One Piece: The Multiverse Simulator

In the vast world of pirates, if anyone possessed unparalleled knowledge of Devil Fruits, Wood wouldn't confidently claim that Blackbeard knew the most. However, he was certain that Blackbeard ranked among those who knew the most.

Wood only knew of two methods to steal Devil Fruit abilities:

The first method involved the transformation of nearby fruit into a "lower-tier" version of the deceased user's ability.

The second method, far more grisly, involved consuming the flesh of the Devil Fruit user. Wood speculated that it might not require devouring the entire body, but it absolutely required the target to be deceased.

Of course, Blackbeard might have discovered other methods unknown even to Wood. After all, even as a "transmigrator," Wood admitted he didn't fully understand the enigma that was Blackbeard.

Blackbeard's body was undeniably unique. He reportedly never needed to sleep, a fact Shanks attributed to his possessing twice the lifespan of an ordinary person.

On the flip side, Blackbeard also experienced pain at double the intensity of a normal person. This explained why even Wood's grazing sword slash had left him writhing on the ground, screaming in agony.

Piecing together these traits, Wood speculated that Blackbeard's physiology was profoundly abnormal—perhaps involving multiple hearts or even multiple souls.

His ability to avoid sleep might stem from one heart or soul "resting" while the others remained active. Likewise, the doubled pain could result from a single body processing the pain responses of multiple souls.

This theory tied neatly into the nature of Devil Fruits, as their powers seemed intrinsically linked to the user's heart or soul.

Even Blackbeard's pirate flag—depicting three skulls side by side—hinted at this possibility. Could Blackbeard have three hearts or three souls? After all, pirate flags often symbolized unique traits of their captains, like the Straw Hats' emblematic hat or Whitebeard's crescent mustache.

"You already wield the Dark-Dark Fruit, the most fearsome of the Logia types.

Now, you aim to steal the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, the strongest of the Paramecia types.

Your final target wouldn't happen to be a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit, would it?"

Wood's voice carried a playful tone as he posed the question, carefully observing Blackbeard's reaction.

For a brief moment, Blackbeard's face betrayed a flicker of surprise and shock before he quickly masked it.

Wood's theory wasn't baseless. Before he transmigrated, Blackbeard had already acquired the powers of both the Dark-Dark Fruit and the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

Since Devil Fruits fell into three categories—Logia, Paramecia, and Zoan—it stood to reason that Blackbeard's next target would complete the trifecta.

Given that his Logia was the "most fearsome" and his Paramecia the "strongest," Blackbeard's Zoan choice would logically be a Mythical Zoan.

Reflecting on his past knowledge, Wood considered Luffy's Rubber-Rubber Fruit, which was retconned into the Human-Human Fruit: Mythical Zoan, Model Nika. It wasn't far-fetched to speculate that Blackbeard's final target might be Luffy himself.

As the series' ultimate villain, it made sense for Blackbeard to set his sights on the "chosen one" and clash with him in a climactic battle.

"Ancient Weapon Wood," Blackbeard chuckled, "I always knew you were no ordinary man, but I never expected you to be this insightful.

How about joining my crew? You seem to know more than most, but I can tell it's just the tip of the iceberg.

Join me, and I'll reveal even more secrets. I'll help you gain power beyond anything you've ever imagined.

Right now, you're guarding Whitebeard's corpse for nothing. You don't have the means to acquire the Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power.

Instead, why not let me take it? In exchange, I'll grant you another powerful Devil Fruit—like Fire Fist Ace's Flame-Flame Fruit. A rare Logia-type, wouldn't you agree?"

Blackbeard's tone was confident, but his eyes betrayed caution. He had no intention of forcibly bypassing Wood.

Had Blackbeard already acquired the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, he wouldn't hesitate to fight Wood head-on. But as things stood, his current strength—limited to the Dark-Dark Fruit—barely surpassed Ace's.

On the other hand, Wood's strength was leagues above Ace's, likely comparable to that of the Four Emperors.

Blackbeard was many things, but reckless wasn't one of them. As an ambitious schemer, he knew better than to engage in a battle he couldn't win.

"You think I'd lower myself to join you?" Wood retorted, his tone dripping with disdain.

"I'm not one of those desperate fools you dragged out of Impel Down with promises of glory.

With my resources, influence, and power, you couldn't catch up to me in a hundred years.

As for the Flame-Flame Fruit? Do you really think someone of my status would have trouble acquiring a mere Logia-type Devil Fruit?"

Blackbeard froze for a moment, stunned by Wood's blunt response. He couldn't deny it—compared to Wood, his current influence, wealth, and power were laughably inadequate.

"Shiryu, Catarina Devon, Sanjuan Wolf, Avalo Pizarro, Van Augur—stall this guy for me! Just buy me some time!"

With negotiations deadlocked, Blackbeard resorted to brute force.

Akainu was already half-exhausted, and Lafitte and the rest of Blackbeard's crew could keep him occupied. Wood was the only obstacle left.

The criminals from Impel Down's Level Six weren't just ruthless—they were exceptionally strong. Shiryu and the others were a cut above Blackbeard's original crew, like Burgess and Doc Q.

"If we take care of this guy and you still fail to get the power you promised us," Shiryu sneered, "don't think we won't kill you next."

