One Piece : Rise of Thunder King

You can read the advance chapters here : patreon.com/Vigilante04

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The electromagnetic field concentrated around the fruit shop, signaling that a powerful Devil Fruit was emerging.

Finally, on the afternoon of the third day, the special Logia-type Devil Fruit known as the Dark-Dark Fruit began to appear among the fruits.

Arthur sensed the change in a fruit located at the bottom of a fruit box and immediately focused his attention there.

"It's here! The Dark-Dark Fruit!" Arthur felt a surge of excitement.

He focused all his senses. Using Observation Haki combined with the electromagnetic field, he could perceive every detail of the fruit, down to its swirling patterns.

Thud, thud, thud.

Arthur stood up from his spot on the second floor and made his way to the fruit shop.

"Boss, I'd like to buy these three boxes of fruit!" A rough voice suddenly echoed through the shop.

As Arthur approached, he heard the commotion and frowned. "Could this be happening right now...?"

While the shop owner chatted excitedly with the customer, Arthur walked inside.

"Boss, I want this box of fruit," Arthur said, pointing to the one containing the Dark-Dark Fruit.

"Huh?" The other customer turned to look at Arthur. "Sorry, kid, I've already bought this box. Why don't you pick another?"

"Yeah, friend, these three boxes have already been sold," said the shop owner with a smile. "Take a look at the other fruits; they're all fresh and great quality."

Arthur remained calm. "Would you mind switching boxes? I'll pay for all three boxes of fruit."

The burly customer gave Arthur a hard look but then unexpectedly burst into laughter. "Never mind, boss. Just give me a single basket of fruit instead and let this box go to the kid."

"Little brother, since you want it, it's yours. No need to pay for me—just enjoy," the man said with surprising generosity.

Arthur studied him and smiled slightly. Since the man was being agreeable, there was no need to complicate things.

"Thank you. Oh, by the way, there are rumors of a troublesome pirate crew in this area. Best to avoid their route," Arthur said as a courtesy.

The man's eyes widened, then he nodded and thanked Arthur. "Pirates? On Whitebeard's territory? Thanks for the warning!"

Arthur smiled, paid for the box, and left the shop.

Securing the Dark-Dark Fruit without any fuss made him feel relieved. It was almost surprising that a man who seemed so fierce was actually so accommodating.

Arthur soon checked into a nearby hotel. He placed the fruit box on the floor. Using his powers, the other fruits floated out of the box. Among them, Arthur spotted the purple, swirly-patterned fruit resembling a pineapple.

He held the Dark-Dark Fruit in his hands, feeling a rush of excitement. "Finally... it's mine!"

After taking a moment to savor his success, Arthur destroyed the other fruits with high-temperature lightning, reducing them to dust and disposing of them.

"Now to give this to Nojiko." Arthur placed the fruit back in the box and left the room.

Up in the skies, Arthur traveled swiftly. He had no reason to hide now. He had the Dark-Dark Fruit, and as long as he kept it concealed, no one would know.

Half a day later, in the Angel Empire on the Island of Gods.

"What's in the box?" Nami asked tiredly, hopping onto Arthur's back.

Nojiko, curious as well, approached. She wasn't worried about eating a Devil Fruit but was willing to do anything for Arthur. He insisted that everyone close to him become stronger.

"I want to know too," Raki added, glancing at the box.

"This is a powerful fruit," Arthur explained. "It may not be a perfect match for Nojiko, but it's important enough that I can only trust it with someone close."

He placed the box in front of Nojiko, who opened it and picked up the Dark-Dark Fruit.

"Is this... the Dark-Dark Fruit?" Nami asked in surprise.

Arthur nodded, smiling. "Yes. This is the Dark-Dark Fruit, known as the most dangerous Devil Fruit in history."

He explained further. "Even compared to my Thunder Fruit, it's special. But it has its own weaknesses. While it's a Logia Fruit, the user can't become intangible like most Logia's."

