After Otohime completed her farewell to the past, Brian wasted no time.
He understood clearly that emotional catharsis was merely a means, a method to help Otohime sever ties with her past.
What was more important for him afterward were strategic deployments and acquiring more resources to sustain himself.
Coincidentally, after taking Fish-Man Island, aside from other matters, the island's immense accumulated wealth and forbidden resources happened to be the perfect source for obtaining such supplies.
Brian, accompanied by the Mythical Zoan Fire Rat Girl Agni and the Ancient Zoan Coco, headed straight for the most secret underground vault of Ryugu Palace. They did not bring any members of the royal family, such as Neptune—just the three of them.
This was the secret treasury of the successive Ryugu royal families, forbidden to anyone outside the royal lineage, with a complex and rigorous defense system.
In the original story, the place where the Jade Hand Box was stored was not as hidden or heavily guarded as this.
With Agni's efficient flames and Mia's precise destruction, layer after layer of security was swiftly dismantled.
When the thick alloy door collapsed with a crash, the sight inside the vault left even the well-traveled Brian somewhat dazzled.
Gold and silver were piled up like mountains. Deep-sea pearls and rare gemstones, each about the size of a hand, reflected a profound glow, scattered on the ground as if they were worthless.
The value of this batch of jewels and gold alone was incalculable.
However, among this staggering wealth, what Brian valued most was not these mundane items.
He was more focused on the strategically important materials that were separately isolated and meticulously preserved.
"Master, this is Sea-Prism Stone raw ore! The quantity is astonishing—enough to arm an entire fleet!" Agni reported excitedly.
These raw ores were mined by Fish-Man Island through secret channels from undersea volcanoes. Their ability to suppress Devil Fruit Ability Users made them a hard currency in the arms market.
"And these Deep-Sea Alloys!" Mia pointed at rows of metal ingots gleaming with a cold luster. "These are forged by Fish-Man Island using deep-sea high pressure and unique minerals. Their hardness and corrosion resistance far surpass ordinary metals. They can be used to reinforce the hulls of warships, enhancing the deep-sea combat capabilities of our submarine warships."
Brian's Superior Observation Haki instantly covered the entire vault. He nodded in satisfaction.
These rare materials would make a tremendous contribution to the warships he planned to build later.
The current warships were not his ultimate goal. For years, Brian had intended to construct an even more powerful, top-tier warship capable of dominating the entire world.
And the real surprise was hidden in the deepest part of the vault, within a special water tank maintained by extremely low-temperature seawater.
Inside the water tank, an ancient safe floated quietly. Its material was exceptionally unique, capable of blocking all detection by Haki and energy.
Brian stepped forward personally and used the system key along with the power of his Conqueror's Haki to forcibly break the safe's seal.
The cabinet door slowly opened, revealing ten Devil Fruits lying quietly on a specially designed tray, each emitting an eerie glow.
These were the accumulated treasures of Fish-Man Island over centuries.
Some were strategic reserves acquired at great cost through the Black Market, smuggling, and secret transactions.
Beyond these channels, the vast, boundless ocean was an even greater source.
As a race capable of freely surviving at depths of ten thousand meters beneath the sea, mermaids and fish-men possessed a natural advantage in searching for Devil Fruits.
No one knew just how many Devil Fruits lay hidden in the depths of the ocean.
And this unique race of mermaids and fish-men happened to be the most perfectly suited key to unlocking this "deep-sea treasure trove."
In this regard, even the World Government couldn't match their ease and efficiency.
"This is the true foundation of Fish-Man Island!" Brian's eyes burned with intensity. He knew the value of these fruits far exceeded the total sum of gold and silver in the entire treasury.
He immediately took out the top-tier Devil Fruit Encyclopedia he had acquired earlier and began comparing them one by one.
Brian first picked up a fruit covered in honeycomb-like pores, which emitted a faint, dry heat.
Flipping through the encyclopedia, he compared the patterns one by one, and soon the information emerged.
Ordinary Paramecia-Type Fruit: Explosion Fruit (Air-Blast Type). Allows the user's entire skin to possess explosive capabilities, enabling them to detonate air through their skin or any part of their body, producing intense air pressure shocks. This explosion produces no smoke or fire but carries tremendous destructive power.
Brian's eyes lit up, and his mood lifted slightly.
"The Air-Blast Type Explosion Fruit is even more concealed and deadly than the Bomb Fruit from the original story," he marveled. "No contact is needed—just the body's surface can detonate the air. It's a very good Paramecia-Type Fruit. I believe it would fetch a high price even on the Black Market. A promising start to this batch."
Brian was satisfied and decided to keep this fruit for future use in trades or Black Market auctions.
From the past until now, he had accumulated quite a few decent Paramecia-Type Devil Fruits, and he even had the Logia-Type Smoke Fruit in his possession.
Originally, he had planned to trade with Whitebeard, Shiki, and others, but unexpected issues kept arising, leaving him with many tasks to handle and delaying this matter.
With a lull before the God Valley Battle, he once again prioritized this plan.
"It's necessary to expedite the trading sessions. I need to get my hands on the Zoan-Type Devil Fruits I require as soon as possible. Paramecia-Type Fruits are indeed of limited use to me," Brian resolved, deciding to take care of this matter upon returning to Hachinosu.
Next, Brian noticed a fruit with vibrant colors and swirling patterns, emanating a dizzying aura.
This time, the comparison in the encyclopedia went much faster, and he soon found the corresponding pattern.
"To think it's this one. How interesting."
The encyclopedia clearly stated: Ordinary Paramecia-Type Fruit: Hypnosis Fruit (Deep Control Type).
Allows the user to perform deep hypnosis on targets through sound, gaze, or specific gestures. Not only can it induce sleep, but it can also implant false memories and manipulate short-term behaviors of the target.
For those with weaker mental fortitude, it can even achieve long-term control—a truly eerie ability.
This power isn't particularly strong, as it doesn't offer significant or rapid improvements in combat prowess.
But in some ways, it was also quite bizarre—for example, if you used this fruit to hypnotize the king of a top-tier nation directly...
A playful smile appeared on Brian's face, his mood cheerful.
"The Hypnosis Fruit—a treasure in intelligence and infiltration warfare!" he remarked. "Its value in direct combat isn't high, but its strategic significance is extraordinary. It can be used to steal information, turn enemies, or even create chaos at critical moments."
"I'll keep this fruit for now. It might come in handy later."
For the time being, he had no plans to trade this fruit. He would hold onto it for the future.
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