Ch 53: Dark fruit

Chapter 53: Dark Fruit

Looking at the pile of defeated pirates around him, Ayaan didn't react much. He headed straight toward the captain's quarters.

Most pirates on the sea weren't exactly model citizens. And for the Dire Wolf Pirates to stir up trouble and kill people within Whitebeard's territory, it said enough about their nature. So Ayaan had held nothing back in wiping them out.

"The captain's quarters should be here."

When it comes to treasures like Devil Fruits, pirate captains never entrust them to their crew unless they've already eaten them. A single bite is all it takes to activate a Devil Fruit, and if it's a powerful one, the balance of power onboard could shift in an instant.

Even if a captain could suppress rebellion, a consumed Devil Fruit couldn't be taken back.

"The captain just now was a Jūryoku Jūryoku no Mi (Gravity-Gravity Fruit) user. That means he can't eat another Devil Fruit. So the odds of there being a Devil Fruit stored on this ship are much higher," Ayaan muttered as he stepped into the quarters and started searching for loot.

He was especially thankful for the skills he'd learned back in ninja school. While Observation Haki was incredibly useful for detecting lifeforms, it didn't help much when it came to searching for hidden compartments or non-living objects. In contrast, traditional stealth and tracking skills were more practical here.

Pulling open an oil painting on the wall, Ayaan's breath caught for a moment.

Behind it was a small iron box—exactly the kind used at sea to store Devil Fruits.

This kind of box wouldn't have stopped him anyway. Ayaan, being a trained ninja, knew how to pick locks with ease. After a soft click, the box popped open—inside lay a Devil Fruit with a dark purple hue and eerie spiral patterns.

Ayaan blinked. He hadn't expected to find it so easily.

The Yami Yami no Mi.

The Devil Fruit that Blackbeard had schemed for years to obtain. The most dangerous Logia-type of all, and the key that had set the entire One Piece timeline spinning off into chaos.

He didn't hesitate for long. Before any member of the 4th Division could arrive, he grabbed the fruit and devoured it in one gulp.

A surge of power erupted in his body. But it wasn't just the energy of the fruit. His system—the mysterious "time-travel" ability embedded deep within his mind—also activated, flooding him with data and alerts.

"The fate of the One Piece World has been completely overturned. This world is now classified as a Headquarters-Type World."

Ayaan was stunned. He'd heard this term once in a system prompt, but never really grasped its full meaning.

He had already altered much of the main story. The downfall of Kaidō and Big Mom, the chaos in Wano, the shifting balance of the Four Emperors—it had charged his system with more than enough energy to travel through multiple worlds.

Still, he had stayed. The lure of the Yami Yami no Mi had kept him rooted here.

But now, after acquiring it, this "Headquarters World" message appeared.

Was the Yami Yami no Mi really that important?

Ayaan thought about it—and realized the answer was a clear yes.

Without the Yami Yami no Mi, there would be:

No betrayal by Blackbeard.

No Marineford War.

No death of Ace.

No time skip.

No rise of Blackbeard as a Yonko.

No disbanding of the Whitebeard Pirates.

Without those events, the Straw Hats wouldn't clash with Big Mom so early. Fish-Man Island would still fly Whitebeard's flag. Marco might not join the Wano rebellion. Even Luffy's Nika awakening could be delayed—or never happen.

The butterfly effect was massive.

No wonder the system reclassified the world.

The benefits were immediate and enticing.

1. Zero Travel Cost—

Ayaan could now jump back into the One Piece World anytime with virtually no energy cost. He could even enter with no energy at all—just staying in a new world a day or two would be enough to return.

2. Rapid Energy Gain—

While in the One Piece world, he could accumulate energy dozens—maybe hundreds—of times faster. Within a month, he'd have enough to leap to any world he desired.

3. Timeline Insertion—

When returning from another universe, Ayaan could now choose exactly when to re-enter the timeline. Even if he stayed away for 10 years in another world, he could return here as if no time had passed.

This had been his greatest concern before. The One Piece plot moved quickly—Luffy was set to go to sea in about a year. And within three years, the entire main storyline wrapped up. If Ayaan had returned too late, he might have missed all the key moments.

But now? He was free.

"I'll take care of cleanup first," he muttered. "Then I'll head back to the Naruto world."

But there was something else on his mind.

"My third Devil Fruit…"

He already had the Baku Baku no Mi from the Paramecia class and now the Yami Yami no Mi, the strongest of all Logia.

That left the Zoan class to complete the trio.

"The Kyūketsuki Kyūketsuki no Mi (Vampire-Vampire Fruit) is nice, but not the peak. Now that I have the Yami Yami no Mi, I can steal Devil Fruits directly—no need to settle."

He pondered the best Mythical Zoan fruits.

The Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika? Too risky—he didn't want to fall out with Ace's brother.

The Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix? Marco already had it, and he was a valuable ally.

The Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu? Belonged to Kaidō. Ayaan wasn't strong enough to take it—yet.

The Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu? He wasn't ready to take on the Marines either.

That left one real option:

"The Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: Yamata no Orochi… A Mythical Zoan. Not the strongest, but unique. And more importantly—obtainable."

He grinned.

Power. Freedom. Strategy.

It was time to start planning the next phase of his journey.

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