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"Mamamama~, you truly are my greatest masterpiece, Wilhelm!"
Charlotte Linlin laughed heartily, her massive form shaking with amusement.
"This laser cannon contains a large number of souls. You can take them all. If it's not enough, just come back and take more. I'll be waiting for your good news!"
She was generous—directly injecting an immense amount of soul power into the Homie laser cannon before tossing it to Wilhelm.
"Then, thank you, Mom!"
Wilhelm caught the laser cannon, a satisfied smile forming on his lips.
Without hesitation, he bid farewell.
"Mom, if there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave."
"Mamamama~, go on then!"
Charlotte Linlin, still in a great mood, didn't stop him.
Wilhelm, Katakuri, and Perospero then exited the grand cake hall atop the Whole Cake Chateau.
As a member of the Charlotte Family, Wilhelm was akin to royalty within the Totto Land Kingdom.
Naturally, he had his own quarters within the Cake Castle.
However—
As someone devoted to cultivation and honing his abilities, he rarely stayed there.
Instead, he resided in his private villa, located near the Seducing Woods on Whole Cake Island.
In his absence, his home was managed by Mies Olibe, a former female pirate with a bounty of 50 million berries, whom he had taken in as a maid three years ago.
Just as the trio stepped out of the Cake Hall, Perospero couldn't hold back any longer.
"Hehehe~, Brother Wilhelm, if you come across any good abilities, don't forget to look after your dear big brother!"
His grin widened as he continued, "We are family, after all!"
Then, as if trying to sound casual, he quickly added—
"Of course… it'd be best if it were a Logia ability."
He was clearly envious of Katakuri's newfound Logia Air-Air Fruit.
"Brother Peros, Logia abilities are extremely rare," Katakuri interjected, raising an eyebrow.
"Even if Wilhelm raided the World Government's treasure vault, he wouldn't just find Logia Fruits lying around."
He sighed, knowing just how coveted such powers were.
But Wilhelm only grinned.
"Logia, huh? Well… I actually do have one."
Perospero's eyes lit up in an instant.
"Besides that, I also have some pretty good Paramecia abilities. It all depends on what you choose, Brother Perospero."
Though Perospero had his own ambitions and schemes, and sometimes acted too recklessly, Wilhelm had to admit—
As far as strength and ability were concerned, Perospero was still a valuable asset.
The key thing was that Wilhelm was confident he could suppress Perospero.
If he defeated him, he could force Perospero to face reality, abandon his unrealistic ambitions, and submit to his leadership without question.
But there was no rush.
For now, Wilhelm still had two Logia abilities in his possession—
The Logia Cloud-Cloud Fruit and the Logia Smoke-Smoke Fruit.
If Perospero wanted one, Wilhelm had no reason to refuse.
Between the two, the Cloud-Cloud Fruit was undoubtedly the superior choice.
Not only did it grant the user flight, but it also allowed them to create and manipulate various types of clouds.
The sheer variety of clouds that existed on Skypiea alone proved that the potential of this fruit was anything but weak.
While it might not compare to top-tier Logia abilities like the Air-Air Fruit or the Thunder-Thunder Fruit, Wilhelm believed it wasn't too far behind.
Its value was certainly greater than that of the Smoke-Smoke Fruit or the Heavy-Heavy Fruit.
After all, even the weakest Logia was still a Logia.
With proper development, it could easily surpass the abilities of an ordinary Paramecia.
Even the Smoke-Smoke Fruit, often underestimated, had great potential depending on how it was utilized.
If nothing else, the ability to release toxic smoke alone could be deadly in battle.
However, for someone like Perospero, who had already mastered his own Paramecia ability to perfection, a Logia like the Smoke-Smoke Fruit likely wouldn't be very appealing.
That said, Wilhelm also had several powerful Paramecia Fruits in his collection.
Among them were:
Boil-Boil Fruit Vortex-Vortex Fruit Steel-Steel Fruit Heatwave Fruit Fluctuation Fruit
In Wilhelm's opinion, the Vortex-Vortex Fruit was the best choice for Perospero.
