HST: Chapter 228/229

Chapter 228: Poor?

Dressrosa.

Dragon came to Caelan looking depressed and covered in dust.

"How did it go?"

Caelan looked at his disheveled state and asked curiously.

He already knew what Dragon had in mind, but he had no intention of stopping him.

Since the item had been sold, it had nothing to do with him anymore. He would never take it back, because his reputation mattered.

But still, he was the leader of the Revolutionary Army, a man on the level of a Yonko.

Why did he look so worn out?

"The Navy sent Kizaru and Aokiji to capture Caesar. I clashed with that guy Aokiji. It was just getting interesting, but Kaido swooped in and took advantage!"

"Oh, what bad luck!"

Dragon waved his hands, looking depressed.

"That must have been lively. I almost regret not going. The Yonko, the Revolutionary Army, the Navy's admirals… just hearing about it sounds entertaining."

Caelan spoke with a hint of regret.

A scene that big sounded fascinating. He always enjoyed watching a good show.

"My plan failed, yet you, my partner, seem very pleased," Dragon glared at him resentfully.

"Good thing I didn't try to stop you." Caelan smirked and said, "The things Tesoro bought from me were stolen by my own allies the moment they left my hands. That would've been terrible for my reputation."

God forbid, he was an honest man, and he dealt seriously.

Just like with Doflamingo before, if he said he would sell the Gold-Gold Fruit, he sold it. If he promised the Flame-Flame Fruit as a prize, he delivered. He wasn't joking.

"Alright, alright, my fault."

Dragon admitted quickly.

He knew it wasn't exactly honorable, but the artificial Devil Fruit technology was far too tempting.

There had been so many powers present that night, and every one of them wanted it.

After admitting fault, Dragon frowned. "Now that Kaido has the artificial Devil Fruit technology, once he raises an army of ability users, it will be a huge problem."

He didn't even want to imagine it.

Kaido was already terrifying and uncontrollable. If he had a powerful army at his back, it wouldn't be impossible to recreate Rocks' era of glory.

Such a Kaido would spell disaster for both the Revolutionary Army and Caelan's Neo Navy.

"You worry too much. Whether Kaido can mass-produce artificial Devil Fruits depends on my mood."

Caelan chuckled.

"What do you mean?" Dragon asked, confused.

Kaido had the skills and the money. Why would he have to rely on Caelan?

"The raw materials for artificial Devil Fruits can only be cultivated in large amounts here. I'm an indispensable part of the process."

Caelan smiled.

Caesar's artificial Devil Fruit technology required raw materials that only the Tontatta Clan could produce.

The Tontatta were already under Caelan's control.

In other words, the supply of artificial Devil Fruit materials was firmly in his grasp.

Even if a few grew naturally, the numbers would never be enough for Kaido's needs.

That was why Caelan had dared to sell the technology in the first place.

"You really have a dark heart!"

No matter who obtained the technology, in the end, it would still come down to Caelan's will.

As long as he raised the price, or simply refused to sell, he could make others dance to his tune.

"Wait a second. You once told me my Revolutionary Army couldn't afford artificial Devil Fruits. Don't tell me you plan to sell the raw materials at a high price!?"

"So, you're looking down on us, thinking we can't afford it!" Dragon accused.

"Don't misunderstand. I just don't betray my allies," Caelan replied, then added with a grin, "As for your poverty, well… that's just a minor factor."

As he spoke, Caelan pinched his fingers together, leaving only the tiniest gap.

Dragon looked at him regretfully.

So he was right after all.

This guy clearly thought they were too poor to afford the raw materials.

"Let's not talk about this anymore. What are your plans now?"

Caelan kindly changed the subject, sparing Dragon further embarrassment.

"As for me, I'll go back and continue developing the Revolutionary Army."

Dragon thought for a moment before answering.

His purpose in coming to Dressrosa had been to recruit Caelan. The artificial Devil Fruit incident was only a sudden diversion.

Although Caelan refused to join the Revolutionary Army, forming an alliance with him was already a good outcome.

"By the way, I plan to let Koala stay here as a liaison with you," Dragon suggested cautiously.

Their alliance with Caelan was only verbal for now, so someone was needed to maintain it.

"No problem. I'll take good care of her."

Caelan agreed without hesitation.

"…"

Dragon suddenly felt he had made a mistake.

It seemed like he had just handed over his apprentice's childhood friend. Hopefully Sabo wouldn't hold it against him.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 229: Level Up

After seeing Dragon off, Caelan began to tally up his gains.

Previously, he had partnered with Uta, selling autographs for a total of 2 billion Berries.

The auction of five artificial Devil Fruits had brought in just under 1 billion.

And Caesar, the biggest prize, had gone for 7.7 billion in one shot.

The total amounted to 10.7 billion Berries.

Just this single event of auctioning artificial Devil Fruits was enough to instantly fill up an SSR template.

Compared to his time in the East Blue, the difference was immense.

"Sure enough, the bigger the stage, the faster you make money."

Caelan looked at the 10.7 billion balance on his panel and smiled happily.

Back in the East Blue, he had worked tirelessly for half a year and only earned 500 million, enough to push Heracles' template to 50%.

But once he left the East Blue and entered the Grand Line, making 10 billion became effortless. Especially here in the New World, the rewards were even greater.

Changing seas could truly change one's fate.

"Still, without those six months of accumulation in the East Blue, I wouldn't be where I am now."

Caelan wasn't the type to spout nonsense about being full after only four buns.

