Ability Deprivation Success: Phantom Beast – Yamata no Orochi
After returning to the ship from the Flower Capital, everyone who knew about Caesar's plan had already prepared the necessary fruits.
Previously, none of them had witnessed how a Devil Fruit reappeared after its user died.
It wasn't until Caesar brought back the Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, Sara Sara no Mi, Model: Axolotl, that they learned the truth—when a Devil Fruit user dies, the fruit's power transfers to a nearby suitable fruit in a seemingly random location.
Had it not been for the fact that the Sea-Prism Stone chamber was built at the bottom of the aquarium, everyone would have wanted to witness the Devil Fruit's rebirth process firsthand.
The reason Caesar designed the chamber at the bottom of the aquarium was due to its seawater. This acted as double insurance, ensuring that Devil Fruit users would be unable to resist.
Although this method was tedious, if it even slightly improved the chances of Devil Fruit rebirth, it was deemed necessary.
With a variety of fruits prepared and an unconscious Kurozumi Higurashi, the former user of the Mane Mane no Mi (Clone-Clone Fruit), she and another captive were submerged into the depths.
Higurashi's ability was, by far, the least threatening among the three. The Clone-Clone Fruit's ability was extremely specific—only allowing the user to mimic another person's appearance. Even if the power transfer failed, it would not matter much.
However, if Whitebeard's rumored adopted son truly possessed the Copy-Copy Fruit, a superior version of the Clone-Clone Fruit that could replicate both appearance and abilities, then Caesar would have even more reason to study it.
As for using live subjects to extract Devil Fruits, Caesar had no ethical concerns whatsoever.
The Kurozumi Clan had already caused enough destruction—if their revenge had been solely against the Kozuki Clan, that would have been one thing. But they had harmed innocent civilians and devastated Wano as a whole. Kurozumi Orochi was Wano-born, yet he brought nothing but ruin to his own country.
He lacked the ability to govern, and under his rule, Wano fell into decay and suffering. While Wano was already struggling under its closed borders, nearly a thousand years of Kozuki rule at least ensured some level of stability.
But under Orochi, the nation collapsed entirely.
For this reason, Caesar felt no guilt in eliminating him.
Even if Caesar didn't kill him, someone else eventually would.
---
The Experiment Begins
Caesar placed Kurozumi Higurashi inside the Sea-Prism Stone chamber, surrounding her with numerous prepared fruits.
After ensuring everything was in place, he sealed the entrance tightly using an adhesive made from Sea-Prism Stone powder.
However, he did not leave the chamber—his goal was to witness the exact moment of a Devil Fruit's rebirth.
As the chamber filled with silence, Caesar focused all his senses, determined to capture the precise process of Devil Fruit ability transfer.
With a flicker of his psychic abilities, Higurashi's brain and heart were instantly destroyed.
She convulsed violently, a reflexive response of her body, before falling lifeless.
Everything was set.
Now, Caesar waited.
He carefully observed, his focus unwavering, but minutes passed with no changes.
Ten minutes later—
A fruit finally began to morph, black swirls forming on its surface.
However, even though the transfer had succeeded, Caesar saw nothing unusual.
The exact mechanism behind a Devil Fruit's rebirth remained a mystery.
He sighed, slightly disappointed.
But ultimately, the results mattered more than the process.
With a smirk, Caesar picked up the newly transformed Mane Mane no Mi.
Now, with this method, any Devil Fruit ability could be acquired at will.
As long as he had this chamber, he could create the strongest pirate crew—and even challenge the World Government itself!
For a moment, Caesar's thoughts became hazy with ambition.
He had never imagined that the accidental knowledge he overheard about Devil Fruits would turn out to be this useful.
In the past, acquiring Devil Fruits was a gamble—either buying unconfirmed fruits or waiting for the rare chance to steal a strong one.
But now, all he needed was a Devil Fruit user—and their death would ensure the fruit's rebirth.
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The Next Subjects: Kurozumi Orochi & Kurozumi Semimaru
Caesar returned to the deck, carrying the Devil Fruit in one hand and the lifeless body of Higurashi in the other.
At that moment, Kurozumi Orochi and Kurozumi Semimaru regained consciousness.
The moment they opened their eyes, they found themselves surrounded by strangers, in an unknown location, helplessly restrained by Sea-Prism Stone handcuffs.
Orochi immediately panicked.
"Who are you?! Why did you capture me?! Let me go!"
"You fools! I am the rightful Shogun of Wano! You think you can get away with this?! The Kaido Pirates will—"
Realization struck when Orochi's eyes fell on the fruit in Caesar's hand.
It was unmistakable—the exact Devil Fruit that Higurashi had eaten years ago.
His eyes widened in horror.
Orochi was cunning, not stupid. He immediately understood what was happening.
They had captured him to steal his ability.
Panic overwhelmed him.
He fell to his knees, begging desperately.
"My lords! Please, spare me! I'll give you anything you want! Power, wealth, even control over Wano! Just let me live!"
Driven by sheer terror, Orochi's mouth fired off desperate bargains like a machine gun.
However—
Caesar ignored him completely.
Instead, he casually tossed Higurashi's corpse into the ocean, where it sank, feeding the fish.
Then, using his psychic powers, he levitated the reborn Mane Mane no Mi into his captain's quarters, placing it inside a secure cabinet alongside other known Devil Fruits.
Seeing that Caesar was unmoved, Orochi's mentality shattered.
His begging turned to rage.
"YOU DARE?!"
"You pathetic sea trash, do you know who I am?! You'll die a death worse than hell for this, I swear it!"
His hysterical screaming continued, but Caesar remained indifferent.
To him, Orochi's ranting was no different from an ant cursing the human who stepped on its nest.
However, his crew couldn't tolerate the insult.
They stepped forward, fists clenched.
But before they could act—
"Enough."
Caesar's calm command instantly silenced them.
"This is just the final ranting of a dead man. It's meaningless."
Ignoring Orochi's screams, Caesar used his Barrier-Barrier Fruit powers to lift Semimaru—the next subject.
There was no need to replenish the fruits.
As long as the Sea-Prism Stone chamber remained intact, the experiment could be repeated indefinitely.
Once again, Caesar descended into the aquarium depths.
Minutes later, he returned—another corpse in one hand, another Devil Fruit in the other.
And now, it was Orochi's turn.
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The Final Harvest: The Yamata no Orochi Fruit
Before long, the Sara Sara no Mi, Model: Yamata no Orochi appeared in Caesar's palm.
A smirk played on his lips.
With this method, he could harvest any Devil Fruit he desired.
And soon—
The world would learn to fear the name of Caesar.
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