One Piece : Prince of Charlotte Family

"It's not like you're unaware of my relationship with Cracker," Wilhelm said calmly, tossing the Paramecia Healing Fruit lightly in his hand. His expression remained indifferent as he continued, "As for Mother, I'll leave it to you, Katakuri-nii, to smooth things over."

Wilhelm's relationship with Charlotte Cracker, the tenth son of the Charlotte family and one of the Sweet Commanders, was far from harmonious.

Cracker resented Wilhelm's natural talent, which was a perfect inheritance of Charlotte Linlin's monstrous abilities.

Wilhelm, on the other hand, couldn't stand Cracker's cowardly behavior. The man was so terrified of pain that he avoided even minor injuries, hiding daily within his biscuit armor.

No matter how talented Cracker was, Wilhelm believed that without the heart of a true warrior, such fear would cap his strength.

As for their mother, Charlotte Linlin, Wilhelm knew her all too well.

Big Mom's ruthlessness was unmatched. Even if one of her children displeased her to the point of death, she wouldn't bat an eye.

Her "love" was conditional, based solely on what value her children could bring to her ambitions. Wilhelm had no illusions about why she called him the "Thrilling Noble Son"—he was just another trophy for her to parade before the powerful figures of the underworld.

But Wilhelm had no interest in being her puppet.

"By the way," Katakuri added, as if remembering something, "Smoothie and her sisters have left Totto Land to look for you. Make sure to take care of them."

Wilhelm nodded slightly. Though he was a year younger than Smoothie, Stronge, and Simon, they weren't on his level in terms of temperament or strength.

"Sister Smoothie has already contacted me. Don't worry—I'll meet them in the first half of the Grand Line."

Katakuri ended the call with a quiet "click."

Wilhelm glanced at the flawless Healing Fruit in his hand. The intricate patterns and its otherworldly allure made it almost irresistible to behold.

"It's time to get started," Wilhelm said with a hint of anticipation.

He drew the ornate, gem-encrusted sword at his waist. Its sharp edge gleamed in the sunlight.

"Don't let me down, Tenseiga."

Wilhelm had no strong feelings about Charlotte Linlin's strategy of marrying off her children to strengthen the Big Mom Pirates.

As a time traveler, he already knew her character all too well—selfish, cruel, violent, and domineering.

To her, her children were nothing more than tools for achieving her ambitions. If one of them failed or displeased her, she wouldn't hesitate to discard them, even to the point of killing them if her infamous food cravings took over.

But Wilhelm didn't care. He never saw her as his real mother anyway.

For him, the Charlotte family was simply a stepping stone—a means to grow stronger, faster.

He had trained relentlessly over the years, never wasting a moment. To secure his freedom and ensure he would never become someone else's pawn, he needed power—absolute power.

And if the day came when their interests clashed, Wilhelm wouldn't hesitate. If tearing down Big Mom and seizing the power of the entire Charlotte family was what it took to secure his destiny, so be it.

After all, a true man was not born to live beneath others. He would carve his own path, no matter the cost.

Wilhelm murmured to himself, "Time to use the Transfer-Transfer Fruit... Transfer the healing ability of this Devil Fruit to Tenseiga."

The Transfer-Transfer Fruit was a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit that Wilhelm had stumbled upon years ago while training on a beast-filled island.

Its power was nothing short of extraordinary—an ability that defied logic and could be considered a game-breaking "bug."

This fruit granted him the capability to transfer himself or any target to another location within his line of sight, or even within the range of his Observation Haki. He could exchange his position with a target, or even switch two entirely different targets' positions.

In terms of spatial manipulation, it was nearly unstoppable.

If his opponent's Haki wasn't strong enough or they let their guard down, Wilhelm could even throw them into the sea—a devastating counter to most Devil Fruit users.

Of course, the Transfer-Transfer Fruit had its limitations. The distance he could transfer was finite and expanded only as his strength grew. Otherwise, Wilhelm mused, it would be absurdly overpowered—he could throw his enemies into the sun or the moon, both technically within his line of sight.

But even with its restrictions, the Transfer-Transfer Fruit's potential was undeniable.

