~ Support & Read 15 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!
❁❁❁❁
Gild Tesoro had finally achieved his heart's desire. The Gold-Gold Fruit—the stuff of his dreams—was in his grasp. He was in a state of euphoric delirium, his uncontrollable, maniacal laughter piercing through the wall and echoing onto the auction stage next door.
After a bout of wild laughter, he slowly regained his composure. He glanced around, scanning the room for an escape route. Moments later, clutching the chest containing the remaining two Devil Fruits, Tesoro vaulted through the window.
CRASH!
Glass shattered everywhere. Tesoro tucked his body into a roll as he hit the ground, fleeing the auction house. He identified the route to the port and vanished into the crowd.
In his current state, he knew he stood no chance against the Donquixote Family.
————————————
Back in the main hall, Doflamingo, who was hosting the auction, heard the massive commotion instantly. His expression, previously beaming with high spirits, turned ice-cold.
Without hesitation, he abandoned the auction and sprinted toward the backstage area.
"What the hell is this? Hey, Donquixote!"
"Bring out the Devil Fruits, damn it!"
"Are you playing us? Joker..."
The pirates, who had come specifically to bid on the Devil Fruits, flew into a rage. Feeling scammed, the crowd began to riot. The auction hall descended into absolute chaos—blades were drawn, people screamed, and feet stampeded. Some, unable to contain their fury, started killing right then and there.
Doflamingo couldn't care less about what was happening in the hall. They were just jumping clowns; sooner or later, they'd come crawling back to him. He didn't need to waste energy on them.
He rushed backstage.
The storage room was a wreck. The young members of the Donquixote Family—Baby-5, Law, and the others—were vomiting blood and lying unconscious on the floor. The intruder who had been laughing was gone, and the three finale Devil Fruits had vanished into thin air.
"Fuffuffuffuffuffuffu—"
Doflamingo clutched his forehead, a dark, cruel laugh escaping his throat.
"Whoever you are... no matter where you run..."
————————————
Punk Hazard, Vegapunk's Laboratory.
By now, Punk Hazard had been relocated to the center of the Thunder God Sea, adjacent to Raijin Island. The base of the Thunder God War Fortress had been moved by the giants to the border between the second and third rings to save time on transporting ore from the mining islands.
Consequently, Punk Hazard was currently vast and empty. After extensive renovations, the island possessed a heavy futuristic aesthetic, giving one the feeling of stepping into a sci-fi world.
Two Months Later.
Inside the laboratory, Arthur and Dr. Vegapunk were glued to a virtual screen next to a high-powered electron microscope.
The screen displayed electrons, magnified countless times, orbiting a nucleus in their predetermined paths.
"The Plasma Cannon was so easy to pull off. Why is colliding positrons and electrons so difficult this time?" Arthur asked without turning his head.
"Creating plasma doesn't require complex ionization; of course it's simple! But you can only control the electrons you release, not the electrons inherently found in other matter. I have to attempt this step manually—naturally, it's difficult!"
Vegapunk's fingers flew across the controls of his machinery. Intense heat stripped the electrons from the nucleus once again.
Microscopic experiments were incredibly dangerous. When Arthur first learned of this concept a year ago, he had wanted to attempt it himself immediately. Naturally, he was stopped.
Throughout history, countless scientists had died from improper handling, poor research environments, or reckless testing.
When Arthur insisted on trying, Vegapunk had merely made a dry comment about the risks. Arthur immediately abandoned the idea of self-experimentation.
To die in the process of developing his own Devil Fruit ability? That would be more shocking to the world than becoming the ruler of the New World. He would go down in history as a cautionary tale—a textbook example of "what not to do."
"Quiet. It's starting!"
Vegapunk's hands moved like a blur, operating the machinery with a speed that left Arthur completely lost in the technical complexity.
Time ticked by. Vegapunk was drenched in sweat, but he didn't stop.
The ionized electrons appeared on the massive screen to the side. Their trajectories were adjusted, forcing them onto a collision course along the same line.
"The hardest step is done. Now, let's see... exactly what kind of sparks fly when positrons and electrons collide!!"
With the results imminent, Vegapunk lost his cool demeanor, looking every bit the mad scientist with a face full of feverish anticipation.
Two microscopic "dots" moved like tadpoles on the screen. Under his control, they slammed into each other.
There was no sound.
The image on the screen suddenly turned pitch black. The colliding electrons seemed to be erased by an invisible force... completely annihilated!
And then...
"LOOK OUT!!!"
Standing to the side, Arthur's heart skipped a beat. A sense of impending doom washed over him, making his skin crawl.
He didn't hesitate. Acting on pure instinct, he grabbed Vegapunk and bolted out of the laboratory at top speed.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
A terrifying explosion, delayed by a fraction of a second, engulfed the laboratory.
From the "dark" zone where the positrons and electrons had annihilated each other, a blinding white light erupted. Energy was created from nothing, unleashing a horrific shockwave that tore through reality.
The laboratory was obliterated instantly by the impact.
Arthur, having dragged Vegapunk to safety, looked back at the spot where the electronics lab used to be. It was gone. Completely erased.
Even he felt a lingering fear in his chest.
"Did it fail?" he asked uncertainly.
"No. The consequences exceeded my expectations, but it was undoubtedly a success!" Vegapunk grinned brilliantly, showing absolutely no sign of fear despite nearly dying.
"Is this the result of positron-electron collision? Annihilation converting into light, energy, and radiation? The lab disappeared because its atomic structure collapsed..."
"Atomic collapse?" Arthur frowned. He was incredibly glad he had listened to Vegapunk and hadn't tried this blindly. Otherwise, he really would have died in the pursuit of science.
The energy released at close range caused atoms to break down. If Arthur hadn't been careful, the word "Death" would have been stamped across his forehead.
"Using positrons as a weapon to annihilate negative electrons, releasing destructive energy to achieve total erasure... I'll call this move—the Positron Cannon!!"
Arthur shifted his gaze from the annihilated ruins of the lab, a headache forming. "But, this Positron Cannon is a double-edged sword. It kills the enemy, but the atomic collapse could easily kill me too if I'm not careful..."
No one wants to die by their own attack. That would be the ultimate humiliation.
"No, your thinking is still stuck in the laboratory parameters. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit isn't a close-range experiment. Even if the lightning you blast out lands a hundred miles away, you can control it freely!"
Vegapunk glanced at Arthur calmly. "With this attack... you truly are invincible now, aren't you?"
"Wahahahaha!"
Arthur threw his head back and laughed with supreme arrogance.
"Invincible... who else but me?!"
❁❁❁❁
~ 15 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)