After the destruction of Whole Cake Island, Lucifer established Wheat Island as the headquarters of the Ghost Pirates.
Originally managed by Katakuri, Wheat Island was located in the core territory of Totto Land.
Upon returning to Wheat Island, Lucifer led Nico Robin directly to the treasure room.
"I've heard you are the last person in the world capable of deciphering the Poneglyphs. Let's see your abilities today, Nico Robin," Lucifer said calmly.
"This... this is..."
Robin's eyes widened in astonishment as she laid eyes on the two Road Poneglyphs in the treasure room.
"Poneglyphs... but why are these red?" Robin immediately approached the Road Poneglyphs, her hands gliding over the ancient stone as though she had discovered the most priceless treasure in the world.
Lucifer gave a small, amused smile. "These are different from ordinary Poneglyphs. These are Road Poneglyphs. There are only four of them in existence."
"Road Poneglyphs?" Robin asked, puzzled. It was apparent this was her first time hearing about these particular stones.
"Exactly. The Road Poneglyphs contain the precise coordinates to Raftel, the final island on the Grand Line.
"Once all four Road Poneglyphs are deciphered, you can locate Raftel and uncover the truth of the world."
He fixed her with an intense stare. "Now, do you understand why I sought you out?"
"Are you seeking to become the Pirate King?" Robin asked, cautiously observing Lucifer.
Lucifer smiled faintly. "Who wouldn't aspire to be the Pirate King? After all, I'm a pirate, too."
"Now, decipher the inscriptions on these two Road Poneglyphs. After Kozuki Oden, you're the second person with the honor to interpret their secrets.
"As a historian, this should be a rare privilege for you."
Robin hesitated for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. However, she quickly refocused and began to analyze the inscriptions.
The ancient text was incomprehensible to most, but to Robin, it was as simple as reading a book.
After a while, she broke her silence. "According to the inscriptions, they do lead to an island... but each Road Poneglyph points to a different location. Does this mean there are two Raftels?"
Robin recorded the deciphered information on paper and handed it to Lucifer.
"You don't need to overthink it," Lucifer said coldly. "Your only responsibility is to interpret the text."
Lucifer glanced at the paper, his expression shifting to a sneer.
"Robin, has no one ever told you that when one's Observation Haki reaches a certain level, it can discern whether someone is lying?"
Robin froze. "Captain Lucifer, I don't understand what you mean."
Boom!
Before she could react, Lucifer's strike sent her flying. She collided with one of the Poneglyphs, the impact leaving her dazed.
She slid to the ground after several agonizing seconds, coughing up blood. The blow had left her feeling as though her bones were shattered and her internal organs displaced.
"Universal Pull!"
Lucifer clenched his fingers, and Robin was forcefully drawn toward him, his hand closing around her neck.
"I'll spell it out for you," Lucifer said coldly. "My Observation Haki is advanced enough to detect lies instantly.
"The information you provided is false, isn't it?"
Lucifer tightened his grip, cutting off Robin's air supply. She struggled desperately, but her strength was no match for his. Within moments, her vision blurred, and she began to lose consciousness.
Boom!
Lucifer released her, and Robin collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.
The suffocation had been excruciating, and the looming threat of death left her trembling.
"Robin, I thought you were intelligent, but you've truly disappointed me. Why did you lie to me?"
Lucifer's cold, piercing gaze sent a shiver down her spine.
"I'll give you one last chance to decipher the correct information from the Road Poneglyphs.
"Fail me again, and you'll have no one but yourself to blame for the consequences."
Robin saw the killing intent in Lucifer's eyes. Fear gripped her heart, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
"Yes, Captain Lucifer," she stammered.
This time, Robin dared not play any tricks and retranslated the inscriptions on the Poneglyphs.
Thus, Lucifer obtained the coordinates of two islands.
"That's enough, Nico Robin."
"If you want to survive as part of the Ghost Pirates, you must be quiet and obedient.