The prisoners from Impel Down were anything but loyal. If Blackbeard hadn't claimed to know the secret of stealing Devil Fruit powers, brutes like Shiryu and Avalo Pizarro would never have followed him.

For now, Blackbeard planned to prove his ability by stealing the Tremor-Tremor Fruit from Whitebeard. Whether he succeeded or failed, one thing was certain—he wouldn't stop scheming anytime soon.

As Evil King Avalo Pizarro and the others reluctantly obeyed Blackbeard's orders, their discontent evident, they charged toward Wood, seeking to overwhelm him.

With Wood now locked in combat against Shiryu and his allies, Blackbeard burst into his signature laughter, "Zehahaha!", and resumed his slow march toward Whitebeard's corpse.

Although the obstacles he had faced were far more numerous than expected, Blackbeard finally believed victory was within his grasp. Whitebeard's legendary Tremor-Tremor Fruit power was about to become his.

But just as Blackbeard reached out to touch Whitebeard's body, another unexpected event sent shockwaves through the battlefield.

Whitebeard, who had been undoubtedly dead, suddenly opened his eyes amidst the stunned gazes of everyone present.

Then, with a powerful motion, he extended his hand toward Blackbeard.

"Teach, you bastard!"

Caught off guard, Blackbeard froze. His disbelief left him unable to react as Whitebeard grabbed his head with a vice-like grip.

In his furious grasp, Whitebeard activated the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. A translucent sphere enveloped Blackbeard's head as the island trembled violently under the force of Whitebeard's wrath.

"BOOM————!"

A deafening explosion rocked the entire Marineford. The ground cracked and split apart, creating a massive canyon that carved through the island like a giant blade slicing a cake.

With Blackbeard's head in his grasp, Whitebeard unleashed the same devastating "head slam" technique he had used on Akainu earlier—but with significantly more power.

Unlike Akainu, who had managed to endure the blow with his Armament Haki and Logia powers, Blackbeard was not as fortunate. Already suffering from his unique condition of heightened pain sensitivity, the attack left him writhing in unbearable agony.

The battlefield descended into chaos as shock and awe rippled through the Marine and pirate forces alike.

"Whitebeard has come back to life?"

The sight of Whitebeard standing again threw the battlefield into disarray.

The Marines were understandably unnerved, while the Whitebeard Pirates were overjoyed. Yet, their jubilation was tempered by a deep sense of guilt—they had failed to keep their promise to their father and had let Ace die.

After dealing Blackbeard a crippling blow, Whitebeard's gaze shifted to Ace's lifeless body in the distance. His expression darkened with sorrow, and tears welled in his eyes.

The gaping, scorched hole in Ace's chest told Whitebeard everything he needed to know. Ace had fallen to Akainu's hand. Turning toward the Admiral, Whitebeard's eyes burned with rage.

"Akainu, you little brat, you're courting death!"

Whitebeard's voice thundered across the battlefield as he prepared to charge toward Akainu. But then, his body froze mid-motion.

A strange force seemed to restrain him, preventing him from moving freely.

Whitebeard was acutely aware of his own death—he had been dead, of that there was no doubt. The moment he opened his eyes, his first instinct had been to punish the treacherous Teach.

Now, as he assessed his situation, Whitebeard realized that his unexpected revival wasn't natural. He felt an inexplicable connection to someone on the battlefield.

Following this faint link, his gaze fell upon Wood, who was battling Shiryu and the others.

"Wood, you little brat! I don't know what you've done to my body or how you've brought me back, but I am no one's puppet!

If you think you can stop me from taking revenge on Teach and Akainu, I'll make you regret it!"

Whitebeard's booming voice drew the attention of everyone on the battlefield, turning all eyes toward Wood.

The idea of resurrection was almost unfathomable. While Devil Fruits were known to grant incredible, often bizarre powers, bringing someone back from the dead was something entirely beyond belief.

Yet, the evidence was undeniable. Whitebeard, who had unquestionably died, was now alive and whole—his body fully restored, even the fatal wound Akainu had inflicted gone without a trace.

The mention of the Op-Op Fruit's immortality surgery had already caused a global stir. Now, with Wood demonstrating the ability to revive the dead, the implications were staggering.

"Old man Whitebeard," Wood said calmly, "don't mistake my intentions. I've brought you back for one reason only—to give you the chance to take your revenge with your own hands.

But don't kid yourself into thinking you've truly been resurrected. There is no second life waiting for you, except perhaps with something as cursed as the Revive-Revive Fruit.

What you have now is nothing more than a 'false life.' Your body will begin to decay over time, until even your soul can no longer bear the strain.

And this isn't the power of any Devil Fruit. This is the result of a relic I discovered in an ancient ruin—a one-time treasure.

So you'd better thank me for giving you this chance to settle your unfinished business."

The reason for Whitebeard's sudden "resurrection" was simple: Wood had used the Water Spirit's Ring, an artifact he had acquired in the "Familiar of Zero" world.

Whitebeard's revival wasn't permanent, nor was it true life—it was an opportunity, a brief and fleeting moment to reclaim his honor and exact vengeance.

________

P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to 100+ chapters for $5 and receive daily updates at [email protected]/Betek (@->a).