Returning to the Crimson Empire's capital on Vodka Island, York successfully introduced his new intern, King, to the other high-ranking cadres. Kaido, Dragon, and the rest of the crew all expressed their rough but genuine welcome for the new companion's arrival.
That night, the intense battle in the main bedroom of the Royal Palace gradually began.
York grabbed Gloriosa by the waist and tossed her onto the massive royal bed, her naked body bouncing against the silk sheets. She landed on all fours, already panting with anticipation, her full breasts hanging heavy and her round, firm ass raised high toward him. The dim candlelight danced across her smooth skin, highlighting the curve of her spine and the glistening wetness dripping from her swollen pussy.
"York..." she moaned, looking back over her shoulder, eyes dark with lust. "I need you in my ass tonight. Don't be gentle."
He didn't need to be told twice. York climbed behind her, his massive, rock-hard cock throbbing angrily between his legs, veins pulsing. He spat onto her tight pink hole, watching it twitch, then poured thick oil over his length and her entrance. Two thick fingers pushed inside her ass without warning, stretching her roughly as she gasped and pushed back greedily.
"Fuck, you're so tight tonight," he growled, scissoring his fingers deep inside her.
Gloriosa whimpered, grinding her hips in circles. "More... give me your cock."
He pulled his fingers out, lined up the fat head of his dick against her slicked hole, and thrust forward hard. Half his thick shaft sank into her ass in one brutal motion. Gloriosa cried out sharply, her hole clenching like a vice around the invading girth. York gripped her hips tighter and slammed the rest of the way in, burying every inch balls-deep inside her scorching, velvety guts.
"Ahhh—! Yes!" she screamed, pleasure and slight pain mixing perfectly.
York started pounding her immediately, long, powerful strokes that made her ass cheeks jiggle with every impact. The wet, obscene slap of his heavy balls against her dripping cunt echoed through the bedroom. He reached forward, fisting her long hair and yanking her head back, forcing her to arch deeper as he railed her ass mercilessly.
"Take it all, wife. This ass belongs to me," he snarled, hips snapping faster.
Gloriosa's moans turned into broken sobs of ecstasy. Her pussy clenched and squirted onto the sheets with every deep thrust, juices running down her thighs. York leaned over her, biting her shoulder hard as he reamed her hole, his thick cock stretching her wide open. He changed angles, aiming downward to hit that perfect spot inside her until her legs shook uncontrollably.
"Harder—fuck my ass harder, York! Fill me up!" she begged shamelessly.
He pulled out almost completely, then drove back in with savage force, again and again. The bed creaked violently beneath them. Sweat poured down both their bodies. York reached under her, rubbing her throbbing clit in rough circles while his cock pistoned relentlessly in and out of her stretched asshole.
Gloriosa came first — violently. Her entire body convulsed, ass clamping down like a fist around his cock as she screamed his name, squirting messily all over his balls and the sheets.
The intense squeezing pushed York over the edge. With a deep, animalistic groan, he buried himself to the hilt and erupted. Thick, heavy ropes of hot cum flooded her guts, pulse after pulse, until her ass was overflowing. White seed leaked out around his shaft as he kept thrusting through his orgasm, fucking his load deeper into her.
They stayed locked together for long moments, panting. York finally pulled out slowly, watching her wrecked, gaping hole wink and push out thick globs of his cum. Gloriosa collapsed forward onto the bed, trembling with aftershocks, a satisfied, fucked-out smile on her face.
York pulled her into his arms, letting her nestle against his chest as the intense battle gradually subsided. Her finger traced lazy circles on his skin while his cum slowly dripped from her well-used ass.
"You seem to have something on your mind," Gloriosa murmured softly.
York held his beloved wife, his sharp eyes discerning a hint of hesitation hidden in her gaze.
Gloriosa paused for a few seconds before finally speaking. "While you were out on the Punk Hazard expedition, little Teach was obsessively looking through the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia. He came and asked us if we knew the whereabouts of the Yami Yami no Mi—the Dark-Dark Fruit."
She looked up at York. "I suspect he might have vaguely remembered what happened to his father at God Valley, and he's kept it deeply hidden in his heart all this time. He specifically wants the Dark-Dark Fruit... perhaps he is seeking absolute power for revenge."
York was silent for a moment upon hearing this.
He had actually long anticipated Teach's curiosity and eventual desire for the Dark-Dark Fruit; he just didn't expect the boy's ambition to surface so soon.
"It's better to guide that ambition than to block it," York said, his voice calm. "He's already eight years old now. It's about time he gained a Devil Fruit ability to survive in this era."
