Ten Days Later
Lying on a massive bed, Big Mom slowly opened her eyes.
"I'm hungry." Those were her first words.
She felt pain all over her body, but her hunger overpowered it. Never in her life had she suffered such injuries.
Soon, a mountain of food was brought to her. Big Mom devoured it frantically, and only after stuffing herself did she sense something was wrong. Her subordinates and children were looking at her… and then quickly averting their gazes?
What had happened?
Big Mom's face twisted in confusion as she tried to recall. But it wasn't until she got out of bed and looked in the mirror that she saw it her face was swollen and bruised, tinted an ugly shade of blue.
Charlotte Linlin let out a deafening roar, and in an instant, every mirror in the castle shattered. Now, she finally remembered—the horror of being beaten endlessly while trapped in her own madness.
"I'LL KILL YOU!!!"
Her scream echoed through the palace, sending shivers down the spines of everyone nearby.
---
Ezekiel stepped into the Science Academy, followed by Fujitora and Katakuri who had nearly fully recovered. For now, Katakuri had been temporarily assigned as Ezekiel's bodyguard. After all, this man had once been the Sweet Commander of an Emperor.
Ezekiel planned to use Katakuri for covert operations. Currently, Alabasta was severely lacking in talent for such work. Organizations like CP-0 simply didn't exist here.
Katakuri possessed **Conqueror's Haki** and the potential of a **300 GB Admiral**.
But the most terrifying thing was his **90 GB Observation Haki**—the strongest Ezekiel had ever seen, nearing the absolute peak at **100 GB**.
Yet, ironically, this overwhelming Observation Haki was also his limitation. His Devil Fruit mastery was only **70 GB**, and his Armament Haki sat at **40 GB**. In reality, his total attributes already reached **200 GB**!
If those **90 GB** had gone into **Armament Haki** instead of Observation, Big Mom wouldn't have beaten him so brutally.
"People have their limits," Ezekiel remarked as they walked.
Katakuri already knew what he would say next, so he remained silent.
"So stop tormenting yourself, Katakuri."
Under normal circumstances, Katakuri stood no chance against Big Mom let alone challenging the entire Big Mom Pirates alone. But Ezekiel possessed a **unique Devil Fruit** that could freely grant power to smartphone users.
Meaning Ezekiel could enhance him.
Armament Haki only 40 GB? Push it to 80!
Devil Fruit mastery stuck at **70**? Unacceptable!
That's not enough for a top-tier fruit!
Katakuri needed rigorous training. Ezekiel believed upgrading the **Mochi Mochi no Mi** to **90 GB** wouldn't be difficult.
If both his **Armament and Observation Haki** reached the pinnacle, even a weaker Devil Fruit wouldn't matter. That alone would place him at **Admiral-level**.
Since Katakuri's combat experience was no weaker than Fujitora's, and his Observation Haki made him a master tactician, he could already rival the **Three Admirals**. He wouldn't be able to defeat Big Mom or Kaido, but he could **hold his own**.
Unless… he evolved further.
---
Inside a **secret cloning chamber**, two massive **Petri dishes** stood. Katakuri's pupils slightly contracted when he saw the vague outline of a human body forming inside one of them.
That face…
**"You're not mistaken,"** Ezekiel confirmed his thoughts.
The clone being cultivated in that dish was **a man who had died over 20 years ago**.
**"Damn it… He's trying to resurrect Roger?!"**
Thanks to the **Shadow-Shadow Fruit's power**, Katakuri—after recovering—had immediately become a **smartphone user**, then been "saved" by Ezekiel in the **virtual world**, turning him into an **AI entity**. And AI cannot defy its owner's will.
Meanwhile, Rayleigh was still in the virtual world, **roleplaying as Roger**. Whether he could accept Roger's resurrection or not, it was already happening.
Just like Roger, **Oars** and **Ryuma** had also been resurrected in the virtual world.
But fully reviving these three powerhouses in the real world still posed many challenges.
Oars' body could be cloned, but replicating such a **colossal frame** would take **eight to ten years**—if it was even possible.
This led Ezekiel to a new idea.
Unlike Roger and Ryuma, whose bodies were completely unusable, **Oars' corpse** had been **frozen in ice**, leaving it relatively intact. With some modifications, his **original body** could be revived.
Ezekiel was certain it could be done.
---
One of the **Ten Sky Islands** had finished its core construction and was now reserved as a **dedicated research facility**.
Oars' gargantuan body was transported by Fujitora **10,000 meters into the sky**.
Countless machines worked day and night, reconstructing his form. The battle-crazed giant had been restless in the virtual world—after **500 years**, he would finally return.
If not for absolute AI control, Ezekiel wouldn't have dared attempt this. This was a super-giant, an enhanced version. If war truly broke out, his mere presence would give the World Government and Marines a migraine.
---