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The Modo Modo no Mi (Back-Back Fruit) was one of the few elusive time-related Devil Fruits on the high seas.
While the "floor" for Paramecia-type abilities could be laughably low, their "ceiling" often pierced the sky. In the right hands, such a power could create a terrifying imbalance. To possess this ability was to possess the secret of eternal youth; a single touch could de-age any object or person by twelve years, and multiple touches could erase them from existence entirely, leaving no trace behind.
Its strategic significance far outweighed its raw combat utility.
Arthur had stripped the fruit from Ain for a very specific reason: he wanted to master the power of restoration. He wanted the ability to force a person's physical state back to its absolute peak. Even if Zephyr hadn't delivered Ain to his doorstep, Arthur would have hunted this fruit down before his ultimate collision with the World Government.
His goal was transparent: he wanted to ignite the greatest war in history, and he wanted legends like Whitebeard to burn with their brightest, final light during that conflict. As for whether Whitebeard would appreciate being "managed" in such a way, Arthur didn't care. Every man on this sea has something they are forced to do, and for Whitebeard, that weakness was his "sons."
..............
The fruit was forcibly torn from Ain's soul. A wave of agonizing pain, originating from the very core of her being, swept through her. Her face drained of all color, turning a ghostly white. Despite her iron will, the sensation of permanently losing a piece of her soul caused her to collapse, trembling, into the arms of her companion.
"Ain!" Binz, the oddly shaped ninja-pirate, cried out in alarm as he caught her.
Zephyr and Kuzan stepped forward in unison, shielding the two subordinates.
"Thunder Emperor, what is the meaning of this?" Zephyr roared, his eyes burning with the fury of a cornered lion. Ain and Binz were the last of his students, and he cared for them as if they were his own children.
"If you're going to live under someone else's roof, you'd better have the resolve to lose your life at any moment," Arthur replied with a cruel, mocking smile. "Did you really think you could quit the Navy and become pirates without understanding that?"
Among the Five Emperors, Shanks and Whitebeard were known for cherishing their subordinates. But figures like Big Mom or Kaido were different. Big Mom's Totto Land might look like a dream kingdom, but it required a life-tax, and she wouldn't hesitate to kill her own children in a fit of rage. Kaido was equally volatile—fail him, and he might crush you on the spot.
Arthur viewed human life with similar indifference, though he rarely engaged in mindless slaughter of his own men.
"Teacher..." Kuzan placed a hand on Zephyr's shoulder, holding him back. His sunglasses glinted with an unreadable light.
A fight here was suicide. Not only was the Thunder Emperor impossibly strong, but the gallery of Division Captains watching from the corners of the hall could slaughter the four of them in seconds. Starting a brawl now didn't fit the plan.
Kuzan forced Zephyr to stand down and took the lead. "The Back-Back Fruit... consider it our entry fee. Now, how do you plan to station me and my teacher?"
"Accustomed to the Navy, are we? Still needing a direct order to feel at peace?" Arthur snarked. He could guess part of their agenda, but he didn't care. He thrived on letting his enemies prepare, only to crush them with overwhelming force.
"Shiryu, take them down. Let them see if the Thunder God Pirates are truly 'qualified' to challenge the World Government."
"Teacher Zephyr, after you..." Shiryu grunted, tilting his head while puffing on a cigar.
"A show of force? Fine," Zephyr said, his aura refusing to yield despite his missing arm. "I've been wanting to see why you've been called a peer to the Emperors all these years!"
Zephyr, Ain, Binz, and Kuzan followed the Division Captains out of the temple, their footsteps echoing with heavy resolve.
..............
Kamabakka Kingdom, The Revolutionary Council.
On the "Peach-Colored Island" of Kamabakka, the current stronghold of the Revolutionary Army, a momentous meeting was underway.
Almost every high-ranking official was seated at the round table: Leader Monkey D. Dragon, Emporio Ivankov, Bartholomew Kuma, and the four newly formed regional commanders. There was Belo Betty of the East, the giant Morley of the West, Karasu of the North, and the diminutive Lindbergh of the South.
Sabo and Koala stood nearby, listening intently. The gathering of such talent was a testament to Dragon's leadership. Given enough time, they could organize a force to topple the World Government—but time was the one thing they lacked.
Caught between the expansion of the Thunder God Pirates and the scrutiny of the World Government, the Revolutionaries were forced to move with extreme caution. They had felt the tension between Arthur and Mary Geoise thick in the air for months.
Dragon sat silently, studying a piece of intelligence.
"Quiet, everyone," Dragon said, rubbing his temples as he scanned his strongest officers. He slid the paper onto the center of the table. "Who delivered this?"
"Unclear," replied Terry Gilteo, the head of intelligence, exhaling a plume of smoke. "The only thing we know is that it came from the New World. The News Coo dropped it and left. No signature."
The lack of a sender was worrying. Had their base been compromised again?
"Read it for yourselves," Dragon said, his expression darkening. "Arthur is a madman who wants to ignite a war that consumes the entire world. We knew that. And he knows his best opponent is the World Government."
"But the Government is distracted. They have to divide their strength to deal with other pirates—and us. This intelligence suggests that the Thunder Emperor... intends to personally clear the obstacles for the World Government so they can face him at full strength."
"A madman who defies common logic..." Ivankov muttered. "Could he really be planning to attack us just to give the Government a 'fair' fight?"
Dragon's gaze turned cold. "Does anyone have a different interpretation?"
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