HST: Chapter 314/315

Chapter 314: Farewell, Ahead on the Peak

Next to Caelan, Magellan was completely stunned as he looked at the more than two hundred Devil Fruits before him.

That was more than two hundred Devil Fruits.

A single Devil Fruit could be considered a treasure of the sea. Countless people sought them, yet few ever obtained one.

The cheapest of them would cost at least a hundred million Berries, while the better ones could easily start at several hundred million.

The prisoners in Impel Down were all vicious individuals, and their Devil Fruits were far from ordinary. Some of them had even possessed terrifyingly powerful abilities.

By that calculation, the total value of these two hundred Devil Fruits would easily reach hundreds of billions of Berries.

Of course, any faction that obtained such a collection would never sell them.

Wouldn't it be far better to form an entire army of Devil Fruit users?

Now, there were two full baskets of them placed right before his eyes.

The Devil Fruits that were once displayed in luxurious brocade boxes at auctions were now piled up like common fruit on a street vendor's stall.

"Am I really not dreaming?"

Magellan felt as though he were still trapped in an illusion, unable to believe what he was seeing.

Before today, perhaps only the World Government, which had ruled for over eight hundred years, could have possessed so many Devil Fruits.

As for the others, whether it was the Four Emperors or the Revolutionary Army, compared to the World Government with its deep foundations, these forces were far too young. It was impossible for any of them to have so many Devil Fruits.

This had originally been part of the World Government's strategy.

By locking up users with special abilities inside Impel Down, they slowed down the regeneration of Devil Fruits in the outside world.

Until today, this plan had worked perfectly.

The ability users within the prison had gradually died of old age, while new ones were captured to take their place.

By detaining so many Devil Fruit users, the World Government had greatly weakened the resistance outside.

But now, this plan had been shattered by Caelan. The countless ability users imprisoned within Impel Down had all become stepping stones for him.

Magellan didn't even dare to imagine how terrifying the world would become if Caelan commanded more than two hundred ability users.

After observing for so long, he was completely convinced that Blackbeard truly could extract Devil Fruits from others.

And now, Blackbeard had been tortured to death by Caelan more than a dozen times and no longer dared to resist.

It was clear that Blackbeard had been completely subjugated by him.

Now that Caelan had mastered Blackbeard's ability to extract Devil Fruits, he would only continue to amass more of them, growing ever stronger.

In the end, perhaps all the Devil Fruits in the world would be gathered in Caelan's hands.

That thought alone was terrifying.

Magellan looked at Caelan as if gazing upon the destined king of the world.

A man of overwhelming strength backed by an equally powerful force, this was a combination several times stronger than the Rocks Pirates had ever been.

If even that could not make him the king of the world, then no one could.

"Magellan."

Caelan waved his hand toward him.

Magellan quickly stepped forward and said respectfully, "Caelan-sama, what are your orders?"

"The matter of Impel Down is complete. Next, I'll be heading to Marine Headquarters," Caelan said calmly. "You will take these Devil Fruits and those leaving with you, return directly to Dressrosa, and deliver the Devil Fruits to Gion."

Cold sweat broke out on Magellan's forehead at those words.

More than two hundred Devil Fruits—an unimaginable fortune.

Yet at the same time, it was also an unbearably dangerous burden.

To be tasked with escorting them was something he truly did not have the courage for.

As for harboring any rebellious thoughts and keeping the Devil Fruits for himself, that was even more impossible.

After what he had witnessed from Caelan, and after being cured of the side effects of the Poison-Poison Fruit, Magellan's loyalty to him was unwavering.

With a troubled expression, he said, "Caelan-sama, I am but one man and my strength is limited. I fear I cannot ensure their safe delivery."

"Don't worry, you won't be alone," Caelan said, patting him on the shoulder. "You'll have plenty of help."

As he spoke, Byrnndi World, Bullet, Redfield, and Crocodile appeared once more.

The Evil King, Catarina Devon, and others also manifested as Heroic Spirits.

Caelan gestured to them and said calmly, "They will accompany you and make sure nothing goes wrong."

After being transformed into Heroic Spirits, these individuals were even stronger than when they had first been released from prison.

