There is an inseparable connection between a shadow and the body.
This connection manifests in various ways.
One such way is through the soul.
If we take the abilities of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit as a basis for judgment—
Strictly speaking, a shadow is not an individual's soul.
Judging from the way severed shadows can be implanted into zombies, it appears more akin to a copied soul.
This is precisely why Moria was able to create his zombie army.
However, in the face of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit's ability, Cavendish, who possesses a dual personality, is an exceptionally rare case.
Because—
The shadow severed from his body did not become a mere soul replica but instead served as the vessel for his other personality.
This is a unique manifestation of the soul.
Moreover, this world already contains certain Devil Fruits related to the soul.
The most representative of these is undoubtedly the Soul-Soul Fruit of Emperor Charlotte Linlin.
Additionally, there are Brook's Revive-Revive Fruit, Perona's Hollow-Hollow Fruit…
And, to some extent, the Shadow-Shadow Fruit that Maude now possesses, which is also tied to the soul in various ways.
By a twist of fate, three Devil Fruits associated with the soul have all come under Maude's control.
Of course, Maude's true objective is to explore the potential hidden within the connection between the Shadow-Shadow Fruit and the soul itself.
As for Moria's previous method of utilizing his zombie army—
Unless zombies could use Haki, Maude had no intention of wasting time and effort on such a strategy.
Moria's downfall served as a clear warning.
After all, even if one were to spend years amassing an army, sheer numbers would mean nothing against the true powerhouses of the New World.
That said, Maude wasn't entirely dismissing the idea of a zombie army.
In his view, leaving aside combat capabilities, zombies—who neither need sleep nor tire—would make for excellent laborers.
If the need arose, he wouldn't hesitate to collect more shadows to that end.
"That went smoothly."
Maude picked up a discarded, broken blade and placed it into the hands of Cavendish's alternate persona.
The inner persona of Cavendish, now possessing control, did not dare move recklessly, allowing Maude to hand him the sword.
"The Kamaitachi of Rommel, huh… I'll just call you Kamaitachi."
Maude gazed at the stiffened Kamaitachi, his eyes filled with contemplation.
His initial hypothesis had been validated.
And with that validation, new possibilities emerged.
Even if it required significant time and effort, he was willing to invest in exploring them.
The only real concern now was his mastery over the Shadow-Shadow Fruit.
If his proficiency in the fruit's abilities couldn't keep up, he wouldn't be able to test all the potential possibilities.
One step at a time…
Maude wasn't in a hurry.
He turned to Cavendish, who stood there, his gaze slightly vacant.
"Did you know? A person and their shadow share an intrinsic connection."
Cavendish was momentarily stunned, unsure how to respond.
"However…" Maude's eyes gleamed. "The shadow severed from you became the vessel for your inner persona."
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
Cavendish frowned, glancing between Maude and Kamaitachi, who remained motionless on the operating table.
Maude narrowed his eyes but did not continue the topic. Instead, he abruptly changed the subject.
"Cavendish, do you want to become stronger in a short period of time?"
Cavendish's eyes trembled.
Just minutes ago, he had resolved himself to grow stronger at any cost.
And now, Maude was presenting him with that very opportunity.
Yet, instead of eagerly agreeing, he hesitated.
"If you don't answer, I'll take that as a yes."
Even without a response, Maude could see the determination in Cavendish's eyes—a mind weighed down by pressure and the desire for power.
Cavendish took a deep breath and asked, "Can you really make me stronger in such a short time?"
"Of course."
Maude's certainty was unwavering.
Cavendish wavered before nodding. "What do I have to do?"
"Cooperate with my experiment wholeheartedly."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Maude smiled.
Cavendish agreed but inwardly scoffed.
Let's see if you don't regret this.
Maude watched his reaction and spoke seriously. "Then let's begin. First…"
Mid-sentence, Maude suddenly reached out and pressed his hand against the swordsman zombie's mouth, swiftly extracting Kamaitachi's shadow.
The zombie, deprived of its shadow, collapsed lifelessly onto the operating table.
"I need you to get some sleep."
Maude released his grip.
Freed from its restraints, Kamaitachi's shadow returned to Cavendish's body.
"Sleep?"
Despite his confusion, Cavendish obediently shut his eyes—and immediately fell asleep.
As Cavendish lost consciousness, his inner persona, Kamaitachi, took over his body and slowly opened his eyes.
The moment he saw Maude, Kamaitachi's expression twisted. He attempted to wake Cavendish, hoping to return control to him.
But Maude, already prepared, gave him no such chance—cutting the shadow away once more.
Now separated from his shadow, Kamaitachi was shocked to find that he could no longer reach out to Cavendish.
More precisely—he could no longer sense Cavendish's presence at all.
His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the shadow in Maude's hands.
Could it be…?
While Kamaitachi's gaze was fixed on the shadow, Maude was focused on Kamaitachi's eyes.
No longer pure white, his irises had transformed into golden pupils.
Maude distinctly recalled that Cavendish's eyes were blue.
But now… not only had his pupils turned golden, they also bore an extra ring in the iris.
What does this phenomenon imply?
"Interesting."
Maude's intrigue deepened.
With the concept of soul division as a foundation, the Shadow Clone Hypothesis in his mind… might actually be feasible.
A week passed in the blink of an eye.
Inside the castle's grand hall—
Candlelight flickered, illuminating a long dining table draped in a white cloth, laden with a feast prepared by Gaya.
"The captain hasn't left the dissection room in a week…"
Brook, knife and fork in hand, glanced at Lafitte seated across from him.
Upon hearing Brook's words, the others turned to Lafitte as well.
Before heading to the dissection room, Maude had not disclosed his intentions.
But if anyone knew, it would likely be Lafitte.
Under the weight of their expectant gazes, Lafitte calmly set down his soup bowl and said evenly:
"Rather than worrying about that, you should focus more on your training. The sooner you all master Haki, the sooner we can set sail for the New World."
Per Maude's orders, none of them were to enter the New World until they had all learned Haki.
Not necessarily to perfection, but at least to proficiency.
Hearing this, Brook, Philo, and Jim lowered their heads in silence.
Haki was not something one could master so easily…
Yet, if they failed to learn it, the crew wouldn't advance.
Suddenly, they felt immense pressure.
In contrast, Perona, who saw herself as a captive, had no such concerns and was happily devouring the food before her.
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