Many years later.
Kuro, a renowned strongman under the Mountain Bandit King, encountered the Emperor Blackbeard on a certain island.
Blackbeard: "I am the user of the Dark-Dark Fruit, capable of devouring everything. I am the natural enemy of all Devil Fruit users!"
Kuro (suddenly excited): "In all these years, this is the first time I've heard such an outrageous request. Come on! I'll make sure you're full!"
Kuro activated the powers of the Dung-Dung Fruit, and the effect was extraordinary.
Blackbeard, deceased.
Soon after, news of the Emperor Blackbeard's crushing defeat spread across the world.
Kuro, the Dung-Dung Fruit user, became a legend in one battle, hailed as "Kuro the Devourer of Darkness" and "Kuro the Soaring."
.......
Although Sig was somewhat curious to see Blackbeard's reaction upon meeting Kuro, he knew the scene he imagined would likely never happen.
He sighed softly and turned his gaze to Kuro in the corner.
At this moment, Kuro seemed to have lost all hope, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.
He dug a large pit by the roadside, preparing to bury the cat claws he had carried with him for many years.
"Enough. I never want to fight again."
"Even if I die, I won't use this ability to fight."
Kuro muttered to himself, his eyes dim.
His usually meticulously combed slick-back hair now had two strands hanging loosely over his forehead, looking slightly disheveled.
At this moment, Sig finally stepped forward.
"Kuro, this Devil Fruit isn't as bad as you think."
"I've heard that some kingdoms use boiling dung as a defensive weapon during battles, calling it 'golden liquid.' It scalds enemies with high heat while causing wounds to fester, making them difficult to treat."
"So, this is completely a normal weapon."
Sig spoke these words.
Kuro's digging slowed slightly.
"Kuro, aside from our mountain bandit group, no one knows the true nature of this Devil Fruit's power."
"So, as long as you don't say anything, who will know you're this kind of ability user?"
"You can simply claim to be a user of the Gas-Gas Fruit or some kind of Stink-Stink Fruit!"
Kuro was momentarily stunned, his spirits lifting slightly, and his movements came to a halt.
"Gas-Gas Fruit?"
Earlier, Kuro had thoroughly tested the abilities of this fruit.
The Dung-Dung Fruit, classified as a Paramecia-type, did not grant elemental transformation.
Producing gas or other foul-smelling substances was one of the abilities this fruit provided.
After some thought, Kuro's heart stirred.
He extended his hand, and this time, there was no visible change, but an invisible gas began to emanate from his palm.
Methane, in its pure form, is a colorless and odorless flammable gas.
However, the gas Kuro was emitting was not pure and carried a faint stench.
Though invisible, Kuro, as the ability user, could sense and control the methane he emitted.
Kuro narrowed his eyes, attempting to compress the gas further, eventually forcing it into the pit he had just dug.
He stepped back, pulled out a lighter from his pocket, lit it, and immediately tossed it into the pit.
Boom!
A loud explosion erupted, and the dirt was flung into the air.
When the smoke from the explosion cleared, a pit two to three meters deep had formed in front of Kuro.
Seeing the explosive power firsthand, Kuro's expression finally brightened.
"From now on, I am the Gas-Gas Fruit user, the Gas Man!"
"This has absolutely nothing to do with dung!"
Kuro's eyes regained their sparkle, and he looked at Sig with gratitude.
"Boss Sig, I thought my life was over..."
As for the true abilities of the Dung-Dung Fruit, Kuro had resolved never to use them again.
Seeing this, Sig breathed a sigh of relief, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
"The Dung-Dung Fruit is still a bit hard for Kuro to accept right now."
"But people grow and change over time..."
Sig turned and walked away.
In his hand, he still held the Calm-Calm Fruit, ready to be assigned.
"I've decided. It's yours, Morgan."
"You brought the Sword God Joseph and the Sword Saint Johnny, two highly promising individuals, onto the ship. That's a great achievement."
"Also, you were the first to step forward and face Milo, who had an 80 million berry bounty. That's another achievement."
"The Calm-Calm Fruit is your reward. Your path of justice has taken another step forward!"
Not only was Morgan visibly moved, but Joseph and Johnny, standing nearby, were also deeply affected.
Sig's praise had simultaneously uplifted three people.
Moreover, given Sig's current achievements, he was already a rare powerhouse in the first half of the Grand Line. Such recognition from a strong figure like him was immensely impactful for Joseph and Johnny.
Morgan trembled as he accepted the Calm-Calm Fruit.
"Justice?"
His gaze grew firm.
"From now on, I will continue to uphold my path of justice!"
"Good!" Sig patted Morgan on the shoulder, offering meaningful encouragement:
"The abilities of this fruit are crucial and have great potential. Develop them well."
.........
While Sig was busy distributing the spoils of victory, the aftermath of the treasure map incident began to ripple across the world.
At Marine Headquarters.
"Did Charlos, the Celestial Dragon, obtain Sig's Another Piece treasure map?"
Fleet Admiral Kong frowned.
This was not good news for the Marines.
"Now, until Charlos finds the treasure based on the map, we won't be able to verify its authenticity."
Kong sighed.
It wasn't that the Marines were inactive; it was just that the Celestial Dragons were too unpredictable.
Charlos personally going to Loguetown to bid on the treasure map had completely disrupted the Marines' and the World Government's plans.
The authenticity of Another Piece, which was already questionable, became undeniable once it passed through the hands of a Celestial Dragon.
Otherwise, why would Charlos be so excited? Spending billions on a treasure map of unknown authenticity?
The distance between ordinary people and the Celestial Dragons was vast, and sometimes people underestimated just how wealthy and capricious the Celestial Dragons could be.
"And of all places, it had to be Loguetown. According to protocol, the Marines can't act freely there. Plus, it seems even Doflamingo couldn't do anything about Sig."
Kong sighed softly.
"Fleet Admiral Kong, you should take a look at this."
At that moment, an officer walked over and placed a newspaper on the desk.
Kong glanced at it and immediately frowned.
"Only world-class newspapers like the World Economic Times are useful to us Marines."
"These local gossip tabloids are filled with unverified news and have no reference value..."
Kong had just begun to reprimand, but when he saw the headline on the front page, his eyes widened slightly.
"Shocking! The Mountain Bandit King Publicly Declares His Love for a 12-Year-Old Girl!"
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