Ron slowly unrolled the scroll. The runes upon it glowed with an unearthly light in the fire's flicker. "To put it simply, the Yami Yami no Mi can only transfer power from one *person* to another. But this scroll..." His gaze swept over the crew, "...can transfer an ability to any *object*."
"Any... any *object*?" Chopper's blue nose twitched.
Usopp suddenly shivered with excitement, holding up his trusty ammo pouch. "Does that mean... I could transfer a Devil Fruit power to my pouch? Turn my Kabuto into a Devil Fruit weapon?!"
A slight smile touched Ron's lips. "Precisely."
*Boom—*
The news detonated in their minds like a thunderclap.
Luffy stopped chewing, a chunk of meat falling from his agape mouth. "Wow! So my Straw Hat could eat a Devil Fruit too?"
Nami massaged her temples. "Idiot, a hat can't eat... Wait... but theoretically, I suppose it could..."
The firelight danced across their faces, reflecting a whirlwind of complex emotions. The question of who would inherit the Dark-Dark Fruit suddenly made the atmosphere thick and heavy.
"So..." Ron's eyes scanned the group once more. "The question remains. Who will take the Yami Yami no Mi?"
A heavy silence fell.
Zoro was the first to break it. He rested a hand on his three swords, his expression resolute. "My path is the way of the sword. Pure and simple." He glanced dismissively at the unconscious Blackbeard. "That fruit's power... it goes against everything my swordsmanship stands for."
Chopper raised a little hoof. "I already have the Hito Hito no Mi!"
Nami and Robin also confirmed they were already Devil Fruit users and couldn't consume another.
All eyes naturally drifted to the remaining three—Ron, Sanji, and Usopp.
Usopp suddenly puffed out his chest, his face a mask of grave responsibility. "I have Fish-Man Karate! I'm your designated water rescue expert! If I eat a Devil Fruit and become a hammer in the sea, who's going to save you all when you fall overboard?!"
Luffy nodded, a lightbulb going off in his head. "Ohhh! That makes sense! Usopp can't eat it!"
Ron simply shrugged. "My constitution as a System Host is unique. I can't consume Devil Fruits."
"Huh?!" Sanji's cigarette tumbled from his lips. "So... that just leaves... *me*?"
He looked around the circle, meeting nothing but a wall of expectant, blinking eyes.
"I take the beatings, *and* I get stuck with the weird fruit..." Sanji ran his hands frantically through his blond hair. "Damn my chivalrous soul! The eternal knight!"
With trembling hands, Sanji picked up the scroll, which now pulsed with an ominous purple light. His eyes were a turmoil of reluctance and internal struggle. He took a deep, shuddering breath, gritted his teeth, and roared, "FOR MY NAKAMA... I'LL DO IT!"
Violet light erupted from the scroll, transforming into countless intricate runic chains that lashed out and wrapped around Blackbeard Teach's unconscious form.
Teach's body convulsed as the dark, devouring energy was forcibly ripped from him, streaming in a torrent into Sanji.
As the process completed and the new power settled within him, Sanji's mouth twitched. Tears welled in the corners of his eyes. He looked up to the sky in lament.
"My dream... was always the Suke Suke no Mi (Clear-Clear Fruit)! And now I get... *this* pitch-black monstrosity...?"
He clenched his fists, his voice cracking with emotion. "Damn it! My women's bath—AHEM—my tactical reconnaissance advantage... it's all gone!"
Ron, watching from the side, didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He patted Sanji's shoulder reassuringly. "Transparency isn't that rare, you know. Germa 66's raid suits can achieve optical camouflage. I can get you one later."
Sanji froze. His face instantly turned to stone. "GERMA 66'S GARBAGE?! I'D RATHER DIE THAN USE ANYTHING FROM THAT DAMN FAMILY!" he roared, the old, deep-seated hatred surfacing instantly.
Ron shrugged, unfazed. "And besides, you still have that Suke Suke no Mi Experience Card, right? It's limited-use, but it should be enough for... *critical situations*."
Hearing this, Sanji's raging spirit cooled slightly. He wiped the non-existent tears from his eyes and gave a reluctant nod. "Hmph... An experience card... is... acceptable."
But he immediately gritted his teeth, emphasizing his point. "But a Germa raid suit? Don't you *dare* bring one near me in this lifetime!"
Just as Sanji was wallowing in his complex feelings about his new power, Ron patted his shoulder again, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "Oh, by the way, there's a... side effect I should probably mention. Consider it a heads-up."
"Side effect? And you call that a 'heads-up'?" Sanji's heart sank with a sense of foreboding.
Ron nodded, his tone deceptively casual. "Whoever eats the Yami Yami no Mi... experiences physical pain at double the normal intensity."
"DOUBLE?!" Sanji's eyes bulged, his jaw dropping so wide he could have fit a tangerine in it. He stood frozen, as if struck by lightning.
The next second, a look of pure panic seized him. "I'm gonna get beaten to death...?!"
Before he could fully descend into hysterics, Ron held up a hand. "Wait, wait! Hear me out! It's precisely *because* of this side effect that I specifically wanted *you* to have this ability!"
Sanji released his death grip on his own hair, staring suspiciously. "What are you talking about?"
Ron's smile widened. "Think about it. If the pain is doubled... then the rewards from your 'Adrenaline Rush' system should logically be doubled as well! In other words—every time you take a hit, you get twice the reward!"
"Twice...?" Sanji's pupils dilated. His expression of utter despair instantly solidified, then melted away, replaced by a dawning, ecstatic revelation. Wild joy bloomed in his eyes.
"Double rewards... So if I get another Suke Suke no Mi Experience Card as a reward... I'd get *two*?!"
His voice trembled with excitement. In his mind's eye, he could already see himself wielding *two* Transparency cards, phasing in and out of visibility in the women's bath—AHEM—on the battlefield!
"This is incredible! This Devil Fruit was totally worth it!" Sanji excitedly pumped his fists, all previous gloom utterly vanquished.
The more he thought about it, the happier he became, even feeling the urge to cook the Captain a special thank-you meal. "And it lets me nullify enemy Devil Fruit powers! When you look at it that way, the Yami Yami no Mi is an absolute steal!"
Ron watched his transformation from despair to euphoria. "So you don't hate it anymore?"
Sanji flashed a brilliant grin, giving a confident thumbs-up. "It's the best deal I've ever gotten!"
Nami, watching from the sidelines, sighed and rubbed her forehead. "This guy... his mood swings are giving me whiplash." Zoro just snorted. "Shitty cook. That brain of his only has room for one thing."
"Speaking of which..." Robin's calm voice cut through the celebration. "There's still one more unconscious individual to deal with."
All eyes turned to the other figure lying on the ground—Enel, the former God of Skypiea, master of lightning. Robin rested a hand on her chin, her expression thoughtful. "And this one possesses the Goro Goro no Mi... reputed to be the most powerful of all Logia-types..."
....
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