"Then what are you going to do with us? Even if you let the others go, I won't surrender," King said, his face cold and resolute.
Shin knew King wouldn't be easy to sway; his loyalty to Kaido was unwavering. King was essentially Kaido's shadow—an extension of his will. Unless Kaido surrendered, there was no chance of convincing King or any core members of the Beast Pirates to join them willingly.
But Shin saw potential in some of the other members. Not everyone in the Beast Pirates followed Kaido out of loyalty; some did so out of survival or for personal gain—like a particular overweight scientist.
"Sir, please accept me! I'm useful!" Queen fell to the ground, scrambling to hug Shin's leg, though his bulk made the attempt somewhat awkward.
Shin raised an eyebrow. Despite being the least respected member of the Beast Pirates, Queen was indeed a capable scientist, skilled in body modification and mechanical engineering.
Still, Shin looked down and said flatly, "Just so you know, if you don't surrender, I won't kill you or lock you up forever. Soon enough, I'll free you all—minus your devil fruit abilities."
"What?" Queen's eyes went wide with surprise, momentarily regretting his immediate surrender. "If I knew I wouldn't die and could still be free, why did I give in so soon?"
His mind raced, but then he processed what Shin had just said. "Wait, did you say… you'd remove our devil fruits? Is that even possible?" He nearly shouted in disbelief. Though cowardly by nature, Queen was a brilliant scientist who understood devil fruits' properties. The concept of extracting such powers sounded implausible.
"You don't need to understand how it works. I can extract devil fruits, and that's all you need to know," Shin replied with a smirk.
"But... do you even know the laws involved with devil fruit extraction?" Queen continued, almost on instinct, as his scientific curiosity overrode his fear.
"I don't know anything about that," Shin interrupted, rolling his eyes. "I just know I can do it. So, what'll it be—surrender or lose your fruit abilities?"
Queen gulped and looked around, noting the skeptical glares from his former allies in the Beast Pirates. Although he didn't place much stock in his own devil fruit, an ancient dinosaur ability, he realized his colleagues wouldn't welcome him back with open arms if he stayed defiant.
"Surrender. I surrender!" Queen finally cried, sagging in relief when Shin released him from his sea stone chains.
With Queen settled, Shin approached King. King shut his eyes defiantly, unwilling to bow down, but Shin merely shrugged and reached out, allowing a dark mist to envelop King. After a moment, Shin retracted his hand, now holding a devil fruit—the essence of King's power.
The extraction left King visibly weakened, but his body's unique Lunarian structure had also been recorded within Shin's mind. As a rare "god" race from the Red Line, King's anatomy greatly interested Shin's research.
The other Beast Pirates looked on in shock, and Queen muttered in awe, "It's actually possible… he really can extract Devil Fruits!"
Realizing its potential, Queen's eyes lit up with renewed excitement. With a leader like Shin, whose powers defied scientific comprehension, his future suddenly seemed limitless.
Shin continued through the cells, questioning each prisoner once. Those willing to surrender, like Queen, were released. Those who refused were stripped of their powers.
Not everyone in the Beast Pirates had the same fierce loyalty as King, and a few, like the siblings Page One and Ulti, ultimately chose to follow Shin. Though they were Kaido's adopted children, their bond to him was more pragmatic than emotional, and they valued strength above loyalty.
By the end, Shin had accumulated nearly 20 Devil Fruits from the Beast Pirates, including the Triceratops, Pteranodon, Sabertooth Tiger, and Ancient Spider fruits. He also seized various lesser-known animal-type fruits. While the manga only highlighted major characters, Shin knew of the many Devil Fruit users within the ranks.
The artificial Devil Fruits, however, held no appeal for him. Consuming those fruits exacted a harsh toll on the user's life. Additionally, the citizens of Wano, now aligned with Shin's ally Tama, had already tamed the artificial fruit users, making them an asset to the nation's future.
Yet, Kaido's Devil Fruit remained the prize Shin coveted most.
At that moment, Kaido awoke and regarded Shin with a fierce glare. "You… what kind of devil fruit are you using, brat?" Kaido demanded, the question tinged with frustration and curiosity.
Shin could tell that Kaido, one of the strongest creatures in existence, had developed a keen understanding of raw physical power over years of combat. Shin's strength had been concealed for a long time, but the fight had revealed the depths of his abilities.
Shin dismissed the question with a smirk, reaching out to seize Kaido's Azure Dragon fruit. He extracted the fruit a moment later, marked by its distinctive cyan scale pattern.
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BONUS CHAPTER: 50 Powerstones achieved
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