Through further development of this power, Wilhelm discovered another remarkable ability: the transfer of the "devil" essence from a recently deceased Devil Fruit user into a new host.

This very power had turned his loyal mastiff, Finley, into a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user.

Finley now wielded the abilities of the Bird-Bird Fruit: Model Vulture, which Wilhelm had extracted six months ago. During his conquest of the Shade Pirates, Wilhelm had defeated and beheaded a pirate whose pet pug had consumed the fruit. Before the fruit's essence could reincarnate randomly in the world, Wilhelm had forcibly transferred it to Finley using his Transfer-Transfer Fruit.

Now, the once-ordinary mastiff had grown into a powerful beast with the vulture's form and abilities.

"Clang—!"

The ornate blade, Tenseiga, gleamed as it was unsheathed.

The blade was intricately designed, with an edge so sharp it seemed to shimmer in the air. The steel bore elegant patterns, and the hilt was adorned with colorful gemstones.

This sword was no ordinary weapon. Wilhelm had enlisted Katakuri's help to leverage the resources of the Big Mom Pirates to commission its creation. A legendary craftsman spared no effort in forging this masterpiece.

Among the 21 Great Grade Swords (Meito), Tenseiga stood near the top. Wilhelm's ultimate dream was to refine it into a black blade, elevating it to the rank of a Supreme Grade Sword (Meito).

He had named the sword Tenseiga to reflect his fierce ambition and unyielding resolve.

"I hope this works," Wilhelm muttered.

He held the elegant blade firmly and tossed the pristine Healing Fruit into the air.

With a precise strike, Tenseiga pierced through the Devil Fruit.

On the ground, Finley lay quietly, its sharp, beastly eyes fixed on the scene with a curious glint.

The mastiff watched intently, as if aware that something extraordinary was unfolding.

"Swish—"

In that instant, Wilhelm's sharp golden eyes, shimmering with a faint blue light, focused intently.

"Transfer!" he declared.

Suddenly, a holy radiance enveloped the blade of Tenseiga.

The next moment, the sword sliced effortlessly through the air.

"Chi..."

The razor-sharp edge lightly grazed Finley's right leg, leaving a shallow wound. A small amount of blood trickled out, staining the mastiff's snowy fur.

"Woof!" Finley yelped, startled. Its fur bristled as it jumped back, baring its teeth in reflex. But before it could fully react, the holy light on the blade flowed gently onto its leg.

The small wound healed almost instantly, the torn skin knitting itself together as if it had never been cut.

It was as though the injury had been nothing but an illusion.

"Woof! Woof!"

The mastiff barked, hopping around as it inspected its leg. Then, it turned toward Wilhelm with a mix of annoyance and confusion, wagging its tail while baring its teeth in mild protest.

"Don't be upset," Wilhelm chuckled, patting Finley's snow-white head affectionately. "I wasn't really trying to hurt you."

The mastiff, seemingly reassured, stopped grumbling, though it continued wagging its tail energetically.

Wilhelm turned his attention back to Tenseiga, its blade radiating a faint, divine glow that soon faded. He ran his fingers over the sword with a satisfied expression.

"It seems like it worked," he murmured, pleased with the outcome.

As the ethereal light on the sword gradually disappeared, the blade returned to its pristine, unassuming state. Nothing outwardly suggested it had changed.

"Of course, it's not the same as if the fruit had been consumed by a living being," Wilhelm admitted thoughtfully. "It will take some time and effort to unlock its full potential."

Sliding the blade back into its ornate sheath, Wilhelm's eyes burned with ambition. "The first step of the Tenseiga Project is complete. Now, it's time to move on to step two!"

In his meticulous plan, if Tenseiga could successfully "consume" the Healing Fruit, then he could advance further.

A mere healing ability wasn't enough for him.

His thoughts wandered to an infamous Devil Fruit rumored to exist—a mythical fruit said to hold the power to bridge life and death.

"The Yomi-Yomi no Mi... The fruit of the underworld, capable of reviving the dead," Wilhelm muttered to himself. "Can it truly open the gates between this world and the next?"

His lips curled into a faint, knowing smile. The ambition in his eyes grew sharper.

He was determined to find out.