and unleashed a brilliant arc of sword light.
"Hehe." Laffitte flickered away, dodging the strike with ease. He glanced at the cage containing his captain's body and smiled. "Well, everyone, it seems our ambitions have reached an end. Therefore... I bid you adieu."
Without looking back, Laffitte fled. The other three followed suit immediately, showing zero interest in avenging their captain. They were a group of individualists gathered only by ambition and Blackbeard's promise of fruits; with him dead, the bond dissolved instantly.
Klin wanted to give chase, but seeing Law and Blue lowering their guard, he dropped the idea.
Back on the ship, Klin remained unusually silent, sitting in his chair with his eyes closed to rest. Ren remained focused on Blackbeard's corpse and the fruits.
If one of the fruits changed, it would prove that Devil Fruits were strictly biological/physical and could be contained by the sea's energy. If they didn't change, it would suggest the "Devil" inside couldn't be trapped by Seastone—validating the theory that these "Lineage Factors" were actually a form of "God" or supernatural entity that simply allowed the consumer to "borrow" its power, thereby attracting the sea's hatred.
"Whatever the truth is, we'll have the answer soon."
Law and Blue resumed their training. This time, Klin joined them, uncharacteristically focused on honing his Observation Haki. Ren and Hill kept their eyes glued to the Seastone cage, unwilling to miss a single detail.
Since they were in a land of eternal snow, the freezing temperature meant they didn't have to worry about the corpse rotting.
Two days later.
"The fruits haven't changed. Looks like your theory failed, Captain." Hill rubbed her sore, bloodshot eyes and stood up. "I'm going to sleep. I haven't slept in two days; I feel like death."
"Fair enough. Experiment failed."
Click—
Ren opened the Seastone cage. He activated an ocular power, and pitch-black flames—Amaterasu—erupted onto Blackbeard's body, incinerating the remains until not even ash was left.
Ren took the fruits out of the cage; due to the cold, they were as fresh as the day he bought them. He hauled the heavy cage back into the hold and returned to his room to catch up on sleep.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the ocean, Portgas D. Ace—who had left the Whitebeard Pirates to hunt down the traitor—surfaced from the depths, finally arriving in the first half of the Grand Line.
"Blackbeard! I'm going to personally..."