Wapol was dead.
Compared to Crocodile's intact corpse, Wapol's death was far from dignified.
His obese body had been drained of blood, his mouth gaping wide, eyes filled with confusion until the very end—unable to believe why someone with the Munch-Munch Fruit couldn't even put up the slightest resistance against Caesar.
His two loyal subordinates naturally followed him to the grave.
As for Dalton, he had initially tried to stop Caesar, only to be kicked flying by Ace.
Caesar didn't give him too hard a time, though. The man had decent character—just a bit blindly loyal.
Or perhaps that was how most people in the world of Pirates were. They always assumed nobles and royalty were inherently superior. Even if the king acted like a monster, the most they'd do was protest and hope the king would retract his orders.
If Caesar were in Dalton's place, he would've taken the first opportunity to put a bullet in Wapol's head. Why bother with all the nonsense?
For those who hadn't mastered Haki, firearms were still quite dangerous. A bullet to the eye or temple, or a knife to the artery at close range—death was inevitable.
No wonder Kaidou, the dragon-slayer, had ended up becoming the dragon himself. Though it might sound extreme, Caesar couldn't help but feel that these blindly loyal, unresisting subjects deserved to be trampled by those in power.
How could anyone accomplish anything great with a bunch of spineless worms like these?
Looking at the kingdom's soldiers who had immediately surrendered their weapons the moment Wapol died, Caesar scoffed lightly and turned to the stunned Dalton.
"Starting today, you're this country's Minister of State Affairs. You'll manage Drum Island temporarily until I send someone to take over."
"You… you want to rule this country?" Dalton's face paled in shock.
"More than that. I'll rule the world."
Caesar walked past him leisurely. "Don't worry. I'll treat my subjects well."
Dalton struggled internally for two seconds before finally sighing in resignation, saying nothing more.
After Wapol's grandstanding, all he'd seen was a surge of darkness before Wapol and his two subordinates were reduced to desiccated corpses.
Such a man was far beyond his ability to oppose. If the other party was willing to treat the citizens well, then there was nothing left to say.
Kuma stayed behind to guard the ship while the others went ashore. Under Caesar's Observation Haki, they quickly detected Kureha's presence in a forest.
Soon, they arrived at a treehouse nestled among the woods. Noticing visitors, a tall, thin, hook-nosed old woman opened the door.
"Kyakyakyakya! A wanted criminal with a 2.8 billion bounty, suddenly appearing in a small place like Drum Island? Here to learn my secret to eternal youth?"
"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Kureha!"
Caesar gave a slight bow. He held a great deal of respect for this 130-year-old lady.
"Oh my, boy, you've got quite the silver tongue…"
Hearing Caesar's address, Kureha's eyes gleamed. "What? Someone sick? Since you're so honest, I'll give you a 90% discount."
"Haha, much appreciated."
Caesar smiled politely, his expression utterly harmless. "But I'm actually here for my two ship doctors."
He stepped aside, and Law and Deuce stepped forward.
"My two ship doctors here—one is an Operation Fruit user, and the other a Sick-Sick Fruit user. I've heard of Miss Kureha's exceptional medical skills and vast experience, so I brought them to learn from you for a few days."
"Operation Fruit? Sick-Sick Fruit?"
Kureha looked in surprise at the two young boys before her, their faces still bearing traces of youth.
"Hehehe, quite the impressive Devil Fruits you've eaten..."
"You two, what are your names?"
Deuce quickly greeted politely, "Hello, ma'am. I'm Deuce, the Sick-Sick Fruit user."
Law hesitated for a moment. "Trafalgar Law, Operation Fruit user. Nice to meet you."
"Hmm..."
Kureha nodded, then crooked a finger at Deuce. "Come here, you."
Deuce took two steps forward, only for Kureha to suddenly spin around and deliver a sweeping kick—sending him flying with a loud thud!
"Who are you calling 'ma'am,' you disrespectful brat?!"
"!!!"
Deuce went flying horizontally, spitting and teary-eyed.
What else do you call someone over 130 years old?!
Law silently took a step back, inwardly relieved that he'd caught on to Caesar's odd choice of address for Kureha just in time, avoiding Deuce's fate.
Glancing at Deuce, who now had his head buried in the snow with his rear sticking up, Law smirked in schadenfreude.
Why would someone as courteous as Caesar casually refer to an elderly woman as "Miss"?
Turning to look at Caesar, Law found the man staring at him with a regretful expression. His face immediately darkened.
Of course—this scheming bastard!
"It's cold outside. Come inside."
Kureha ushered everyone into the house. As soon as they entered, their eyes landed on a fluffy little ball in the room.
