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"How long can you exist?"
Akira was focused on this question, so he asked right away.
As the ability user, he knew that the lifespan of these "living dead" had indeed increased.
But exactly how long they could survive was something he couldn't fully grasp as a living person.
It was like a chef who knows he's made a delicious dish, but doesn't know how long it will take for the customers to finish eating. He could only estimate.
Graeme silently sensed his condition and after a long pause, gave his answer.
"Master, I can only exist for one year."
One year?
It seemed necessary to replace the CP0 captain soon.
Akira pinched his chin, thinking to himself.
With a high-level "Over" ability, it would be unrealistic to expect these living dead, who only existed in the past, to stay forever.
Akira didn't have such naive hopes.
Although one year seemed short, it was much longer than just a month at a basic level.
He only needed to carefully plan during this period, and then he could secure control over the CP0 captain position.
Not to mention, with his "Over" improved, he had found a new way to develop it.
The colorful boat was no longer just a finished product once created; it could now be refueled.
Just like a car, physical energy acted like gasoline.
How far the boat could travel depended on how much fuel it had.
If Graeme was about to disappear in a year, Akira could fill the boat with enough energy to send him back a year into the past and pull him back from the flow of time.
This was possible, but it required immense physical strength.
If Akira did this, Graeme might last some two or three years more.
But that's the limit.
After all, the further back the boat pulled someone, the more energy it demanded. It was expected to drain Akira multiple times.
Doing this repeatedly would be inefficient. Akira's physical strength was needed for other things.
It would be more worthwhile to pour that energy into a stone gate that could travel to other worlds, allowing him to grow stronger and bring allies back.
So, Akira had to prepare a replacement for the CP0 captain within the next two or three years.
"You guys wait here."
After Akira gave his instructions to Graeme and the CP0 members, a thought crossed his mind.
Suddenly, a stone gate appeared from the center of his forehead, materializing in front of him.
Without hesitation, Akira stepped through it.
It didn't take long.
When he returned, he was accompanied by Kibutsuji Muzan.
"Graeme, from today on, you'll train him with the CP. Let him take your place."
Akira commanded.
"Master, the members of CP9 and CP0 have been trained since childhood. The one you brought here is too old," Graeme responded with clear hesitation.
It wasn't that Graeme didn't want to follow Akira's orders, but the Five Elders had set strict rules regarding candidates for CP.
All CP9 and CP0 members had to be recruited as children, subjected to years of intense training and brainwashing before they could serve.
This was to prevent the infiltration of spies or criminals.
After all, the loyalty and mindset of someone raised from childhood in this system were far more reliable than those recruited from the outside.
Only those with this background could serve in CP9-CP0 and earn the trust of the Five Elders and the Celestial Dragons.
This was critical.
They didn't need to worry as much about the Marines, who, although powerful, were considered "outsiders" and needed constant supervision.
But for CP's, who were the "eyes" and "trusted inner circle," there could be no mistakes.
CP0 agents not only held access to highly classified information but also had close proximity to the Celestial Dragons at all times.
Now imagine if someone recruited from outside became a CP0 and suddenly decided to kill a Celestial Dragon in the name of justice. Could that be allowed?
Or what if they were pirates undercover, posing as CP0 members to get close to the Celestial Dragons?
For these reasons, all CP9 and CP0 members—whether rank-and-file or captain-level—had to be groomed from a young age.
And the person Akira brought, Muzan, already looked like an adult in his twenties based on his height and appearance.
In this case, Graeme might be able to sneak Muzan into CP9 through some underhanded means, but it was impossible for him to rise to the level of CP0, especially to take Graeme's place.
The Five Elders would never approve.
"Oh? Too old, you say?" Akira said, a sinister smile creeping across his face.
Suddenly, Muzan's body began to tremble. To Graeme's shock, Muzan transformed from a young man into a chubby, innocent-looking child of about three or four years old within moments.
"Does this meet your standards, big brother?" Muzan asked, crawling out of his oversized clothes, looking up with a mischievous but innocent grin.
Graeme swallowed hard, feeling a chill run down his spine. He stood frozen, speechless for a long time.