York stroked her hair. "As for him seeking power for revenge? There's absolutely nothing to worry about. My own abilities and my current strength were also initially forged in the fires of revenge. Revenge and the realization of one's dreams are the two greatest driving forces for becoming stronger in this world!"
The next day.
York summoned Teach, Eneru, and the newly joined King to his private office.
At the sudden, high-level summons, Eneru and King looked bewildered, unsure what grand task the Flame Emperor was preparing to assign them.
Only Teach stood rigid, cold sweat unconsciously breaking out on his small forehead.
'It couldn't be because I mentioned the Dark-Dark Fruit to Lady Gloriosa, could it?' Teach thought, his heart pounding. 'Is Captain York going to scold me? A young child not working hard to improve his Haki and physical strength, only obsessing about Devil Fruits all day long...'
Amidst Eneru and King's quiet anticipation, and Teach's deep apprehension, York did not scold anyone. He simply reached under his desk and brought out three small treasure chests. They were exquisitely crafted, yet clearly possessed an aged, antique quality.
"Guess what's inside?" York smiled, intentionally wanting to tease the three little monsters standing in front of him.
King was the least cooperative. Accustomed to the sterile, humorless labs of Punk Hazard, he shook his head directly. "I don't know, Captain."
Eneru's eyes lit up instantly, practically vibrating with excitement. "Is it a Devil Fruit?!"
Teach swallowed hard, his voice slightly trembling, but carrying a heavy hint of desperate anticipation. "I... I also guess it's a Devil Fruit, Uncle."
"Ah, you boys are too sharp. That was too easy," York sighed lightly, a playful glint in his eye as he unlatched the first treasure chest.
A strangely shaped fruit rested on the velvet cushion. Its skin looked like an unripe green pineapple, but its stem featured seven upright leaves resembling burning flames, colored orange-yellow in the center and blue-green at the edges. Besides this, every crease on the green skin sported a distinct spiral pattern—the universal signature of a sea demon's curse.
"The Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix. A Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit," York announced the legendary ability, looking directly at Teach.
"Teach, I heard from Gloriosa that you wanted a Devil Fruit to gain power. What do you think of this one?"
Teach swallowed hard once more.
His small, dark eyes were entirely fixed on the Phoenix Fruit. His expression rapidly shifted between intense struggle, hesitation, and sheer reluctance. This was a Mythical Zoan—an ability rarer than Logias!
Finally, he clenched his fists and shook his head firmly.
"This ability is incredible... but it is not what I want."
"Is that so? You don't like Mythical Beasts," York smiled calmly, his gaze shifting to the Skypiean boy.
Eneru, with his golden afro, instantly bounced on his heels. He stretched out his hands, his voice full of sheer, unadulterated yearning.
"Captain! If Teach doesn't want it, I do!! This is a legendary Mythical Beast type!!"
York smiled again, completely ignoring the boy's frantic request, and turned to look at the tall, quiet Lunarian instead.
"King. This fruit is yours."
"Huh?!"
King was completely stunned, looking at York in sheer surprise. He turned his head to glance at Eneru beside him. As expected, Eneru was now glaring daggers at him with deeply resentful eyes.
'A mere newcomer! What right does he have to get such a top-tier Devil Fruit right off the bat?!' Eneru's glare practically screamed.
King looked back at York. Besides overwhelming gratitude, there was genuine confusion and incomprehension in his dark eyes.
"Captain York... I've just joined the Empire, and you're giving me a top-tier Mythical Zoan right away... isn't it... a bit inappropriate?"
"You don't need to worry about the politics of my crew; that is solely for me to consider," York stated, his voice carrying the absolute weight of an Emperor. "Now, I'll ask you a very simple question: Do you want power, or not?!"
King swallowed hard. After struggling and hesitating for a few seconds, he nodded heavily.
"I want it!!"
Captain York thought so highly of him; if he couldn't respond to this absolute trust, wouldn't he be trampling on the Emperor's kindness?!
At the same time, a massive sense of responsibility and urgency arose within the young Lunarian.
'Captain York treats me so well! I must live up to this special treatment!' King vowed internally. 'Captain York... he truly is the Joy Boy I've been waiting for!!'
King was exceptionally tall; at only fifteen, he already stood three meters in height. He picked up the pineapple-like fruit and devoured the entire thing in just two massive bites.
Fwoosh!
Ethereal, blue-green flames of restoration instantly ignited across King's body, and even the natural Lunarian flames burning behind his head temporarily flared blue-green.
York chuckled softly. "Testing the fruit's power can wait a moment, King. There are two other little fellows still waiting."
At these words, King respectfully stepped back and decisively suppressed his urge to fully transform. Eneru and Teach immediately refocused their intense attention on the remaining two locked chests.
