One Piece: Three Devil Fruits, Beginning with Darkness

**Chapter 13: Four People**

Jiger's face remained impassive as he recounted his past, his voice steady, almost detached.

The weight of his words, however, left Ginny and the others utterly stunned. They had expected his upbringing to be harsh, but this? This was beyond cruelty. The idea that a father could be so monstrous toward his own child defied reason.

Even calling him "worse than a beast" felt too kind.

Jiger lowered his gaze, shadows creeping at the edges of his eyes, a faint trace of black smoke curling from their corners. He looked composed, but that flicker of darkness betrayed his true emotions. He was far from calm.

"I will definitely go back to Mary Geoise and kill him with my own hands."

His voice was quiet, but the sheer intensity behind it sent a shiver through the air.

Ginny's heart clenched, and without thinking, she grabbed his hand tightly, her grip desperate. Anxiety flared in her voice as she blurted out,

"Brother Jiger, are you going to leave us?"

Ivan blinked rapidly, his expression frantic. He didn't speak, but the way his lips parted slightly, the restless movement of his fingers—everything about him screamed unease.

Beside him, Kuma lifted his head, watching Jiger with nervous anticipation.

Jiger was caught off guard for a moment. Then, he let out a low chuckle and shook his head.

"How could that be? I'm still weak. It's not the right time to go back to Mary Geoise."

A collective sigh of relief passed through the group.

Having endured the harrowing escape from the Valley of the Gods together, the four of them had become inseparable. They weren't just companions—they were family, bonded by shared suffering and survival.

For Ginny, the only girl in the group, that connection was even stronger. Jiger had been their pillar of strength, the one they relied on. The idea of losing him, even for a moment, had terrified her.

Now that she was certain he wouldn't leave them, she couldn't contain her joy. With a beaming smile, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and pressing her cheek against his.

"That's great, Brother Jiger! We must always stay together! We'll never be apart!"

Her grip was so fierce that Jiger nearly lost his balance, but he didn't push her away.

Ivan, still struggling with his bandaged hands, hesitated before speaking, but before he could, Kuma spoke first.

"Brother Jiger, it's because of you that I have this power. I will train hard—I won't drag everyone down!"

Jiger's lips curved into a smile. It was warm, yet beneath the glow of his darkened eyes, there was an almost eerie charm to it.

"Kuma, don't you mind that I'm a Celestial Dragon?"

Kuma shook his head without hesitation, his voice gentle but firm.

"No. Jiger is still Jiger. He will always be our big brother."

Ginny tilted her head, frowning slightly.

"Kuma, why did you lower your head earlier? You looked so troubled."

Kuma hesitated before exhaling slowly, his large hands gripping his knees.

"I... I'm sorry," he admitted. "Actually, when Garling mentioned the Figarland family, I already suspected it. I had heard of them before—when I was a slave."

His voice wavered slightly.

"But I didn't want to let it affect us. I thought if I just pretended not to know, we could keep going the way we always have. I didn't want to lose what we have now. But then Brother Jiger brought it up himself..."

His fingers twitched as he scratched his head, a simple, almost innocent gesture. And yet, to Jiger, it was something far deeper—pure sincerity.

Gently, Jiger pried Ginny from his arms and took a step back, his gaze sweeping over the three of them. Shadows coiled faintly behind him, shifting like living smoke.

"Don't just blame me," he said, his voice low. "Each of you has suffered because of the Celestial Dragons. I will help you take your revenge."

Ginny, ever the optimist, hesitated. Unlike the others, she didn't burn with the same thirst for vengeance.

"Brother Jiger… can we really fight the Celestial Dragons?"

Jiger's smile was faint, almost knowing. He raised his right hand, his fingers curling as they turned a deep black.

"Of course," he murmured. "Otherwise, what's the point of having the Dark-Dark Fruit?"

Before anyone could react, a surge of inky blackness erupted from his palm.

The darkness spread like a flood, swallowing the room whole. It was as if the world itself had been drowned in shadow. Light ceased to exist. The air grew heavy.

Ginny gasped, instinctively clutching onto Jiger's collar, her fingers digging into the fabric.

