In his excitement, Loya walked quickly to an altar that had been completely destroyed by his Conqueror's Haki.

With a fierce kick from his left leg, monstrous power sent the entire stone altar flying.

Beneath this altar,

a strange dark purple-red fruit, stained with blood aura and covered in swirling patterns, appeared in his view.

Shaped like a small, slightly flattened cantaloupe, a person of average build could hold it in one hand.

"Jie jie jie, I finally found it."

Looking at the appearance of this Devil Fruit, Loya was one hundred percent certain that this was the Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire he had been yearning for, symbolizing eternal youth.

Without a moment's hesitation,

Loya grabbed it and swallowed it whole in an instant.

In the next instant,

power surged forth.

In a flash, Loya understood how to use this fruit.

Swoosh—

A pair of massive dark purple bat wings unfurled behind Loya.

As the wings flapped gently, Loya's body hovered into the air, slowly lifting off the ground.

Just as Loya was about to test his ability further,

Bang—

"Captain, I'm here!"

Zeff kicked open the castle's ruined gates and burst inside.

The first thing he saw was Loya hovering in midair with a massive pair of bat wings on his back.

Compared to his previous tyrant-like demeanor, Loya now possessed a touch of noble elegance.

"Captain?"

Zeff cautiously peeked at Loya floating in the air.

At this moment, having finally achieved his goal, Loya was in a good mood.

He waved to Zeff.

"Let's go, Zeff. We can head back to the Black King..."

Pausing for a moment, Loya added,

"I'm happy today. To celebrate finding this Devil Fruit, let's throw a banquet!"

"Hahaha, understood!"

Zeff readily agreed and turned to head back.

But Loya felt Zeff's traveling speed was a bit too slow.

Having successfully found the Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire, Loya didn't want to stay a moment longer on this island shrouded in grey mist that never saw daylight.

Grabbing Zeff, the bat wings behind Loya flapped faster.

Relying on his formidable physique, Loya could already control the Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire with ease right after eating it.

Loya's figure streaked through the grey mist, bringing whistling winds.

In just a moment, he brought his head chef Zeff back aboard the Black King.

"Using the fruit's ability makes my speed several times faster than when I used Geppo, and it barely consumes any stamina."

The moment he landed, Loya made an evaluation in his mind.

Compared to the boost in physical power and constitution provided by Kaido's Azure Dragon Fruit,

the Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire he ate mainly boosted speed and agility.

While Loya was pondering, Zeff, who had been carried all the way and shaken dizzy, recovered.

"Captain, I found some spices on this island that have gone extinct in the outside world. Just wait to taste my cooking..."

Just as Zeff was heading off to prepare the feast, Loya called out to him.

"Zeff, wait a second."

"Hmm?"

Zeff turned his head in confusion.

"What's wrong, Captain?"

Having retracted his bat wings and returned to human form, Loya flexed his fingers.

He was growing impatient to absorb others' lifespan and blood to restore his youth.

"Are those pirates from the Hook Pirates still around?"

"Yeah, except for Gale, the guy who killed my crewmate, whom I've already slaughtered.

All the other pirates on his ship have been locked up in the dungeon at the bottom of the Black King.

Captain, why are you asking? Are you planning..."

Zeff looked at Loya with some confusion.

Loya grinned and waved his hand.

"To go have a pre-meal snack, and while I'm at it, give you some of the perks of being on our Black King."

"Huh?"

Zeff was still confused and wanted to ask further, but Loya gave him no chance.

He urged Zeff to get moving.

A few minutes later, the two arrived outside the temporary cell converted inside the Black King.

Zeff stepped forward and pushed open the cell's sealed door, letting a ray of light shine into the dim dungeon.

The pirates originally belonging to the Hook Pirates dragged their heavy shackles, scrambling and crawling over to Loya and Zeff.

"Lord Loya, Lord Zeff, you are both powerhouses of these seas.

You are top-tier great pirates, please spare our lives!"

"We are just trash on the ocean, please let us go, my lords!"

"Yes, please, spare our lives!

We are willing to serve Captain Loya!"

Looking at these Hook Pirates before him, Loya didn't have the slightest intention of recruiting them.

Though Zeff occasionally plundered when he took to the sea, they generally didn't kill people.

They were a cook pirate crew dedicated to finding rare ingredients, similar to Luffy's crew whose main goal was adventure.

This was also an important reason why Loya was willing to take Zeff in.

Meanwhile, the Hook Pirates sailing the West Blue in front of him were completely different; they were utterly infamous.

Slaughtering civilians, raping and pillaging, trafficking humans—there was no heinous atrocity they hadn't committed...

"You want to serve me? Fine, I'll grant your wish."

Under the shocked or ecstatic gazes of the Hook Pirates crewmen,

Loya spread his palm and slammed it downward.

In the next instant,

Puff puff puff—

The sounds of blood vessels bursting and blood gushing echoed continuously in the dim dungeon.

The bodies of these Hook Pirates withered away at an extremely rapid speed.

At the same time, deeper changes occurred in their appearances.

Their dark, thick hair turned white within a few breaths, and wrinkles crawled all over their bodies.

"Heh... heh, no..."

Amid the despairing cries of these scum of the sea, Loya used the most vital ability of the Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire for the first time.

Siphoning blood to store as physical energy and heal injuries,

and plundering conceptual lifespan to regain youth.

Under Zeff's shocked gaze, Loya, who previously had the face of a middle-aged man, began to grow younger within a few breaths.

The temples of Loya's hair, where a few strands of white had been faintly visible, rapidly turned black, and his face—hardened by the Corrosion of the passage of time—began to soften.

Moments later, a young man who looked around twenty years old at most, with features resembling the middle-aged Loya, appeared before Zeff.

"Is this what it feels like to be young? Truly wonderful!"

Loya didn't even cast a glance at the Hook Pirates collapsed on the ground.

The majestic blood aura surging in his body and the unvented energy made Loya want to roar aloud.

Loya could feel that his body had once again returned to a phase of rising power.

There were no more bottlenecks before him; he could continuously improve his current strength through cultivation.

Forever young, escaping the bounds of time—this was the Zoan Mythical Zoan Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire!