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"It looks like you've had a rough time with Kuer..."
Wilhelm observed Gekko Moria, who still appeared somewhat weak and battered even after several days.
Noticing the deep, jagged scars running from Moria's head down to his neck, Wilhelm spoke casually, "Let me heal you a bit while I'm at it."
"Hehehe~, then I'll be counting on you..."
Moria grinned widely, showing no hesitation in accepting the offer.
Without further words, Wilhelm placed his left hand on Moria and activated the power of the Healing-Healing Fruit.
"Swoosh—"
A radiant, holy glow surged from the Ten Rings, enveloping Moria's body.
The lingering pain, the fresh wounds from battle—
Even the old scars, both large and small—
All of them began to vanish at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Huh?! Master Moria..."
"The scars are gone!"
Both Perona and Absalom widened their eyes in shock.
They could hardly believe what they were seeing—Moria's entire appearance had changed.
Not only had the injuries from his battle with the Feathered Serpent, Kuer, completely healed, but even the long-standing scars that once made people's skin crawl...
Every last one had disappeared.
"Even those scars are gone? Master Wilhelm, thank you!"
Moria felt a newfound sense of relief.
He ran his hand over where the long, deep wound had once stretched from his head to his neck, all the way down to his abdomen.
Completely healed.
Overjoyed, he let out a hearty laugh.
But then—
Wilhelm's gaze turned sharp.
"Moria," he said, his tone calm but firm. "I can use the power of the Healing-Healing Fruit to erase the scars on your body...
But the wounds on your soul?
Only you can heal those.
If you don't let go of the past, you'll remain like this for the rest of your life."
"...Spiritual wounds?"
Moria's clenched fist, veins bulging from tension, slowly relaxed.
Then—
With a wide grin, he let out a deep, rumbling laugh.
"Hehehehe~, as expected of Lord Wilhelm. You really do see right through people..."
"Well, these things can't be rushed," Wilhelm shrugged. "Take your time."
His eyes flicked toward Perona and Absalom, then shifted to Smoothie.
"From today onward, these two will train with Hancock and the others. You handle the arrangements, Smoothie."
"No problem!" Smoothie responded with a smile.
"Understood, Master Wilhelm!"
Perona and Absalom, of course, didn't dare refuse. They nodded vigorously, like chicks pecking at grain.
At that moment—
Smoothie suddenly hesitated.
Her expression turned strange as she looked at Wilhelm.
"Huh?" Wilhelm raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"
Smoothie studied him for a moment, then spoke.
"Wilhelm... 'you' are back."
"Oh?"
Wilhelm chuckled lightly.
"Looks like things went smoothly, then."
Moria and the others looked at each other, confused, but Wilhelm didn't seem to have any intention of explaining. After a moment of thought, he swiftly transported Smoothie, Moria, and the others from the underground prison to the surface of the Island of Love.
"Wilhelm big brother, Sister Smoothie—"
At that moment, three figures rushed toward them.
They were all in their early twenties.
One was a tall, slender beauty with fair skin.
Another was a stout, chubby man with a fleshy face and a fierce expression.
The last was a striking woman with octopus legs, a human upper body, a perfect figure, and a sun-kissed complexion.
It was clear—they were the familiar shadows of Garrett, Snug, and Prim from before.
"Yo~, Garrett's really grown up..."
Wilhelm's eyes softened as he watched Garrett, the eighteenth daughter of the Charlotte family, now a twenty-two-year-old woman. Her long pink hair framed her exquisite features, her skin impossibly fair, and her tall figure stood out. She rushed toward him with excitement, and he welcomed her with open arms.
Garrett wore a red, shoulder-length skirt, a brown headdress, black gloves, and red high heels, her perfect curves and tall figure on full display. There was a hint of aristocratic elegance that set her apart from the other Charlotte family members.
"Hee hee~, does Wilhelm big brother like Garrett like this?" Garrett tilted her head, blinking her big eyes, waiting for his response.
"Of course! The new Garrett is a beautiful woman!" Wilhelm chuckled, releasing her and playfully pinching her cheek.
