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There were no windows in the entire underground chamber and only a long, dimly lit passage led to this secluded place.
The stone walls were cold, damp, and thick, muffling any noise from outside.
Even without speaking, the sound of breathing echoed faintly, amplifying the suffocating tension in the air.
Anos took a slow, measured glance at the group of captives before him. These pirates weren't just any band of lowly thieves; they had blood on their hands, specifically his soldier's blood.
They were responsible for the deaths of at least two hundred men. They had left nothing but destruction in their Path, and now, their arrogance would be tested in ways they couldn't even imagine.
"Daiki, have the others step outside for a moment. We'll stay and have aā¦ discussion with these gentlemen," Anos said, a twisted smile curling at the corner of his lips.
His calmness was unnerving, especially considering the tension that filled the room.
Before Daiki could respond, the guards began Leaving, with only the two of them and the group of captured pirates.
Once the heavy iron door slammed shut, the silence that settled in the room was suffocating.
Daiki could feel the weight of it pressing down on him, the uncertainty gnawing at his insides.
What was his Majesty planning? Why had they brought these men here?
"It seems you're the young king of the Tru Kingdom, right? I'll give you one last chance. Release me now, or you'll regret it."
"My uncle is a big pirate on the Grand Line. If he finds out you've captured me, your entire kingdom will be crushed!" one pirate, a burly man with a jagged scar across his face, shouted, his voice loud and threatening.
Anos remained silent, his dark eyes locked onto the pirate, but his attention seemed elsewhere.
Instead, he turned to Daiki. "Did you bring the fruits I asked for?" His tone was casual, almost too casual for the situation.
"Your Majesty, these men have murdered countless soldiers, and two of them even slaughtered civilians. Are you certain we need to offer them fruit?" Daiki's voice held a tinge of frustration, his brow furrowed with confusion.
"Offer them fruit?.. You'll understand soon enough," Anos replied, his words laced with an enigmatic smile.
Daiki could only stand there, perplexed. His Majesty always had a way of keeping people in the dark about his true intentions.
But this time, something about the whole situation felt even more unusual. The pirates, meanwhile, exchanged glances.
Their overconfidence showed in the way they laughed and smirked as if they hadn't just been captured and brought to an underground chamber in chains.
"Haha, bring the fruits already! I've been dreaming of food like that. Didn't expect a brat like you to be so generous."
"Let me go and throw in a hundred million Beris while you're at it, and I'll forget this ever happened!" another pirate, this one with a wild beard, laughed mockingly, as though the situation were nothing more than a joke to him.
The other pirates, all wearing the same smug expressions, chimed in with laughter, their indifference palpable.
They didn't realize the situation they were in. Their bravado only served to irritate Anos further, but outwardly, he remained calm and composed.
"Shut up!" Anos finally snapped, his voice echoing against the stone walls. "If any of you speak again, I'll make sure that you are boiled in hot metal."
The silence that followed was immediate, the pirates taken aback by the sudden shift in his tone.
The weight of his words hung in the air, a chilling reminder that their fate rested entirely in his hands.
"Daiki, bring everything here," Anos ordered, his voice lowering back into the calm, composed tone from earlier. "No matter what you see next, don't say a word when you leave this room. Understood?"
Daiki, still confused and somewhat unsettled, nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."
As Daiki moved to gather the requested items, the pirates continued to watch warily, their earlier arrogance slowly giving way to unease.
Something wasn't right, and they could sense it now.
The room felt heavier, as though the very air was thickening with tension.
Suddenly, a faint blue light began to emanate from Anos' body, growing brighter by the second.
The pirates stared, bewildered, as a protective barrier like a dome formed around the room.
It sealed them in, cutting off the world outside, even blocking out sound.
What had been an echoing chamber a moment ago now felt like a void, an isolated pocket of space.
"This isā¦" Daiki muttered, his eyes widening as he glanced around the room, trying to comprehend what was happening.
Anos turned toward him. "Which one of them possesses the Lithification ability?" he asked coolly.
Without hesitation, Daiki pointed at the pirate with the scarred face, the one who had been speaking earlier. "Him."
The scarred pirate's face twisted in rage.
"You bastard! What are you planning?!" he bellowed, struggling against the chains that bound him.
"Daiki, kill him," Anos commanded coldly.
Daiki didn't hesitate. In an instant, he moved with lightning speed, his fingers piercing through the pirate's chest with terrifying precision.
The scarred man's eyes widened in shock, his mouth opening as if to speak, but no words came out. He slumped forward, dead before he hit the ground.
The other pirates, who had been so cocky just moments before, stared in horror as their comrade's lifeless body crumpled to the floor.
But Anos' attention wasn't on them. His gaze was fixed on the rows of fruits lying in the corner of the room.
As Daiki turned to follow his gaze, he saw the moment that would change everything.
One of the bunches of bananas began to shimmer, its bright yellow peel darkening into a rich, earthy hue.
A strange, swirling pattern formed on the skin, transforming the ordinary fruit into something far more sinister.
It was a Devil Fruit.
The pirates, who had been frozen in terror, finally began to understand. Their faces paled as they realized what was happening.
This man, the king of Tru, could extract Devil Fruits from their very bodies. It was an ability, unlike anything they had ever seen.
"No..no..no..no....King of Tru, pleaseā¦ we were wrong. Give us another chance! We'll do anything you ask! We will be your slave, Justā¦spare us!" the bearded pirate pleaded, dropping to his knees, his voice shaking with fear.
Anos barely glanced at him, his mind already working through the possibilities. This was power true power.
The ability to strip Devil Fruit users of their abilities, to control the very essence of what made them formidable.
"I don't have that kind of kink," Anos thought, his lips curling into a smile as he stared at the transformed fruit.
He had once speculated about this power, but to see it in action here, now confirmed everything.
The world of pirates would never be the same again. The balance of power had shifted, and he held the key to its future.
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