The world of pirates is about to be thrown into turmoil, and for the past few days, Bane has remained secluded at home, not venturing out.
On the very night he obtained the Dark-Dark Fruit, after some deliberation, Bane resolutely chose to eat this Devil Fruit.
The reason is simple: he wanted to become stronger.
Whether it was the inexplicable portal within him or the increasingly turbulent world, to gain more benefits and live a better life, he needed greater strength!
As it turned out, the rumor that Devil Fruits tasted like dog shit was false information. Before eating the Dark-Dark Fruit, Bane had mentally prepared himself thoroughly, constantly reminding himself of things like "great men don't sweat the small stuff" and "heaven bestows great responsibilities."
But after taking a bite, he was surprised by its delicious flavor—fragrant, juicy, and unexpectedly delicious!
Originally intending to just suffer a little and be done with it, Bane, finding the taste quite good, insisted on finishing the entire watermelon-sized Dark-Dark Fruit.
And as he predicted, even after leaving the world of pirates, the Dark-Dark Fruit still possessed its magical power. It seemed his world had a strong compatibility, capable of accommodating the power of various other worlds.
After eating the Dark-Dark Fruit, Bane felt as if he were immersed in the power of darkness, with an endless stream of dark elements flowing and surging within him.
He was the embodiment of darkness!
But in reality, this was an illusion brought about by suddenly receiving immense power. The Dark-Dark Fruit was indeed powerful, and the dark elemental energy it contained could be described as inexhaustible. However, after the initial surge of power subsided over the past few days, Bane also noticed some underlying issues: although the dark elements within him seemed inexhaustible, mobilizing and using this power required expending his own physical strength.
It's like the Dark-Dark Fruit is a reservoir. There's a lot of water in the reservoir, but how much you can use depends on how much comes out of the tap. His body is that tap; the stronger he is, the stronger the fruit's power he can unleash!
"No wonder some people say that it's not the fruit that makes the person, but the person who makes the fruit. Just like the three admirals of the Marines, even without Devil Fruits, they should still be top-tier powerhouses on the sea," Bane thought to himself.
Devil Fruits merely provide an opportunity; whether one can seize that opportunity and continuously climb higher depends on the individual.
Ultimately, one must rely on oneself!
At this moment, Bane was sitting on the sofa in his living room, dark elements flowing like water between his fingers, dripping onto the floor and completely staining the already dirty floor black. Once the
surrounding floor was fully soaked, the coffee table that had been standing on the floor began to sink, gradually disappearing into the seemingly bottomless darkness and being swallowed up.
Just as the coffee table vanished into the darkness, Bane clenched his fist, and with that movement, the pool of black water on the floor instantly condensed into an energy ball radiating a dense dark aura, hovering in the living room.
A moment later, Bane slowly released his hand, and the dark energy ball dissipated, with crushed wood chips and coffee table fragments falling from the darkness onto the floor.
"After staying indoors for the past few days, I've finally managed to get a basic grasp of the Dark-Dark Fruit," Bane chuckled, standing up.
Looking around, his house was a complete mess, as if a hurricane had swept through, even worse than the billiard hall he'd smashed up with his men a few days ago.
The reason was that for the first two days after consuming the Dark-Dark Fruit, Bane couldn't control the power at all. To put it another way, it was like suddenly having a tail growing out of his body—it was an extension of him, but because he had no prior experience with this, he couldn't control it at all, stumbling and staggering.
The night before he ate the Dark-Dark Fruit, he farted the next morning, releasing a plume of black smoke carrying a large amount of dark element that shattered his bed.
Therefore, Bane hadn't dared to go out for the past few days, fearing that he might accidentally fart in the street and kill someone.
Then he'd truly become famous!
Today, he finally adapted to this power and gained initial control over the Dark-Dark Fruit's abilities. That's why he decided to go out for a stroll, assess the situation, and further consider how to start his new life.
