Chapter 99: Devil Fruit Development
Lakeman's Devil Fruit awakening gave him profound new powers, expanding his capabilities in ways that even he had yet to fully comprehend. The transformation had been intense, but the results were palpable: a near-limitless reservoir of abilities to explore and exploit.
Eager to push the boundaries, he summoned several CP agents to his training room. Testing his powers, he experimented on them meticulously, trying combinations of attribute and skill theft, memory manipulation, and even temporary physical transformations. The agents endured the trials day after day, their bodies and minds pushed to the edge as he tested every facet of his newfound strength.
Their journey continued, and as they neared Alabasta, Lakeman seized the opportunity to further refine his abilities by acquiring criminals from a member country along the way. Unlike the CP agents, these prisoners were entirely expendable to him. Lakeman held nothing back, pushing his Devil Fruit's power to the limit with each experiment.
He manipulated their memories, drained their strength, even attempted to meld stolen powers, all without regard for their lives. Through this ruthless exploration, he began to uncover the depths of his Devil Fruit's potential—how far he could stretch each ability, how long they lasted, and what devastating effects he could bring about.
Though he spent his days in relentless experimentation, Lakeman did not forget his own desires. Each night, he took time to indulge in his private quarters, pampering Boa Hancock and Nico Robin, reveling in their beauty and their sexy body. They became his only pleasure amidst his relentless trials, and he made certain to enjoy every moment with them, finding both pleasure and satisfaction in their submission.
Lakeman's relentless month of experimentation and ruthless trials bore astonishing results, elevating his Steal-Steal Fruit abilities to unprecedented heights.
Upon awakening, the Devil Fruit bestowed even more formidable powers, extending his abilities' range, duration, and depth. Each day, he felt his potential grow beyond what he had previously imagined, and he reveled in the new dominance he could wield.
He first mastered permanent attribute transfer. Now, he could steal physical strength, agility, and skills without a time limit, integrating them permanently into himself. With each attribute he claimed, he grew stronger, more agile, more skilled. Each gain felt permanent, indelible. He'd become a living embodiment of the strength and skills he'd taken, never needing to return them unless he so desired.
Then, through trial and error—and nearly costing the lives of three prisoners in the process—he developed redistribution. Now, with careful precision, he could forcefully impart stolen skills or attributes into others without fatal consequences. He'd poured stolen power into his followers, watching them grow stronger, faster, more dangerous under his control. The ability made them his extensions, his tools.
"Imagine the armies I could build," he mused one day to his maid, Lily, as he watched the trembling prisoners collapse in his training chamber. "With just a few tweaks, I could make them unstoppable."
"Yes, Master Lakeman," Lily replied dutifully, her delicate hands bringing a cool cloth to his forehead. Her voice was soft, respectful, a perfect reflection of his growing power. "Your vision knows no bounds."