After listening to Redfield's full account, Lakeman remained silent for a long time.
The darkness of Eternal Hell pressed around him.
The unconscious prisoners lay motionless in their cells, their breathing faint and uneven. Only Shiki, Bullet, and Redfield remained awake, each watching him with a different expression.
Shiki was wary.
Bullet was silent and tense.
Redfield was waiting.
Lakeman's gaze lowered slightly.
'The Florian Triangle.' 'The black lightning.' 'The Sea King.' 'The rumbling from beneath the sea.'
Piece by piece, Redfield's story connected with what Imu had once told him.
The Davy Jones clan's demigod-level patriarch has conducted a forbidden experiment, turning himself into a mindless monster that sleeps somewhere in the depths of the sea.
A creature that no longer possessed reason, only hunger, destruction, and killing instinct.
Lakeman's expression became bizarre.
'Redfield was not its target.'
That was the conclusion he reached.
Back then, Redfield had only released Conqueror's Haki to stun the Sea King. His Haki must have disturbed the sleeping monster beneath the Florian Triangle. Or perhaps it had simply attracted its attention for a moment.
The monster had awakened slightly.
Then it had fed.
But not on Redfield, on the Sea King.
According to Redfield, wherever the black lightning struck, the Sea King's body had disappeared as if erased from existence.
That was not ordinary destruction. It was closer to devouring through will itself.
A monstrous form of Conqueror's Haki.
A Haki that did not merely suppress.
A Haki that consumed.
'Redfield survived because he was insignificant to it.'
Lakeman's eyes narrowed.
To an ordinary person, Patrick Redfield was a legendary monster who once rivaled Roger and Whitebeard.
But to something sleeping beneath the Florian Triangle, perhaps even Redfield at his peak was not worth noticing.
'His body was too small. His life force was too little. Not even an appetizer.'
That thought made Lakeman's heart grow heavy.
The world was truly deeper than he had once believed.
The black trace that had remained inside Redfield's mind was likely not deliberate. It might have been nothing more than residue left behind after Redfield came into contact with the monster's Haki.
Because that creature was mindless, its Haki naturally carried the characteristics of its broken existence.
Destruction. Hunger. Killing intent. Despair. Madness.
When Lakeman's Conqueror's Haki impacted Redfield's mind three days ago, that old trace must have sensed a threat. It had reacted like a cornered beast and attacked him.
'It saw my Haki as its enemy.'
That point was important.
If the source of that black Haki had truly reached the God Realm, then a tiny remnant would not have merely injured Lakeman.
It would have erased him.
Nor would that remnant have felt threatened by his golden Haki. A true God Realm existence would not fear a Demigod Realm opponent through a leftover trace.
That meant the monster beneath the Florian Triangle was most likely still at the Demigod Realm.
A terrifying peak Demigod.
Perhaps even stronger than Lakeman right now, but not yet a true god.
'That is good.'
Lakeman's eyes flashed.
'At least it is not completely beyond reach.'
But soon, he suppressed that thought.
'No. Not yet.'
He had learned enough from this encounter.
Curiosity was useful.
Greed was useful.
But recklessness was stupidity.
A tiny remnant of that monster's Haki had already injured him. If he approached the source before reaching a higher realm, he would only be offering himself as food.
Lakeman had no intention of becoming prey.
'Until all my major attributes reach the God Realm, I will not approach the Florian Triangle.'
'Physique. Strength. Agility. Endurance. Stamina. All three types of Haki. Swordsmanship. Devil Fruit power. Life level.'
'Only when every foundation reaches that level will I consider hunting it.'
This was only speculation.
He knew that.
But every speculation came from the information he had gathered so far. In this world, ignorance was more dangerous than weakness. And now, at least, he had a direction.
Lakeman raised his head and looked at Redfield.
Redfield remained kneeling inside his cell, his old body wounded and weak. Yet his eyes were clear. The arrogance of the Lonely Red had not disappeared completely, but it had changed.
Before, it had been pride without a master.
Now, it had become proud to serve a higher peak.
Lakeman stretched out his hand.
A ball of green life essence appeared in his palm.
