Pirates: I Rely Only on Myself

Following the same process, Noah swiftly transformed Barton into a tarot card Apostle.

However, unlike Brian, Barton wasn't part of the Minor Arcana—he was a Major Arcana card.

His card was The Devil: Pan Barton.

The creation of tarot card Apostles, as well as the materials used for them, wasn't random. There had to be an underlying connection between the card and the individual chosen.

For instance, Brian became the Page of Wands because his Leopard-Cat Devil Fruit matched the card's mischievous, energetic nature. The two were compatible.

Similarly, Barton's Exchange Fruit aligned with the symbolism of The Devil—a figure representing deception and manipulation, much like Barton's use of deals to trick and gain power, just like a devil making pacts with mortals.

Noah watched Barton with a satisfied look.

Over the years, Barton had gathered a vast amount of life force, though this didn't significantly extend his lifespan.

A person's lifespan is determined by their genes. Even though Barton absorbed the life force of thousands of people, his maximum lifespan only stretched to 200 years. Beyond that, it couldn't increase any further.

This was because 200 years is the natural limit for human lifespan.

It's like a bottle—life force is like the water inside. No matter how much water you pour in, the bottle's capacity doesn't change. And as time passes, the bottle itself weakens, holding less and less water.

To extend that limit, one would need to alter their genetic makeup—a feat that only the Op-Op Fruit could achieve.

Still, the life force Barton had stored was incredibly valuable.

It could replace his own energy during training and help heal injuries quickly.

Without this, Barton would never have risen from a weakling who couldn't take a single punch from Sakazuki to an elite vice-admiral-level fighter in just five years.

Barton was already 43, and he'd only had the Exchange Fruit for eight years.

There were also other hidden uses of the Exchange Fruit that even his subordinates, like Luden, didn't know about.

For example, if the person Barton made a deal with died, Barton could take not only their organs and life force, but also their memories.

This was how Barton had learned techniques like the Eight-Pulse Fist, Navy's Six Powers, Haki, and Life Return—by killing a member of the Happo Navy and two fallen Navy officers. He'd absorbed their knowledge through the Exchange Fruit.

"Barton, sell me some of your life force," Noah instructed.

"Of course, Master. The price is one silver coin," Barton replied.

As Noah handed Barton a silver coin, a surge of life force flowed out of Barton's body and into Noah's.

Instantly, Noah felt his hidden injuries and fatigue melt away, as if his body had been rejuvenated by fresh energy. His old wounds began healing, and the tiredness he'd felt vanished.

This single portion of life force was equal to about ten years of a normal person's lifespan.

Through his Observation Haki, Noah could feel every cell in his body rejoicing. Despite all his training, Noah had built up many hidden injuries over time—injuries that only proper care and knowledge could have prevented.

This was a common problem for many newly rising powers.

The Navy and the World Government had held power over the seas for 800 years not just through strength, but because of their deep traditions and resources.

Take Whitebeard, for example. In his youth, he was terrifyingly powerful. But as he aged, the damage caused by the Tremor-Tremor Fruit took a toll on his body, weakening him.

Had Whitebeard been part of the Navy or the World Government, his body would've been cared for with advanced medical techniques, allowing him to maintain his peak condition for at least another decade.

Now, thanks to Barton's stored life force, Noah and his crew could train without worrying about wearing themselves down.

But training could wait. There was something more urgent to deal with.

Noah gathered everyone.

Once they were seated, Noah explained his next plan.

It was simple: they would continue with Barton's original plan to take over the kingdom, but with a few changes. Noah would take control of the plan.

After all, Barton was now the "hero" of Rum Kingdom. The fake king was under his control, and Prime Minister Powell was already a prisoner.

Originally, Barton's plan had been to stage a pirate attack on the fake king while he was on the way to Mary Geoise for a meeting, then take the throne himself.

But when Noah reviewed the plan, he spotted some issues.

The first problem was that the Navy from East Blue was responsible for escorting the fake king to Mary Geoise. If they were unlucky, they might encounter Garp, who could be visiting family nearby.

The second problem was that, while the king was a fake, nobody else knew that. If the pirates attacked and the king used a Den Den Mushi to call the World Government, Barton's entire plan would collapse, or worse, someone else might benefit from the chaos.

The third problem was that even though the fake king was unpopular and Barton had the reputation of a hero, there were still other nobles in Rum Kingdom. They wouldn't be happy to see an outsider take the throne.

So, killing the fake king wasn't the best option.

Noah's plan was much simpler.

Soon, the crew sprang into action.

Inside the palace, the fake king—though usually indulging in luxury—always kept a Den Den Mushi hidden in his sleeve, prepared to go down fighting if necessary.

But Noah didn't follow the usual playbook.

Using Barton's spies in the palace, Lilith and Ari dug a tunnel straight into the fake king's bathroom, sneaking in without alerting anyone.

Just as the fake king entered the bathroom, Lilith knocked him unconscious before he could react.

In the next moment, Ari transported the fake king to their underground lab, where Noah and Ari worked together to remove a portion of the king's frontal lobe. Then, they woke him up.

"Uncle, are you ready?" Noah asked Joseph.

Joseph nodded. "I'm ready, Noah."

"Barton, let's start. Quick and clean," Noah said.

Barton looked at the dazed fake king. "Give me your face, and I'll give you your original face back."

"Alright," the fake king agreed without hesitation.

"Exchange successful!" Barton announced.

In an instant, a balance scale appeared in Barton's hand. The fake king's face returned to its original form, while Barton gained the fake king's face.

Then, Barton transferred the fake king's face to Joseph.

Joseph's build was similar to the fake king's, except Joseph was 27 centimeters taller.

In the past, Joseph wouldn't have been able to pass as the fake king because of the height difference. But now, he could. Barton not only gave Joseph the king's face but also transferred the Life Return technique.

This special memory exchange didn't cause Barton to lose his own ability to use Life Return, but it was a technique he had never shared with his subordinates due to his paranoia.

Joseph used Life Return to adjust his body, shrinking his height until he looked exactly like the fake king.

The final step was to exchange the fake king's memories and give them to Joseph.