Having successfully evacuated from Punk Hazard, Noah and his team traveled deep into the Sea of Mist, settling on a desolate island surrounded by abandoned mines and navy outposts. Here, taking advantage of the navy's lack of surveillance within, Noah established a secret underground base.
Inside the hidden base, Ari had just arrived from Sky Island, bringing along Caesar Clown and Rear Admiral Beta to undergo transformation. With Noah's infusion of card spirits, two new Apostles emerged before him:
The Magician: Caesar Clown (Gas Fruit)The Sun: Beta (Heat Fruit)
Rear Admiral Beta, originally a master of martial arts without any Devil Fruit powers, was given the Heat Fruit by Noah. After all, the "Sun" card could only be paired with powers from the Flame-Flame Fruit, Nika Fruit, Heat Fruit, or Heat Body Fruit. Since the Flame-Flame and Heat Body Fruits had already been consumed by family members, the Heat Fruit was the best available option, as the Nika Fruit's whereabouts remained unknown.
With Beta's transformation, Noah's collection of Major Arcana Apostles had reached eleven, advancing the Card Fruit's awakening progress to 50%. The Apostles now included:
The Emperor: Shiki (Float-Float Fruit)Strength: Bartholomew Kuma (Steel Fruit)The Devil: Barton (Swap-Swap Fruit)The Reaper: Mushuru (Mushroom-Mushroom Fruit)Justice: Gairam (Cube-Cube Fruit)The World: Bege (Castle-Castle Fruit)The Chariot: Dalia (Weapon-Weapon Fruit)Temperance: Syl (Slow-Slow Fruit)The Hermit: Hanover (Corrosion Fruit)The Magician: Caesar (Gas Fruit)The Sun: Beta (Heat Fruit)
These Apostles could act independently, gaining strength through their own training, and could also lend their abilities to Noah. However, some Apostles, like Shiki, who had already reached Admiral-level strength, had essentially maxed out their potential.
Each Apostle also had unique roles within Noah's strategy. For instance, Caesar's primary role was scientific research, compensating for the family's lack of top-tier scientists. Barton supplied life force, Gairam fortified infrastructure, Bege recovered Devil Fruits, Bartholomew enhanced Noah's physical abilities, Mushuru focused on microbiology and pharmacology, Dalia handled weapons replication, Syl granted Noah control skills, Hanover provided destructive power, Beta served as a military instructor, and Shiki represented strategic might.
At 50% awakening, the Card Fruit revealed new capabilities to Noah. He took out a blank card, channeling some of Syl's power to imbue it with the ability to slow down time. Soon, a new card emerged:
Magic Card: Slow Beam
The card was still incomplete, so Noah refined its rules:
Usable by Non-Ability Users: Non-ability users could activate the card by dropping their blood onto it as a sign of ownership. Activation Command: The user could silently recite "Activate" to trigger the card's ability. Single-Use Card: The card would self-destruct after one use, making it a single-use item. Primary Authority: Noah retained supreme control over the card.
Noah called in Kuro and handed him the card. After Kuro established ownership through a blood bond, he activated it with a thought. A pink beam shot from his palm, striking Akinu nearby, who instantly fell into an extreme slow-motion state.
Noah evaluated the card's effectiveness. "It's identical to Syl's Slow Beam—30 seconds of slowed time."
Satisfied, Noah continued producing additional magic cards, such as:
Magic Card: Float Power, Magic Card: Corrosion Aura. Magic Card: Metallic Hydrogen Cube. Magic Card: Escape Path
The Escape Path card was particularly valuable, utilizing the Castle-Castle Fruit's power. When activated, it pulled the user directly into the castle space, which existed within either Noah or Bege. This meant that with a single use of the card, a person could instantly retreat to the safety of the castle space and be released from there. In effect, it was a one-time "return to base" function, invaluable for brewery agents conducting intelligence operations in the field.
Noah immediately summoned Ari, instructing him to bring all brewery squad members back to equip them with magic cards, especially the Escape Path card, which would be standard issue for all members. Until now, the brewery's intelligence efforts had focused primarily on collecting public information and listening in on Den Den Mushi calls, avoiding undercover investigations to reduce exposure and prevent leaks of information about the Noah Family and the Land of Dawn. But with these cards, Noah could finally operate without worry.
To further secure his agents, Noah created two versions of the Escape Path card. The first was a standard version, while the second was tied to the user's life force, similar to a Vivre Card. If the user sustained a serious injury, the card would activate automatically, pulling them into the castle space. This ensured that, in case of an overwhelming enemy, agents could still rely on the escape card even if they were severely injured.
Additionally, Noah produced Magic Card: Life Infusion using Barton's life force, providing a one-time boost of ten years' worth of life force. Like the Escape Path card, it came in two versions.
These cards significantly elevated the Noah Family's capabilities. With a complete set of magic cards, agents essentially wielded a portion of Noah's own power.
Creating these magic cards only cost Noah his stamina, and he could even draw on Barton's life force to produce them, allowing him to manufacture a vast number of cards. Against enemies below the rank of Vice Admiral, Noah could defeat them almost instantly. For Devil Fruit users, his diverse abilities made him especially dangerous upon first encounters.
Equipped with magic cards, brewery agents could operate securely, as long as they didn't encounter Admiral-level enemies.
However, the family's cautious nature, instilled by Noah's own careful approach, ensured that they acted prudently. The brewery's intelligence agents, in particular, were trained to be extremely vigilant, which was one reason why, after three years of global operations, they had never been compromised.
Another safeguard was Mary, the head of the Inspectorate. To prevent any internal betrayal, she periodically re-evaluated field agents to catch any shifts in loyalty. Moreover, Noah utilized the resonance of his Conqueror's Haki during his travels to periodically assess agents stationed along his route.
These stringent measures maintained the loyalty and secrecy of the brewery.
With these new enhancements, the brewery's strength had reached a new level, enabling them to handle a wide range of unexpected challenges.