For example, when Redfield had joined the siege against Caelan before, he had still been far weaker than a Marine Admiral, though his brief bursts of power were notable.

Now, as a Heroic Spirit, Redfield had regained his peak state, making him a powerhouse comparable to an Admiral.

The same could be said for most of the older criminals—they had all been restored to their prime, true legendary figures.

Together, these individuals could form two Yonko-level crews, comparable to Big Mom's forces, easily enough to escort the Devil Fruits alongside Magellan.

"They won't cause trouble, will they?"

Magellan looked at the group of former criminals uneasily.

With such strength at his side, there was no fear of outside threats. But if they turned against him mid-journey, he would be helpless.

"Don't worry, they are completely obedient," Caelan said with a faint smile. "You can think of them as puppets. They no longer possess their own will."

Under the power of the Command Spells, no matter how arrogant they had been in life, after becoming Heroic Spirits, they could only obey his orders.

Magellan swallowed hard and nodded. "Understood. I will deliver the Devil Fruits to Dressrosa safely."

Soon after, Magellan led a large number of people out of the Reality Marble.

After seizing five warships, they set sail for Dressrosa.

Caelan remained within the Reality Marble, making his final preparations for the upcoming battle atop the world.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 315: Heroic Spirit Kaido

Within the Reality Marble.

A terrifying green dragon lay sprawled across the ground, its blood seeping into the yellow sand and staining it crimson.

Even Kaido, the Azure Dragon, had been gravely wounded and on the brink of death since he relied solely on his body to block the combined ultimate attacks of Bullet, Redfield, and the others.

After all, when Bullet and Redfield were at their peak, they were far stronger than Kozuki Oden.

Though their endurance had declined after years of imprisonment, the strength behind their ultimate attacks had barely diminished.

Kaido, unable to use his Haki, was naturally beaten half to death.

"Then, get up again and fight for me."

Caelan looked at the massive dragon before him and murmured softly.

He planned to transform Kaido into a Heroic Spirit and take him along to wreak havoc at the top.

He hadn't done so earlier because the Command Spells were limited in power and their orders rather inflexible.

While using his Riding skill, he could issue commands freely, allowing Kaido to act at a mere thought.

But given Kaido's current state, it would be better to transform him into a Heroic Spirit.

With a single thought, Caelan released his Riding control over Kaido.

The moment control was lifted, Kaido reverted from his dragon form to his human form due to his severe injuries, lying unconscious on the ground.

Caelan then infused his body with magical energy, beginning the Heroic Spirit transformation.

Two minutes later, the process was complete.

Kaido, whose body had been battered and bruised, was now fully healed, his wounds completely gone.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, dazed and muttering, "What… happened to me?"

It felt like he had just awoken from a nightmare.

In that dream, after being defeated by Caelan, he inexplicably became Caelan's mount and followed his every command.

He had even shielded Caelan from a deadly attack.

Then he was gravely injured, fell unconscious, and was later saved by Caelan.

Kaido trembled. That dream had been horrifying.

The man in that dream was nothing like him. He had willingly become someone's mount, even risking his life for his so-called master.

Horrible. Truly horrifying.

When Kaido saw Caelan standing before him, surrounded by the splattered blood on the sand, he froze.

That wasn't a dream at all—it had all been real.

He had truly been Caelan's mount for two weeks, and he had truly taken a fatal blow for him.

If it wasn't a dream, then what had caused him to act that way, obeying Caelan's every command?

It felt as though another personality had emerged within him, one that had completely taken over, forcing him to surrender while his true self could only watch helplessly.

An endless chill crept up Kaido's spine.

Losing his own will and becoming a spectator to his own humiliation was more terrifying than death.

What kind of method had Caelan used?

It was utterly monstrous.

Kaido's rage flared as he thought of how he had been made into a mount for over a week.

Yet despite his fury, he didn't dare attack the man responsible.

That power, capable of twisting consciousness itself, was too horrifying.

And besides, he couldn't defeat Caelan in the first place.

Kaido stared at him with a grim expression and asked in a low voice, "What method did you use to turn me into that?"

"Just a small trick, nothing worth mentioning."

Caelan had no intention of explaining.

Kaido's expression darkened.

