On White Sand Island, Teach had gathered his crew inside the spacious conference room. The place was unusually crowded today; Mostima and his four lieutenants, the Hadena and Hademan brothers, Abby, and the navigator Shook were all present. Beside them sat Teach himself, along with Ares, Mobius, Pito, and Voss.
Ten people in total, all waiting curiously for what Teach intended to announce.
Teach sat at the head of the table with a mysterious grin, his eyes landing on Mobius. "Mobius, I told you I'd prepare a gift for you."
From inside his coat, he drew out a Devil Fruit. The fruit was dark with eight green leaves curling from its surface.
"This is the gift," Teach said, placing it on the table. "Go on. Eat it."
Mobius stared at the fruit, his throat tightening. For some reason, a whisper seemed to echo in his mind: Eat it. Eat it.
"Boss Teach… what kind of ability is this?" he asked, his voice unsteady.
Teach didn't answer. His grin widened. "You'll know once you eat."
Mobius didn't doubt him. He believed in Teach. If Teach said this fruit was prepared for him, then it would be worth it. He picked up the fruit, bit down hard, and swallowed the foul pulp. Just one bite was enough—every Devil Fruit user knew that.
The taste was as disgusting as rumored, a choking bitterness that made him gag, but Mobius forced it down. Then he closed his eyes. A flood of information rushed into his mind. His body shivered.
His eyes snapped open, glowing with excitement. He turned to Teach, stunned. He recognized this ability. He had never imagined Teach would get his hands on something so rare—let alone give it to him.
The others leaned forward in curiosity. What ability could shock Mobius so deeply? Even Ares, already a Devil Fruit user himself, found his interest piqued.
Teach chuckled. "After its former user died, I searched for it. By luck, the ability was reborn on that island. I tracked it down and brought it back."
"Show us," he added, the grin never leaving his face. "Let's see what you've become."
Mobius nodded. His pulse thundered as he stood. He drew a long, deep breath—and then let go.
A chilling aura exploded outward. His arms warped into jagged black claws, his skin crawling with dark scales. His pupils narrowed into orange-yellow slits, gleaming like crystals under the lamplight.
Mostima's eyes narrowed. Snake.
But the transformation didn't stop. A strange pressure built around Mobius's throat. Seven jagged bursts of energy erupted from his neck—seven long serpentine heads unfurling into the air.
The others gasped in shock as Mobius's body swelled larger and larger, quickly rising over twenty meters in height. The chamber seemed too small to contain him.
"HAHAHAHA!" Mobius roared, eight voices laughing as one. His eight enormous heads swung back and forth, scales black as ink with crimson stripes running along their length, silver-gray bellies glinting under the lantern light. Eight heads. Eight tails. The mythical monster itself.
Mostima and the others were stunned speechless. Voss and Pito, however, traded knowing looks. They had seen this form before—larger, yes, but unmistakable.
Teach tilted his head back to look at the towering beast, his grin fierce. "Satisfied, aren't you? Mythical Zoan: Yamata no Orochi. I prepared this especially for you, Zehahahaha!"
Mobius's eight heads swayed with controlled precision, each set of eyes obeying his will. He could feel the power pulsing through every scale and muscle, the potential to shatter armies with sheer presence alone. Orochi's infamous ability—yet far darker, far stronger in his hands.
He reined himself back, scales melting away as he returned to human form. His chest rose and fell heavily, eyes burning with gratitude. "Boss Teach… thank you. I'm more than satisfied."
The room fell into silence. A Mythical Zoan was rarer than even a Logia—yet Teach had handed it away without hesitation.
"Boss Teach," Hademan finally spoke, his voice trembling, "aren't you going to eat it yourself? You're still not a Devil Fruit user, right? Why… why give this away?"
The same thought filled the others' minds. Teach only smirked and shook his head. "This isn't the ability I want."
They exchanged glances, realizing the implication. Teach already had another Devil Fruit in mind, one he desired above all else. But since he gave no further hint, none dared ask.
Mobius clenched his fists, his resolve flaring. I'll find it for him. I'll gather every Devil Fruit I can get my hands on until I bring Boss Teach the one he seeks.
Now it was Voss's turn. His heart pounded as Teach pulled out not one, but two more Devil Fruits—one deep purple, the other green.
"The purple one," Teach explained, "is an unknown Zoan, possibly snake-related. The green one is the Mantis Fruit—top-tier Zoan. Explosive power, insect vitality, blinding speed, flight. Your choice."
Voss weighed them carefully. The Mantis Fruit was powerful, no doubt. But his eyes kept drifting back to the purple fruit. His bond with serpents went far back, a tie he could not ignore.
His decision came easily. He stroked the cobra hidden in his robe, then picked up the purple fruit and bit down.
A sharp pain ripped through him. His body trembled, eyes flashing crimson. A slit-pupil eye opened in the center of his forehead, glowing with a sinister red light. His body lengthened, scales unfurling in a cascade of dark purple with a deep yellow belly. Green spectacle-like markings spread across his back.
Before their eyes, Voss transformed into a massive King Cobra, fifteen meters long, crowned by three vertical crimson pupils burning on his head.
Mostima's voice cracked in awe. "Demon Snake!"
Mobius's breath caught. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Mostima shook his head. "I saw it in a book once. A snake unlike any other… but the details, I don't remember."
Teach's eyes gleamed. "Demon Snake, Demon Great Snake—better known as the Evil Eye King Cobra. A rare anomaly among Zoans. A predator far deadlier than ordinary cobras. Its venom is ten times stronger, its explosive speed five times greater, its length surpassing forty meters. Its body strength alone rivals ancient beasts. And those eyes…"
He leaned forward, smiling. "That power is yours now, Voss. Suits you perfectly."
The room fell silent again, heavy with the realization. Mythical beasts. Anomalies. Abilities beyond imagination and Teach was forging them into weapons, piece by piece.