### Chapter 8: [Grafting]
"Let's get out of here first!"
Marubu withdrew his right hand, put away the silver box containing the Vampire Fruit, and quickly led the team to evacuate the ruins.
He did not immediately tame the Vampire Fruit inside.
There were two reasons:
First, this was his first time using the Shikigami Temple to tame a Zoan fruit. The specific effect was unknown, so it was inappropriate to display it in front of outsiders.
Second, he had to consider Kaido's feelings.
This companion had a straightforward personality and advocated strength. Facing powerful strength close at hand, he probably wanted it like crazy.
Under these circumstances, Marubu felt it necessary to explain the pros and cons to Kaido.
Leaving the ruins, Marubu took Mahoraga and Kaido to a secluded beach.
The people of the Kuja Pirates sensibly did not follow. Although they were surprised by the appearance of a top-tier Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, it belonged to Marubu, and he had already paid for the intelligence.
Between pirates, rashly probing into others' secrets might lead to unnecessary trouble.
At least for now, the two groups were not familiar enough to be intimate.
Stopping in his tracks, Marubu looked at the undulating sea in the distance and spoke directly: "Kaido, you are very interested in this Devil Fruit, right?"
Kaido swallowed his saliva: "Of course! Brother, that's powerful strength!"
Marubu nodded and continued along this topic: "Every Devil Fruit has its unique power. A person can only eat one, and once eaten, it cannot be changed. Only death can free you. This Devil Fruit belongs to the top tier, and its power is very strong, but in my opinion, this fruit may not suit you."
Having been together for seven years, from scavenging together to joining the army together, Kaido had long been accustomed to Marubu deciding everything.
Especially after being forced to leave the Vodka Kingdom this time, he realized even more profoundly that without Marubu leading everything, diving into the sea himself would simply be like a headless fly.
"Brother! I trust you!"
Kaido answered without hesitation: "I'll listen to your arrangements."
Marubu smiled and promised: "Don't worry, in the future, I will find a Devil Fruit that fits you!"
Possessing the Dark-Dark Fruit, he had absolute confidence in finding a Devil Fruit that Kaido would absolutely desire.
Even if he couldn't find one, if necessary, there was still a Fish-Fish Fruit in God Valley!
Although that was also a Mythical Zoan, if the person eating it was Kaido, Marubu wouldn't feel it a pity to give it away.
Kaido scratched his head and raised his doubt.
"But... Brother, haven't you already eaten a fruit? You shouldn't need it anymore, right?"
"I heard the Kuja people say just now that this kind of Secret Treasure of the Sea, each one is worth hundreds of millions of Berries, and Mythical Zoans are priceless. It would be a pity to sell it."
Marubu responded calmly: "Remember, every Devil Fruit is a strategic material; don't measure it with money."
His gaze fell back on the silver box. "I am different from ordinary people. I can accommodate the power of other Zoan types."
"Accommodate the power of other Zoan types?" Kaido looked puzzled.
Marubu smiled: "You guard me, watch the surroundings."
Kaido looked around, tightened his grip on Hassaikai, and nodded seriously.
Marubu touched the Devil Fruit with the strange patterns again.
The humming sound of the Shikigami Temple rang out once more.
"Looking at it this way, the Shikigami Temple also has the function of appraising Zoan Devil Fruits. As long as I touch the fruit, I can get basic name information..."
Thinking of this, he recited silently in his heart: "Tame!"
As soon as the command was issued, deep darkness erupted from his palm, swallowing the fruit completely like a living thing.
Mahoraga, standing by the side, flickered and silently disappeared into the shadows.
Marubu's consciousness detached from reality again and appeared above the vortex of darkness.
Then he fell with the flow, stepping into the Shikigami Temple.
At this time, inside the great hall, Mahoraga was violently beating a giant bat phantom beast surrounded by purple-red light.
"Uh... is this the taming ritual..."
"Mahoraga takes action and beats the wild Mythical Zoan into submission?"
Marubu appreciated this "performance" with a strange expression.
About ten minutes later, a notification sound rang.
...
"Ding!"
"Zoan Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire, Mythical Type, taming successful!"
"Congratulations! You have obtained a new Shikigami: Vampire!"
"Given that the Vampire Shikigami is a Mythical Type, the Shikigami Temple gives a special reward."
"Congratulations, you have obtained the binding skill: — [Grafting]!"
**[Grafting]:**
**Ability 1:** You can designate and graft all negative states brought by external factors (such as injury, poisoning, weakness, etc.) to a subordinate Shikigami, who will bear them on your behalf.
**Ability 2:** You can graft your own ability to absorb damage to a subordinate Shikigami.
"Do you want to choose to bind [Grafting] to a Shikigami immediately?"
"1: Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga!"
"2: Vampire!"
"3: Do not bind temporarily, wait for new Shikigami options!"
...
Marubu pondered for a while: "Binding skill? Of course, prioritize binding the bound Shikigami Mahoraga!"
"Choose 1!"
"Binding successful! Taming ritual ended!"
After completing the selection, ecstasy surged in Marubu's heart, and he began to look forward to it.
However, just as he wanted to explore the function of the skill carefully, his consciousness was ejected from the Shikigami Temple.
