Caelan looked at Caesar, who was drenched in sweat and growing increasingly pale, and said with a smile, "Hand over the fruit Vegapunk was researching."
"Huh? You want that one? It's just a failure!"
Hearing Caelan's words, Caesar's eyes widened in disbelief.
He knew very well that Vegapunk's Devil Fruit had been labeled a failure.
That was Vegapunk's own assessnt.
"Failure? The artificial Devil Fruits you developed were all plagiarized from that "failure.'"
Caelan sneered at him.
You're still experinting with artificial Zoan-type Devil Fruits that cause users to lose all emotions except smiling. They might even endanger your life.
And after such a steep price, the abilities granted aren't even as good as standard Zoan-types. They're far inferior to Ancient or Mythical types.
The Devil Fruit Vegapunk left behind is an almost perfect replica of Kaido's Azure Dragon Fruit. The only difference is the color. Calling it a failure is absurd.
The humility of a genius isn't an excuse for others to ridicule his work.
But there was no point in explaining this to Caesar.
Caesar's twisted face flushed red with frustration. Veins bulged across his forehead as he retorted, "Plagiarism? Since when is scientific research called plagiarism? I just improved on his results! At most, I borrowed a little from him!"
Then he began rattling off phrases like "carry forward and enhance," "build on past research," and other jargon that made little sense.
This made Caelan and the others laugh. For a mont, the entire surveillance room was filled with laughter.
Compared to Caelan's calm deanor, this was the sort of chaotic energy that seed fitting for a top scientist.
After the laughter died down, Nami and the other won were once again stunned.
"Artificial Devil Fruits... There's actually technology like this?"
"That's a sacred treasure of the seas, sothing everyone desires but few ever obtain!"
"Even the most basic ones go for a hundred million Berries!"
The won looked at Caesar in disbelief.
A Devil Fruit, sothing that grants imnse power... can it really be manufactured?
For a mont, Nami and the others felt like the world had been turned upside down.
Gion, however, wasn't all that surprised. As an admiral candidate, she was already aware that Vegapunk of the Marines' scientific division had made breakthroughs in this area.
With a serious expression, Gion understood the implications more deeply.
The mass production of artificial Devil Fruits could destabilize the entire world.
Caesar Clown was already capable of mass-producing them and had even been supplying them to Doflamingo and Kaido.
With these fruits, it was possible to form an entire army of Devil Fruit users.
An army like that would be unbelievably powerful.
What made it worse was that Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, had partnered with Kaido, one of the Four Emperors, and delivered these artificial fruits to him.
She didn't even dare to imagine what soone as battle-crazed as Kaido would do with an army like that.
Fortunately, they had found Caesar early. There was still ti to stop it.
"Heh, now you realize just how amazing I am, huh?"
Caesar noticed the shocked expressions of the won and felt secretly pleased.
Compared to Caelan's cold indifference, the people around him clearly understood his brilliance.
"Caesar, hand over Vegapunk's fruit."
Caelan stared at Caesar and spoke in a firm voice.
"I... I put that Devil Fruit in my lab. I can go retrieve it for you!"
Startled out of his smugness, Caesar cautiously offered.
"No need. Just tell where it is."
Caelan imdiately turned him down.
He had no intention of letting Caesar play any tricks.
"It's in Lab 302, Building A. You can monitor it from here."
Left with no other choice, Caesar told him honestly.
"Alright, got it." Caelan nodded slightly, then looked at Gion. "Go retrieve it."
"Fine, I'm on it."
Gion rolled her eyes but left anyway.
She already suspected that the Devil Fruit Caelan wanted was probably ant for Kalifa.
Did he send her so Kalifa couldn't deny it later?
"By the way, do you have any artificial Devil Fruits stored here?"
Caelan asked Caesar again.
He had no use for them himself, but they could fetch a high price.
"Yes, in the storage room on the second floor of Building B."
"There are five of them. All newly made. They haven't been handed over to Doflamingo yet."
Caesar answered truthfully.
At that mont, Monet beca flustered and quickly interjected, "Those are important resources that our young master intends to trade with Kaido! If you take them, it'll bring trouble!"
Those fruits were part of a crucial deal with Kaido. If taken, her young master would be in serious danger.
"Oh." Caelan nodded casually, then turned and said, "Tashigi, Kalifa, you two go get them."
He wasn't just taking the Devil Fruits. He was taking Caesar Clown too.
"Understood."
Tashigi and Kalifa nodded and quickly left.
Are the Seven Warlords of the Sea really that powerful?
So far, Caelan had defeated Crocodile, subdued Gecko Moria, and won over Empress Hancock. Sea Knight Jinbe and Fish-Man Island had also joined his forces.
That ant four of the Seven Warlords had already been dealt with. What was one more Doflamingo?
As for Kaido, one of the Four Emperors, he was indeed a threat worthy of caution.
But since Caelan had already made up his mind, they would support him unconditionally.
"You, you people…"
Monet watched as Nami and Vivi walked off, her heart burning with anger.
These people didn't take her young master seriously at all.
She wanted to fight back for her young master's dignity, but she felt utterly powerless.
In the face of this new emperor, the young master she had always admired seed so small and helpless.
"Tashigi, Gion, check around and see if this great scientist has any other valuable things stashed away."
Caelan instructed them again.
"Alright, we'll get on it."
Nami nodded with a serious look and left with Vivi.
It really was worth searching this base carefully. Who knows what other treasures might be hidden here?
(To be continued.)
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