One Piece: Three Devil Fruits, Beginning with Darkness

Rocks' fury burned hot and uncontrollable, but once the wave of rage passed, regret seeped into its place. He clenched his jaw, his teeth grinding together in frustration.

"Damn it! If I had known, I would've just eaten it myself!" he snarled, slamming his fist against the armrest of his throne.

Charlotte Linlin—currently a pink-haired beauty instead of the fat-mama she would become in the future— was leaning casually against the wall, let out an exaggerated sigh, shaking her head with a smirk.

"Captain, you'd better calm down," she said, her voice carrying a playful lilt. "If you keep this up, half of our crew will be knocked unconscious before we even set foot on the battlefield tomorrow."

The rest of the officers exchanged glances, nodding in agreement. Rocks' outburst of *Conqueror's Haki* had been nothing short of monstrous, rippling through the entire ship like a tidal wave of raw dominance. Though the core members had withstood it, several weaker crewmen had crumpled to the ground, foaming at the mouth.

Rocks scoffed, sneering down at the ones who had collapsed.

"Tsk! Anyone who can't handle that much is dead weight. If they fainted from *just* this, they deserve to be trampled on."

Linlin let out a low chuckle and shrugged. "Yeah, well, that's how it goes."

Shiki and the others remained silent. Their creed had always been simple—*the strong ruled, the weak were disposable.* Whether those men lived or died was of no consequence to them.

Only one man among them seemed troubled by this mentality.

Newgate frowned, his arms crossed as he leaned against the cabin's wooden pillars. The more time he spent with this crew, the clearer his discomfort became. *These people… they weren't comrades. They were a pack of wolves waiting to tear each other apart.*

It was becoming unbearable. He had been thinking of leaving the Rocks Pirates for a while now, but with each passing day, that thought grew stronger.

Still, duty kept him anchored for now. He exhaled heavily before speaking.

"Whoever spread the news about the treasure, it doesn't matter now," he said, his deep voice cutting through the tension. "What matters is that the World Government *knows*. They won't sit idle. This time, our enemies won't just be the Knights of God on the island—we'll be facing the navy as well."

At the mention of the navy, a cold glint flashed in Rocks' eyes.

Even though he knew Newgate's heart was no longer with the crew, Rocks valued him too much to let him go easily. Strength commanded respect, and Newgate had it in abundance. Losing him would be a waste of an incredible asset.

His anger cooled slightly as he drummed his fingers against the heavy oak table before him. The rhythmic tapping echoed through the silent cabin. A long pause stretched between them before Rocks lifted his gaze, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

"Good," he said, his voice laced with excitement. "We *should* have settled this with the World Government a long time ago." He leaned forward, the fire in his eyes reigniting. "After this battle, the whole world will *know* who its king is. There will be *no* dispute. I will *rule it all!*"

His declaration sent a chill through the room. Some smirked in anticipation. Others simply nodded, as if it were inevitable.

Tomorrow, the blood of gods and men alike would stain the land.

---

### **Valley of the Gods**

In the heart of the Valley of the Gods stood a palace of breathtaking grandeur. Towering ivory pillars stretched toward the heavens, supporting vast marble halls adorned with golden filigree.

Once, this palace had belonged to the *true* ruler of the Valley of the Gods—a king whose ancestors had governed these lands for centuries. But his reign had been brief and his fate sealed the moment the Celestial Dragons set their sights on his throne.

Now, the palace belonged to them.

The former king had perished long ago, cut down by the blade of **Figarland Garling**, leader of the **Knights of God**. His body had been left to rot, a forgotten relic of a world that no longer had a place for those who stood in the way of divine rule.

Inside the grand halls of the palace, Garling sat alone.

A heavy silence filled the chamber, broken only by the quiet, methodical sound of cloth dragging against steel. He was cleaning his sword. The blade gleamed under the soft glow of candlelight, its surface free of blemish—except for the lingering traces of blood.

Today's hunt had been *particularly* messy.

His hands moved with mechanical precision, but his thoughts wandered. His brows knitted together, his expression unreadable. Something weighed on his mind.

It was rare for anything to trouble him. As a Celestial Dragon among Celestial Dragons, *what* could possibly make him hesitate?

Yet tonight…

His fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword as he stared at his reflection in the polished steel.

"I cheated in the end," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes darkened, a shadow of uncertainty flickering through them. "*But I need a reason to accept you…*"

The words lingered in the empty room.

Garling rarely questioned his own actions. He followed the path dictated by strength and order, the path that had been set for him since birth.

But tonight, he had broken the rules of the game.

And now, he could only leave the rest to fate.

The Next Morning

As the first rays of dawn pierced through the dense canopy of trees, Jiger's eyes snapped open. His body was stiff from a night spent lying on the cold forest floor, but the urgency of their mission overshadowed any discomfort. Without hesitation, he pushed himself upright and immediately turned to wake his companions.

"Ivan! Get up, all of you!" he whispered harshly, shaking the nearest body. "We need to move—*now!* The hunters will be out soon, and we have to find that Devil Fruit before anyone else!"

Ivan groaned as he stirred from sleep, rubbing his eyes. The other two, Bear and Ginny, woke with similar sluggishness, but they understood the seriousness in Jiger's voice.