...
"The Devil Fruit... disappeared?"
Kaido widened his eyes, gripping his spiked club and looking around in uncertainty.
"Mr. Mahoraga is also gone! Brother, what did you..."
Returning from the ritual, Marubu smiled and asked: "How long has it been since the Vampire Fruit and Mahoraga disappeared until now?"
Kaido thought for two seconds. "One minute."
One minute...
Inside the Shikigami Temple, the taming process lasted at least ten minutes. It seemed the flow of time was not the same as the outside world.
Moreover, previously I also tried putting piping hot food into the Shikigami Temple. Compared to before, the heat only decreased a little.
So, for every entry and exit of the Shikigami Temple, one minute fixedly passes in the outside world?
Marubu didn't dwell on it, nodding and explaining: "I just transformed the Vampire Devil Fruit into an existence like Mahoraga."
"I call them—'Shikigami'!"
Shikigami?
Kaido originally thought Mahoraga was an incidental ability of Marubu eating the Dark-Dark Fruit. Now it seemed that other Zoan types could also be transformed into "Shikigami" similar to Mahoraga!
Marubu didn't stop at explaining; he immediately tested the effect of [Grafting].
With a thought.
The shadow behind him boiled, and Mahoraga's figure crossed through the darkness and stepped out again.
Immediately after.
Marubu raised his hand, deep darkness covering his right palm like a glove. A well-crafted unknown famous sword was pulled out from the darkness by him.
His eyes sharpened. Holding the blade with his right hand, he stabbed and slashed fiercely toward his left palm!
The expected pain and blood did not appear.
Where his left palm was sharply cut open, the skin and flesh were not torn. Instead, a dark spatial rift appeared, as if absorbing all light.
At the same moment.
Mahoraga, standing by the side, actively raised his left hand, and a ferocious wound appeared on his palm.
Blood spurted!
But the wound only existed for an instant before being swallowed by his powerful regeneration ability and the dark whirlwind.
"[Grafting]..."
Witnessing this scene that defied common sense, Marubu slowly closed his restored palm.
His heart couldn't calm down from the excitement.
"Transferring all or part of the incoming damage to Mahoraga to bear on my behalf, and also grafting the damage absorption effect of the Dark-Dark Fruit to Mahoraga for healing."
"It just consumes my stamina corresponding to 'absorbing damage' based on the magnitude of the damage."
"And the position where I was 'injured' leaves a 'wound' special effect. Once Mahoraga completes regeneration, the 'wound' special effect on my side also disappears."
Marubu's thoughts spun like lightning, gaining insight into the strategic value of this ability.
This meant that in the future, he could actively take enemy attacks, then transfer the damage to Mahoraga through [Grafting], letting him constantly adapt and analyze in the dark or within the Shikigami Temple.
Moreover, if necessary, he could remotely provide "healing" to Mahoraga, increasing his survivability.
"Not just physical damage, but also all external negative states including poisoning, weakness, etc.... Then..."
Thinking of this, Marubu leaped onto a reef and unhesitatingly immersed his palm in the seawater.
"No feeling of weakness!"
And when he turned to look, he saw Mahoraga behind him had collapsed onto the fine sand.
However, as the Dharma Wheel suspended above his head slowly turned, Mahoraga acted like a stubborn drunkard.
Hurriedly, scrambling and crawling, he stood up.
Fell down, stood up...
Fell down again, stood up again...
After several cycles, Mahoraga's movement returned to normal, calm and at ease.
At this moment, even if Marubu immersed his whole body in the sea, Mahoraga as the bearer no longer felt any discomfort.
"What a Mythical Zoan... What a Shikigami Temple..."
Marubu, having reached a conclusion, laughed immediately: "Not only did I get the ability to graft damage, but even the Dark-Dark Fruit's side effects of fearing pain, fearing seawater, and Seastone have all been perfectly solved."
In fact, as an ability user, he still feared seawater, Seastone, and other things.
But he could transfer the impending negative states to Mahoraga in real-time.
At the same time.
Mahoraga could adapt to all phenomena in the world. Even facing external conceptual influences like "weakness."
As long as he bore it repeatedly, he could overcome it and completely wipe out the negative influence.
"Worthy of the reward given by the Shikigami Temple, worthy of the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga, simply ridiculously strong!"
Marubu couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
It seemed that prioritizing Sleepy Ancient Town was an incredibly correct decision.
Not only did he encounter the Kuja Pirates here and use them to contact the young star-chasing boy Clover far away in Ohara in the West Blue.
He also obtained the Mythical Zoan fruit in the fastest way, triggering the Shikigami Temple's special reward.
The improvement in strength brought by a series of opportunities could be called a leap.
Marubu didn't think much more and stomped on the ground.
Darkness covered the ground like boiling flames.
In the next instant.
A giant bat with a fantastical form broke through the darkness, emerging from the ground breaking the plane.
The giant bat steadily lifted Marubu and Mahoraga, flapped its wings, and quietly rose into the sky.
Looking up at the giant bat hovering in the sky.
Kaido froze in place, murmuring constantly: "Shikigami?"
"Is this Brother's new Shikigami..."