It was larger than the one he had given Redfield three days ago. Inside it, dense vitality flowed like liquid jade, pulsing softly with a gentle glow.
Shiki's eyes sharpened.
Bullet stared at it.
Even Redfield's breathing changed.
They could all sense what it contained.
Life.
A frightening amount of life.
Lakeman had extracted this essence from several pirate groups that had died under his hand.
His double-awakened Steal-Steal Fruit did not merely steal objects. It could steal life essence, time essence, Haki, strength, physical potential, and many other hidden qualities from the defeated or dead.
The more he developed it, the more terrifying the fruit became.
He could even extract the Devil Fruit power from a recently dead body and seal it into a suitable fruit to preserve it.
That alone was enough to make the world go mad if anyone discovered it.
But Lakeman was still not fully satisfied.
'It is still imperfect.'
He could not strip a Devil Fruit power from a living person without killing them.
He also could not separate the curse, weakness factors, impurities, or hidden rules inside Devil Fruits.
If he could do that, he would have already eaten several god-level Devil Fruits without worrying about side effects.
Unfortunately, he still carried only one Devil Fruit power inside himself.
The Steal-Steal Fruit.
'What a pity.'
Then Lakeman's lips curved faintly.
'But if my Steal-Steal Fruit awakens a third time, perhaps everything will change.'
Right now, he could steal essence.
After the third awakening, perhaps he could steal rules.
If that day came, he might be able to remove the sea curse from Devil Fruits, separate their impurities, fuse powers safely, and create a body capable of carrying multiple fruits without weakness.
At that point, the so-called laws of the world would become materials in his hand.
Lakeman flicked his finger.
The green ball of life essence flew through the bars and landed before Redfield.
"Absorb it."
Redfield reached out and caught it.
The moment his fingers touched the life essence, the green light melted into his body like water sinking into dry earth.
His old, damaged body trembled.
Then a cocoon of light formed around him.
The cocoon was not large, but the vitality inside it was dense.
Threads of green energy wrapped around Redfield's body, entering his flesh, bones, blood vessels, and organs. His wounds closed rapidly. His dry skin tightened. His white hair began to regain luster.
Shiki and Bullet watched in silence.
Their expressions changed again and again.
They had seen medical miracles before.
They had seen Devil Fruit abilities that healed injuries.
But this was different.
This was not simple healing.
This was restoration.
It was as if time itself was being reversed inside Redfield's body.
Bullet clenched his fists.
'That old monster is recovering.'
Shiki's face darkened.
'No. Not just recovering. He is returning to his peak.'
The pressure inside the cell began to rise.
It was weak at first.
Then stronger.
Then stronger again.
The old, dying aura around Patrick Redfield disappeared piece by piece. In its place, something sharp, proud, and terrifying awakened.
The Lonely Red.
The man who once walked the seas alone.
The legend who once rivaled Roger and Whitebeard by himself.
He was returning.
While Redfield transformed inside the cocoon, Lakeman turned his attention away from him.
His gaze swept across Eternal Hell.
The prisoners here were not ordinary criminals.
Even the weaker ones were dangerous monsters who had been erased from history.
Some had been pirates. Some had been rebels. Some had been warriors, assassins, killers, and failed kings.
Not every one of them was worthy of becoming his target.
But many had potential.
The system's definition of genius was not limited to those who could reach the level of emperors or admirals.
As long as someone could reach at least Vice Admiral level through their own training, talent, and will, they could be considered a genius stock.
For Lakeman, that was enough.
A true genius could provide feedback.
A lesser genius could still provide small returns.
And small returns, when gathered in large enough numbers, became a river.
Lakeman walked slowly through the corridor of Eternal Hell.
His blood-red eyes scanned the unconscious prisoners one by one.
Soon, system notifications began to appear.
[Genius detected: Avalo Pizarro.]
[Begin binding? Y/N]
'Bind.'
[Binding Avalo Pizarro.]
[Progress: 0.21%.]
Lakeman continued walking.
[Genius detected: Sanjuan Wolf.]
[Begin binding? Y/N]
'Bind.'