Without waiting for a response, Jiger took off, sprinting deeper into the forest. The others exchanged brief glances before quickly following suit.

Moving through the Forest, the group had intentionally chosen not to move under the cover of night. The island was crawling with *Den Den Mushi* surveillance cameras, ensuring that any unusual activity—especially from slaves—would be noticed immediately.

Most captives on the island remained oblivious to the existence of a Devil Fruit. At night, exhaustion took its toll, and they rested where they could. But if Jiger and his group had suddenly started moving around after a full day of running, it would have raised suspicions. Any watchful eyes monitoring the feeds would question why a handful of exhausted slaves were sneaking around instead of collapsing from fatigue like the rest.

If they were spotted, it would be over.

But now, in the early morning, they had a window. The chaos of the hunt would soon begin, and they needed to find the fruit *first.*

Gunshots suddenly rang out in the distance.

Jiger didn't flinch. He had expected this.

Somewhere behind them, unlucky slaves who had overslept were waking up to a nightmare—caught unaware and unable to flee in time. The hunters had begun their brutal culling, eliminating those who were deemed unworthy of further amusement.

But Jiger had no time to dwell on it.

His focus remained on one thing: the Devil Fruit.

He had studied this moment carefully. In the original timeline, the fruit had been located *near a cluster of buildings*. That meant it had to be in the remains of a town. The **Valley of the Gods** had once been home to a kingdom before the Celestial Dragons seized it for themselves. That meant ruins—old settlements that still stood, waiting to be found.

And Jiger knew he had to find them first.

They ran for what felt like hours, dodging exposed roots and weaving through tangled undergrowth. Their breaths came heavy, their legs burned, but none of them dared to stop.

Then, all at once, the thick curtain of trees parted.

A burst of golden sunlight flooded their vision as they emerged from the forest, blinking rapidly against the sudden brightness. And just beyond the clearing, standing in silent decay—

A town.

Jiger's heart pounded.

'This is it.'

Excitement surged through his veins. They were at the final stretch—this was like reaching the last round of a survival game. A single step closer to victory.

"Come on!" he shouted, signaling to the others as he broke into a full sprint toward the town.

But they weren't the only ones.

Dozens of other slaves had followed them, drawn by the same desperate hope.

Jiger frowned. 'Too many people.'

The larger the group, the bigger the target. If they all charged in together, they'd be sitting ducks. The Celestial Dragons weren't stupid. They had to have predicted that desperate captives would seek shelter in the ruins.

And yet, Jiger didn't shake them off. Instead, he slowed his pace ever so slightly.

At first, they had been leading the pack. But as Jiger eased up, others surged past them, sprinting ahead in their desperation to reach the town.

Ivan noticed the shift and turned to him, confused.

"Jiger, why are you slowing down?" he asked, concern lacing his voice. "Are you feeling sick again?"

Jiger hesitated for a moment before nodding weakly, placing a hand over his stomach as if in discomfort.

"Yeah... it's happening again," he said softly. "Didn't think it would hit me at such a critical moment. Sorry… I don't want to slow you all down."

Ivan immediately waved a hand dismissively. "What are you talking about?! We're *friends!* There's no such thing as dragging each other down!"

Bear, the large but gentle giant, chimed in as well.

"Brother Jiger, didn't you stay behind for me yesterday? I *know* you were waiting for me." His massive hands clenched into fists. "Let me return the favor! I can carry you—my strength won't be affected at all!"

Ginny nodded vigorously. "That's right! Brother Jiger, don't worry about keeping up! We stick together, no matter what happens!"

Jiger chuckled, shaking his head. "Come on now, don't talk like that. We *are* going to survive this."

But before he could say more—

A sudden explosion of gunfire erupted from the town.

Screams followed, raw and filled with agony. The unmistakable sound of steel slicing through flesh rang out, accompanied by the sickening squelch of bodies collapsing.

Ivan's face paled. "Oh no—*it's an ambush!*"

Jiger, however, remained calm. In fact, a faint smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.

'Just as I thought.'

No matter how arrogant the Celestial Dragons were, they weren't fools. They *knew* that if a Devil Fruit had been left on the island, someone would eventually try to claim it. They had likely prepared traps, anticipating desperate escapees making a run for the ruins.

'Which meant…'

There was *definitely* a Devil Fruit inside that town.

And that was exactly what Jiger had been hoping for.

He had slowed down on purpose. The first ones to enter would be the ones to take the brunt of the ambush. By hanging back, he could let others test the waters first—see where the attacks were coming from, find the safest entry point.

The old saying held true: *The first to stick their head out gets shot.*

Now, all he needed to do was blend into the panicked crowd and slip in unnoticed.

The choice was no longer optional for the rest, either. The Celestial Dragons' forces were closing in from behind, cutting off any retreat. Whether they liked it or not, the only way forward was into the bloodstained streets of the town.

Jiger turned to Bear, his voice sharp and urgent.

"Keep your head down," he ordered. "You're too big a target!"

Bear nodded firmly. Without hesitation, he hunched his massive frame, doing his best to disappear among the chaos of the fleeing slaves.

Jiger exhaled slowly, steadying his nerves.

The game had begun.

And if he played his cards right—he *would* win.