It was a small reindeer wearing a pink top hat, looking utterly adorable.
The moment it saw the group, the little creature immediately hid behind the desk—though it chose the wrong side, leaving its body fully exposed.
Bepo's eyes lit up. "A Mink!"
"Not a Mink..."
Kureha chuckled. "This child is a reindeer who ate the Human-Human Fruit. He's my apprentice, Tony Tony Chopper."
"So cute..."
Nami studied the little one with interest. "A Devil Fruit user and a doctor? Sounds like we have a lot in common!"
"Uhh..."
Chopper flustered at the attention.
"Nice to meet you, Dr. Chopper."
Caesar also smiled and nodded, causing the little reindeer to blush instantly.
"D-Doctor? I'm still just a student, hehe..."
Chopper waved his hooves shyly, clearly embarrassed but delighted.
So easy to read...
The group couldn't help but smile.
"A reindeer who ate the Human-Human Fruit, huh? Haha, nice to meet you! I'm Ace!"
"I'm Bonney!"
"I'm Yamato!"
The trio of idiots immediately crowded around Chopper, startling him into a panic.
"W-Wahhh! Stay back!"
Chopper scrambled to evade, but the room was small, leaving him no choice but to shrink behind Kureha and peer cautiously at everyone.
Finally, his gaze settled on Bepo. Seeing how well Bepo got along with the others, a hint of longing flashed in his eyes.
"Dr. Kureha... what's a Mink?"
"A special kind of human with traits of both humans and animals. In a way, they're quite similar to you, Chopper."
Kureha chuckled merrily. She had been preoccupied with figuring out how to heal Chopper's loneliness but had forgotten about the Minks—a peculiar race that bore striking similarities to him.
"Then... are they monsters too?"
"Monsters?"
Caesar suddenly appeared beside Chopper, squatting down and grinning at him.
"Eek!" The little reindeer shrank back in fright.
"When you say 'monsters,' do you mean in appearance or ability?" Caesar tilted his head.
"Appearance? Ability?" Chopper looked confused.
"Ah, if it's appearance, then like this..."
Under Chopper's wide-eyed gaze, Caesar's hair suddenly grew much longer, his pupils turned crimson, his ears became pointed, and his fangs sharpened. Blood-red ribbons coiled around him as massive black wings unfurled from his back, blocking the sunlight from the window and casting the room into dim shadows.
Whoosh—
A burst of flames erupted behind Caesar, causing the surrounding air to heat up rapidly.
"AHHH!!! A DEMON!!!"
Chopper's eyes bulged as he screamed in terror, scrambling backward in panic—only to bump into Yamato's leg.
The little one turned around to see a white-furred werewolf grinning down at him.
Yamato curled her lips, revealing two rows of razor-sharp fangs. "I'm a Zoan-type Devil Fruit User too!"
"WAAAH!!!"
Tears streamed down Chopper's face as he wailed in fear.
"We're Zoan-type Devil Fruit Users—just like you," Caesar said gently, patting Chopper's hat before reverting to his normal form.
"Devil Fruit?"
Chopper stopped trembling, staring blankly.
"That's right, Devil Fruit," Caesar nodded. "We're all Zoan-type users who can transform into animals. I have the Vampire Fruit, and Yamato has the Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Okuchi-no-Makami. Pretty fun, huh?"
"Mm..." Chopper nodded dazedly. Once his initial fear faded, his simple little mind cleared up, and he found the idea rather fascinating.
"Lots of us are Devil Fruit Users," Caesar coaxed. "So... wanna join us?"
"Hey! You brat!"
The moment Caesar finished speaking, Kureha's foot came flying toward his head with a whoosh.
Caesar casually ducked, and Barto—standing behind him—was sent crashing into the wall with a yelp.
"Trying to poach my assistant the second you walk in? Chopper's my apprentice—he's not sailing off with you pirates, so drop the idea!" Kureha planted her hands on her hips, scowling. "Don't you already have two doctors? Greedy little punk—first you want your crew to learn from me, now you're trying to steal my student?"
"Ahaha, don't be like that..." Caesar waved his hand cheerfully. "Tell you what—I'll give you a huge castle in exchange for letting Chopper join my crew. Deal?"
"Castle?" Kureha paused. "Don't tell me you—"
"I took care of Wapol. Dalton will take over this country next—though only temporarily." Caesar spoke as if it were nothing. "Later, I'll send people to fully take control and bring it under my rule..."
"Wapol..." Chopper gaped at Caesar. "You really defeated that guy?"
Caesar nodded. "Yep. That idiot had the nerve to pick a fight with me, so I dealt with him."
"Then... are you a pirate?"
