Smoker returo the room and lit a torch, handing it to Hina.

  “Smoker, what are you pnning to do?”

  “I want to test something—whether I strip someone of their abilities,” he said with determination

  Hina was taken aback. “Is that even possible?!”

  In a world filled with Devil Fruit users, such a power would have caused chaos long ago if it existed.

  “I’m not certain. It’s just an experiment,” Smoker replied calmly. “No matter what happens, stay still and just watch.”

  “Uood,” Hina said firmly.

  Smoker nodded a a shadowy darkness spread from beh his feet, creeping across the floor, walls, and ceiling until the entire room was engulfed.

  The space became like a sealed bck box.

  Aside from the flickering torchlight in Hina’s hand, there was no ht, and even the ambient sounds faded into nothingness.

  Smoker seemed unsatisfied with this and closed his eyes, fog ily on something unseen.

  Suddenly, he opened his eyes, and with a burst of power, the thick darkness colpsed inward, being more pact. What was once a yer of soft cotton now felt like a sheet of solid steel.

  He reinforced the darkness yer by yer as Hina silently observed, sensing the subtle shifts in the room.

  With sound and light pletely cut off, her heighteactile awareness picked up on the stant flux of the gravitational field around them. The fmes of the torch flickered unnaturally, as though an invisible hand were pying with them.

  When the room was fully sealed, Smoker finally exhaled in relief.

  He carefully pced several fruits in a row.

  “Trebol, Gdius, and Machvise… three Devil Fruits.”

  “Let’s start with Machvise’s Ton-Ton Fruit—it’s the least remarkable, so failure wouldn’t be a big loss.”

  “Release!” Smoker ahrowing Machvise into the ter of the room.

  Machvise, having been imprisoned for three days without food or water, emerged in a state of despair and fusion. His dazed eyes locked onto the light source, and when he spotted Hina, he excimed in shock, “You?!”

  Before he could react further, a cold, emotionless voice came from behind him.

  “Shigan!”

  A steely finger pierced through Machvise’s neck.

  The immense pain knocked him unscious instantly, and Smoker paid him no further attention. His gaze was fixed on the fruits, tension clear on his face.

  A few seds ter, one of the pineapples began to transform, its surface developing spiraling patterns as its color darkeo a reddish-brown.

  “This… this is…” Hina murmured in astonishment.

  Smoker’s face lit up with satisfa.

  “That’s his Ton-Ton Fruit,” he firmed.

  “Just as I thought…”

  “When a Devil Fruit user dies, their power reappears in a nearby fruit. It seems it must be the same type of fruit.”

  “This expins why Abasta could pass down the powers of their fruits. When Gavent died, the Powder-Powder Fruit appeared on the ship—this proves there’s a specifige for the transfer!”

  “There’s also a dey. The fruit took a few seds to ge after the user’s death, suggesting it’s not an instant spatial transfer but more like a reination of the soul!”

  From this single instance, Smoker deduced multiple insights.

  He didn’t stop there.

  Taking advantage of his momentum, he elimirebol and Gdius as well, obtaining the Sticky-Sticky and Pop-Pop Fruits in the process.

  Soon, five Devil Fruits y before him, their striking patterns making for an impressive sight.

  Smrinned with evident delight.

  However, several questions remained unanswered.

  What would happen if there were no fruits within the range when a Devil Fruit user died? Would the power extend its range or wait indefinitely until a suitable fruit appeared?

  And then there was the case of Big Mom, who allegedly gained her powers by ing the nun. Could living beings absorb powers, ag as barriers to their reination?

  These uainties didn’t bother Smoker.

  Because now, he had mastered the method to strip Devil Fruit powers.

  With a triumphant smile, Smoker ed an arm around Hina’s waist.

  "See that... it's a masterpiece!!"

  Hina took a moment tain her posure, swallowing nervously.

  "Smoker, I don't know why, but I'm kind of scared..."

  "Don’t let this ability get out, okay? Not even to Zean or the others..."

  Smoker affeately ruffled her pink hair.

  "Of course! I'm not that foolish!"

  He then looked at the bodies of Trebol and the others.

  These guys all had bounties.

  Trebol had a bounty of 60 million Berries, Gdius 25 million, and Machvise 7 million,

  along with Jo and Lao G, that made a total bounty of over 100 million.

  Whether they kept them for military merit or sold them to bounty hunters, either option was good.

  "Don't waste them..." Smoker muttered, stuffing the bodies bato the shadows.

  Then, with a wave of his hand, the solid darkhat surrouhem began to dissipate aurn to him.

  The Devil Fruits on the floor were also absorbed.

  “Devil Fruit hunters, huh...”

  “If Bckbeard do it, why ’t I, Smoker?”

  There were plenty of Devil Fruit users, but the Grand Line was vast.

  With just Smoker and Hina, they'd barely catch a few, even if they worked themselves to the bone.

  Plus, they o capture them alive before finishing them off.

  Asking for help from their rades would attrauch attention.

  Smhed.

  It was frustrating that the ability to strip Devil Fruits could be the Navy, yet he couldn’t share it with anyone.

  “I o figure out how to capture more Devil Fruit users alive!”

  Suddenly, a rhythmic ship's horn sounded in the distance.

  Hina tilted her head, listening carefully.

  "Smoker, a warship is ing—it's the headquarters' ship!!"

  The horn was a signal, and the sound was meaningful, carrying messages.

  Smoker didn’t uand it, but Hina was well-versed.

  "Oh? Let's go check it out!"

  The two of them went outside and saw Zean, along with Zefa and Sakazuki, already gathered on the deck.

  It turned out this ship was Zefa’s.

  When they had seen Smoker and the others fighting from afar, they had nded on the isnd using Geppo and stayed close, letting the ship follow at a distance.

  Now, Zean was heading back to G2, and Zefa and the others were returning to headquarters, so it was time to part ways.

  Zean walked over to greet them.

  "Zefa-sensei, Sakazuki-san, are you really leaving already?!"

  There was a hint of relu her voice.

  Zefa chuckled, making a rare joke.

  "Time to go. You've been too fortable on your ship. If I stay any longer, my old bones will rust!"

  Zean ughed softly, like a blooming peony.

  "You’re just teasing me, as usual. I won’t listen anyway, so there’s no point in saying it..."

  She then turo Sakazuki, her eyes misting over.

  "We won’t see each other for a long time, will we? Probably a lot lohis time..."

  Sakazuki nodded, his expression unged.

  "It’s all for justice..."

  Zeaated for a moment, then softly agreed.

  At that moment, the two ships were closing in.

  Zean sighed. "Sensei, Sakazuki-san, and you two, hurry and board the ship..."

  "Alright... Zean, take care!"

  Zefa said, leaping onto the ship first.

  Smoker saluted and followed him onto the ship.

  Hina waved her hand. "Major Zean, thank you for all your help these past days. If I get the ce, I'll visit you at G2!"

  Zean’s face stiffened for a sed before she quickly repced it with a smile.

  "Good luck, Hina. You’ll be a great naval officer like Vice Admiral Tsuru!"

  Sakazuki was the st to leave.

  He didn’t say much, but as he passed by Zeaopped, sighed heavily, and said,

  "Stay safe, and be careful! Don’t push yourself too hard..."

  "If things get bad... don’t hesitate to retreat!"