Its user could generate powerful vortexes wherever they touched—
On water, they could create massive whirlpools. On land, they could turn the ground into a swirling trap that devoured everything. On air, they could generate high-speed vortexes with incredible suction force or even unleash rotating air cannons.
If developed to the Awakening stage, its potential would be terrifying.
With Perospero's talent, Wilhelm had no doubt that he could reach that level.
Even without awakening, the Vortex-Vortex Fruit was still a powerful ability on its own.
And Wilhelm was generous—at least when it came to his family.
Both Perospero and Katakuri couldn't help but stare wide-eyed at Wilhelm.
Their minds reeled as they took in what he was saying.
How many Devil Fruits does this guy have hidden away?!
A Bold Move
It was an audacious thing to do—hiding Devil Fruits from Charlotte Linlin without her knowledge.
No one had ever dared to pull such a stunt.
Yet, Wilhelm had done it.
And the most surprising part?
Charlotte Linlin was incredibly lenient when it came to him.
Perospero was almost certain that even if he reported Wilhelm's actions to her in private, she wouldn't be truly angry.
After all, it wasn't a big deal to stash away a few Devil Fruits…
An Offer Too Tempting to Refuse
"Really? Tell me... what abilities are they?"
Perospero bit his tongue in excitement.
His eyes gleamed with anticipation as he stared at Wilhelm, eager for his answer.
"Logia Smoke-Smoke Fruit and Logia Cloud-Cloud Fruit," Wilhelm said directly, noticing Perospero's undisguised envy.
"As for Paramecia, I think the Vortex-Vortex Fruit would suit you well, Brother Peros. But unlike your Lick-Lick Fruit, which falls under creation-type Paramecia, this one belongs to the superpower category."
"The Vortex-Vortex Fruit allows the user to create vortexes wherever they touch—sea, land, or even air."
"You already know how terrifying vortex currents in the ocean can be, don't you, Brother Peros?" Wilhelm smirked.
"If you ever manage to awaken its abilities, you'd become even stronger than me in terms of fruit power and speed."
The Strength of the Lick-Lick Fruit
Perospero's Lick-Lick Fruit, in Wilhelm's opinion, would have been better named the Candy-Candy Fruit.
It allowed him to generate vast amounts of candy or syrup at will—
Its hardness could rival steel. It could trap and immobilize enemies. He could even turn objects and living beings into candy.
However, this transformation could only be undone by:
Defeating Perospero. Him willingly reversing it.
That being said, the ability had an obvious weakness—heat.
Of course, this wasn't a crippling flaw.
After all, countless materials melt under high temperatures, not just candy.
A Difficult Decision
"The Cloud-Cloud Fruit… and the Vortex-Vortex Fruit?"
Perospero hesitated.
With Katakuri possessing the Air-Air Fruit and Smoothie wielding the Thunder-Thunder Fruit, he had raised his standards for Devil Fruits.
Naturally, he dismissed the Smoke-Smoke Fruit outright.
But the other two?
They both sounded powerful, making it difficult to choose.
Still, being a born optimist, Perospero didn't dwell on it for long.
Licking his tongue, he let out his signature eerie chuckle:
"Hehehehe~, I'll take the Vortex-Vortex Fruit!"
Not Yet…
"Fine," Wilhelm nodded, "but you'll have to wait until after the war."
Perospero frowned. "Why?"
Wilhelm shrugged.
"Because, Brother Peros, your situation isn't the same as Brother Katakuri's."
"The big battle is coming. You still need to retain your full combat strength."
Even if Perospero's talent couldn't compare to Katakuri's, he was still a powerful general with a bounty exceeding 500 million berries.
His Observation Haki and Armament Haki were decent, and with the right training, he could become an even greater force in the future.
Wilhelm wasn't about to weaken their forces before such a crucial fight.
The Realization
Perospero and Katakuri both stared at Wilhelm, their expressions unreadable.
They couldn't help but wonder—
Just how many Devil Fruits does this guy have hidden away?!