On the deck.
Absalom was pounding the air frantically with his unbroken arm like a madman. Though the space before him appeared empty, each strike landed as if hitting solid glass, sending painful vibrations through his knuckles.
He could clearly feel himself trapped inside an invisible "bottle." No matter which direction he charged, he'd be bounced back without finding even the slightest gap to escape.
"Bastard, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Absalom panted heavily, veins bulging on his forehead as he glared at Bahr standing calmly a few steps away. His eyes held equal parts terror and rage.
"Do you know who I am? I'm Gekko Moriah's subordinate! He's one of the Royal Shichibukai! If you dare lay a finger on me, Lord Moriah will never let you—"
He thought invoking the "Shichibukai" title would intimidate his opponent, but Bahr didn't even bat an eyelid, as if completely ignoring the threat.
Just then, Paula approached carrying a pineapple and handed it to Bahr, asking flatly, "Will this do, boss?"
Bahr weighed the pineapple in his hand, his lips curling into an enigmatic smile. "It'll do."
Absalom stared at the golden-yellow fruit, then at Bahr's smile, when a terrible premonition struck him. Cold sweat instantly soaked through his collar.
Was this lunatic planning some horrific experiment with fruit? He slammed desperately against the invisible barrier, his screams turning shrill: "What are you doing? Lord Moriah won't spare you! I'm warning you—"
His only answer was Bahr raising the pineapple, and Enel's mocking sneer: "Noisy insect."
Nico Robin's eyes suddenly widened as if struck by realization, looking at Bahr in shock. "Boss... are you planning to... extract his ability?"
The thought startled even herself, yet Bahr's current actions unmistakably suggested ability theft, leaving her no choice but to consider the possibility.
Bahr's smile turned playful. "Just testing a theory. Who knows if it'll work."
He'd been thinking how wasteful it was for Absalom to use the Invisibility Fruit just for peeping.
Remembering how Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit could steal others' abilities, he wondered if his Space Fruit—capable of trapping enemies in cages—might similarly contain Devil Fruit powers.
After all, his "Space Cage" could only be escaped through spatial abilities or brute force destruction. Worth experimenting with this trash before him.
Absalom's pupils dilated to the extreme, his face draining of color as his voice trembled: "You madman! Let me out! Lord Moriah will—"
Bahr completely ignored the ranting. This peeping pervert deserved death at best—might as well make use of the waste. With a flick of his finger, the golden pineapple passed through the invisible spatial barrier to land beside Absalom.
Before Absalom could process why the fruit was placed near him, a silver flash sliced through the air. Without even time to scream, his body was cleanly bisected.
All eyes fixed on the pineapple when something bizarre occurred—spiral patterns rapidly surfaced on its skin as the yellow flesh darkened with an eerie glow, unmistakably transforming into a Devil Fruit!
"It worked?" Bahr's eyebrows shot up, genuine surprise flashing in his eyes. He hadn't expected his Space Cage could contain not just physical entities but the very essence of Devil Fruit abilities!
Fascinating. If Blackbeard's power could achieve this, his Space Fruit certainly should too.
Robin covered her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief. This defied all conventional understanding!
Not just her—Mr. 1, Mr. 5, Miss Valentine, Paula, and Porche were equally stunned, their fundamental knowledge of Devil Fruits completely overturned.
The Sky Island natives, while ignorant of the specifics, recognized the gravity from the crew's reactions.
Enel glanced disdainfully at the transformed pineapple, scoffing: "Just a rotten fruit. What's the fuss?"
Bahr ignored the dimwit, picking up the spiral-patterned pineapple with growing amusement.
His gaze swept past Enel's four God Enforcers, settling on Shura gripping his iron spear. "Shura," he called, "you specialize in aerial combat and one-hit kills. This Invisibility Fruit could add stealth to your assaults. Care to try?"
Shura paused, spinning his spear idly before responding as casually as discussing weather: "Makes no difference to me."
Whether with or without abilities, his goal remained cutting down strong opponents.
"Straightforward. I like that." Bahr smirked, tossing the pineapple in a perfect arc toward Shura.
Catching it effortlessly, Shura weighed the fruit and glanced at Enel. Finding his "God" merely observing without objection, he unhesitatingly bit into the pineapple—only for his face to instantly contort in disgust as he forced down the revolting flesh.
Bahr nodded sympathetically at Shura's pained expression, vividly recalling his own experience eating the Space Fruit. That taste... unforgettable.
Like many said, Devil Fruits supposedly tasted like excrement—not that he'd confirm such rumors, lest people think he knew how excrement tasted...
He'd meant to mention that just one bite would suffice to gain abilities, no need to consume entirely. But... too late now.
"Is it the Invisibility Fruit?" Bahr asked eagerly.
Devil Fruit users instinctively knew their ability's name and traits upon consumption, as if engraved in memory. When he ate his fruit, he'd immediately known it was the "Space Fruit."
As for Straw Hat Boy not realizing he was "Nika"—that was another matter. Zoan fruits housed wills, especially mythical types like the "Nika Fruit," likely concealing themselves deliberately.
"It's the Invisibility Fruit," Shura confirmed, flexing his fingers as a faint transparent glow enveloped him, his outline growing indistinct.
"Oh?" Bahr watched with keen interest. "Seems the method works."
With this technique, he could effectively "collect" useful abilities—just like Blackbeard hunting ability users.
Enel snorted at the semi-transparent Shura: "Sneak attacks? Fitting for a foot soldier."
Shura ignored the jab, focusing on controlling his new power as his transparency flickered during adjustment.
For him, more abilities meant greater advantage. His "God's" mockery meant nothing.
Bahr glanced at the cooling corpse and waved his hand. Spatial ripples carried the remains overboard without leaving even a bloodstain.
"Alright, time to move!" He leapt from the railing, landing effortlessly midair before rallying the crew.
Robin and Mr. 1 followed wordlessly, stepping onto the air, while Enel vanished in a blue flash with a contemptuous "Hmph."