[Binding Sanjuan Wolf.]
[Progress: 0.18%.]
Another cell.
[Genius detected: Vasco Shot.]
[Begin binding? Y/N]
'Bind.'
[Binding Vasco Shot.]
[Progress: 0.24%.]
Then another.
[Genius detected: Catarina Devon.]
[Begin binding? Y/N]
Lakeman's eyes paused briefly.
Catarina Devon.
The Crescent Moon Hunter.
A dangerous woman who, in the original future, would become one of Blackbeard's Titanic Captains.
'Bind.'
[Binding Catarina Devon.]
[Progress: 0.26%.]
Lakeman's footsteps did not stop.
Some of the prisoners were names he recognized from his memories of the original work.
Some were unknown to him, hidden monsters who had never appeared because the world was far larger than the story he once knew.
The system kept detecting them.
Lakeman kept binding.
[Genius detected. Rosevette Linen]
[Binding initiated.]
[Progress: 0.17%.]
[Genius detected. Camila Thorne]
[Binding initiated.]
[Progress: 0.31%.]
[Genius detected. Billy Sinfull]
[Binding initiated.]
[Progress: 0.12%.]
One after another, invisible threads formed between Lakeman and the future stocks imprisoned in Eternal Hell.
He did not need them to be loyal and useful yet.
He only needed the binding to begin.
Time and training would do the rest.
And if they became worthless, death would still provide final feedback.
As Lakeman finished binding another prisoner, two notifications suddenly appeared in his mind.
[Binding complete: Shiryu.]
[Genius Shiryu has been successfully bound.]
A faint smile appeared on Lakeman's face.
Immediately after, another notification followed.
[Binding complete: Magellan.]
[Genius Magellan has been successfully bound.]
Lakeman stopped walking.
'Good.'
Shiryu and Magellan were finally complete.
One was a murderous swordsman with terrifying potential.
The other was the strongest guardian of Impel Down, a monster whose Venom-Venom Fruit could suppress entire armies.
Both were now connected to him.
Even if they did nothing, their continued training, battles, and growth would provide feedback.
If they died in the future, everything they had accumulated would return to him.
Nothing would be wasted.
At that moment, a soft cracking sound came from behind him.
–Crack.
Lakeman turned.
The green cocoon around Redfield had begun to split.
Cracks spread across its surface like broken jade.
Then, with a final pulse of light, the cocoon shattered into countless motes of green radiance.
The light scattered through the air before flowing back into Redfield's body.
Patrick Redfield stood inside the cell.
But he no longer looked like the dying old man from before.
His back was straight.
His skin had regained firmness.
His hair had become fuller, still carrying its familiar pale color, but now with a healthier shine. His aura was sharp, noble, and solitary, like a crimson blade hidden beneath velvet.
He clenched his fist slowly.
Power surged through his body.
His youth had not fully returned to the appearance of a boy, but his body had been restored to a vigorous state close to his peak. More importantly, the life essence Lakeman gave him would keep him in this condition for decades.
Perhaps even longer.
Redfield closed his eyes.
He felt his blood flowing.
He felt his muscles responding.
He felt his old strength returning.
No.
Not merely returning.
Because the life essence contained fragments of vitality and physical potential from many dead pirates, his body had become slightly stronger than before.
Redfield opened his eyes.
For the first time in many years, they were bright.
Shiki stared at him.
Bullet's expression became extremely serious.
The pressure coming from Redfield was familiar.
Too familiar.
This was the Redfield from the old era.
The monster that could walk alone against the great powers of the sea.
But now, that monster was kneeling.
Redfield knelt on one knee inside the cell, lowering his head toward Lakeman.
His voice was steady.
"Saint Lakeman, from this day forward, my life belongs to you."
The words echoed softly through Eternal Hell.
Shiki's face twitched.
Bullet's gaze darkened.
Redfield continued.
"I once believed solitude was my path. I refused Roger. I refused Whitebeard. I refused every hand that reached toward me. But now I understand that I was not standing at the peak. I was merely trapped beneath a sky I could not see."
He raised his head slightly.
