Barrett emphasized the last sentence forcefully, making sure his words were clearly understood.
He was explicit—there were hundreds of Devil Fruits stored in the captain's palace.
Some of them were exceptionally powerful.
Heard there was a tenth.
Caesar's eyes gleamed with excitement as he quickly calculated in his mind.
One-tenth of 30,000 people… that's 3,000!
Three thousand soldiers with the potential to become high-ranking officers—far beyond his initial expectations.
With proper training, rigorous combat experience, and discipline, they wouldn't just stop at brigadier general or major general level. Some could rise to even greater heights.
And as long as there were Devil Fruits available, the most talented among them could easily attain major general-level combat power.
And these weren't even the best candidates.
It could be said that the core military structure of the future Central Kingdom was already taking shape.
After all, these were elites handpicked from the kingdom's finest youth.
"Yes, not bad!"
"Cultivate these men well! Keep up the good work!"
Caesar praised Barrett before informing him that he would personally visit the training base tomorrow. Then, he hung up the Den Den Mushi.
He was quite satisfied with Barrett's progress.
Noon.
After finishing his lunch, Caesar unfolded the freshly delivered morning newspaper.
Suddenly, his gaze froze.
A major piece of news in the report seized his attention.
The headline read:
"The Great Pirate 'World Destroyer' Captured by the Navy! Currently Being Transported to Impel Down!"
Seeing this, Caesar immediately recalled the man behind the name.
Bundy World…
"The first truly formidable opponent I faced after setting sail."
His mind raced.
He had actually forgotten about this!
His gaze shifted to the photograph attached to the article.
Bundy World, encased in a massive block of ice, looked utterly defeated. His expression was filled with resentment and frustration, but there was no hope of escape.
Caesar's eyes sparkled—not with sympathy or a desire to rescue an old foe—but with something else entirely.
Because at this moment, he remembered the true significance of this man's power.
The Momo Momo no Mi…
A genuine top-tier Devil Fruit!
Combined with mind-based abilities, the enhancements this fruit could provide were simply terrifying.
Before now, Caesar had overlooked this fruit in his considerations. Even though he had noted the Navy's Logia fruits, he hadn't given much thought to this absolute powerhouse of a Paramecia fruit.
Judging by the events of the original timeline, the Momo Momo no Mi didn't seem like a "top-tier" ability.
But in reality…
This fruit was terrifyingly strong.
It could magnify objects hundreds of times over.
It could enhance the speed and strength of its user by hundreds of times.
Had it not been for the protagonist's plot armor in the original story, Bundy World should have been an unrivaled tyrant.
Now, just imagine…
If Caesar consumed this fruit—his speed and power would increase by hundreds of times.
And he already possessed Mind Power and Sword Techniques.
Both of these abilities could be exponentially enhanced by the Momo Momo no Mi.
Just the thought of his thought-force and sword strikes being multiplied by a hundredfold sent shivers through him.
Imagine a swordsman moving at the speed of sound—then suddenly increasing his speed by a hundred times.
A swordsman slashing with the strength of a hundred tons—then boosting that force to 10,000 tons in an instant.
Even in this world of monsters, how many warriors possessed that kind of power?
He had to obtain this fruit!
The opportunity was right in front of him.
He had been wondering where to find more fruits to distribute to his soldiers.
And now, fate had delivered the perfect one right to his doorstep.
But…
Caesar's eyes narrowed as he turned his focus to Impel Down.
This was not a place one could infiltrate so easily.
He needed a plan.
And then, as if divine intervention had struck, an idea surfaced in his mind.
His eyes gleamed.
The corners of his lips curled upward.
"It seems the heavens are truly on my side."
---
The Door Fruit & The Test of Conqueror's Haki
In a hidden chamber deep within the palace, Caesar stepped into a vast storage room filled with rows upon rows of cabinets.
A satisfied smile formed on his lips.
Each cabinet contained multiple locked boxes, each adorned with a photograph of the Devil Fruit stored within.
Below each image, the fruit's name and its known abilities were carefully noted.
Most of the fruits they had acquired were stored here.
As he scanned through the collection, Caesar focused on a specific classification: Paramecia-type Devil Fruits.
His attention landed on a fruit labeled the Doa Doa no Mi—the Door Fruit.
The image on the box depicted a strange, rectangular-patterned fruit.
Caesar's eyes gleamed with interest.
"This one is exceptional."
The Doa Doa no Mi was a rare ability that allowed its user to open doors anywhere—even on air, fire, and seemingly intangible substances.
More importantly, the user could enter a dark green subspace through these doors.
Once hidden inside, they were completely untouchable.
Unless there existed another space-based fruit capable of bypassing this ability, its user was practically invincible in terms of escape.
"The ultimate escape ability… a true loophole in this world's power system."
With this fruit, one could infiltrate anywhere without detection.
No fortress, no security measure, no enemy stronghold would be off-limits.
Naturally, a fruit of this caliber couldn't be wasted on just anyone.
It required a wielder absolutely loyal to him.
He had to be careful with his selection.
Holding the fruit, Caesar exited the chamber, deep in thought.
If he wanted to ensure loyalty, it wouldn't be difficult.
His Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) was highly refined. He had long developed the ability to sense emotions and even read surface thoughts.
Ever since he mastered the Force Field Fruit, his electromagnetic perception had reached unimaginable levels.
Thoughts—however complex—were composed of brain waves.
Of course, fully deciphering thoughts was far too intricate.
But getting a general sense of someone's intentions?
That was well within his capabilities.
Tomorrow, he would test them.
His army had grown far beyond its early days.
As planned, those with outstanding potential had been recruited into the military.
With the kingdom's population steadily increasing, the influx of new soldiers had been constant.
But not all recruits were fit for elite training.
That's why they underwent stringent selection criteria, ensuring only the best were integrated into the military system.
Even the police force had been rigorously tested through multiple elimination rounds.
The total number of soldiers hadn't significantly increased, but their quality had skyrocketed.
Tomorrow, Caesar would personally oversee the training base's exercises.
A new round of selections would begin.
And this time, he would find the perfect wielder for the Door Fruit.
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