While the seas were beginning to stir with unrest, Light remained shut inside his home for several days without stepping outside.
On the very night he obtained the Dark-Dark Fruit, after a brief period of thought, he made his decision and consumed it.
There was no complicated reasoning behind it.
The answer was simple.
He wanted power.
Whether it was the mysterious Interdimensional Gate within him or the increasingly unstable state of the world, if he wanted to secure greater benefits and live freely, he needed strength.
Strength was everything.
Contrary to what he knew, the Devil Fruit did not taste horrible.
Before eating it, Light had prepared himself mentally, expecting the worst.
He had even steeled his resolve, thinking he would have to endure it.
But the moment he took a bite, he froze.
The taste was unexpectedly fresh, with a texture that was soft and juicy.
It was far better than anything he had imagined.
What he thought would be torture turned into something almost enjoyable.
Instead of forcing himself to finish it, Light ended up eating the entire fruit without hesitation.
As expected, even after leaving the pirate world, the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit remained intact.
This confirmed something important.
His world could accommodate abilities from other worlds without issue.
After consuming the fruit, Light felt his entire body filled with darkness.
It flowed endlessly within him, like an ocean without limits.
For a brief moment, he felt invincible.
However, that sensation did not last long.
Once the initial excitement faded, Light quickly realized the truth.
The power itself might be vast, but using it depended entirely on his own stamina.
The Dark-Dark Fruit was like a massive reservoir, but his body was the outlet.
No matter how much power existed within, he could only use what his body allowed.
The stronger he became, the more he could draw out.
Light leaned back on the sofa, watching as darkness gathered between his fingers like flowing liquid.
It dripped onto the floor, spreading slowly and staining everything it touched.
The darkness crept outward until it covered the ground beneath him.
Soon, the coffee table in front of him began to sink.
It was gradually pulled into the black mass, disappearing as if swallowed by an endless void.
At that moment, Light clenched his fist.
The spreading darkness instantly gathered together, condensing into a dense sphere of energy that hovered in midair.
A second later, he released his grip.
The sphere collapsed, and fragments of the coffee table fell to the ground in pieces.
“Looks like I finally have some control over it,” Light said with a faint smile as he stood up.
His house was in ruins.
The floor was stained, furniture broken, and everything looked as if it had been hit by a storm.
For the first two days after consuming the fruit, he had no control at all.
It was like suddenly gaining a new limb that he did not know how to use.
On the morning after eating it, he had simply woken up and unintentionally released a burst of dark energy that destroyed his bed.
That incident alone was enough to keep him indoors.
If something like that happened outside, the consequences would be far worse.
Only now, after several days of practice, had he gained a basic level of control.
It was time to step out.
Walking through the streets, nothing seemed to have changed.
The city of Newdale remained as it was before, showing no signs of the larger events unfolding in the world.
Light bought a newspaper from a nearby stall and made his way toward Sphinx Street.
Along the way, several people greeted him respectfully as “Big Brother,” but he ignored them, his attention focused entirely on the paper.
After scanning through it, he found nothing of interest.
With a bored expression, he turned into a boxing gym and casually tossed the newspaper onto the counter.
“Hey, Light, where have you been these past few days?” a loud voice called out.
On the training platform stood a massive man, easily over two meters tall, his build even larger than Light’s.
He laughed as he spoke.
“You didn’t get yourself knocked out somewhere, did you?”
Light pulled out a cigar, cut it, lit it, and took a slow drag before replying.
“If you keep talking, I might come up there and prove it.”
The man burst into laughter.
“Good, you’ve still got spirit.
Want to spar?”
“No,” Light replied without hesitation.
“Where’s Frank?”
“I’m here.”
The voice came from behind the bar.
A lean man walked out, carrying a refined briefcase.
He sat across from Light and raised an eyebrow.
“I’ve got something new.
Interested?”
Light glanced at the case.
“What is it?”
Frank smirked and opened it.
Inside was a transparent tube filled with a crimson liquid, resembling blood.
Light narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Blood?”
“Not exactly,” Frank said, his tone turning slightly serious.
“It’s a special agent designed to enhance physical ability.
More precisely, it contains something called rc cells.”
The term sounded familiar to Light, though he could not immediately place it.
“Another item from an Interdimensional Gate?” he asked.
“Of course,” Frank replied.
“You rely on physical strength, so I figured this would suit you.
That’s why I got it.”
Light gave him a flat look.
“You didn’t bring this to me out of kindness.
What’s the catch?”
Frank chuckled, unfazed.
“Power always comes with a price.”
“Stop wasting time,” Light said, tapping the table as he exhaled a stream of smoke.
“What are the side effects?”
Frank leaned in slightly and lowered his voice.
“Six months ago, there was an Interdimensional Gate in Vandiel City.
You remember?”
Light nodded.
“There was something in the news.
A serial killer who eats people.”
As he spoke, something clicked in his mind.
rc cells.
Frank continued, unaware of the shift in Light’s thoughts.
“The official report said the gate went out of control, but that’s not the truth.
The Osaria family sealed it off and took everything for themselves.
These rc cells came from that place.
From a species called ghouls.”
Light stared at the tube in silence.
“So the side effect is cannibalism?” he said plainly.
“That was the original version,” Frank replied.
“After months of research, they’ve improved it.
This one won’t make you eat people.”
He tapped the tube lightly.
“But your appetite will increase significantly.”
The offer hung in the air as Light looked at the crimson liquid, weighing its value.