For more than ten consecutive days, Lucien had steadily gained a preliminary mastery over the Soul Soul Fruit. During this time, he successfully reawakened every Homie across Cake Island, restoring Totto Land to its former appearance of lively animation.
Today, however, Lucien intended to test a critical question.
Could Homies consume Devil Fruits?
As one of the Four Emperors' forces, Big Mom's territory naturally possessed a stockpile of Devil Fruits. Access to them was never an issue.
Inside the castle, Lucien maintained his transformation into Big Mom. He wore a loose pink dress, his massive figure filling the space with an overwhelming presence.
He deliberately avoided mirrors.
Even Lucien was afraid that one careless glance would leave him disgusted by the sight of himself.
Before him stood a personified flower Homie. The moment it consumed an Animal type Devil Fruit, its body swelled violently before bursting apart in an instant.
Lucien's expression darkened.
He immediately tested several other Homies that had been personified from animals.
The result was identical.
Every single one of them exploded the moment the Devil Fruit was consumed.
Lucien's mood sank to its lowest point.
The Homies created through the Soul Soul Fruit simply could not withstand Devil Fruits. If this rule applied universally, then Prometheus, Zeus, and Napoleon were completely off limits. Those three Homies carried fragments of Lucien's own soul. If one of them detonated, the backlash could very well destroy him along with it.
Yet the reason behind this failure remained unclear.
Lucien frowned deeply.
Was the Soul Soul Fruit both his greatest advantage and his greatest restriction?
Before he could reflect further, footsteps echoed through the corridor.
"Mama, Mondor, Brulee, Pudding, and Galette are here."
Opera stepped forward and spoke in a muffled voice.
Charlotte Opera, Big Mom's fifth son and Minister of Fresh Cream, had already been turned into one of Lucien's ghosts. As a Cream Cream Fruit user, his tall, robust body was wrapped in cream that formed a massive beard. His face sagged like fresh cream, an unknown liquid constantly dripping, while his short legs supported his bulky frame.
"Let them in," Lucien replied coldly.
The failure of the experiment had left his mood heavy, and the oppressive atmosphere in the hall thickened as if solidifying.
Seated at the head of the table, Lucien appeared calm. Napoleon rested atop his head, while Prometheus and Zeus floated lazily near his shoulders, looking unusually gentle and harmless.
Footsteps approached.
One man and three women entered the hall.
"Mama."
The four immediately felt the suffocating pressure and bowed deeply.
Among the Charlotte Family, aside from a few exceptions like Katakuri, most of Big Mom's children feared her from the depths of their souls. Her history of killing her own offspring during hunger fits was enough to instill terror.
Lucien gazed down at them.
All four were Devil Fruit users.
Mondor, the Book Book Fruit user, possessed long limbs, a thick torso, and golden hair flaring outward. His chin was round, his nose long and pointed.
Brulee, the Mirror Mirror Fruit user, resembled an old witch, with tall purple hair, a facial scar, and a red nose.
Pudding stood out for her beauty, as long as her third eye remained hidden. In the past, she had been Sanji's fiancée, a Memory Memory Fruit user, and an exceptional actress.
Yet to Lucien, the most captivating among them was Galette.
At thirty one years old, she radiated a mature charm. Her fair skin was accented with lipstick, her pink curly hair adorned with arrow shaped ornaments. She wore a red strapless mini dress, a purple cape, and red high heels that emphasized her long, alluring legs. She was a Butter Butter Fruit user.
"Kneel."
Lucien suddenly rose from his seat and descended the steps, his voice carrying suppressed anger.
The four did not dare hesitate. They dropped to their knees at once, trembling violently, sweat soaking their clothes.
Lucien's massive figure loomed over them.
Four black thorned tails shot forward like venomous serpents, piercing into their bodies. Fresh blood surged as the ghost blood was injected.
None of them dared move.
The pain was indescribable, no less than having flesh and bone carved away piece by piece.
"Endure it," Lucien said coldly. "You will gain an immortal body."
The four curled inward, their bodies soon covered in jagged cracks of varying shapes. Their eyes gradually shifted, transforming into purple diamond like pupils.
Approximately ten minutes later, all four completed the transformation.
At this point, Lucien had effectively gained control over the Charlotte Family members stationed on Cake Island. As for the countless Homies, their lives rested entirely in his hands.
Only Katakuri, Daifuku, and a few other powerful figures who were currently absent remained outside his grasp.
Lucien was in no hurry.
Each day, he focused on mastering the Soul Soul Fruit exactly as Big Mom once had, followed by rigorous physical training and meditation.
He had already uncovered the training methods for Armament Haki and Observation Haki and was pushing himself relentlessly.
Perhaps due to the presence of Ki, his progress was astonishingly smooth.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Then, a Den Den Mushi call reached Cake Island.
"What did you say?"
Lucien sat heavily upon his chair, staring at Galette, who knelt on one knee before him. His grotesque, heavily made up face darkened further, shadow flooding the hall and making the air feel suffocating.
"Mama," Galette said carefully, her head lowered, "Big Brother Oven and Big Brother Cracker were defeated by the Whitebeard Pirates. They lost to the Third Division Commander Diamond Jozu and Vista during the conflict over Iron Ore Island. Fire Fist Ace appeared unexpectedly, which caused the situation to worsen."
Lucien's gaze flickered.
Whitebeard, even in old age, was still a monster not to be underestimated.
And Fire Fist Ace was particularly troublesome.
As a Yonko, Lucien could not intervene personally at this stage. If he did, Whitebeard himself would inevitably respond.
His Armament Haki was still only at a basic level. Against a Logia user, especially one as skilled as Ace, it would be difficult to deal any meaningful damage.
Moreover, conflicts between Yonko forces were usually handled by subordinates. Once the leaders stepped onto the battlefield, the nature of the conflict changed completely, potentially escalating into a full scale war between Emperors.
That was not what Lucien wanted.
His plan was to wait until his Armament Haki had advanced further, then move quietly. He would ambush powerful figures one by one, operating from the shadows with Big Mom's forces as his shield.
The Soul Soul Fruit, Armament Haki, and Observation Haki had all come into his possession far too late.
Still, Lucien was confident.
Give him half a year to a year, and he could push them to an advanced Ryuo level.
At all times, Lucien maintained weight training at roughly one and a half tons. Even simple walking served as training under constant pressure. In this state, he could clearly feel his strength improving day by day.
"Have Oven and Cracker withdraw and abandon Iron Ore Island," Lucien said at last.
He intended to use this opportunity to bring both of them under his control.
"Yes," Galette replied, bowing respectfully before retreating from the hall.
Soon, Lucien was alone.
Prometheus and Zeus floated quietly, faint bubbles drifting from their noses, while Napoleon rested atop his head with eyes closed.
Lucien raised his right hand, golden rings glinting faintly. As his fist clenched, a layer of black Armament Haki spread across it.
This was Armament Haki.
A moment later, Hardening activated.
Combined with Armament Haki, his fist resembled black crystal, sharp and faceted, radiating a terrifying solidity.
Then, as Thunder Breathing circulated his Qi, the black crystal gradually turned crimson. The fist became a black red crystal, steam rising from its surface, releasing intense heat that drastically increased its destructive power.
Giant's Power and Thunder Breathing had not faded.
On the contrary, both still held immense potential.
At present, Hardening had three distinct stages.
Standard crystal Hardening.
Black crystal reinforced with Armament Haki.
And finally, black red crystal enhanced by Thunder Breathing.
The last form was overwhelmingly powerful.
But the cost in energy was equally terrifying.