His original plan was probably now obsolete; after all, now that he could open a portal between worlds, his options were vast. If things didn't work out here, he could even permanently settle in the pirate world and cause trouble.
In short, after so many days since arriving, he finally felt a little more confident.
Walking down the street, observing the state of New Dal City, it seemed no different from a few days ago. It appeared the Empire's success in westward expansion hadn't yet had a significant impact.
After buying a newspaper, Bane easily made his way to Sphinx Street. Along the way, he encountered many henchmen who greeted him respectfully, calling him "Big Brother."
However, Bane was engrossed in his newspaper and completely ignored them.
Turning a corner, Bane entered a boxing gym. He casually slammed the newspaper onto the bar table, his expression turning listless. Clearly, there hadn't been any news that had caught his attention in the past few days.
"Hey, Bane, what's up? Haven't seen you around for days? Got your head blown off again?" On the training platform, a burly man, even stronger than Bane and probably two and a half meters tall, greeted him with a joking laugh.
Taking a cigar from his pocket, cutting it in half, lighting it, and biting it into his mouth, Bane chuckled and retorted, "You think I won't come up here and smash your head in?"
"Hahaha, looks like you're in good spirits." The burly man laughed loudly, then asked with great interest, "Want to really have a go?"
"No, where's Frant?" Bane waved his hand in refusal.
"Here I am."
Looking up, the door behind the bar opened, and a lean man carrying an elegant combination lock briefcase sat opposite Bane.
Before Bane could speak, Frant raised an eyebrow and said, "I have something new, want to try it out?"
"What new thing?" Bane asked, slightly curious.
Frant was a black market dealer in Newdale City, always dealing in strange and unusual gadgets. Bane had helped him out of a few minor troubles, so the two had a decent relationship. As a black market dealer, he was well-informed, so Bane would occasionally come to him to hear 'various rumors and gossip' to avoid being clueless about the ways of the world.
"Let me show you something," Frant said arrogantly, raising his chin before quickly opening the combination lock briefcase.
Inside wasn't anything large, but a transparent vial resembling a biological injection tube, filled with a crimson, blood-like liquid.
"Blood?" Bane guessed.
"Ahem, it's a special drug that can enhance one's physical abilities. But to be precise, it's called Rc cells," Frant said, feigning expertise. The
name "cells" sounded vaguely familiar to Bane, but that was all.
"Another thing from another world?" Bane asked.
"Of course, aren't you a physical enhancement user? I figured this thing would suit you well, so I bought it on the black market to give to you," Frant said with a chuckle.
"You're definitely up to no good, giving it to me?" Bane said disdainfully, "Tell me, what are the side effects?"
Although he had helped Frant out of trouble a few times before, these people who operated in the lawless zone weren't really that generous. If they were, Frant wouldn't be doing so well in the black market; he should be dead in some ditch by now.
Frant wasn't embarrassed by Bane's discovery and chuckled, "How can you gain power without paying a price?"
"Stop beating around the bush," Bane tapped the table and exhaled a puff of smoke.
Frant looked around, then leaned closer to Bane's head and lowered his voice, saying, "Half a year ago, didn't a portal appear in Vandir City?"
"I remember, the newspapers mentioned it recently. They said there's a deranged serial killer there who likes to eat people," Bane said, then suddenly froze.
RC cells!?
Frant didn't notice the change in Bane's expression and continued in a low voice, "The official news was that the portal had gone out of control, but in reality, it was breached. However, the Osalia family, who control Vandir City, suppressed the news, wanting to monopolize the benefits. They seized this power from that portal, RC cells, supposedly from some kind of ghoul or monster race."
"So the side effect is eating people?" Bane rolled his eyes at Frant.
"That was the initial version. The Osalia family has achieved great success after more than half a year of research. The one I have has had its side effects eliminated. It won't be cannibalistic, but it will make you have a huge appetite."
(End of Chapter)