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It might also have been the result of one of those "three brilliant lights" the goddess had unleashed directly…
As for removing the Rumble-Rumble Fruit from his body to test the theory, that was completely impossible.
If White Lightning truly originated from the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, then attempting such an experiment would be disastrous.
The moment White Lightning extracted the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, he would lose not only the power of the fruit itself but also control over White Lightning. At that point, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit would simply escape and regenerate elsewhere.
But if White Lightning was an inherent ability—a gift granted by that mysterious goddess—then perhaps he had not yet reached the limit of its development.
For now, the origin of White Lightning remained impossible to determine.
The only option was to continue moving forward and gather answers gradually.
The Problem of the Slime
Returning to the current problem—
Why couldn't he plunder the Axolotl Devil Fruit ability from the slime?
According to James's understanding, when a person or animal consumes a Devil Fruit, the fruit alters their lineage factor, their genes, and other microscopic biological structures.
The transformations produced by Green Blood and artificial Devil Fruits likely worked through similar mechanisms.
But—
Did a non-living object truly possess these microscopic biological structures?
If not, then where did the consciousness and intelligence that controlled such objects originate?
Could it be…
The "devil" inside the Devil Fruit itself?
Perhaps the entity that White Lightning eliminated when plundering powers.
These questions would likely require future research by his scientific division.
For now, James could only settle on a theory that satisfied his current observations.
James's Hypothesis
When a non-living object gains a Devil Fruit ability, the entity controlling it is the devil residing within the fruit.
Once awakened, that devil's consciousness remains active indefinitely.
The slime before him appeared motionless only because the devil's consciousness was still functioning within it.
Because of that, White Lightning could not extract the Axolotl power.
As for eliminating the devil's consciousness—
At present, James had no method of doing so.
Fortunately, the Devil Fruits typically given to non-living objects were mostly low-grade Zoan types. Perhaps only Zoans could even be fed to objects in the first place.
Even if he failed to obtain such abilities, it wasn't a major loss.
With that thought, James delivered one last casual slap to the slime.
Then he waved his hand dismissively.
"Alright. That's enough. Lock it up and bind it with Sea-Stone."
"Yes, God-sama!"
Shura responded immediately. Having followed James for many years, he had developed a strong instinct for his actions—even though he could not see White Lightning itself.
The other Divine Soldiers, unaware of the real situation, assumed that James had simply come here to vent his frustration by beating the slime.
"Finish your preparations. We're heading to the Blue Sea soon. We'll reach Dressrosa before long."
With those words, James transformed into lightning and vanished instantly.
"Yes!"
Shura exhaled quietly in relief. He could tell that James wasn't angry—and that was enough.
"You three," Shura ordered, pointing at nearby soldiers. "Use Armament Haki and drag the slime to the prison."
"Yes!"
The Divine Soldiers quickly got to work.
Approaching Dressrosa
Below the Divine Kingdom, thick layers of clouds—created by Nami—served as concealment.
From the surface of the sea, it was nearly impossible for ordinary people to see the Divine Kingdom hidden above the clouds.
However, there was one possible exception.
Violet, originally known as Viola, the user of the Glare-Glare Fruit.
Her abilities granted:
X-ray vision Clairvoyance over vast distances Mind-reading, allowing her to see the current thoughts of anyone within her sight
Interestingly, while the Glare-Glare Fruit could not read memories directly, Violet could allow others to view her own memories.
What James couldn't quite remember was whether Violet could use x-ray vision and clairvoyance simultaneously.
If she could…
Then the Divine Kingdom might already have been exposed.
That would mean Doflamingo could view his forces like an open book—monitoring the positions, movements, and combat strength of every subordinate.
According to available data, Violet's clairvoyance could observe anything within a 4,000-kilometer radius centered on herself.
Four thousand kilometers.
The range was absurd.
Regardless of the exact limit, James knew one thing for certain.
Violet had to be eliminated first.
Without that all-seeing "eye," the casualties among his forces would drop dramatically.
Only then would Doflamingo be forced into a defensive position.
The Battle Plan
Time passed quietly, and soon it was noon.
At the edge of the Divine Kingdom, Divine Officers and Soldiers gathered in formation, prepared for deployment.
James lounged casually on his throne while Robin stood before him, explaining the final battle plan.
Over the past few days, James and Robin had been nearly inseparable.
The entire strategy had been developed through long discussions between the two of them—debates that sometimes grew so intense their faces flushed red.
For security reasons, the plan had never been written down.
Everything was transmitted verbally, preventing Violet from discovering it.
"…And that concludes the plan," Robin finished.
In truth, the strategy was simple.
James would arrive at Dressrosa first.
Once he dealt with Violet, he would unleash God's Judgement as a signal.
Only then would the Divine Kingdom's forces begin their full assault.
"My dear husband," Robin said teasingly, her eyes glimmering mischievously, "we can begin now."
There wasn't the slightest trace of tension in her voice.
"Alright."
With a chuckle, James gave her hair two affectionate ruffles and a soft kiss before he transformed into a streak of lightning.
A streak of lightning shot across the sky toward Dressrosa.
Hunting Violet
Within his Observation Haki, Dressrosa remained clearly visible.
The Donquixote Family executives were already stationed across the island, guarding against potential threats.
There were no Marine warships in the harbor.
No Marines on the island either.
Had Doflamingo failed to call for help?
In reality, Doflamingo had attempted to contact the Marines after speaking with James the previous day.
But the request had been rejected.
The Navy was currently in turmoil, urgently recalling elite forces from across the world.
They were preparing for the impending catastrophe:
The Marineford War.
Compared to that event, Dressrosa's problems were insignificant.
The Marines had no spare manpower.
James suddenly narrowed his eyes.
Found her.
And she wasn't far away.
Without hesitation, he transformed into lightning and shot directly toward Violet's location.
Dressrosa — Lovers' Avenue
Along Lovers' Avenue, couples walked hand in hand.
Dressrosa was known as the "Land of Love, Passion, and Toys."
Its citizens were famously passionate.
Betraying love here could even provoke violent revenge.
Yet beneath this romantic surface lay a disturbing truth.
When Sugar's Devil Fruit ability was eventually undone, countless citizens would suddenly remember the loved ones they had forgotten—friends and family turned into living toys.
When that day came…
No one could predict what kind of tragic drama would unfold.
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