Carina smiled as she flicked through the stacks of neatly bundled cash, fingers gliding over the crisp bills. "Three hundred million berries, more or less," she said smugly, snapping the last bundle into place before sliding it into Desire's card. A red glow bound all the cash into a single card she held.
Nami let out a frustrated sigh, putting her arms on her hips. "Only 140 million for me. Can you believe that? I expected more from a Warlord."
Carina chuckled, adjusting her black dress. "Guess he spent too much on his devil fruit collection hobby instead of hoarding treasure."
The two of them stood in the dimly lit interior of Hanafuda's ship, surrounded by the spoils of their heist. Piles of gold and rare gemstones lay scattered around, but they had no time to admire the details. Their focus was on looting the place.
Desire's card absorbed everything effortlessly, the single slip of paper swallowing countless gold and gems like a bottomless void. Carina still wasn't sure how the ability worked, but she wasn't complaining. It made looting so much easier.
As they moved to the next chamber, they spotted what they expected from the Black Beast, collector of ancient zoan devil fruits.
Five Devil Fruits were carefully preserved and displayed in a locked chest. Their swirling patterns and unnatural colors stood out even in the dim lighting.
Carina let her breath out. "Well, well, well… Ancient Devil Fruit was rare, yet there were five of them here.."
Nami's eyes gleamed with greed. "Six, counting the one we already took from Hanafuda's cadre."
"That one was a normal Zoan, "Carina said, walking toward the display chest. "These things here could be worth around five hundred to a billion a piece, depending on their rarity." She reached forward, tracing her fingers over the rough surface of one of the fruits.
Nami nodded, already scheming in her head. "Yeah… but we should be careful. We don't know what these do and don't want them falling into the wrong hands."
Carina grinned. "Are we the right hands, tough?"
The two exchanged a knowing look before swiftly storing the Devil Fruits into Desire's card. With their loot secured, they continued exploring, ensuring they had picked the ship clean of anything valuable.
After all, if Hanafuda somehow survived his fight with Jacob… he wouldn't have anything left to his name.
***
Hanafuda was sent flying several meters from the battlefield, his body smoldering from the impact of Jacob's plasma breath. But before he could regain control, Jacob soared after him, his form blazing with fiery energy. In an instant, Jacob closed the gap, driving his fist—wrapped in concentrated fire and modest Armament Haki—directly into Hanafuda's gut.
A shockwave rippled through the air.
Jacob didn't stop. A flurry of rapid punches and kicks rained down on Hanafuda, each strike cracking through the ex-Warlord's tough hide. Ancient Zoan durability could only endure so much. By the time Jacob stopped, Hanafuda hung limp in midair, barely conscious.
Jacob pulled back, preparing to finish him with another plasma breath—this time, a full-power blast.
But then—Alvida rushed in.
Her rage-fueled attack struck Hanafuda before Jacob could react. Her mace smashed into Hanafuda's broken body again and again, her tears mixing with her fury. "You… you bastard…! You ruined my life?!" she screamed, her voice raw.
Jacob hesitated. He had expected this, so he asked the others to hold this information from her until Hanafuda was weak enough.
At that moment, he sensed another presence approaching fast.
Conis.
She descended toward them, her six angelic wings glowing in the sunlight, her expression unreadable.
Jacob let out a slow breath, placing a hand on Alvida's shoulder to calm her. She was shaking, her grip on her mace tightening as if she wanted to keep going—but Jacob's presence forced her to pause.
She then absentmindedly walked toward where Conis, who landed and hugged her.
Then, in a shaky, bated breath, Hanafuda spoke.
"…Why… are you… so ruthless?" His ancient, primal voice rasped through the pain. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?" His one barely open eye stared at Jacob, burning with something deeper than rage.
Jacob frowned but said nothing.
Hanafuda coughed, a thick spurt of blood escaping his lips. He exhaled a weak laugh. "If you've come for me like this… then Kaido… Kaido will come for you, and … my children … are strong."
Conis held Alvida tightly, her wings glowing faintly as she carried her back to the Embercloud. Tears streamed down her face, her emotions a mixture of relief and frustration.
"You were reckless, Miss Alvida," she whispered, trembling. "What were you thinking? Running off like that…"
Alvida, still shaken and exhausted, didn't respond. She allowed herself to be held, her body limp from both emotional and physical exhaustion.
Jacob inhaled deeply on the battlefield, gathering the last of his strength. His plasma breath surged, the superheated energy coalescing in his throat like a miniature sun. He had intended to unleash it in a final, decisive blast—but something clicked.
An epiphany.
His chaotic and destructive fire had always been a force of obliteration. But now, he felt something different. A sense of control.
He realized… he didn't have to destroy everything.
He could choose.
His flames could incinerate his target while leaving what he wanted intact. It was an insane, almost impossible feat of precision—but he knew he could do it.
With a final exhale, he unleashed his plasma breath.
The attack engulfed Hanafuda in an explosion of blue and white fire. The former Tobiroppo and Warlord had no time to react, his monstrous hybrid form disintegrating instantly. But even as his body was reduced to nothing, Jacob focused and refined his power.
When the flames died down, Jacob stood amidst the smoldering remnants of the battlefield, his chest rising and falling with exertion.
And in his hand…
A Devil Fruit.
He turned it over, studying the intricate swirling pattern on its surface.
It wasn't wholly extracted—about 85 percent, he estimated. It still had lingering traces of its former host's essence but was mainly intact.
And the devil fruit suddenly wilted on his hands.
Jacob sighed, feeling both frustration and excitement.
This meant it was possible.
With more practice, he could refine this ability—perfect it. And once he did, he could extract Devil Fruits without killing the host.
A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. This changes everything.