After this incident, Abyss came to a conclusion:
Without his guidance, ordinary ships would never be able to reach Island One!
The impact and highly corrosive stomach acid in Lord Lantern's mouth and esophagus were an insurmountable barrier.
Before he arrived, many ships had probably been lost at this stage.
Perhaps,
in the future, a checkpoint could be built in the esophagus to defend against "illegal entry" like Luffy's.
In such a strategically important location, if defensive fortifications were constructed, it would be very difficult for outsiders to enter without his permission and guidance.
Yes, that's what I'll do from now on!
"What kind of Devil Fruit user are you?"
Abyss snapped back to reality and asked the old doctor.
The survivors were trembling at this moment, having witnessed the man before them command animals and abandon "useless" living beings.
His cold and powerful image had already been etched into their minds.
The old doctor dared not delay and quickly spoke with respect:
"This humble old man ate the Paramecia-type Feed-Feed Fruit, and I am a breeder who can rapidly cultivate and raise creatures."
As soon as he finished speaking, Abyss's eyes lit up.
He'd found a treasure!
Because of the Pure Gold Light, although everyone in the stomach world was immortal, children would always remain children and couldn't grow up.
Abyss had originally wanted to breed Den Den Mushi,
but five years had passed, and the five Den Den Mushi were still just five... If the Feed-Feed Fruit could stimulate the growth of creatures despite the Pure Gold Light, then this old man was definitely a strategic talent!
"Quick! Try it!"
Abyss immediately pulled out a Den Den Mushi and placed it in the old doctor's hand.
The old doctor held the Den Den Mushi with both hands, closed his eyes, and concentrated.
"Feed-Feed Fruit: Cultivate!"
A faint green light emanated from his hands, enveloping the Den Den Mushi.
The Den Den Mushi first let out a comfortable "Purururu."
Then, at a speed visible to the naked eye, it began to grow larger, the patterns on its shell became more vibrant, and its body swelled by a full circle.
Most importantly—
It started laying eggs!
Tiny, crystalline eggs were produced, filling the old doctor's palm.
"It works! It really works!"
Abyss clenched his fists, so excited he almost jumped up.
A cultivation ability that even the Pure Gold Light couldn't stop!
It was defying the heavens!
This old man, he wasn't just a talent; he was a national treasure!
"Good! From now on, you'll be called Old Doctor Yi."
"You are the Chief of the Biology Department of this island! Specifically responsible for breeding work!"
Abyss patted the old doctor's shoulder, and the grand promises he made overwhelmed Old Doctor Yi.
One down.
Abyss's gaze swept over the remaining dozens of still-shaken survivors.
"You! You! And you! Come out!"
He pointed out the individuals who claimed to be scientists and biology doctors.
"What are your names? What do you research?"
His tone brooked no argument.
After a series of interrogations,
he understood the professions of these individuals. Among them, a doctor named Buck was the "culprit" who created pure gold and attracted Lord Lantern.
Abyss paid great attention to him.
There were also some who were merely posing, falsely claiming to be scientists, whom Abyss directly threw into the stomach acid to cosplay as fish feces.
"Listen up!"
"This is Lord Lantern's stomach."
"Lord Lantern has three stomachs, and each stomach contains an island."
"The one we're standing on is Stomach 1, and deeper inside are Stomach 2 and Stomach 3."
"Lord Lantern collects pure gold, digests and refines it in his stomach, and collects it in the lantern on his head."
"The light emitted by the lantern can penetrate Lord Lantern's body, so the stomach world is always bright like daytime."
"All creatures are affected by the Pure Gold Light, their bodies will be frozen, and they will become immortal."
"As you can see, I am already 80 years old, but my appearance and physical functions are still young."
"Welcome to the Eternal Kingdom. I am King Abyss, and you and those animals will be my subjects."
Abyss introduced the situation to everyone.
The crowd erupted in an uproar.
The scientists immediately understood why Abyss had been so surprised when Old Doctor Yi cultivated the Den Den Mushi earlier.
"Pure Gold Light? Immortality? Eternal Kingdom?"
"Doesn't that mean we're immortal!"
Of course, most people's focus was on immortality.
This was exhilarating news.
To survive being swallowed by a giant fish and gain immortality,
everyone immediately forgot their fear of Abyss and the unfamiliar place, and they cheered.
"Quiet!"
"Now follow these dinosaurs and go build a camp."
"Gather back here in one hour."
Abyss dismissed the crowd,
and gathered Old Doctor Yi, Dr. Buck, and the other scientists together.
"You are wise men; you don't need to labor."
"And from now on, you are a team!"
"There is only one main task:"
"Research 'Lord Lantern' comprehensively for me!"
"Its stomach acid composition, digestive patterns, activity cycle, internal ecology... all data, a comprehensive study!"
"Lord Lantern is the foundation of everyone's immortality, the root of our survival!"
"Taking good care of it is our greatest responsibility!"
Abyss himself couldn't take good care of Lord Lantern,
so these talents had a reason to exist.
The scientists looked at each other; this topic... was too hardcore, wasn't it?
"Yes!!!"
But no one dared to say no.
Lord Lantern was closely related to each of them; it was the ship of their eternal life.
Moreover,
for those who loved exploration and knowledge,
being able to study such a giant beast was exactly what they desired!
...One hour later.
Everyone reassembled under the supervision of the dinosaurs.
After a few grand promises,
the acquisition of immortality and the love for eternal life made everyone feel exhilarated and full of drive.
The craftsmen built a villa for Abyss on Island 1, and he was very satisfied with it.
For the next period,
Abyss took the 59 beautiful women to Stomach 3, the deepest part, and had the craftsmen build him a harem villa on the island.
Then he went to Stomach 2 and built a research institute.
Finally, he left the craftsmen, the scientists' families, basic facilities, and most of the supplies in Stomach 1,
and had them build a town.
After everyone was settled, the stomach world took on a vibrant new look, seemingly flourishing.
With the beauty to nourish him, Abyss's path of cultivation was no longer so monotonous.
"How is the Den Den Mushi breeding coming along?"
Two months later, Abyss came to inspect the Stomach 2 Research Institute.
Besides the main task of researching Lord Lantern,
he had also assigned the team their first side quest: cultivating specialized Den Den Mushi.
These magical little bugs played an important role in the stomach world.
"Your Majesty, we have currently cultivated various types, including surveillance Den Den Mushi, video Den Den Mushi, photo Den Den Mushi, projection Den Den Mushi, and more."
"However, without exception, these Den Den Mushi cannot contact the outside world; they can only be used within the three stomach islands."
"Additionally, due to the special environment inside Lord Lantern's stomach, the later generations of Den Den Mushi are already very different from the first generation."
Old Doctor Yi led Abyss into the Den Den Mushi breeding room.
The Den Den Mushi population had now evolved from the initial five to a massive scale of over a thousand.