One Piece: Investing In Whitebeard At The Start.

I Posted chapter 42 twice, so this is meant to be an additional chapter.

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The Fruit of Life — an ability tied to the field of vitality.

According to the legend recorded in the diary, the power of the Life Fruit could grant immortality. Eternal youth? Immunity to disease? Even resurrection?

If that was true, Vane felt its potential was beyond comprehension. Compared to it, the Ope Ope no Mi seemed underwhelming. The Life Fruit had to contain possibilities far beyond what was written.

After all, the highest level of Devil Fruit mastery was Awakening.

Vane deeply desired an ability within the realm of life itself—but not just any Life Fruit. He wanted one perfected, one that surpassed this world's natural limits.

His mind wandered restlessly with the idea.

Suddenly, a thought struck him.

"[System, can I invest in the Fruit of Life? For example, if the ability of the Life Fruit could transcend this world's limits and evolve into something higher, can that be invested in?]"

His Investment System was meant for dimensional powerhouses. But could it only invest in characters?

The system replied in a mechanical tone: "[Insufficient permissions. A Level 1 system cannot access that function.]"

"Level 1? So there's a more advanced version?"

"[Yes. To upgrade to Level 2, the host must invest in at least three characters, with a minimum investment duration of 100 years each.]"

Level 2... which meant more authority.

Vane had invested in two characters so far: Yamamoto Genryūsai and Whitebeard. Yamamoto had a 50-year investment, and Whitebeard 40 years. That meant Vane still needed 10 more years of cumulative investment—and one more character.

"I'll invest in another tomorrow. It's Saturday."

The next test for dimensional characters wouldn't be until Monday. Today was just Saturday.

So, he had to wait.

"Sir, why do you need so many Devil Fruits?" Kalifa asked, genuinely curious. Right now, they had a lot of Devil Fruits aboard the ship.

Was Vane planning to recruit new crew members?

If so, Kalifa didn't like it. That would mean less time alone with him. When she cooked, she only prepared meals for Vane—she didn't even want to think about others.

"I'm not sure yet. I might sell them later. Maybe even auction them off at Sabaody Archipelago—the starting price of a Devil Fruit is 100 million Berries," he answered casually.

It was a lie. Even though Kalifa had become one of his closest confidants—and even his woman—there were still secrets he kept to himself.

"Oh, I see," Kalifa replied, satisfied. It seemed she was reassured that no new people were coming aboard.

The next day, Sunday, passed.

Vane continued familiarizing himself with the Blade of Fire, while Kalifa focused on mastering her Devil Fruit. She was diligent—she had earned her spot in CP9 through sheer merit, rising above countless others.

Now, she poured the same effort into refining her Goro Goro no Mi abilities.

That night, just after midnight—technically Monday—

As Vane prepared to activate the system, Kalifa quietly opened the door. She tiptoed in to check whether Vane was covered with his blanket.

This woman…

He pretended to sleep. She gently tapped his forehead, then left two minutes later.

Vane rubbed his forehead with a faint smirk.

"[System, begin dimensional character detection.]"

"[Ding! Detecting dimensional characters. Please wait…]"

Ten seconds later—

"[Ding! Dimensional character detection complete. This time, detected characters: One Punch Man World – Bald Demon King Saitama. Akame ga Kill World – Ice General Esdeath.]"

Saitama and Esdeath.

Vane didn't hesitate. Saitama. This man could obliterate planets with a single serious punch. What if he got even more serious? His strength was absolute. Overwhelming. Limitless.

Esdeath was strong too—her Ice was impressive—but nowhere near Saitama's tier. Saitama was godlike, with limitless growth.

"[System, I choose to invest in Saitama.]"

"[Are you sure you want to invest in Saitama from One Punch Man?]"

"Confirm."

"[Investing in Saitama requires nine Devil Fruits. Please pay.]"

"Nine?!"

Vane sat upright. He hadn't expected the price to be so high. Last time, Yamamoto only required four.

Why did Saitama cost so much?

"[Due to the character's infinite potential and unmatched power, Saitama's base investment cost is nine Devil Fruits. Costs may increase for characters with further unlocked potential.]"

Vane fell silent, thinking it over.

It made sense. Saitama was like a Saiyan without limits. Still, nine was steep.

"…I guess I can't invest in him for now."

Disappointed but realistic, Vane knew he had other priorities. He still needed to invest in the Fruit of Life. If he could transcend the world's boundaries through that, gaining eternal youth and immortality, it could reshape everything.

"In that case, I'll invest in Esdeath instead."

"[Are you sure you want to invest in Ice General Esdeath?]"

"Confirm."

"[Investment in Esdeath requires two Devil Fruits. Please pay.]"

Two was manageable.

Vane retrieved two Devil Fruits he had obtained from Skypiea, stored beneath his bed. Upon confirmation, the fruits vanished into thin air.

"[Ding! Investment in Ice General Esdeath complete.]"

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