Without that foundation from the East Blue, there would be no rapid progress now.

Even as an elite vice admiral, he had been forced into a cat-and-mouse game with pirates worth only a few million, making life in the East Blue harsher for pirates than ever.

With a slight sigh, Caelan stopped reminiscing.

What mattered more now was maxing out the Saintess of the Winter template, unlocking the secrets of creating Heroic Spirits, and mastering the Third Magic.

He was also very curious. Once this template was complete, what would the next one be?

"Getting this far is all thanks to my own hard work." Caelan grinned crookedly. "System, give me the points. Let's see your limit!"

With a thought, the balance of 10.7 billion dropped, leaving 1.4 billion.

At the same time, the Saintess of the Winter template rose to 100%.

…

[Host: Caelan Alaric]

[Template: Berserker Heracles 100%, Lancer Karna 100%, Saintess of the Winter 100%]

[Berry: 1.4 billion]

[Strength: A+]
[Durability: EX]
[Agility: A]
[Magic: EX]
[Luck: A]
[Noble Phantasm: EX]

[Personal Skills]: Third Magic: Soul Materialization, Magic Resistance (C), Riding (A), Discernment of the Poor (A), Uncrowned Martial Arts (—), Battle Continuation (B), Mana Burst (Flame) (A), Mind's Eye (Fake) (B), Valor (A+), Divinity (A), Madness Enhancement (B)

[Other Skills]: Swordsmanship (A), Armament Haki (A), Observation Haki (A), Conqueror's Haki (A)

[Noble Phantasms]:
• God Hand: The Twelve Labors (B)
• Nine Lives: Shooting the Hundred Heads (C–A+)
• Kavacha and Kundala: O' Sun, Become Armor (A)
• Brahmastra (A)
• Brahmastra Kundala: O' Brahma, Curse Me (A+)
• Vasavi Shakti: O Sun, Abandon Thy Crown (EX)

[System upgrading. Next template will be UR level. Please stay tuned!]

…

The first thing that caught his eye was the system notice.

[System upgrading. Next template will be UR level. Please stay tuned.]

"So that means… there won't be new templates for a while?"

Caelan was surprised.

He had thought new templates would unlock as before, but instead the system itself was upgrading.

What exactly was a UR template? Was it worth a full system upgrade?

How long would this take? And just how powerful would it be?

Caelan was curious, but quickly brushed it off. "Whatever it is, I'll know when it's done."

For now, no new template would appear.

But it didn't matter. The ones he already had were more than enough. Even without another, he was invincible.

Ignoring the upgrade notice, Caelan looked at the other changes.

The panel stats hadn't shifted, but the knowledge he gained was priceless.

In a trance, he once again glimpsed the vortex of origin, gazing upon ultimate truths that recorded everything, past and future.

He could only grasp fragments, but the entirety of the Third Magic—Soul Materialization—was now etched into his mind.

The secret of a Heroic Spirit's body. The secret of materializing the soul. The knowledge to turn a person into a living perpetual motion machine.

Countless truths rang in his mind, expanding his once-clear thoughts into something vast.

"Hmm…"

Caelan hummed softly as he opened his eyes.

His pupils remained black, but now brimmed with wisdom gained from new knowledge.

"From now on, I'll never be alone on the road to eternity."

Suppressing the flood of inspiration within, Caelan smiled.

With full mastery of the Third Magic, he could even transform his women into Heroic Spirits.

Youth eternal. Life eternal.

It had always been a hidden concern of his.

For one person to live forever was too lonely. He didn't want to endure watching loved ones age and die.

Even though the world of pirates had its own paths to immortality, like the Ope Ope no Mi, the Bat-Bat Fruit, or Pure Gold…

Without knowing the principles, he would never feel secure.

Now, with mastery over the Heroic Spirit body, that unease was gone.

"It's a pity this kind of immortality isn't perfect."

Caelan shook his head.

He had once thought the Third Magic would let him turn people into immortal Heroic Spirits with limitless power.

But after truly comprehending it, he realized it wasn't so ideal.

With his current conditions, he could only achieve half.

He could transform people into Heroic Spirits, but could not yet make them perpetual motion machines.

In other words, once their mana ran dry, they would die.

It wasn't the fault of the magic. The problem was that the Pirate World differed from the Type-Moon World. Certain conditions simply didn't exist here.

Those he transformed could only replenish small amounts of mana through food. The rest had to come from him.

As long as he supplied it, they would live eternally.

In short, all Heroic Spirits in this world depended on him to exist.

"Fortunately, my mana is infinite, so I don't fear the cost."

Caelan wasn't worried.

Thanks to the system, he had already achieved the perfect perpetual motion of the Third Magic. His mana was inexhaustible.

Supporting his women was nothing. Even doubling their number would not trouble him.

And there were many ways to transfer mana, magic circles draining vitality, absorbing leylines, absorbing the world's ambient energy…

But the most famous, and convenient, was through bodily exchange.

In other words, the arts of kissing and intimacy.

That suited him perfectly.

The Third Magic gave him infinite mana and stamina, making him a true perpetual motion machine.

Satisfying the women at home was effortless.

He had always taken care of them all. Not once had he neglected any he had claimed.

"Enough of that. There are other gains."

Caelan shook the stray thoughts from his head.

After completing the Saintess of the Winter template, besides mastering the Third Magic, he had also inherited magic knowledge from the Einzbern family.

Most of it was of little use, but one technique in particular caught his attention.

An image of the mind… the appearance of a Reality Marble.

(To be continued.)