[~1200 Words]
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At first, Violet was repulsed by such an order.
But when she saw the solemn expression on Trebol's face—completely devoid of his usual mockery—she realized the seriousness of the situation likely exceeded her imagination.
"Perhaps… this is an opportunity~"
Violet's pale, jade-like hand slowly reached out and gently brushed against the wanted poster.
James's image stared back at her.
His eyes carried an overbearing indifference toward the entire world. Yet strangely, his handsome face softened that terrifying aura, making people want to approach him rather than flee.
"God Emperor James… I hope my gamble isn't wrong."
The Next Morning — Divine Kingdom
Early the next morning, after a quick wash and grooming assisted by the angel maids, James prepared to depart the temple. He had far too many matters to attend to today.
"Husband, come back soon~"
The reluctant voices of Kaya, Moda, Mikita, and the others echoed behind him—sweet and affectionate enough to make his heart tremble.
He responded to each of them with gentle kisses and reassuring touches, and then finally stepped out of the palace doors.
Of course, his hurried departure had nothing to do with the possibility that they might cling to him and refuse to let him go.
Absolutely not.
After all, empowered by the Azure Dragon Fruit, he was currently in the prime of his youth—overflowing with vigor and vitality.
With several flashes of lightning, James appeared above Ares Plaza in Upper Yard.
Among the Divine Officers, only Brook was absent. Brook had been traveling with Kuma across the world's prosperous regions, holding concerts.
Their popularity was rising steadily. Within two months, they were expected to gain notable fame in at least one major region.
However, reaching the earning power of a world-class musician still required time and experience.
Below, the Divine Soldiers were engaged in orderly training, their voices echoing across the plaza.
Their exercises included long-distance running across Upper Yard, weight training, and swimming drills.
Regardless of specialization, every soldier was required to master at least three types of weapons—Iron Clouds, firearms, and swordsmanship.
The goal of all training was simple: strengthen the body and enhance Armament Haki.
James hovered silently above the plaza, watching their drills.
After a moment, he nodded in satisfaction.
Contrary to what outsiders might assume, the Divine Kingdom did not rule through harsh oppression.
The Divine Soldiers enjoyed exceptional benefits.
In addition to room and board, they received base salaries, position allowances, housing subsidies, and numerous other benefits.
Even after retirement, they were guaranteed medical care and housing support. Their descendants also received educational privileges.
In his previous world, such benefits might seem ordinary.
But in the brutal pirate world, these conditions were almost unimaginable.
Even Marines from the Four Seas might abandon their allegiance and eagerly join his Divine Kingdom under such circumstances.
Once Princess Mansherry of the Tontatta Kingdom joined them with her Healing Fruit, the Divine Kingdom's medical system would improve dramatically.
Economically, the Divine Kingdom was already self-sufficient.
James had ordered the export of Sky Island specialties—dials, cloud products, and unique shells—to the Blue Sea at prices ten or even a hundred times higher than their original value.
Now, with Fish-Man Island under his control, bubble coral production had entered a rapid growth phase.
These items were priceless to the people of the Blue Sea.
By leveraging scarcity, the Divine Kingdom quietly extracted enormous wealth from the outside world.
James was deep in thought, planning future development strategies for the kingdom, when a Divine Soldier captain spotted him.
"God-sama!"
The captain shouted.
Despite hearing the call, the Divine Soldiers continued their training without pause. Training regulations forbade stopping unless explicitly ordered.
James nodded kindly.
"Continue. Don't mind me."
"Yes!"
Lightning dispersed, and James reappeared on a remote shoreline of Upper Yard.
Before him lay an open clearing.
Pinned to the ground was a giant crimson hexagonal salamander-like newt, its massive body immobilized by enormous Sea Stone nails.
The creature was weak and unable to move.
Several Divine Soldiers stood nearby in protective suits, holding large canisters while maintaining strict vigilance.
The canisters contained a special adsorption spray made from activated carbon, silica gel, and other materials—designed specifically to neutralize toxins and poisonous gases.
"God-sama!"
Shura and the other Divine Officers bowed respectfully.
They had returned the previous night with all the spoils from Punk Hazard.
Among the loot were:
Research data on SAD and artificial Devil Fruits
Several artificial Devil Fruits
Large quantities of gold, jewels, and Beri
And the creature lying before James—the toxic slime.
This slime had once consumed the Salamander Devil Fruit, Sala-Sala Fruit, Model: Axolotl.
The fruit itself was mediocre.
It granted the user salamander transformation abilities and powerful regeneration. Its secreted mucus also carried potent toxins, making it useful for enhancing endurance and lethality in battle.
James glanced at the preparations.
"Are the countermeasures ready?"
Shura nodded immediately.
"The antidotes and gas-dispersion spray are prepared. Even if an accident occurs, this area is isolated and windless. The terrain prevents toxins from spreading, so the Divine Kingdom will suffer no losses."
James looked around once more.
Satisfied.
White Lightning flickered around his darkened wrist.
He stepped forward and grabbed the slime decisively.
It failed.
James frowned.
The slime should have been unconscious by now, completely motionless. Could some form of awareness still remain?
Bang! Bang!
Two firm slaps landed on the slime's head, producing two ridiculous lumps on its gelatinous body.
James paused.
Then he tried again, channeling White Lightning into the creature.
Still nothing.
Attempt after attempt followed.
He struck the slime again.
And again.
He even released Conqueror's Haki shockwaves.
Shura and the nearby Divine Officers quickly retreated several steps, lowering their heads to avoid angering James during his experiment.
Yet after numerous attempts—strikes, shocks, and Haki pulses—the result remained unchanged.
James wasn't discouraged.
Instead, he began analyzing the possible reasons for failure.
So far, White Lightning had demonstrated only one clear function:
It could plunder Devil Fruit abilities from unconscious humans or animals.
He had never tested it on plants—or non-living entities.
This slime represented his first attempt to plunder power from something that was technically non-living, even if it once possessed consciousness.
And apparently—
White Lightning could not extract power from it.
Another question surfaced in his mind.
When he first arrived in this world and defeated Enel, he had not yet known how to use White Lightning.
So how had he obtained the Rumble-Rumble Fruit ability?
Was White Lightning itself a product of developing that power?
Or had it always existed within him?
If White Lightning truly evolved from the Rumble-Rumble Fruit…
Then perhaps the reason he obtained that power in the first place was because of the mysterious goddess who sent him to this world.
Perhaps the spatial power that transported him here had crushed Enel—and simply absorbed the Rumble-Rumble ability into his body as a "gift."
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