Chapter 227: Caesar Courant's Questions
Chapter 227: Caesar Courant's Questions
Charlotte didn't need to use his Observation Haki to understand what Caesar was thinking. His son's expression gave everything away.
There was little Charlotte could do about it. He couldn't watch Caesar every moment of the day. It had to come down to Caesar's self-awareness and discipline.
The commotion earlier that morning had been loud enough to wake the entire crew.
---
"Captain! That… is that really an artificial Devil Fruit created by Vegapunk?"
Caesar Courant, one of the first to arrive, stared at Charlotte in shock.
He knew for a fact that Vegapunk himself had declared the artificial Devil Fruit a failure.
But now, seeing another Azure Dragon Fruit right in front of him, it was hard to believe it was a failure. Who was Vegapunk trying to fool?
Charlotte glanced at Caesar Courant.
"As you can see, this artificial Devil Fruit was indeed successful. You were deceived by that so-called genius, Vegapunk," Charlotte replied calmly.
Caesar Courant stood there, stunned for a moment, before his face lit up with joy.
"If this Devil Fruit truly succeeded, doesn't that mean artificial Devil Fruits are possible?!"
Excitement flashed across Caesar Courant's face.
At that moment, the desire to unravel the secrets of artificial Devil Fruits burned within him.
---
"Why? You want to study it too?"
Charlotte eyed Caesar Courant, already guessing his thoughts.
He recalled how Caesar Clown had once specialized in creating artificial Devil Fruits under Doflamingo, supplying them to Kaido.
If Caesar Courant wanted to pursue such experiments, Charlotte would gladly support him.
After all, Charlotte had seized a significant amount of Vegapunk's experimental data and procedures from Punk Hazard.
When Charlotte had taken Vegapunk away, most of the research materials had been left behind. That invaluable knowledge now belonged to Charlotte.
To preserve this treasure trove, Charlotte had built a dedicated database, accessible only to scientists under his command.
---
Over the years, Charlotte had recruited more than forty scientists from Punk Hazard.
By granting them freedom and unlimited research funding, Charlotte had turned them into loyal assets. These scientists, in turn, attracted more like-minded experts to Kami Island.
Now, Charlotte commanded multiple scientific teams solely focused on serving his interests.
Whenever Charlotte wanted something invented or improved, he simply tasked one of his teams.
This arrangement had brought immense convenience to his daily life.
Even the smallest gadgets produced by these scientists were wildly popular across Kami Island.
Charlotte was confident that, sooner or later, these scientists would prove their worth on an even greater scale.
---
"If you truly wish to research artificial Devil Fruits, you can access the database at any time," Charlotte assured Caesar Courant.
"If you manage to produce successful results, I'll personally ensure you receive all the resources you need!"
Hearing this, Caesar Courant's eyes sparkled with excitement.
He had coveted access to Charlotte's database for a long time.
Charlotte guarded it carefully, permitting access only with his direct approval.
In all these years, Caesar Courant had only entered the database twice.
Even those brief visits had overwhelmed him with the sheer volume of research.
There were projects on gigantification, cloning, combat unit transformations, and countless other experiments.
Now, with Charlotte's explicit permission, Caesar Courant was determined to study the database thoroughly.
Even Vinsmoke Judge, standing nearby, couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.
But Charlotte merely glanced at Judge and looked away.
---
Charlotte had promised Judge his freedom once the flying warship was complete.
However, achieving flight was easier said than done.
For now, Charlotte wasn't rushing Judge.
He knew that technology from Sky Island could make ships fly.
Once he acquired it, Judge would have everything he needed to finish the project.
---
"Caesar Courant, do you want to eat this Devil Fruit?"
Charlotte suddenly pulled out another Devil Fruit—the Zoan-type, Cat-Cat Fruit, Congo Lion Form.
"It's quite a rare and powerful fruit," Charlotte added, placing it in front of Caesar Courant.
As Charlotte's chief scientist, Caesar deserved a little reward.
After all, Charlotte was no heartless capitalist.
---
Caesar Courant took the fruit and examined it closely, his eyes glimmering with interest.
But after a moment, he sighed and shook his head.
"Zoan-types aren't for me. I'm not planning to eat any Devil Fruit right now. But… I can definitely use this for my experiments!"
Charlotte nodded.
"Fair enough. This is your reward. Work hard, and I'll find a Devil Fruit that truly suits you in the future!"
Charlotte wasn't just making empty promises. He genuinely intended to find a Devil Fruit tailored to Caesar Courant's skills.
---
Of the fruits Charlotte had collected so far, none perfectly aligned with technological expertise.
However, one Devil Fruit stood out—the Munch-Munch Fruit from the Drum Kingdom.
Charlotte believed this fruit would be perfect for Caesar Courant.
After all, the Munch-Munch Fruit could transform the user into a "Devouring Factory."
With such an ability, Charlotte's future production lines would be unstoppable.
The only question was whether the Munch-Munch Fruit still existed in the Drum Kingdom.
---
"Thank you, Captain!"
Caesar Courant's face flushed with excitement.
A few words of praise were all it took to light a fire in the young scientist's heart.
Watching this, Vinsmoke Judge sighed inwardly.
Ah, youth… so easily swayed by compliments.
---
Charlotte then turned to Judge.
"Vinsmoke Judge, the same goes for you. If you invent something valuable for me or the Rockefeller Pirates, I'll help you rebuild the Germa 66 Kingdom!"
The moment Charlotte mentioned Germa 66, Judge's eyes widened with excitement.
This was the dream he'd been clinging to for years!
"Understood, Mr. Charlotte!" Judge replied, voice trembling with anticipation.
---
Everyone has their greatest desire, and Charlotte—capable of reading minds—knew exactly how to exploit them.
Over the past decade, he'd mastered the art of manipulating others by offering what they desired most.
Of course, no one knew about Charlotte's mind-reading ability.
Even those closest to him were unaware.
After all, revealing such a trump card would only breed fear and distrust.
Who wouldn't be unsettled by someone who could pry into their deepest thoughts?
---
"Alright! Everyone, disperse!" Charlotte ordered, waving the crowd away.
Then he turned to Caesar, who still looked aggrieved.
"I'll be personally overseeing your training today, Caesar!"
Caesar's face fell instantly.
There was no doubt—today was going to be rough.
---
As expected, the following days were grueling.
Charlotte pushed Caesar to his limits, focusing on physical conditioning and hand-to-hand combat.
Through the training, Charlotte made an unfortunate discovery:
His son had no natural talent for combat whatsoever.
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