The third stop was Water 7.
The overall strength of the CP9 agents hidden in Water 7 far surpassed that of most pirate crews. A group at this level could easily dominate much of the Paradise half of the Grand Line, with only a few exceptions like Amazon Lily.
Even so, the gap between them and Ash was immense.
Including Rob Lucci, none of the three Devil Fruit users realized their powers had already been swapped out by Ash without their knowledge.
The Zoan-type Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Leopard, the Zoan-type Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Wolf, and the Paramecia-type Door-Door Fruit were all easily secured. Unfortunately, the fruits meant for Kaku and Kalifa would not reach them until three years later through Spandam, so Ash had no choice but to wait.
It was also worth noting that the three men Ash had once saved, those with strange lumps on their heads, had since become skilled shipwrights and joined Iceburg's shipyard.
Watching them from the shadows, now far stronger and more capable than before, Ash allowed himself a faint smile. He chose not to reveal himself.
With his collection complete, Ash prepared to return to the Sabaody Archipelago. However, another unexpected opportunity appeared.
Spandam, the direct superior of CP9, had arrived in Water 7 for unknown reasons.
Ash did not hesitate.
After raiding Spandam's ship and finding no additional Devil Fruits, he used his abilities to extract the Zoan-type Elephant-Elephant Fruit from Spandam's sword, Funkfreed.
Water 7, total fruits collected: four.
Unique Mission Progress: Devil Fruits collected [43 / 500]
...
Unexpected opportunities kept appearing, making Ash wonder just how much luck Baccarat had passed on to him.
As he sailed near the Sabaody Archipelago, a memory surfaced, the mysterious Devil Fruit hidden in the home of a bread shark once saved by Hatchan deep beneath the sea.
It was not that Ash intended to rely on luck to search the vast ocean for that creature.
Rather, the thought led to a more important realization.
If even a single sea creature could stumble upon a Devil Fruit, then how many more might be lying undiscovered across the ocean floor?
If five years of effort still failed to reach five hundred fruits, then the missing ones were likely resting in silence beneath the seabed.
Scattered across the ocean, hidden from sight, covering the depths like scales...
Ash felt a chill run through him.
No. That possibility had to be prepared for in advance.
Without hesitation, he took out a Den Den Mushi and contacted Wyper.
The call connected quickly.
"Wyper, where are you right now?" Ash asked.
"Fish-Man Island. I came here not long after setting sail this year to deal with that fish. What is it? Got something planned?" Wyper replied.
Ash's expression shifted slightly. So he really went there.
Taking advantage of the island's location deep beneath the sea, far from the reach of News Coo, Wyper had clearly been acting without restraint.
Ash exhaled slowly. "Since you've been busy fighting Jinbe, how did you find time to show up at Twin Capes a few days ago?"
Wyper laughed. "I already beat that fish back."
Ash thought about it and nodded. It made sense.
After their training, Wyper's strength had reached the level of a lower-tier Emperor's subordinate. Jinbe had struggled against him before, and now the difference between them had only widened.
Wyper continued, recounting his recent actions.
"At first, we couldn't find him anywhere on Fish-Man Island. So I spread word that if he didn't show up, I would unleash Myriad Thunder over the island for a month."
"That forced him out. He kept coming back to fight me, even though he couldn't win. On the seabed, escaping is easy for him, but he didn't dare run too far. He knew I might actually act if he did."
"He's tough and clever. After a few fights, he realized I wasn't using large-scale attacks. That's when he figured out we weren't pirates. Since he couldn't beat me, he chose to retreat."
"We couldn't do much to the island anyway. Later, while talking with Sali, I heard you were going to deal with Portgas D. Ace, so I used the space gate and came over."
"As for the thunder dragon, Jebao and the others are watching it. If Jinbe tries anything, he'll just get beaten again."
Ash listened in silence before responding, "Understood."
After a brief pause, he gave further instructions.
"Focus your fights on Jinbe alone. Do not harm civilians on Fish-Man Island. I may need them later."
"When you have time, meet Neptune, the king of the Ryugu Kingdom. Tell him you can help eliminate Vander Decken IX."
Wyper paused. "I've heard that name before."
"That's him. Finding him shouldn't be difficult with your Mantra."
"Also, aside from dealing with Jinbe, maintain a good relationship with the Ryugu Kingdom."
"Got it. Leave it to me."
The call ended.
Ash stood still for a moment, then nodded to himself.
Although the Ryugu Kingdom had joined the World Government centuries ago, its safety still relied heavily on external forces like Jinbe and the Whitebeard Pirates.
Jinbe's influence alone was not enough to fully protect the island.
Wyper's actions, while aggressive, were not truly harmful as long as civilians were left untouched.
If they could eliminate Vander Decken IX and build goodwill with the kingdom, then in the future, when the Whitebeard Pirates fell, Ash and Wyper could naturally take over the role of protecting Fish-Man Island.
At that point, Ash could use the kingdom's forces to conduct a large-scale search for Devil Fruits across the seabed.
And since Fish-Men and Merfolk lose their ability to move freely underwater after eating a Devil Fruit, there was no risk of them secretly keeping any they found.
With this plan in place, Ash finally felt at ease.
Stepping onto the Sabaody Archipelago once more, he looked ahead with renewed focus.
The last time he passed through, he had no time to explore.
This time, he intended to see everything, and perhaps uncover even more unexpected gains.
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