"You saved me from the shadow hidden in my mind. You restored my body. You showed me a higher realm. For that, I swear allegiance."
His eyes became firm.
"If you command me to fight, I will fight."
"If you command me to kill, I will kill."
"If you command me to die, I will die."
Lakeman looked at him calmly.
Then he smiled.
"Very good."
With a thought, an ancient-looking Devil Fruit appeared in his hand.
It was dark red and black, shaped strangely, with curling patterns that resembled folded bat wings. A faint, cold aura leaked from it, carrying a trace of night, blood, and ancient hunger.
The moment the fruit appeared, Redfield's eyes changed.
Shiki and Bullet also stared at it.
Even without knowing its name, they could sense that this was not an ordinary fruit.
Lakeman raised it slightly.
"Mythical Zoan."
Redfield's breathing paused.
Lakeman continued, "Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire."
The cell fell silent.
Redfield's eyes widened slightly.
A Mythical Zoan.
A fruit of immortality, blood, night, recovery, and terrifying vitality.
For a restored Redfield, this fruit was almost too suitable.
Lakeman tossed it to him.
Redfield caught it with both hands.
For a moment, even he could not hide the shock in his eyes. He asked hesitantly:
"Saint Lakeman, this…"
"Eat it."
Lakeman commanded, without any room for refusal.
"This fruit suits you. With your restored body, your Haki, your combat experience, and this Mythical Zoan, you will return to the sea as something far greater than your old self."
Redfield looked at the fruit in his hands.
Then he lowered his head.
"Yes, Saint Lakeman."
Without hesitation, he bit into it.
The taste was terrible.
All Devil Fruits were.
But Redfield did not react much. He swallowed it calmly, then ate enough for the power to take root.
A few seconds passed.
Then his body trembled.
A dark crimson aura spread around him.
His pupils sharpened. His canine teeth lengthened slightly. His presence became colder, deeper, and more dangerous.
A faint shadow unfolded behind him like wings made of night.
The change did not make him monstrous.
It made him elegant.
Ancient.
Predatory.
Redfield slowly inhaled.
He could feel the fruit power awakening within him.
Blood.
Vitality.
Night.
Transformation.
A Mythical Zoan power perfectly matched with his restored body.
For the first time since entering Impel Down, a genuine smile appeared on his face.
"Wonderful," he whispered.
Lakeman watched him with satisfaction.
This was why he had saved Redfield.
A dying legend had limited use.
A restored legend with a Mythical Zoan had enormous value.
Especially one who had already lowered his head.
Lakeman stepped toward the cell door.
With a casual movement, he opened it.
The heavy prison door that had locked away one of the world's greatest legends swung open.
Redfield stepped out.
He moved slowly at first, adapting to his restored body and newly gained Devil Fruit power. But after only a few steps, his movements became smooth. Then graceful. Then natural.
It was as if he had never been imprisoned.
As if the years had merely been dust shaken from his shoulders.
He came to Lakeman's side and stood slightly behind him.
Not as an equal.
Not as a guest.
As a loyal follower.
As a guard.
As a blade.
Shiki watched this scene, his face dark and complicated.
Bullet said nothing, but the muscles in his jaw tightened.
They understood what had happened.
Lakeman had not merely recruited Redfield.
He had reforged him.
And now, the Lonely Red had become Saint Lakeman's weapon.
Lakeman looked ahead, his expression calm.
The reason he could give Redfield such a fruit so casually was simple.
Over the years, under his orders and careful instructions, Stussy and Shakky had transformed Cipher Pol into something far greater than an intelligence organization.
On the surface, Cipher Pol still served the World Government.
In truth, it had long since become Lakeman's invisible hand.
CP0, CP1, CP2, CP3, CP4, CP5, CP6, CP7, CP8, and CP9 all moved according to the web Stussy and Shakky had woven.
Some agents infiltrated pirate crews.
Some bribed underworld brokers.
Some entered royal courts as servants, guards, or advisers.
Some monitored auctions held by nobles and Celestial Dragons.
Some searched ancient ruins.
Some stole Marine confiscation records.
