After Aizen left, Keiko considered the matter of the Devil Fruits. To be honest, Vegapunk had already researched them thoroughly. According to him, everything in the world is born from desire. Devil Fruits are essentially the manifestation of human evolutionary possibilities. When people wish they could do this or that, their desires create a corresponding fruit.
But Devil Fruits in the One Piece world are naturally different from what they would be in Bleach world. These are two different universes; the evolutionary possibilities sought by people in each are distinct. For instance, in the One Piece world, people think of fire, controlling lightning, or the power of mythical beasts like the Azure Dragon or White Tiger. While ordinary people in Bleach world might think similarly, there are also a vast number of transcendent beings!
If the mechanism of Devil Fruits could be transplanted here, the fruits born would be unique to this world. For example: Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Quincy; Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Shinigami; or even... Model: Soul King? It would be interesting if Aizen could crack the underlying mechanism and manually create fruits using the power of human will.
For the trade, however, Keiko decided to bring three standard fruits—nothing too extraordinary for Aizen. Beltz had quite a few in stock thanks to Liltotto, who had collected several during her time with the World Government. These were mostly fruits the Five Elders had traded to her, generally not of high quality. The best one, the Snow-Snow Fruit, had already been given to Rukia.
Before returning to Wano, Keiko first visited the Department of Research and Development. She activated her power, warping herself into "Beltz's future." This was a relatively easy distortion because Keiko is effectively a part of Beltz; their futures are fundamentally linked. By warping toward a future where she and Beltz merge, she could temporarily gain his abilities—specifically, Psychological Invisibility.
She remembered that Whitebeard was sealed within the Department. Previously, they couldn't take him because he was in a state of berserk rage. Later, he was sealed by Yamamoto and moved; Beltz didn't have the time or strength then to snatch him from the Captain-Commander. Now was the time to retrieve him. After all, keeping Whitebeard in the Soul Society was a drain on Beltz's own capacity! Whitebeard was too powerful for Beltz to maintain indefinitely in this world.
It was time for him to return to the One Piece world. Of course, he couldn't be released; he was still under the effects of "Domi Reversi." If the seal were broken, he would just go on a rampage again. The plan was to keep the seal intact and store him in the Schatten Bereich until a solution was found.
Keiko strolled through the Department of Research and Development. Despite it being a high-security lab, she moved as if in her own backyard. She timed it perfectly—Kurotsuchi Mayuri had been summoned by the Central 46, and no one else could hope to detect her. Even with psychological invisibility, she felt Mayuri might have seen through her had he been present.
She easily bypassed the alarms and reached Whitebeard's lab. He was still under a Level 99 Bakudo cast by Yamamoto, reinforced by over two hundred members of the Kido Corps. The seal was nearly impregnable. Even Beltz's original body might struggle to break it, but Keiko didn't need to break it—she just needed to move it.
With the Op-Op Fruit, which is often called the "Space Fruit," she flicked her finger. In an instant, Whitebeard's sealed body vanished from the barrier and appeared above her. She held the mummy-like figure aloft with a void-grip and vanished. Though she hadn't had the fruit long, her medical studies allowed her to master these basic applications.
She moved Whitebeard out of the Soul Society, through the Valley of Screams in the Dangai, and into the shadows of Onigashima via the pre-established Garganta. She left the body there and went to the fruit storage.
She selected: the Jacket-Jacket Fruit, the Calm-Calm Fruit, and the Cat-Cat Fruit, Ancient Zoan, Model: Saber-toothed Tiger. The Jacket-Jacket Fruit was interesting—it turns the user into a jacket that others can wear to gain their power—but Beltz didn't have an extra "fruit slot" to make use of it between his bodies. Giving it to a strong ally seemed like a waste of their individual potential. It was better suited for Aizen's experiments.
After collecting the three fruits, Keiko returned to Bleach world. On the third day, she went to Aizen's lab. There, she met his subordinates, Kaname Tosen and Gin Ichimaru. Tosen immediately moved his hand to his hilt.
"Calm yourself, Kaname," Aizen said smoothly. "Keiko is not like the other Tsunayashiro."
Keiko looked at Tosen, knowing his tragic history. His friend Kakyo had been murdered by Tsunayashiro Tokinada, who escaped punishment. Tosen's pursuit of justice had been mocked by Tokinada, who nearly beat him to death for insolence toward a noble. Aizen had saved him then, gaining a loyal follower.
"I have no loyalty to the Tsunayashiro family," Keiko said. "If you want revenge, feel free."
"I stopped caring about that family long ago," Tosen snorted. "It is 'Justice' that sustains me, not 'Revenge'."
"I get it," Keiko replied. "But revenge doesn't need to be dressed up as justice. There's no shame in wanting payback. Claiming a noble purpose or wearing a 'Justice' cape doesn't make you superior." She didn't mind Tosen's grudge, but she disliked the "Marine-like" habit of constant moralizing. If Tosen truly sought justice, he would have stopped Aizen's Hogyoku experiments, which sacrificed countless souls.
Tosen's face darkened, but he remained silent. He knew Keiko was far beyond his level, and she was clearly Aizen's guest.
Keiko placed the fruits on the table. "I've brought the goods."
Aizen didn't reach for them immediately; instead, he produced the Hogyoku. "This is it. As for 'Hollowfication' and 'Quincyfication,' you'll have to wait."
Keiko took the Hogyoku and explained the fruits: "The Jacket-Jacket Fruit turns the user into a vest that boosts the wearer's power. The Calm-Calm Fruit creates a field of absolute silence. The Saber-toothed Tiger Fruit grants ancient feline strength and speed. They provide immediate power, but come with a weakness to seawater, and one person can only eat one fruit. Choose carefully."
Aizen nodded. As Keiko turned to leave, she added, "If you want more, you're welcome to find me—provided you bring something to trade."
"That woman," Tosen muttered after she left. "Far too arrogant."
"She has the right to be," Aizen smiled, pushing up his glasses as he looked at the fruits with a hint of fanaticism. He had data from Whitebeard's blood, but it paled in comparison to actual fruits. He was going to be busy; between his research, he now had to figure out how to enter the shadows to investigate the Quincies.
Back in the Wandenreich, Beltz set down his medical books. Even in the Empire, he continued his studies, though science proved more mentally taxing than physical training. Liltotto walked in; their quarters were close, so she visited often.
"Weren't you out with Bambi and the others?" Beltz asked, popping a snack into his mouth.
Liltotto had been swamped by her friends' curiosity about her long absence. "Haschwalth called them away," she said. "Likely to send them to Hueco Mundo, just as you thought."
Beltz nodded thoughtfully. "Do you think... I should bring them along to our side?"
Liltotto flopped onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. "Some can be brought, others can't. Some are too stubborn, others are cowards." She knew her "sisters" well; the weight of "betraying the Empire" might be too much for them. "But there is one person who would definitely be fine."
Beltz's heart stirred. "You mean... Gremmy?"
Liltotto sat up. "Exactly. Gremmy Thoumeaux."
The strongest Quincy with the power of "The Visionary." If they could pull him to their side, he would be worth more than all the Bambies combined. Beltz didn't lack standard Sternritter combat power, but Gremmy offered both absolute strength and unique functionality. Previously, the power gap was too large, but now... things were different. It was time to try and recruit the boy in the cage.