His gaze then shifted to Prim, the half-octopus mermaid who had transformed from a ten-year-old into a stunning twenty-year-old with a breathtaking figure. She was already growing into her beauty, and Wilhelm smiled warmly.
"And you too, Prim!"
"Really? Yay!" Prim's face lit up with joy.
"And what about me~ what about me~, Wilhelm big brother!"
Snug, the chubby man with a fleshy face, shouted excitedly.
"You're definitely taller now, boy, but you're also fiercer... and much fatter." Wilhelm shot him an amused but pointed look. "But your strength is still a weak point!"
Wilhelm then grew more serious.
"Now that you've all grown up, it's time to work even harder. From now on, your training will be doubled, and I will personally supervise it."
He looked at them sternly.
"Anyone who can't handle it can go straight to Cake Island. The Charlotte family doesn't need any dead weight."
Wilhelm's tone was firm, but fair. If they worked hard and couldn't reach their potential, that was understandable. Everyone had different talents. But if they were unwilling to put in the effort and just wanted an easy life...
They wouldn't be welcomed by him.
"Yes, Wilhelm!"
"We will try!"
Not long after, a snow-white giant eagle soared through the sky, its massive wings slicing through the air.
Atop the eagle, a silver-haired figure sat, exuding an icy, arrogant aura.
The moment it appeared, the snow mastiff, Finley—who had been training with Pato—let out an excited bark.
"Woof!"
Without hesitation, Finley bolted forward, leaping into the air and transforming into a snow-white eagle, ascending to meet the other.
Above, two snow-white vultures circled.
Then, without warning—
Another identical Wilhelm materialized in front of the original.
Most notably, perched on his shoulder was a civet cat.
Wilhelm observed his "other self" without surprise, his gaze calm.
"Did you bring it back?" he asked directly.
"It took a long time to pinpoint Punk Hazard's exact location," the second Wilhelm replied, his tone devoid of emotion. "There were several CP0 agents—exceptionally strong—constantly shadowing Dr. Vegapunk, monitoring him in disguise..."
With that, he extended a peculiar blue apple, adorned with swirling patterns.
"I followed your orders and quietly retrieved this artificial Zoan—Phantom Beast Fruit," he continued. "In its place, I left a nearly identical failure from the lab. They didn't notice the switch, but Vegapunk destroyed all related data."
Wilhelm took the Devil Fruit from his duplicate, inspecting its eerie dark blue surface.
"Well, at least we didn't come back empty-handed, and we didn't alert them either."
Long before he had returned from Wano, Wilhelm had sent out an infiltration team—an illusionary clone of himself, Fingley, and Pato.
The most remarkable thing about the Civet Cat Phantom Beast Form of Pato's Dog-Dog Fruit was that any transformed entity it created retained the ability to replicate itself.
A paradoxical infinite nesting doll effect.
Though these clones weren't as powerful as the original, they were still highly effective.
Wilhelm had tasked them with locating Punk Hazard and, if the opportunity arose, abducting Vegapunk—the world's most brilliant scientist.
If that wasn't possible, they were to at least secure this artificial Devil Fruit—the Mythical Zoan: Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Azure Dragon Form—without raising suspicion.
Suddenly, lightning crackled through the air.
A flash of electricity signaled Smoothie's arrival.
Having overheard the conversation using her Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), she now gazed at the artificial Devil Fruit in Wilhelm's hands, eyes filled with intrigue.
"Wilhelm, is this the artificial Devil Fruit you mentioned?" she asked, unable to hide her surprise.
Wilhelm smirked.
"Let Dr. Hawkins analyze it first. We might learn something valuable," he said, tossing the fruit slightly before catching it.
He had no intention of letting Yamato eat it just yet.
Wilhelm himself was extremely interested in artificial Devil Fruits.
Even if this one wasn't as perfect as Vegapunk's ideal creation, it was still a great asset.
After all, as long as it could enhance combat strength while minimizing side effects, it was more than worth it.
And soon…
Death was coming.