"However, it's incredibly powerful. The Dark-Dark Fruit user can nullify other Devil Fruit powers just by touching someone!"

Everyone gasped, stunned.

"Nullify all Devil Fruit powers?" Raki asked, shocked.

Arthur nodded. "Yes. Similar to how seastone weakens Devil Fruit users. If a Dark-Dark Fruit user touches another Devil Fruit user, their powers are completely suppressed."

He added, "You know I've evolved my body to resist seawater and normal seastone. But even at my strongest, I'd still be affected by this power if I faced a Dark-Dark Fruit user."

Arthur's voice grew serious. "That's why it's so important to me that someone close holds this power."

Arthur continued to address the women's curiosity: "The Dark-Dark Fruit, when developed enough, can steal the powers of other Devil Fruit users!"

"What!?" The women, apart from Arthur, were shocked and stared at the dark fruit in Nojiko's hands.

"Hunting other Devil Fruit powers? What does that mean?" Nojiko asked, still stunned.

Arthur explained, "After a Devil Fruit user dies, there is a short period when their powers haven't fully left their body. During that time, someone with the Dark-Dark Fruit ability can transfer those powers into another fruit."

"In other words, we can gain more and more powerful abilities! Even our future children can have powerful Devil Fruit abilities!" Arthur said, playfully squeezing Nami.

Nami blushed and pushed Arthur away. "Stop it, you idiot!"

Laqi looked at Arthur. "So you wanted Nojiko to eat the Dark-Dark Fruit for this reason?"

Arthur nodded. "Yes. While the fruit can counter other abilities, that's not as important for us. The real value is the ability to 'hunt' Devil Fruits."

He turned to the group. "The Devil Fruit powers I found for each of you are all extremely powerful! Raki's special Paramecia laser fruit, for example, is like a Logia fruit. Nami's Air Pressure Fruit can control the weather, and after awakening, she can manipulate it as she likes!"

"Jessica's Flying Fruit was once wielded by the Golden Lion, so you know how powerful it can be. And Yana's Frozen Fruit may seem ordinary, but when developed, it's almost as strong as Admiral Aokiji's Ice-Ice Fruit—just without the intangibility."

"If someone with bad intentions got the Dark-Dark Fruit, they could target all of you. That's why this fruit must stay in our family and be given to someone I trust completely."

The women all nodded in understanding.

"Nojiko, eat it. It may not suit you perfectly, but with training, you'll become a great master of its power. Thanks to our long lifespan with pure gold, there's plenty of time to develop its potential." Arthur encouraged Nojiko.

The main challenge was ensuring Nojiko could control the Dark-Dark Fruit's ability to absorb powers from the recently deceased within half a year.

"Okay!" Nojiko nodded and looked at the Devil Fruit in her hands.

The women exchanged glances, some amused and excited.

She took a bite of the Dark-Dark Fruit.

"Oh!" Nojiko's eyes widened as she struggled to swallow it. "Water! I need water!" She tossed the fruit aside and searched frantically for water.

The others burst into laughter. They all remembered how awful their first bites were too.

Arthur handed Nojiko a glass, chuckling. She gulped it down, catching her breath afterward. "That was disgusting."

Arthur smiled. "Now, try using your new powers."

Nojiko closed her eyes and concentrated. Moments later, dark smoke, absorbing all light around it, emerged from her hands.

"This power... it feels like it can devour anything!" Nojiko said, staring at the smoke.

Arthur tested it by holding her hand. Instantly, he felt his Thunder powers vanish, as though he were just a regular human.

"It's true... not even I am immune to this," Arthur thought.

"Nojiko," he said, meeting her gaze.

"Yes?"

"You will train with me until you master restraining other abilities and taking powers from the recently deceased."

"Understood." Nojiko nodded with determination. She was ready to prove her worth.

On Ruskaina Island, Arthur's training resumed. This time, he worked to strengthen his Armament Haki alongside Nojiko, who honed her control over the Dark-Dark Fruit.