Bege seized the Devil Fruit, the very thing he'd craved for ten long years. In the world of One Piece, Devil Fruits were the most dazzling of treasures. To see one with his own eyes, how could he not be excited?
After the initial rush, Bege found himself conflicted. The fruit was shaped like a cantaloupe, meaning it was most likely a Paramecia type. There was a high probability it was the Castle-Castle Fruit, the one the original Capone Bege possessed.
But what if it was a dud? As a die-hard One Piece fan, he desperately yearned for a Logia or a Mythical Zoan. He knew, though, that Logias appearing in the original story were few and far between, and Mythical Zoans were even rarer. Such hopes were probably unrealistic.
His inner turmoil was evident. Rod, watching Bege's conflicted expression, patiently waited without interruption.
"There's no such thing as a useless Devil Fruit, only a useless user," Bege muttered, steeling his resolve. "I believe that even I can make the Castle-Castle Fruit incredible." He gritted his teeth and took a massive bite.
"Holy crap, this tastes awful!" Bege's face instantly flushed red as an unimaginably disgusting flavor assaulted his taste buds. He clenched his jaw, tilted his head back, and forced the mouthful down. That was enough; one bite of a Devil Fruit was all it took.
"Bege, what kind of fruit is it?" Rod asked, his voice tight with anticipation.
Paramecia fruits revealed their powers immediately after consumption. Bege closed his eyes, focusing intently on the changes within his body.
"It is the Castle-Castle Fruit! Thank goodness it didn't deviate from the original plot." In his perception, his internal organs had vanished, replaced by a miniature castle.
A gate suddenly split open on Bege's chest, revealing an empty interior. He pressed his palm against a wooden table, a dark red light emanating from his hand. The table abruptly shrank, flying into the castle within him. The gate snapped shut, leaving his chest smooth and unmarked, as if it had never opened.
Bege could sense the interior of the castle. His consciousness manifested within it, taking his own form. He felt he could control anything inside the castle at will. With a thought, the floor seemed to flow upwards, solidifying into a spear that pierced and shattered the wooden table. He could freely manipulate the castle's structure, remodeling it according to his will.
His consciousness returned to his body, and Bege erupted in laughter. The gate on his chest reappeared, opening to reveal the shattered remnants of the table. An invisible force pushed them out, and once they were a certain distance from Bege, they returned to their original size, clattering to the ground.
"The Castle-Castle Fruit is pretty awesome, actually. The castle's a bit small, though. I wonder if it can grow..." Bege was satisfied with the fruit's abilities.
Rod, standing nearby, was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet, desperate to know about Bege's new power.
Bege explained the Castle-Castle Fruit's abilities in detail. Rod immediately grasped its potential.
"This... this is amazing! You're a walking fortress now! You can store a massive number of troops inside. You'll be a one-man army! The Capone Gang has plenty of members. Your old man will get you some men right away," Rod exclaimed.
"I only want the elite. Don't give me any trash. And I'll need trusted individuals, plus a stockpile of weapons," Bege stated his requirements.
"Don't worry, your old man is the Godfather of the Capone Gang. I'm way ahead of you," Rod said, puffing on his cigar with a smug grin.
On the Capone family's training grounds, over a hundred people stood ramrod straight. Ten rows of adults, each exuding a fierce aura, were Capone Rod's most trusted men, veterans of countless battles alongside him.
In front of them stood five rows of teenagers. These were orphans Rod had taken in from other islands, intended to be trained as future gang members.
"Old man, these guys might be okay against ordinary people, but they're far from ready to sail with me," Bege declared bluntly.
Rod's eye twitched. "These are the most skilled in management and combat among my gang members. They'll be very helpful to you in the future. As for these orphans, you can train them yourself, mold them into your own loyal followers."
"Always thinking ahead, old man. Still, they're not good enough. I'll be taking these people to Popokai Island. We'll train there," Bege said.
Rod's expression turned grave. "Bege, Popokai Island is full of dangerous giant beasts. I asked Modi, and he said that he's constantly at risk of being killed on that island."
"If there's no danger, it's not real training. Don't worry, old man, I'm incredibly strong, hehehe," Bege laughed confidently.
Everyone was transported to Popokai Island by ship. Popokai was a medium-sized island far from Sassi Island. Like the uninhabited monster island near Amazon Lily in the original story, Popokai Island was home to unimaginably terrifying giant beasts, a true monster island.
Bege's swordsmanship had reached a plateau. He needed more rigorous, even life-or-death, training. That's why he wanted to use the giant beasts to hone his skills.
Besides breaking through his plateau, Bege had another crucial objective:
To cultivate Haki.
Haki could counter Devil Fruit abilities. In the latter half of the Grand Line, the New World, pirates who didn't know how to use Haki were insignificant. Only by learning Haki could one hope to survive.
However, Bege's understanding of Haki was limited to the information revealed during Rayleigh's training of Luffy in the One Piece manga.
He wouldn't bother thinking about Conqueror's Haki for now; it wasn't something that could be obtained through training. His main focus was to try and cultivate Armament Haki and Observation Haki.
He had no idea how to train Armament Haki. However, he'd seen how Rayleigh taught Luffy Observation Haki in the original story, and Bege intended to try the same method to see if he could learn it.
After a voyage of about half a month, they finally landed on Popokai Island. The island was covered by a vast, primeval forest. From deep within, the terrifying roars and howls of various beasts echoed out, sending shivers down the spines of those who had just disembarked.
Bege waved to the people on the ship, and it slowly departed from Popokai Island. The group was confused. Bege looked at them and said, "You will spend the next two years on this island. During these two years, you will either become stronger, or you will be buried here."
Bege's ominous tone sent chills through everyone. The fifty children, in particular, huddled together, many of them crying.
"On the sea, only the weak cry, and only the weak die. No one pities the weak. If you want to live well, if you want to survive, you must become stronger. I'm giving you a chance. Two years. If you can survive, you can board my ship and become a powerful force on the seas." Bege spread his arms wide, laughing dramatically. His sharp gaze intimidated everyone.
"Do you understand?"
"Yes!"
"Teacher Modi, I'm leaving these people to you. Set up camp on the outskirts. I'll go clear out the beasts in the surrounding area." Bege nodded in satisfaction, turned to Modi, and then strode into the forest.