"Eh?"
Carina, who had been called over by Kahn, held the Logia Dark-Dark Fruit in her hand, looking at him with a slightly astonished expression. "Master, do you want me to eat this Devil Fruit?"
"Yes," Kahn nodded. "Since you haven't found a Devil Fruit you particularly like, you might as well eat this one."
"Oh?"
Carina's interest was piqued. "Is this Devil Fruit really special?"
If Kahn was suggesting this despite previously allowing them to choose their own Devil Fruits, it meant this one must be extremely valuable and important.
Kahn nodded again. "Yes, this is one of the two most special Devil Fruits in the 'Devil Fruit Encyclopedia.'"
"As for the other, it's the Paramecia Rubber-Rubber Fruit, which has both Paramecia and Zoan-like abilities. Its real nature is Zoan."
Hearing this, Carina's curiosity grew. "What makes this Devil Fruit so unique?"
"It's a Logia-type."
Kahn explained, "But within the Logia class, it's the most unique."
"Its full name is the Logia Dark-Dark Fruit. As the name suggests, by eating it, you gain control over darkness."
"But its uniqueness lies in that, unlike other Logia fruits, it doesn't allow the user to become intangible and avoid physical attacks. Instead, the user has to endure twice the pain when injured."
"What...?"
Carina gasped as Kahn finished speaking, her expression shocked. "You can't become intangible, and you feel twice the pain? What kind of terrifying power does this fruit give to make up for such a huge drawback?"
"Exactly."
Kahn looked at her with admiration, acknowledging her sharp mind.
He continued, "The Dark-Dark Fruit is known as the most dangerous Devil Fruit in history. Its darkness grants a very fearsome ability."
"That ability allows the user to temporarily nullify the powers of any other Devil Fruit user they touch. This can render even the most dependent ability users completely powerless."
"Additionally, this fruit can defy the usual rules of Devil Fruits."
"As we all know, when a Devil Fruit user dies, their ability vanishes from their body, and after a while, it reincarnates somewhere in the sea, waiting to be found again."
"There's also a rare phenomenon. If a Devil Fruit user dies, there's a small chance that if a fruit is nearby, the ability will transfer directly to that fruit and regenerate."
"Could it be...?"
Hearing Kahn's last words, Carina, knowing full well her master wouldn't say such things lightly, felt a sudden realization wash over her, her eyes widening in shock.
Kahn nodded once more. "Yes, the Dark-Dark Fruit is called the most vicious ability in history because its darkness can directly seize the Devil Fruit ability of a deceased user, making it 100% reborn onto the nearest fruit."
"Hiss..."
Even though she had guessed as much, hearing Kahn confirm it made Carina take a deep breath. "Is there really such an unbelievable ability in this world?"
Carina was no longer the naive girl who had joined in late 1512. Since then, her sharp intellect had blossomed, and her decision to become Kahn's maid wasn't just driven by her love for money. By joining the Cross Family, Carina had secured a future where she wouldn't need to worry about riches.
More importantly, Carina wanted to use the influence of the Cross Family to elevate herself. She had undergone maid training and knowledge lessons under Robin's guidance. Unlike Monet or Hancock, Carina didn't strive for power. Instead, she admired Robin's intelligence and wisdom, seeing her as a walking encyclopedia.
With her motto of "Girls live by their wits," Carina never aspired to be a combat maid. While she endured the training of the Kuja Warriors, it was to improve herself, not to become a fighter. She envisioned herself more like Robin, a knowledgeable and strategic maid.
Over the past two years, Carina had spent much of her free time seeking guidance from Robin, and Robin saw potential in her. Like Monet, Robin saw something familiar in Carina—a shared determination and cleverness. She even began to mentor Carina to become a future deputy or a third strategist for their master.
This bond between Carina and Robin often left Koala, Robin's current deputy, pouting in slight jealousy. But with Robin's teaching and the Cross Family's vast resources, Carina's knowledge had grown immensely, which was why she had been so hesitant about choosing a Devil Fruit.
In the Cross Family maid team, except for Robin, who had her abilities before meeting Kahn, the others had acquired extremely rare fruits under his guidance. Even Baccarat, who had already been a Devil Fruit user when she joined, possessed the Lucky-Lucky Fruit, helping Kahn search for pure gold that extended life.
The maid group held the highest level of trust from their master, occupying top positions within the Cross Family's hierarchy. Carina had ambitious goals—she wanted to be more than just an ordinary cadre; she aimed to become one of the top-tier cadres.
She had been hoping to find a powerful Zoan or Mythical Zoan fruit, like the ones possessed by Sugar, Monet, or even Sandersonia. A strategic Devil Fruit would secure her place at the top. But now, with the Dark-Dark Fruit, the most potent Logia-type ability, in her grasp, it felt like everything she wanted had fallen into place.
After a moment of contemplation, Carina spoke decisively. "Master, I choose to become a Dark-Dark Fruit user."
Without hesitation, she bit into the Dark-Dark Fruit. Despite the bitter taste, she swallowed, her face briefly showing discomfort. In that instant, Carina became the user of the Logia Dark-Dark Fruit.
A few days later, the bounty for the Dark-Dark Fruit, which had been circulating in the underworld for years, was abruptly withdrawn. Just like the bounty for the Op-Op Fruit before, it wasn't cancelled by the original bounty offerer—it had been claimed.
When Teach, who had been closely monitoring the black market, heard the news, his dreams and ambitions were shattered. His entire being collapsed as the realization hit him that the fruit he'd coveted for so long had slipped through his grasp.
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