Shanks's mood swings, though subtle, could not escape the Observation Haki of Whitebeard, who had also honed his own Haki to an incredibly high level.
It wasn't just Ace who was concerned about Teach. The red-haired boy, Shanks, also kept a close eye on him. These two men stood at the pinnacle of the seas. Unlike Whitebeard, now growing old, and Big Mom, whose only interests seemed to be having children and throwing tea parties, Shanks was still in his prime.
Despite losing his left arm—the one crucial for a swordsman, especially a left-hander—Shanks was at the height of his power. Even though he lost his dominant hand in the weakest sea, East Blue, and had to switch to wielding his sword with his right hand, his swordsmanship, once unrivaled, now fell behind that of Hawkeye, the world's greatest swordsman.
However, Shanks' Conqueror's Haki had grown far more formidable. It was almost as powerful as it had once been when he surpassed even Whitebeard's Haki, rivaling Roger's in their era. Before Ace's complete rise, Shanks had been hailed as the most dominant Conqueror Haki user on the sea. In terms of Conqueror's Haki, Shanks was still unmatched in this era.
But Ace—Flame Emperor Ace—was even more terrifying. Shanks had been the youngest of the Four Emperors, but Ace had shattered that record, outclassing it by years. At the youthful age of 18, Ace had already taken control of the sea. His power, as displayed in the world-shaking "Flame Emperor Incident," solidified his status among the Four Emperors. Ace was a true overlord of the seas in this era, standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Roger and Rocks.
No other individual, except for Ace, possessed such overwhelming strength in this age. If Ace and Shanks ever joined forces, even the arrogant World Government would be forced to make concessions on certain matters.
Now, with both Shanks and Ace displaying interest in Teach at the same time, Whitebeard, despite his unconditional trust in his sons, couldn't help but have fleeting, uneasy thoughts. Still, he didn't let it affect his overall view of Teach.
For Whitebeard, even if one of his sons concealed something from him or made a mistake, he was always willing to forgive and tolerate them.
"A D in your name, huh? In all my years at sea, you're the first D I've come across," Ace remarked casually, as if making small talk.
"Haha, yeah, my name's always been like that," Teach replied, rubbing the back of his head with a grin. "I just found out that you, Mr. Ace, also have a D in your name. Does it mean something special?"
Ace's lips curled into a slight smile. "Do you want to know?"
"No, no, no," Teach laughed, waving his hands in mock refusal. "I'm not interested. Being Whitebeard's son and living a carefree life aboard this ship is all I want."
Teach's carefree demeanor was as genuine as ever, showing no signs of ambition or desire.
"Really?" Ace replied, eyes narrowing slightly. "I think you have a future worth watching. I haven't met many people with a D in their name. My brother, Monkey D. Luffy, for example—his potential will surpass even Shanks."
Ace shot a knowing look at Shanks, who chuckled, the corners of his mouth curling upward.
"Yeah, I believe it," Shanks said. "Luffy will surpass me someday."
Shanks had absolute faith in Luffy's future, especially knowing Luffy was chosen by the Human-Human Fruit: Mythical Zoan, Nika form. Most likely, Luffy was this era's "Joy Boy." Because of that, Shanks had staked everything on Luffy.
"Monkey D. Luffy…" Whitebeard murmured. The name of Ace's brother, whom Shanks believed would one day surpass him, caught Whitebeard's attention.
Ace's words about Luffy stirred something in Whitebeard, sparking his curiosity about this young man who had not yet even set out to sea.
"Haha, well, I guess I'm a little different from the rest. I've got no ambitions. If I can just keep serving my father, I'll be content," Teach said, scratching his head, his carefree act almost too convincing.
Ace and Shanks exchanged subtle glances. They both knew Teach's true future was not about supporting Whitebeard—it would be about Whitebeard's downfall.
But Ace hadn't called Teach over just to exchange pleasantries.
"It's not every day you find someone with a D in their name serving as a regular crew member on Whitebeard's ship," Ace said with a sly smile. "I've got something for you. Want it?"
Teach's smile faltered. "Something… for me?"
Shanks frowned slightly, sensing something was about to happen. "What's Ace up to?" he wondered. Even Beckman admitted Ace's strategic mind surpassed his own. Had Ace, like Shanks, picked up on something unique about Teach and decided to act on it?
"That's right," Ace continued, his gaze piercing. "I'll give you a Devil Fruit."
Teach's pupils constricted. "A Devil Fruit?"
Whitebeard and Shanks, too, were momentarily stunned. Devil Fruits were the greatest treasures of the sea, capable of granting unimaginable powers to those who ate them.
Whitebeard's title as "the man who could destroy the world" came from the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit he consumed. But for Whitebeard and Shanks—men who already stood at the pinnacle of the sea—ordinary Devil Fruits were nothing more than curiosities.
