The mbers of the Blackbeard Pirates gave Shirogai a grand welco upon his return.
"Zehahahahaha! Shirogai, you should join our Blackbeard Pirates!"
Blackbeard Teach raised his glass with a wide grin, once again extending the invitation to the man drinking calmly at his side.
"Teach, give it up," Shirogai replied nonchalantly as he downed another drink in his contest against Burgess. His voice was steady, indifferent, "I've said it plenty of tis. I've already joined the Straw Hat Pirates. I have no intention of switching crews."
Blackbeard's grin widened. "What's so hard about that? At most, your crew can rge with ours! I'll give you the captaincy of the first and second ships. Together, we'll rise to greater heights and carve new glory into the seas!"
"Wehahahaha! What a drinker!"
Burgess slamd his empty glass on the table and flashed Shirogai a toothy grin. "Shirogai, join us! Let's follow Captain and topple this rotten world together!"
"Topple the world, huh?"
Shirogai set his glass down and looked at Teach with a half-smile. Lifting a finger, he released a small wisp of dark energy, its aura unmistakable. "Tell , Teach… do you really believe you can overthrow the world with nothing but the power of the Yami Yami no Mi?"
"Hiss!"
Burgess, Van Auger, and Doc Q all stiffened, their eyes widening.
"That's Captain's power!" Burgess muttered in disbelief.
"The power of the Yami Yami no Mi?"
Teach's face twisted in shock as his eyes locked onto the darkness swirling at Shirogai's fingertip. "Shirogai… what kind of Devil Fruit did you eat? You can even use my ability?!"
Shirogai leaned back, his tone playful yet sharp. "Oh? You didn't know? I'm a Talent Person. I ate the Talent Fruit. I can learn and replicate the abilities of other Devil Fruit users I encounter. Teach? You tempted? Want to try and take this power for yourself?"
"Talent Fruit…?"
Teach's eyes narrowed, doubt creeping across his expression. That wasn't right. He hadn't felt the presence of any Devil Fruit inside Shirogai earlier.
"You're wondering why you didn't sense anything?" Shirogai smirked knowingly. "That's because I nullified it by using the Yami Yami no Mi's own ability. Your trick doesn't work on ."
Teach's grin returned, though his gaze was sharp and calculating. "Zehahahahaha! You're not lying to , are you? I've read countless records, and I've never seen anything about this so-called Talent Fruit."
"It doesn't matter what you've read. You'll find out soon enough if you test ," Shirogai replied calmly.
Burgess, his drunken act barely holding, slamd the table again. His eyes glimred with greed. "Captain! He agreed! Just try it already!"
Teach rose slowly, his laughter booming through the hall. "Zehahahahaha! Since you insist, Shirogai, I'll take you up on that offer!"
Darkness seeped from Teach's body, spreading like a suffocating tide. The air grew heavy as the eerie black aura swirled around him like a cloak.
"Dark Water!"
With a sudden pull, Shirogai's body was dragged toward him. Teach's massive hand clamped around his neck, lifting him into the air.
For a mont, Teach's eyes widened in shock. He could feel it — the tangible presence of a Devil Fruit within Shirogai's body.
"This power… it's real?" Teach muttered, his astonishnt quickly giving way to unrestrained greed. His grin stretched into sothing far more sinister. "Zehahahahaha! Shirogai, you really didn't lie to …"
The rest of the crew exchanged glances. Their eyes glead with excitent.
"Plunderer, careless enough to hand Captain the blade that could kill him…" Burgess sneered.
"Captain, kill him!" Burgess urged eagerly. "Take that Devil Fruit! With the Yami Yami no Mi and this Talent Fruit combined, we'll be unstoppable!"
Van Auger adjusted his hat, his gaze cold. "The arrogant fall by their arrogance. Fate is cruel, but absolute."
Doc Q coughed weakly, a ghastly smile on his pale face. "Cough… Your luck was good, Shirogai. But our Captain's luck… cough… is greater."
Dangling from Teach's grip, Shirogai's voice ca out hoarse but steady. "Hey, Teach… you've tested enough, haven't you? We're not enemies. Weren't you just inviting to join you a mont ago?"
Teach's laughter exploded, echoing through the tavern. "Zehahahahaha! Are you joking with ? A man as dangerous as you, handing your weakness so openly? You must take for a fool!"
Shirogai coughed lightly, forcing a smirk despite the crushing grip. "Maybe I am joking with you. Maybe I'm not. Either way, the joke's over, don't you think? Let go, Teach."
Teach's eyes flickered with hesitation. His instincts scread at him to beware — this man was not simple. But the intoxicating lure of Shirogai's power was overwhelming.
"Zehahahahaha! If you're bluffing, I'll expose it here and now," Teach growled. He slamd Shirogai to the ground, the floorboards splintering under the impact. His voice rang out cold and final. "n, get ready. If he really holds this Talent Fruit, then tonight, Shirogai dies!"
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