It lasted only a moment.

As quickly as it had appeared, the darkness receded, peeling away like a curtain. The suffocating pressure vanished. And when the room became visible again, it was... different.

No longer was the space dusty and worn. The old, crumbling room had been transformed. The floors gleamed, every inch spotless. The walls, once dusty and weathered, looked untouched, as if they had just been cleaned to perfection, dirt's erased from existence.

Ginny's mouth fell open.

"This… this is…?"

She covered her lips, her eyes wide with astonishment.

Kuma, a fellow wielder of a Devil Fruit ability, was the most astonished of them all. His eyes lingered on Jiger, marveling at the sheer precision of his control.

He had already witnessed the terrifying power of the Dark-Dark Fruit firsthand. That bottomless darkness had nearly swallowed all three of them whole back in the Valley of the Gods. Even now, the memory sent a cold sweat down his back.

There was something overwhelmingly destructive about Jiger's darkness—a force capable of reducing everything it consumed to nothingness.

And yet, just now, when Jiger had unleashed that same power on a massive scale, he had done so without disturbing a single furnishing in the hall. The darkness had flowed effortlessly, devouring only the dust and debris, leaving everything else untouched.

Kuma swallowed hard. The level of control required to perform such a feat was beyond anything he had imagined.

If it had been him, he thought grimly, he would have had to form a massive ball of flesh around the entire church to even attempt something similar. But even that wouldn't have been enough. Not only was it beyond his current ability to generate a piece of flesh that large, but carefully rebounding only the dust while keeping everything else intact? That level of finesse was completely out of reach for him.

If he had attempted such a thing, he probably would have sent the entire church flying instead.

The realization only deepened his respect for Jiger.

The reason Jiger's mastery over the Dark-Dark Fruit had improved so drastically was clear—his complete fusion with his original body had significantly strengthened his soul. As a result, his innate talent had reached an even greater height.

It was no surprise, then, that he had naturally awakened his Observation Haki.

Ginny, on the other hand, wasn't dwelling on the intricacies of Jiger's power like Kuma was. She was far too excited by what she had just witnessed. Clapping her hands enthusiastically, her eyes sparkled with admiration.

"This is amazing!" she gasped, practically bouncing on her feet.

Beside her, Ivan gulped audibly, his envy barely concealed.

Among the group, he was the only male without a Devil Fruit ability. Watching both Jiger and Kuma showcase their extraordinary powers left him with an undeniable sense of longing. He wanted to experience that strength for himself.

But despite his envy, he felt no resentment. In his eyes, both Jiger and Kuma were more suited to their Devil Fruits than he could ever be.

Jiger noticed his expression right away. He had always been good at reading people, and it took him no effort to understand what was running through Ivan's mind.

Smiling, he said,

"Ivan, don't worry. The Devil Fruit meant for you hasn't appeared yet. But believe me, it's out there. And when the time comes, it will be yours."

Ivan's eyes widened, excitement lighting up his face. He was so convinced by Jiger's words that he practically started jumping in place.

"Really?! What's the name of the fruit?" he asked eagerly.

Jiger lifted a finger, shaking it playfully.

"I won't tell you just yet," he said with a teasing smirk. "You only need to know that it will be a perfect match for your little quirk."

Ivan's curiosity exploded. His mind raced with possibilities, and he immediately started bombarding Jiger with questions.

"What does it do? Is it a Paramecia? A Zoan? Oh! Could it be a Logia? Does it have anything to do with speed? Or maybe—"

No matter how much he pleaded, Jiger refused to say another word, maintaining his air of mystery.

Ivan's frustration built until he finally couldn't take it anymore.

Seeing that the endless questioning wasn't going to stop anytime soon, Jiger sighed. With a flick of his finger, a wisp of black smoke curled out and gently brushed against Ivan's lips.

Darkness spread over Ivan's mouth, forming a small void-like suction that forced his lips into a ridiculous pout.

"Mmmmm! I haven't eaten yet!" Ivan tried to protest, his voice muffled by the darkness.

Ginny clapped her hands, giggling at the sight. Kuma shook his head in amusement.

Jiger simply grinned.