However, Ace was different. The Mera-Mera Fruit Ace had consumed had evolved under his command, allowing him to wield powers beyond the reach of most. Through the mysterious "Flame Emperor Incident," Ace had demonstrated his ability to manipulate not just one, but up to six different Devil Fruit powers at once.
In the use of Devil Fruits, Ace had become the foremost figure in the entire sea, outclassing all others since the first appearance of Devil Fruits. Any fruit he chose was certain to be extraordinary.
The Devil Fruit Ace was offering Teach would undoubtedly be among the most powerful fruits in existence.
The pinnacle of all Devil Fruits includes some of the most powerful ones, like the Thunder Fruit and the Bird Fruit - Phantom Beast Species - Suzaku form. In terms of raw power, these Devil Fruits are comparable to Whitebeard's Shock Fruit and Kaido's Fish-Fish Fruit - Phantom Beast Species - Azure Dragon form.
When a man like Ace offers to give Teach a Devil Fruit, how could Whitebeard and Shanks not take notice?
"Yes, a Devil Fruit," Ace said. "Especially the most powerful ones—they have their own will. It's as if they search for their destined master. My Mera-Mera Fruit found me on its own. You, Shanks, know this better than anyone, right?"
Ace glanced at Shanks, his words filled with meaning.
"So, you've figured it out," Shanks replied with a helpless smile. He understood exactly what Ace was referring to.
The fruit Luffy ate was none other than the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan - Nika form. This Devil Fruit had evaded the World Government for 800 years, never falling into their hands. After it was secured by the government's agents, it slipped away in a bizarre series of events and ended up with Shanks. Ultimately, it was Luffy who consumed the Devil Fruit.
Shanks had since learned more about the secrets of the sea and now realized the truth: the Nika fruit had chosen Luffy as its master. Both the World Government and the Red Hair Pirates had been unknowingly influenced by the will of this powerful Devil Fruit, guiding it to Luffy.
Few people in the world knew that these top-tier Devil Fruits possessed a will of their own, choosing their masters. Ace, evidently, was one of them—and he also knew the real name of the so-called Rubber Fruit.
Despite this, Shanks wasn't concerned. The Nika Fruit was an incredibly rare and powerful Devil Fruit, often called the strongest. For 800 years, the World Government had tried countless ways to obtain it or destroy it, but failed.
Luffy might be Ace's brother, but the Nika Fruit had chosen him, not Ace. That was why, from the moment Shanks learned of Ace's connection to Luffy, he had let down his guard around Ace completely.
However, what Shanks didn't know was that Luffy wasn't the only one with the power of 'Nika' in this era.
Ace had already unlocked the power of the "Nika."
In other words, before Luffy had even awakened the Nika Fruit's power, Ace had already possessed the power of 'Nika' in some form.
"The most powerful Devil Fruits can find their own masters..." Teach murmured, his usual carefree demeanor beginning to crack as his mood became unstable.
"Exactly. And I can speed up or intensify that process," Ace continued. "That's how my chef came to possess the Bird Fruit - Phantom Beast Species - Suzaku form. Are you curious what kind of Devil Fruit might be drawn to you?"
Ace eyed Teach with a knowing smirk.
The truth was, Ace's real target was the Dark Fruit.
This Devil Fruit was rumored to be the most malevolent in history, standing in direct opposition to the Zoan Fruit - Phantom Beast Species - Nika form. After its awakening, the Nika Fruit granted its user a unique power: the ability to fight using pure imagination. Nika could even catch lightning and create light at will—anything the user could imagine.
Once fully awakened, the Nika Fruit allowed its wielder to mimic the powers of countless Devil Fruits through sheer imagination. But the Dark Fruit had the ability to nullify all other Devil Fruit powers. Once someone was captured by the Dark Fruit's power, all their Devil Fruit abilities would be consumed by its terrifying gravitational pull.
The Nika Fruit granted its user the potential to wield infinite Devil Fruit abilities through imagination. The Dark Fruit, on the other hand, stripped away all Devil Fruit powers from others. These two fruits represented the extremes—one offering limitless creativity, the other complete negation.
Like the Nika Fruit, the Dark Fruit was also a top-tier Devil Fruit with a will of its own, seeking out its chosen master. In this era, the Dark Fruit had selected none other than Teach.
It was no coincidence that Teach found and killed the person who originally possessed the Dark Fruit—it was likely due to the invisible influence of the Dark Fruit itself.
Given that the Dark Fruit was on the same level as Nika, Ace knew it couldn't be found by ordinary means. But in this era, the person chosen by the Dark Fruit, Teach, was standing right in front of him.
Ace looked at Teach again, his lips curling into a slight smile.
"What kind of Devil Fruit could I attract?" Teach wondered aloud, his carefree facade beginning to crumble as his emotions wavered.