Some tracked rumors from taverns, ports, battlefields, and black-market channels.
Their most secret mission was simple.
Find Devil Fruits.
Not ordinary ones.
Fruits with the potential to reshape the world.
The Time-Time Fruit.
The Dark-Dark Fruit.
The Door-Door Fruit.
The Barrier-Barrier Fruit.
The Calm-Calm Fruit.
The Clone-Clone Fruit.
The Clear-Clear Fruit.
The Warp-Warp Fruit.
The Mirror-Mirror Fruit.
The Memory-Memory Fruit.
The Munch-Munch Fruit.
The Weather-Cloud Logia.
And countless others.
Some had already been found.
Some had known users and could not yet be taken without disturbing the larger plan.
Some had vanished after their owners' deaths.
Some existed only as rumors in underworld records.
But all of them had been marked inside Cipher Pol's hidden archives.
Every clue was recorded.
Every possible reincarnation location was monitored.
Every auction and royal vault was watched.
Every fruit with strategic value was hunted.
And many of the best ones had already entered Lakeman's private space.
The Vampire Fruit had been one of them.
Now, it belonged to Redfield.
Lakeman's collection was not limited to fruits known from the original future.
The sea was too vast for that. Many Devil Fruits had never appeared in the story he remembered, but they still existed in this world.
Some were weak.
Some were strange.
Some were useless to him personally but perfect for subordinates.
Some were weapons capable of changing the balance of the sea.
Lakeman had allocated a few strong fruits to Stussy and Shakky for nurturing elite Cipher Pol agents. A hidden empire needed more than loyalty. It needed power distributed in the right places.
But the truly precious fruits remained in his own private space.
Those were not to be wasted.
Not until he decided their perfect owners.
Redfield was one such owner.
Lakeman glanced at him.
"How does it feel?"
Redfield lowered his head respectfully.
"My body feels alive in a way it has not felt for decades. The fruit is still unfamiliar, but it suits me."
He paused, then added, "Given time, I can master it."
Lakeman smiled.
"You will."
Redfield's gaze became firm.
"I will not disappoint you, Saint Lakeman."
Lakeman accepted the words calmly.
Then his eyes shifted toward Shiki and Bullet.
The two legends were still silent.
But their silence had changed again.
Earlier, they had been shocked by Redfield's surrender.
Now, they had seen Lakeman restore his youth, enhance his body, gift him a Mythical Zoan, and open his cell as if Impel Down's greatest prison was nothing.
Shiki's pride was still there.
Bullet's arrogance was still there.
But both had begun to understand something.
Lakeman was not merely strong.
He had resources, secrets, an organization, and a path to reach heights they had never imagined.
And most terrifying of all, he was still growing.
Lakeman saw their expressions and smiled faintly.
He did not need to force them today.
Seeds had already been planted.
Fear.
Curiosity.
Greed.
Ambition.
All of them were useful.
He turned away.
"Redfield."
"Yes, Saint Lakeman."
"Stand beside me."
Redfield stepped closer, his posture calm and obedient.
Lakeman looked across Eternal Hell, where many future monsters slept unconscious under the weight of his Haki.
Some would become feedback.
Some would become subordinates.
Some would become sacrifices.
And some, perhaps, would become weapons capable of shaking the world.
Lakeman's smile deepened.
'This trip was worth more than expected.'
He had learned about the monster beneath the Florian Triangle.
He had completed Shiryu and Magellan's bindings.
He had begun binding several future Blackbeard Pirates and other hidden genius stocks.
He had restored Redfield.
He had given him the Vampire Fruit.
And now, another legend stood at his side.
The world above still knew nothing.
The Marines knew nothing.
The World Government knew nothing.
Even Imu might not yet know exactly how quickly his foundation was growing.
But Lakeman knew.
His invisible empire was spreading.
His bound geniuses were increasing.
His Devil Fruit vault was growing.
His enemies were becoming his resources.
And somewhere far away, under the fog of the Florian Triangle, an ancient monster still slept.
Lakeman was not ready for it yet.
But one day, he would be.
And when that day came, he would not go there as prey.
He would go there as the hunter.
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