The method used to control him was too terrifying, but if Caelan didn't want to speak, there was nothing he could do about it.

The only thing left was to fight.

"Hahahahaha!" Kaido suddenly burst into wild laughter, then roared coldly, "Do you realize what you've done? You've humiliated a king!"

"Then I've humiliated you. What are you going to do about it?"

A faint smile appeared on Caelan's face as he watched, curious about what Kaido would do next.

"Of course, I'll make you feel the wrath of a king!"

Kaido roared, his body expanding as he transformed into his dragon-man form.

His 6.6-meter frame grew another thirty percent taller, a dragon-scale-covered tail extending behind him.

His already fearsome face became even more intimidating, radiating absolute dominance.

He gripped his weapon tightly, coating it in black and purple Armament Haki.

Blue lightning crackled around his arms, hissing as it split the air.

Kaido's aura became monstrous as he bellowed, "Great Mighty Thunder Bagua!"

It looked as though he was about to unleash his full strength in a battle to the death with Caelan.

But then, he suddenly turned around and bolted in the opposite direction.

Kaido ran away.

His legs kicked up a storm of dust as he sprinted across the desert-like sand, his hair whipping in the wind.

His thunderous roar had only been a feint. He was escaping.

"Of course I have to run! I'll think about revenge after finding a way to counter that terrifying power."

Kaido's hatred for Caelan was boundless, but he knew better than to fight recklessly.

He couldn't win. The gap between them was far too vast.

He didn't fear death, but being controlled again, being turned into a mount, was something he could never accept.

Last time, even when he used both Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki, he still fell into Caelan's trap.

That mysterious technique was so terrifying that he couldn't even imagine how to resist it.

So he had to run. Run as fast as he could.

If he didn't, he would end up suffering a fate worse than death.

He would wait until he found a way to break free before taking revenge.

"Oh, Kaido, what am I going to do with you?"

Watching Kaido running toward the edge of the Reality Marble, Caelan couldn't help but chuckle.

He had thought Kaido would stand and fight, but instead, he fled.

Still, did Kaido really think he could escape?

This was an independent world of its own. Only someone with power greater than Caelan's could shatter it.

With Kaido's strength, it was impossible.

"In the name of the Command Seal, Kaido, come to me."

Caelan sighed softly and activated the Command Spell.

Kaido, still mid-run, froze instantly and turned back, running toward Caelan against his will.

"Damn it! I didn't even make contact this time, and I'm already trapped again!"

Kaido's face darkened as he stopped before Caelan.

"I didn't expect the mighty Yonko Kaido to turn tail and run. I thought you'd fight me to the death," Caelan said with a faint smile.

"Kill me."

Kaido turned his head away and spoke coldly.

If he could die, he wouldn't hesitate for a second.

"You're far too useful to throw away," Caelan replied, shaking his head.

The troublesome thing about Heroic Spirits was that they still retained their own minds.

The Command Spells could control their actions, but not their thoughts.

If things continued like this, there was always a chance they might exploit loopholes in the commands.

To prevent that, Caelan's orders were always extremely precise. For example, his command to Bullet and co had been, "Escort the Devil Fruits safely back to Dressrosa, wait for my return, and perform no other actions."

Although the Riding ability could make Kaido obey while in his dragon form, his combat power would be slightly reduced.

It was clear he needed to develop a form of ideological imprinting soon.

"Do you still intend to humiliate me? I will never bow to you!" Kaido shouted angrily.

"Haha, it's not up to you whether you submit or not." Caelan looked at him calmly. "In the name of the Command Seal, transform into the Azure Dragon and carry me to Marine Headquarters."

As he spoke, Caelan released the Reality Marble.

"Roar!"

With a furious and unwilling roar, Kaido transformed into a massive blue dragon once more, allowing Caelan to step onto his head.

Rage burned in his heart like wildfire. He wanted to reduce the world to ashes.

Marine Headquarters?

Caelan wasn't going there for diplomacy, that was certain.

Kaido gritted his teeth, seething with resentment.

Fine. Then he would vent all his pent-up fury on the three Admirals.

Let those little brats of the Logia class experience the true power of my Haki!

(To be continued.)