'What ability will it be?! I must get a better fruit than King's!!' Eneru thought, practically vibrating out of his sandals.
York didn't make them wait long. He clicked open the second treasure chest.
A Devil Fruit, entirely golden and covered in jagged spikes resembling an electric pear, sat heavily on the velvet.
"The Goro Goro no Mi. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit," York declared. "A top-tier Logia-type."
York once again addressed the son of his master first. "Teach. Can this fruit satisfy your needs?"
Teach once again fell into a profound, agonizing dilemma. The Goro Goro no Mi was universally considered one of the most invincible abilities among the countless Devil Fruits in the world. Even if he couldn't obtain the Dark-Dark Fruit he most desired, eating this fruit would grant him the speed of lightning and the destructive power of a god. He would have absolutely no regrets.
But... but... he still really, truly wanted the Yami Yami no Mi!
Creak!
Teach's teeth ground together audibly. He summoned immense, agonizing willpower. The blurry, towering figure of his father, Rocks D. Xebec, flashed through his young mind, followed by a hatred as deep as a sea of blood toward the World Government.
"I... I don't want the Rumble-Rumble Fruit!"
As he forced the words out, Teach felt as if he were carrying a heavy mountain on his small shoulders. Only after finishing the sentence did he let out a massive sigh of relief.
Once the decision was cemented, the psychological torment faded. Although passing on the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was a massive pity, his absolute goal had always been the Dark-Dark Fruit!
Similarly, Teach made a final, absolute vow to himself at this moment. Since he had just rejected the invincibility of lightning, if he didn't find the Dark-Dark Fruit in this life, he would simply live his entire life fighting with his bare hands!
Teach's answer was entirely within York's expectations, though the Emperor still couldn't help but look at the boy with profound respect.
'This kid... to show such terrifying tenacity and patience at this age, he truly lives up to being that man's son!' York thought, his eyes softening. 'Whitebeard ultimately dying by his hand in the original timeline can only be attributed to fate playing cruel tricks. In that story, he probably deeply resented Newgate for not helping Rocks at God Valley.'
Although the facts of God Valley were complex, it was completely normal for a two-year-old Teach's memory to be a blurry mix of trauma and resentment.
York smiled inwardly. He firmly believed that the Teach he was personally nurturing would absolutely never become the treacherous, ungrateful wretch of the original timeline.
After Teach explicitly refused, York naturally turned to Eneru.
The Skypiean boy, seeing the Emperor's gaze finally fall upon him, instantly burst into a smile brighter than the sun.
"York! Captain York!!" Overwhelmed with absolute excitement, Eneru became completely incoherent, unable to even express his truest inner thoughts smoothly.
"Hahahaha," York chuckled, shaking his head in exasperation. "You greedy little brat. Take it, it's yours."
"OWOOO!!" Eneru howled like a wild dog, eagerly pouncing onto the heavy oak desk and grabbing the box containing the Rumble-Rumble Fruit before tumbling backward onto the floor.
Because of his clumsy, fanatic movement, his elbow violently knocked against the third, unopened box beside it.
With a heavy clang, the third treasure chest fell off the edge of the desk, its latch popping open upon hitting the floor.
A Devil Fruit with purplish-black, deeply wrinkled skin—resembling a spoiled kiwi covered in swirling patterns—spilled out and naturally rolled right to Teach's boots.
Teach's small body trembled violently. His breathing became incredibly heavy almost reflexively. He recognized those swirls from the encyclopedia.
He instinctively wanted to drop to his knees and snatch the Devil Fruit from the floor. But Captain York was watching... Without the Emperor's explicit permission, could he really pick up this legendary prize?!
"What are you waiting for, kid? This is the absolute reward you earned through your unwavering perseverance!!"
Before Teach could even stammer out a question, York's deep voice filled the room.
"Devil Fruits possess their own esoteric will," York explained softly, leaning over the desk. "Many times, it is actually the fruit that actively chooses its rightful owner, rather than a person simply stumbling upon it!"
These words directly explained the seemingly accidental occurrence. Teach, with violently trembling hands, slowly bent down and picked up the Yami Yami no Mi.
'Did you choose me? No... did I actually gain your recognition?' Teach thought, staring at the purple swirls.
The Dark-Dark Fruit did not respond; still trapped in its physical state, it couldn't give the boy an answer.
Teach took a deep, shuddering breath, and eagerly opened his mouth to bite into the fruit.
Pfft!
The foul-tasting pulp entered his mouth, but Teach didn't feel the slightest bit of unpleasantness. It tasted like absolute destiny. Before long, he swallowed the entire fruit, hot tears streaming down his chubby cheeks.
