— — — — — — —
It took Vegapunk a while to recover from his shock. When he finally came to his senses, he looked at Kaito with an expression of sheer amazement.
"I never expected the truth to be like this... You're actually from another world? And you even know about both the past and future of ours? Not only that, but you've created so many powerful and mysterious techniques... This is unbelievable."
"No wonder you were able to write such a profound book."
"No wonder you have the confidence to lead us in overthrowing the World Government, establishing a new order, and guiding people toward a better and more fulfilling life!"
If he had any doubts before, they were now completely gone.
Kaito noticed that Vegapunk's favorability toward him had skyrocketed again in an instant.
Terrifying!
This was the fanaticism of a true idealist!
"I'm filled with hope for our future!" Vegapunk said with a bright grin.
"Haha!"
Kaito and Dragon exchanged glances before smiling. "So are we!"
"Alright, let's get down to business."
Kaito waved his hand before flipping it over to reveal a Devil Fruit—the Zoan-type, Human-Human Fruit.
He handed it to Vegapunk and said, "The reason I came to you in such a hurry is that I need your help studying this Devil Fruit. Specifically, I want you to try replicating it. Do you think you can create a perfect copy?"
"Oh?"
Vegapunk took the fruit with a puzzled expression, examining it closely before turning to Kaito. "Master, you're saying this is the Human-Human Fruit?"
"Why are you so interested in this particular Devil Fruit? And why do you want a perfect replica?"
"By all logic, this should be one of the most useless Devil Fruits, right?"
"Unless... is there something special about it that I don't know?"
Intrigued, he waited for an explanation.
"That's right."
Kaito nodded firmly. "At first glance, this may seem like a useless fruit—but that couldn't be further from the truth."
"Humans are the most extraordinary beings of all."
"This Devil Fruit grants the user absolute control over their body, an unparalleled ability to learn, and a tremendous boost in comprehension."
"It might not have any flashy special abilities, but it is, without a doubt, a near-perfect fruit."
"For any dedicated practitioner, this is a dream come true."
"What?!"
Both Vegapunk and Dragon were taken aback.
"So that's why it's so valuable…"
Now, they understood why Kaito placed such importance on this Devil Fruit.
"In that case, I have to replicate as many of these as possible!"
"Fortunately, this is just a Zoan-type Devil Fruit—if it were anything else, I might've hesitated!"
"But I've already mastered the process of recreating Zoan-type Devil Fruits. Making a copy shouldn't be difficult."
"In fact, I've even managed to replicate Mythical Zoan-types. Though, I admit, those are still not perfect."
"Oh, right!"
Vegapunk paused and looked at Kaito.
"Master, have you already extracted the curse and willpower from this Devil Fruit?"
"That's right."
Kaito nodded. Then he asked, "Will that affect your replication process?"
He had honestly forgotten about this detail before.
Thinking back, he regretted removing those aspects in such a rush.
"Of course, it has an impact! And a huge one at that!"
Vegapunk nodded affirmatively but then grinned. "But it's all positive!"
"The curse of the sea and the willpower contained within a Devil Fruit are actually the main reasons why they're so difficult to replicate."
"Without them, I might even be able to create a perfect copy of a Mythical Zoan!"
"With further research, I might even figure out how to replicate Paramecia and Logia-type Devil Fruits!"
During his studies on Devil Fruits, Vegapunk had long since noticed the mysterious sea curse and unknown willpower contained within them.
He had tried many times to separate and remove them.
But every attempt had failed.
Worse still, whenever he tried, the curse and willpower would go berserk, becoming even more violent.
This was the primary reason why artificial Zoan-type Devil Fruits often led to the death of the user—or, at best, turned them into mindless beasts.
Of course, he had already found a solution to this problem.
Now, he could perfectly replicate Zoan-type Devil Fruits without any unwanted side effects.
Looking back, his former assistant, Caesar Clown, had only grasped an incomplete version of the technology.
Thanks to the memories Kaito had given him, Vegapunk now knew about the terrible things Caesar would do in the future.
He made up his mind—he had to stop him.
If possible, he would try to recruit him for their cause and place him under Kaito's guidance.
If not… he would have to eliminate him before he could cause even greater harm.
He absolutely wouldn't allow Caesar to continue his horrific and defective giantification experiments.
"Oh?"
Kaito's eyes lit up. "So it turned out to be a positive effect? That's great!"
"If you need more test subjects in the future, I can provide you with various flawless Devil Fruits for your research."
"By the way, I'm currently working on creating a massive new area within the dimensional gate's space."