Chopper stared blankly at Caesar, his eyes filled with admiration.
"I'm not a pirate—I'm the future emperor of these seas."
Caesar extended an invitation: "So? Want to join?"
"Hmph, not a chance, you brat!"
Kureha casually grabbed a bottle of alcohol and took several deep gulps. "This kid's medical skills are still far from adequate. If you're not afraid of dying, go ahead and take him."
"Medical skills can be learned gradually. Though these two on our ship lack your extensive practical experience, their theoretical knowledge is quite impressive."
Caesar turned to look at Law and Deuce, who were standing by the room's bookshelf, engrossed in flipping through medical texts without the slightest hesitation.
"Hmph, two foolish boys—still far from ready."
After glancing at the books in their hands, Kureha snorted with a hint of pride. Having lived over 130 years and sailed the seas in her youth, she had encountered countless complex medical cases. While Law and Deuce showed promise in her eyes, they were still too green.
After all, surgery and treatment could be expedited with Devil Fruit abilities, but knowledge wasn't something that could be accumulated so easily.
"Setting aside Chopper, I'll charge you a billion for these two's tuition—half a month's worth."
"A billion?!"
Nami looked stunned. "Wasn't it supposed to be a 90% discount? That's daylight robbery!"
"Kyahaha, knowledge is priceless, little girl." Kureha smirked triumphantly.
"Deal. A billion it is."
Caesar nodded. "Actually, aside from academic exchange, there's something else I'd like to ask of you. Have you done any research on Devil Fruits?"
"You should be asking Vegapunk about that."
Kureha shook her head. "The only Devil Fruit users around here are Chopper and that guy Dalton. My understanding of them is limited."
"No matter. We can research and progress together..."
Caesar explained, "I'm just curious about what Devil Fruits attach themselves to. With Law's ability, we can conduct experiments, and with Dr. Wolf's scientific expertise and your medical mastery, I want to test some hypotheses."
"Oh? That does sound interesting."
Kureha's lips curled. "How do you plan to experiment?"
With a wave of his hand, Caesar conjured two operating tables in the room, then beckoned. "Barto, Ace, lie down."
Ace hesitated. "You're not planning to operate on me, are you?"
"Relax, it won't hurt."
Caesar shoved him onto the table, while Barto had already laid down without hesitation.
"So that's it..."
Law, observing the two on the tables, immediately grasped Caesar's intent. "You want to perform a personality swap?"
Caesar nodded. "Exactly. If we can determine what Devil Fruits attach to, then..."
"Then it might be possible to transfer abilities between living beings or extract them without harming the host!" Law's voice grew fervent—this was a research direction he'd never considered before.
"Precisely."
Caesar nodded in satisfaction. It was good to have intelligent subordinates.
"So that's the plan?"
Wolf also grew intrigued, clasping his hands behind his back as he leaned over the operating tables, scrutinizing Ace and Barto for a few seconds. "Science will remember you!"
"Don't make it sound like we're gonna die!!" ×2
Ace and Barto's faces darkened as they roared with shark-like fury.
"Enough talk, let's get ready to fight."
Law raised his hand: "ROOM! Ambles Space!"
Whoosh—
A spatial barrier enveloped Barto and Ace, their bodies suddenly jolting as pink hearts appeared on their chests!
Immediately after, their eyes rolled back unconsciously, appearing momentarily dazed.
When they regained consciousness, their personalities had successfully swapped!
Whoosh—
Flames ignited as 'Ace's' head sprouted flickering fire.
"Whoa! You're on fire!"
Chopper panicked looking at 'Ace', but the person before him seemed completely unfazed.
"Hehaha, so this is fire? Feels nice and warm! No wonder you never wear a jacket!"
As he spoke, 'Ace' started pulling down his shorts to check his assets.
Suddenly, a hand reached out and firmly gripped his wrist.
'Ace' turned to see 'Barto' glaring darkly at him.
"Stop messing with other people's bodies, idiot! Or I'll take yours streaking!"
'Ace' picked his nose: "Go ahead!"
"Hey! Change us back right now!"
'Barto' shouted angrily, but no one paid attention as the researchers huddled together murmuring.
"Seems Devil Fruit abilities aren't attached to the soul? But that can't be right? The Revive-Revive Fruit user returned from the afterlife. If it's not soul-based, how did the soul escape the underworld?"
Caesar was utterly perplexed.
Wolf shook his head: "Hard to say. This ability swaps personalities, and the relationship between personality and soul still hasn't been conclusively determined..."
"Hey! Law you bastard! Change us back now!"
'Barto' dragged the gleeful 'Ace' along, roaring: "This guy's about to go streaking!!"