One piece: Dark Smoker

Smoker returned to the room and lit a torch, handing it to Hina.

"Smoker, what are you planning to do?"

"I want to test something—whether I can strip someone of their abilities," he said with determination

Hina was taken aback. "Is that even possible?!"

In a world filled with Devil Fruit users, such a power would have caused chaos long ago if it existed.

"I'm not certain. It's just an experiment," Smoker replied calmly. "No matter what happens, stay still and just watch."

"Understood," Hina said firmly.

Smoker nodded and let a shadowy darkness spread from beneath his feet, creeping across the floor, walls, and ceiling until the entire room was engulfed.

The space became like a sealed black box.

Aside from the flickering torchlight in Hina's hand, there was no other light, and even the ambient sounds faded into nothingness.

Smoker seemed unsatisfied with this and closed his eyes, focusing intently on something unseen.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes, and with a burst of power, the thick darkness collapsed inward, becoming more compact. What was once a layer of soft cotton now felt like a sheet of solid steel.

He reinforced the darkness layer by layer as Hina silently observed, sensing the subtle shifts in the room.

With sound and light completely cut off, her heightened tactile awareness picked up on the constant flux of the gravitational field around them. The flames of the torch flickered unnaturally, as though an invisible hand were playing with them.

When the room was fully sealed, Smoker finally exhaled in relief.

He carefully placed several fruits in a row.

"Trebol, Gladius, and Machvise… three Devil Fruits."

"Let's start with Machvise's Ton-Ton Fruit—it's the least remarkable, so failure wouldn't be a big loss."

"Release!" Smoker commanded, throwing Machvise into the center of the room.

Machvise, having been imprisoned for three days without food or water, emerged in a state of despair and confusion. His dazed eyes locked onto the light source, and when he spotted Hina, he exclaimed in shock, "You?!"

Before he could react further, a cold, emotionless voice came from behind him.

"Shigan!"

A steely finger pierced through Machvise's neck.

The immense pain knocked him unconscious instantly, and Smoker paid him no further attention. His gaze was fixed on the fruits, tension clear on his face.

A few seconds later, one of the pineapples began to transform, its surface developing spiraling patterns as its color darkened to a reddish-brown.

"This… this is…" Hina murmured in astonishment.

Smoker's face lit up with satisfaction.

"That's his Ton-Ton Fruit," he confirmed.

"Just as I thought…"

"When a Devil Fruit user dies, their power reappears in a nearby fruit. It seems it must be the same type of fruit."

"This explains why Alabasta could pass down the powers of their fruits. When Gavent died, the Powder-Powder Fruit appeared on the ship—this proves there's a specific range for the transfer!"

"There's also a delay. The fruit took a few seconds to change after the user's death, suggesting it's not an instant spatial transfer but more like a reincarnation of the soul!"

From this single instance, Smoker deduced multiple insights.

He didn't stop there.

Taking advantage of his momentum, he eliminated Trebol and Gladius as well, obtaining the Sticky-Sticky and Pop-Pop Fruits in the process.

Soon, five Devil Fruits lay before him, their striking patterns making for an impressive sight.

Smoker grinned with evident delight.

However, several questions remained unanswered.

What would happen if there were no fruits within the range when a Devil Fruit user died? Would the power extend its range or wait indefinitely until a suitable fruit appeared?

And then there was the case of Big Mom, who allegedly gained her powers by consuming the nun. Could living beings absorb powers, acting as barriers to their reincarnation?

These uncertainties didn't bother Smoker.

Because now, he had mastered the method to strip Devil Fruit powers.

With a triumphant smile, Smoker wrapped an arm around Hina's waist.

"See that... it's a masterpiece!!"

Hina took a moment to regain her composure, swallowing nervously.

"Smoker, I don't know why, but I'm kind of scared..."

"Don't let this ability get out, okay? Not even to Zean or the others..."

Smoker affectionately ruffled her pink hair.

"Of course! I'm not that foolish!"

He then looked at the bodies of Trebol and the others.

These guys all had bounties.

Trebol had a bounty of 60 million Berries, Gladius 25 million, and Machvise 7 million,

along with Jola and Lao G, that made a total bounty of over 100 million.

Whether they kept them for military merit or sold them to bounty hunters, either option was good.

"Don't waste them..." Smoker muttered, stuffing the bodies back into the shadows.

Then, with a wave of his hand, the solid darkness that surrounded them began to dissipate and return to him.

The Devil Fruits on the floor were also absorbed.

"Devil Fruit hunters, huh..."

"If Blackbeard can do it, why can't I, Smoker?"

There were plenty of Devil Fruit users, but the Grand Line was vast.

With just Smoker and Hina, they'd barely catch a few, even if they worked themselves to the bone.

Plus, they needed to capture them alive before finishing them off.

Asking for help from their comrades would attract too much attention.

Smoker sighed.

It was frustrating that the ability to strip Devil Fruits could benefit the Navy, yet he couldn't share it with anyone.

"I need to figure out how to capture more Devil Fruit users alive!"

Suddenly, a rhythmic ship's horn sounded in the distance.

Hina tilted her head, listening carefully.

"Smoker, a warship is coming—it's the headquarters' ship!!"

The horn was a signal, and the sound was meaningful, carrying messages.

Smoker didn't understand it, but Hina was well-versed.

"Oh? Let's go check it out!"

The two of them went outside and saw Zean, along with Zefa and Sakazuki, already gathered on the deck.

It turned out this ship was Zefa's.

When they had seen Smoker and the others fighting from afar, they had landed on the island using Geppo and stayed close, letting the ship follow at a distance.

Now, Zean was heading back to G2, and Zefa and the others were returning to headquarters, so it was time to part ways.

Zean walked over to greet them.

"Zefa-sensei, Sakazuki-san, are you really leaving already?!"

There was a hint of reluctance in her voice.

Zefa chuckled, making a rare joke.

"Time to go. You've been too comfortable on your ship. If I stay any longer, my old bones will rust!"

Zean laughed softly, like a blooming peony.

"You're just teasing me, as usual. I won't listen anyway, so there's no point in saying it..."

She then turned to Sakazuki, her eyes misting over.

"We won't see each other for a long time, will we? Probably a lot longer this time..."

Sakazuki nodded, his expression unchanged.

"It's all for justice..."

Zean hesitated for a moment, then softly agreed.

At that moment, the two ships were closing in.

Zean sighed. "Sensei, Sakazuki-san, and you two, hurry and board the ship..."

"Alright... Zean, take care!"

Zefa said, leaping onto the ship first.

Smoker saluted and followed him onto the ship.

Hina waved her hand. "Major Zean, thank you for all your help these past days. If I get the chance, I'll visit you at G2!"

Zean's face stiffened for a second before she quickly replaced it with a smile.

"Good luck, Hina. You'll be a great naval officer like Vice Admiral Tsuru!"

Sakazuki was the last to leave.

He didn't say much, but as he passed by Zean, he stopped, sighed heavily, and said,

"Stay safe, and be careful! Don't push yourself too hard..."

"If things get bad... don't hesitate to retreat!"