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"The World Government's intelligence agency wants to know from me how you managed to safely consume a second Devil Fruit, don't they?" Stussy's enchanting voice came through the Transponder Snail. Even without seeing her, one could tell she was covering her mouth and chuckling.
"But obviously, that's impossible for me to know, so I ignored them. I didn't want you to misunderstand!"
"Oh?" Arthur walked to the railing of the snail fleet. "You want to know too?"
"There isn't a single person seeking power on these seas who doesn't want to know this secret! It used to be unimaginable that anyone could eat a second Devil Fruit... but now that it has actually happened, people will try everything to uncover the truth!"
"Ahahaha! That makes sense!" Arthur grinned.
"It's simple, really. There's no harm in telling you. There exists a surgery in this world capable of modifying the human body into an 'Atypical Body.' I underwent this modification surgery, which is why I could consume a second Devil Fruit!"
"Are you satisfied with this answer?"
"I understand now. This must be a secret passed down through your lineage, which is why you aren't afraid of others investigating..." Hearing Arthur's words, Stussy immediately associated it with the "Clan of D." and her brain automatically began filling in the gaps.
"You always showed a determination to obtain the Op-Op Fruit at any cost. Was it to keep this 'Atypical Body Modification Surgery' within your own grasp? The surgery cannot be completed without the Op-Op Fruit... The previous user of the fruit was a member of your family, correct?"
"As expected of the existence known as the Ultimate Devil Fruit. To think it can perform such an incredible surgery!" Stussy believed she had found the correct answer.
It wasn't a difficult leap of logic. Every member of the Clan of D. was extraordinary. Perhaps some families within the clan really did possess ancient secrets?
Furthermore, Arthur had undergone the modification surgery and had shown an obsessive determination to get the Op-Op Fruit.
Didn't all of this prove that he knew how to use the Op-Op Fruit to perform the Atypical Body Modification Surgery?
Any normal person would connect the dots back to the Op-Op Fruit.
"May I report this to the World Government?" Stussy asked after a moment of silence. "Consider it a parting gift to them!"
"Say whatever you like!" Arthur felt no fluctuation in his heart; in fact, he wanted to laugh. He didn't care in the slightest if this "secret" was leaked.
"I have to say, woman, you truly live up to your background in the World Government's intelligence agency. To peel back the layers and analyze so much from so little..."
"Your ability to make associations is truly... outstanding!"
Arthur thought for a moment and decided "outstanding" was the only adjective that fit.
Clever people always love to draw connections, never realizing that within their own mental fabrications, the truth drifts further away the more they imagine. Until the answer is revealed, the only people who guess correctly are those who look at the clues already sitting in plain sight!
...
The call ended. Arthur stuffed the Transponder Snail into his shirt and turned to ask, "Where is the ship?"
Since entering the New World, he hadn't traveled the seas in a conventional manner for a very long time. After Vegapunk took the Thunder God to study it as a war fortress, Arthur hadn't stepped foot on a ship. This was a good chance to relax.
"Lord Arthur, over there!" Rockwell, hearing that Arthur was leaving with him, immediately became excited. He raised a thick, muscular arm and pointed to a massive ship anchored not far from the War Castle.
The ship was enormous, its length and width far exceeding that of an average pirate ship, easily large enough to accommodate hundreds of people living on board!
Arthur extended his Observation Haki and immediately saw the crowd bustling on the deck. There were quite a few powerful individuals among them; Rockwell had long been prepared to march into the New World!
However, Arthur's focus wasn't on the pirate ship. Under his Observation Haki, he sensed Vinsmoke Sanji aboard a small boat, already crossing the horizon, beginning a life completely different from the one within the Vinsmoke Family!
"Hahahahaha! Did the Captain return safely after facing the Germa Legion alone?"
"Don't forget, the Captain is strong!"
"Can we finally head for the Grand Line? I've been waiting so long I'm losing my patience!"
"Who is that..."
As they boarded the pirate ship, the members of the Rockwell Pirates cheered, celebrating their captain's return. Arms were raised high on the deck, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
However, when they saw Arthur, the noise instantly died down.
Their captain idolized Arthur, the Thunder Emperor, and his sole purpose for entering the Grand Line was to join the Thunder God Pirates. They couldn't possibly fail to recognize him; they had seen his face on newspapers and wanted posters until they were sick of it.
"Quiet down, everyone! This Lord is the man who has always been my dream... The Ruler of the New World, the Thunder Emperor!!" Rockwell greeted his crew excitedly, wanting to share his joy.
"Start the banquet!!"
"Helmsman, turn the ship around! To the Grand Line!!"
"YEAAHH!!!"
All the pirates put down their weapons and cheered passionately. The entire ship sprang into action.
Arthur lay on a lounge chair brought over by the crew, enjoying the sea breeze. Next to him was a long table laden with endless wine and delicacies.
Sipping his wine, he casually pulled a Devil Fruit from his pure gold storage bracelet. He opened a "ROOM" and began his experiments while deep in thought. Several large apples were placed on the table to ensure that if the experiment failed and the fruit was destroyed (or the essence released), the ability would transfer to a nearby fruit.
No one dared to come up and disturb him; they only watched from a distance.
The experiments progressed very slowly. A single attempt wasted several hours, rendering Arthur's Future Sight Haki useless for speeding up the process.
This actually saved him some mental effort, allowing him to focus all his attention on this crucial "Devil Soul" surgery.
After a while, Rockwell, who had disappeared, walked out of the cabin carrying a large treasure chest. He respectfully placed the chest on the long table and unlocked the intricate iron lock.
"Lord Arthur, for thirteen years I dealt in the slave trade. I know many tycoons of the Underground World, and I happen to be acquainted with Doflamingo of the Donquixote Family!"
"During a meeting of Underground bosses, I learned that you had commissioned the Donquixote Family to collect Devil Fruits. So, I took the liberty of collecting some insignificant gifts for you!"
"Oh?" Arthur snapped out of his soul surgery trance. He rubbed his aching temples and turned his head, his eyes landing on the chest full of Devil Fruits.
"You are thoughtful!"
With just a couple of glances, he identified the nine Devil Fruits:
The Paper-Paper Fruit (Kami Kami no Mi), the Paste-Paste Fruit (Toro Toro no Mi), the Hard-Hard Fruit (Steeled Body), the Sickle-Sickle Fruit (Kama Kama no Mi), the Sound-Wave Fruit (Oto Oto no Mi), the Wheel-Wheel Fruit (Guru Guru no Mi), the Bubble-Bubble Fruit (Awa Awa no Mi), the Kilo-Kilo Fruit (Kilo Kilo no Mi), and the Spike-Spike Fruit (Toge Toge no Mi)!
In the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, Logia types were the rarest, followed by Zoan types!
But Paramecia types... their variety was limited only by imagination. There was nothing they couldn't do. Their upper limit was terrifyingly high, but their lower limit was dreadfully low.
They were bizarre, all-encompassing, and infinite in possibility!
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