"Follow orders, and you can live a good life—untouched and unharmed. But if you try to outsmart me, your fate will be miserable."
By now, Lucifer had abandoned any trace of pity or mercy. To achieve his goals, he wouldn't hesitate to kill—even women.
With the coordinates in hand, Lucifer immediately dispatched two pirate crews to the islands.
"It doesn't matter if we find clues or not," he said. "At the very least, we must discover what sets these four islands apart from others."
Later, alone in the palace, Lucifer opened his system interface.
Status Panel:
Host: Lucifer
Age: 24
Devil Fruit: Word Spirit Fruit
Physique: Hell Devil
Armament Haki: Domain
Observation Haki: Domain
Conqueror's Haki: Domain
Kill Points: 2,663,000
"System, purchase the awakening ability for the Word Spirit Fruit."
*"Ding! The awakening ability of the Word Spirit Fruit has been successfully purchased. Two million kill points have been deducted. Remaining kill points: 663,000.
"The awakening process will take seven days. Please wait patiently, Host!"*
As soon as the transaction was complete, a surge of energy poured into Lucifer's body. His cells began to tremble, greedily absorbing the newfound power and evolving rapidly.
Simultaneously, the Word Spirit Fruit's power within him started to transform.
Boom!
A cloud of black mist erupted, engulfing Lucifer entirely. The mist expanded rapidly, filling the entire palace chamber in an instant.
Fortunately, Lucifer regained control in time, preventing the mist from spreading beyond the palace and enveloping the entirety of Wheat Island.
The black mist condensed, liquefied, and then solidified into a massive, pitch-black stone. Lucifer appeared to be sealed within the stone.
An incomparably evil aura burst forth, blanketing Wheat Island in an instant.
The stronger pirates on the island felt the malevolent presence immediately. Their hairs stood on end, and their bodies were gripped by an icy chill.
The weaker pirates fared worse; their legs buckled under the pressure, and they collapsed to the ground, trembling in terror.
"What kind of aura is this? It's too sinister!"
"What power has the captain awakened this time?"
"It must be the Word Spirit Fruit. Only that fruit could produce such overwhelming power!"
"Nobody is allowed near the palace! Anyone who disobeys will be executed on the spot!"
Enel and Cavendish rallied the crew, securing the palace perimeter to ensure no one approached.
Though sealed within the black stone, Lucifer remained in control of his body.
He could break free at any time, but for now, he chose to stay confined. The awakening process for the Word Spirit Fruit was delicate—any disruption could cause it to fail.
A failed awakening came with severe consequences. In the worst-case scenario, the devil within the fruit could take over the mind, or the user could lose their sanity entirely.
Thanks to the system's assistance, Lucifer was confident that such extreme side effects wouldn't occur. However, failure would still mean the loss of two million kill points—a steep price.
Shaking off distracting thoughts, Lucifer calmed his mind and began focusing on assimilating the energy coursing through him.
As time passed, the evil aura emanating from him grew stronger, affecting everyone on Wheat Island.
Weaker pirates who came into contact with the aura fell into a frenzy, their eyes turning blood-red as they lost control of their emotions.
Lucifer's terrifying power left the Ghost Pirates trembling in fear.
Meanwhile, the world outside continued to change.
Following the disastrous battle at Impel Down, where the Marines suffered heavy losses, the World Government initiated a massive global conscription campaign to replenish their ranks.
The recruitment terms were generous. Anyone with sufficient strength could bypass the lower ranks and directly obtain positions such as Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, or even Admiral.
When the news spread, the world was abuzz. Countless individuals flocked to Marine bases to enlist, driven by ambition or a sense of justice.
Those confident in their abilities went straight to Marineford to participate in high-level selections.
In this world, the Marines represented justice, and their call to arms resonated far and wide.
Within days, Naval Headquarters received over a million applications.
Of course, most of the applicants were ordinary citizens with no real chance of being accepted.
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