"I'll set aside a dedicated research facility for you there."
"Once it's completed, there will be multiple experimental zones."
"You'll be able to conduct secret research there without worrying about being discovered by the World Government."
"Also, you should hurry up and learn how to refine Primal chakra and master the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
"Once you do, you can send your clones through the Space-Time Gate to conduct experiments that you wouldn't be able to carry out on Egghead Island."
"What do you think?"
"Or… should we just take you away this time?"
If possible, Kaito actually preferred that Vegapunk didn't stay here any longer.
"No!"
But Vegapunk shook his head firmly. "I still need to stay here. On one hand, I can use the World Government's resources and power to complete some of my research and planning."
"On the other hand, I can also buy us time by stabilizing the World Government, keeping them patient as they wait for me to complete the Seraphim Project—while secretly expanding your influence, Master."
"At the same time, I can provide assistance to Dragon and the Revolutionary Army."
"Anyway, I've already signed a contract with you, Master, so my safety is no longer an issue!"
"If I ever face a life-threatening situation, I can be safely teleported away at any moment."
"So there's really no need for me to leave in a hurry. Besides, staying here has its own benefits."
"Other than being constantly monitored, there are advantages to being here as well."
"The World Government has ruled this world for over 800 years. The resources they control—especially their hidden resources—are unimaginable."
"Is that so?"
Kaito nodded in understanding. "Since you're determined, then stay here."
"But you must master the Shadow Clone Jutsu as soon as possible to assist with my research."
"I'm making great progress on the Bloodline Limit Elixirs, and I need your help to shorten the research time."
"Also, I need your technological expertise to advance some civilian technology projects."
Once the Bloodline Elixirs are completed, they can greatly enhance the power of Konoha's shinobi.
That will accelerate his plan to unify the world.
"I understand! I'll master those two techniques as soon as possible."
"However, I need you to place a seal on me in advance to conceal the Chakra fluctuations that will appear after I learn them."
"Otherwise, the World Government members here will easily notice something is off."
Vegapunk nodded and made his request.
"Of course!"
Kaito had no objections. In fact, even if Vegapunk hadn't asked, he had already planned to do this.
Without hesitation, he pressed his palm against Vegapunk's abdomen.
Immediately, intricate sealing runes surged from his palm, swiftly covering Vegapunk's entire body.
They seeped into his clothes, attaching directly to his skin.
"It's done!"
When Kaito withdrew his hand, the sealing runes quickly faded into Vegapunk's flesh and disappeared from sight.
"Thank you, Master!"
Vegapunk quickly expressed his gratitude.
"Mm."
Kaito nodded, then asked, "How long do you estimate it will take to perfectly replicate the Human-Human Fruit?"
"Can you conduct your research in the Space Gate's main dimension?"
"Do you need me to prepare anything else?"
Hearing this, Vegapunk shook his head. "I can't say for sure yet. I need to analyze this Devil Fruit first before I can estimate the time needed."
"But I believe a perfect replication should be possible!"
"As for conducting the research in the Space Gate, that won't be a problem either."
"And I don't need you to prepare anything extra."
"I'll find ways to smuggle in any research equipment and resources I need from Egghead Island and the World Government's restricted areas."
"That's not a challenge for me."
Although it seemed like he was under strict surveillance here…
In reality, he still had a lot of freedom.
After all, the World Government didn't understand research, yet they needed him.
If they didn't grant him enough autonomy, it would be counterproductive.
"Be careful then! If you need anything, contact me through the communication space."
Satisfied, Kaito nodded. "We shouldn't linger here any longer. It might cause trouble for you. Let's go!"
With that, Kaito signaled to Dragon, dispelled the barrier around them, and the two of them teleported away, returning to the Millennium ninja dragon soaring in the sky above the clouds.
"Our business here is done. Teleport back to the North Blue and continue mapping out the region."
"Once the North Blue map is fully charted, return to the me."
Upon returning, Kaito relayed the instructions.
"Understood, Lord Kaito!"
The Ninja Dragon responded immediately.
For him, this was nothing more than an extended sightseeing trip.
"Good."
Kaito nodded in satisfaction before turning to Monkey D. Dragon. "Things here are settled. I'll head back now. You should return to oversee the Revolutionary Army's operations."
"Alright."
Dragon nodded and teleported away.
Kaito followed suit and returned to the Ninja World.
Sensing that both had left, the Ninja dragon then teleported away as well, heading back to the North Blue to continue charting the map.
.
.
.