"I got it... I got it... I successfully obtained the power of darkness!!"
Teach fell to his knees before York's desk, kowtowing with a resounding thud against the floorboards.
"Thank you! Thank you, Captain York, for your great kindness!!"
York looked at little Teach with gentle, familial eyes. He walked around the desk, reached out to help the boy up, and gently ruffled his naturally curly black hair.
"What a silly boy. Am I just your Captain?" York asked warmly. "Your father was my Captain and my master. I am his direct disciple, and even more than that... I am your uncle!"
York pulled the boy in. "If there's anything you ever truly want, you can tell your uncle directly! Anything I can give you, I will not be stingy in the slightest!"
Teach stared blankly at the towering Emperor in front of him, his already flowing tears suddenly becoming a torrential flood. He threw his short arms around York's waist, crying uncontrollably into his coat.
Eneru, sitting on the ground with a mouthful of golden fruit, watched this touching scene. He felt a tiny, fleeting bit of envy in his heart at their familial bond.
However, he looked down at the half-eaten Rumble-Rumble Fruit in his hands and suddenly felt there was absolutely nothing to be sad about. Captain York treated him incredibly well, and he, Eneru, would naturally be loyal to his God-Captain for life!!
Having secretly cemented his own vow, Eneru swallowed the rest of the pulp, becoming the last of the trio to gain his legendary ability.
The three boys, having just acquired their new, world-shaking abilities, eagerly rushed to the reinforced training grounds. They all desperately wanted to thoroughly test how powerful their newly acquired Devil Fruits truly were!
The other veteran members of the Pirate Crew, upon hearing the massive news of three top-tier fruits being handed out, also wanted to see the spectacle. They temporarily put aside their logistical tasks and gathered at the arena.
York was there, of course, standing with his arms crossed as he watched the boys prepare to spar.
But just then, a perimeter guard pirate sprinted over to report.
"Your Majesty!" the pirate saluted breathlessly. "A pair of strange old monsters suddenly arrived at the outer port, specifically asking for an audience with you!"
York raised an eyebrow. "Monsters?"
"We tried to drive them away, but the old hag directly used a Devil Fruit ability to transform her face into the exact likeness of Lady Stussy!" The guard explained nervously. "We suspect she might be an old acquaintance of yours and Lady Stussy from the Underworld, so we temporarily hosted them in a holding room and came to report to you."
Upon hearing this specific description, York's eyes narrowed slightly, and the scheming figures of the Kurozumi duo automatically appeared in his mind's eye.
"What were their clothes and general appearance like?"
"Their clothes seemed to be the traditional, isolationist attire of a certain island—wide robes with large sleeves, and a thin coat draped over their shoulders. What was particularly strange was the old hag... she had two lit candles tied to her forehead. I don't know what kind of bizarre custom that is."
"I understand," York nodded gently, fully recognizing the Kurozumi aesthetic. "I did indeed know them once upon a time. Go bring them here. I will grant them an audience in the Royal Palace Hall."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
After the messenger pirate sprinted off, York turned his head to look at his two highest commanders.
"Kaido. Dragon. You two come with me. Those two old ghosts are probably here to discuss a 'cooperation' with our Empire."
Dragon looked slightly bewildered; he wasn't a former Rocks Pirate and didn't know the intricate details of York's past underworld connections. He simply regarded it as a normal diplomatic visit from old acquaintances and adjusted his cloak to follow York.
Kaido, however, had clearly heard the messenger pirate's description just now, and two highly annoying figures automatically appeared in his mind.
He glared at York. "Are those the two old Kurozumi ghosts?"
York nodded gently. "It's them."
"Hmph!" Kaido let out a brutal sneer, gripping his kanabo. "What's there to even see about those two old rats? Cooperation? What kind of actual value could they possibly offer us?!"
"You might actually be wrong this time, Kaido," York chuckled softly, his eyes glinting with geopolitical calculation as they walked back toward the palace.
"Those two come directly from Wano Country!" York explained. "That's a massively resource-rich, geographically impenetrable, and extremely isolationist nation! Under normal circumstances, that country absolutely does not welcome any foreign pirates to enter its waters."
York's smile sharpened into something predatory. "But now... those two old ghosts suddenly have the desperate confidence to come to our shores, and even presumptuously want to form an alliance with an Emperor!"
"I suspect there's a very high probability that something has gone terribly wrong with the political hierarchy inside Wano."
Kaido frowned slightly, his tactical mind catching up. "You think they want us to deploy the Legion to help them suppress a domestic rebellion?"
"Not necessarily!!" York grinned, though his smile seemed cold and incredibly wicked. "I think, most likely, Kaido... they are the rebels!!"
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