Sakazuki ordered, "Use the Ripe-Ripe Fruit ability on her."
The Seraphim nodded and raised its large hand, pressing it against Pudding's back as she struggled.
With her neck gripped tight, her face flushed red, and her pupils shrank as she felt a surge of power flooding through her body. Yet she could do nothing against the hand choking her.
Through his grip, Sakazuki could sense the rapid growth of Pudding's aura and condition. He gave a slight nod, then took out an enhanced nutrient solution and injected it into her body.
With the Ripe-Ripe Fruit ability combined with the optimized serum, Pudding's aura surged instantly and continued to rise at a rapid pace. Sakazuki, meanwhile, injected the remaining doses one after another.
The third eye that had been gouged out began to regrow. It reformed completely, now carrying a strange, mysterious quality.
After a short while, Pudding's appearance changed, and the young girl now looked more mature.
Sakazuki observed her aura, then spoke to the Seraphim. "Stop."
He released his grip and tossed her to the ground.
"Has the Three-Eye Tribe ability awakened?"
Freed so suddenly, Pudding gasped for air like someone rescued from drowning. Hearing the question, her body trembled in fear as she answered, "It… it has awakened…"
The change in her third eye could not be hidden. Even if she lied, he would not believe it. It was better to be honest.
Sakazuki nodded. "What about the Devil Fruit ability?"
She sensed it briefly, her voice shaking.
"No…"
His brows furrowed slightly. "Not awakened…"
The Ripe-Ripe Fruit combined with the enhanced serum had increased Pudding's power several times over, bringing her to the level of a Marine Vice Admiral. Even her lost eye had regrown and awakened. Turning a young girl into a combat force of that level in such a short time was impressive, but that had never been Sakazuki's true goal.
He wanted to see if the Ripe-Ripe Fruit, paired with the optimized serum, could force a Devil Fruit user into awakening through sheer accumulation of energy.
After all, there was a certain brat whom Red Hair had high hopes for. His growth time was too short. The plan had been to capture him, force his growth, and throw him into Mariejois to observe the results.
But now it was clear that the attempt had failed.
It seemed he would have to consult Vegapunk again.
Sakazuki shook his head, then bent down and grabbed Pudding by the neck once more, lifting her limp body.
In the silent prison, his low voice echoed, sending chills through the air.
"An awakened Three-Eye Tribe…"
His left hand moved slightly.
Crack, crack, crack…
A series of crisp sounds rang out. All the bones in Pudding's body were dislocated by his force, and she lost consciousness.
Sakazuki raised his right hand.
Pfft!
The newly awakened eye was gouged out once again.
He tossed Pudding to Carlo. "Lock her up. Don't let her die."
Holding the unconscious girl, Carlo sighed helplessly. "Understood."
As expected of Fleet Admiral Sakazuki…
He put Pudding back into the cell, fastened the Seastone chains onto her again, then vanished in a flash. When he reappeared, he held a tube of nutrient solution and injected it into her unconscious body. The wound where the third eye had been gouged out slowly began to heal, her aura gradually stabilized, ensuring she would not die.
Sakazuki's fingers moved slightly as he spun the extracted eye at his fingertips, then let out a faint chuckle. "Preserve this eye. Destroy all its components and turn it into a specimen."
He tossed the eye to Carlo. "Send it to Big Mom."
The Three-Eye Tribe she had placed all her hopes on had finally awakened. Unfortunately, she would gain nothing from it.
Smack!
Carlo raised his hand and caught the eye, which still carried a strange, mysterious quality, then smiled.
"Understood."
Killing the heart before killing the body…
* * *
New World, Egghead Island.
Inside the secret laboratory above the clouds, Vegapunk was speaking with Sakazuki through a large screen.
After listening to his idea and explanation, he frowned and said, "The idea is good, but Paramecia-type Devil Fruits all involve certain rules. Trying to force an awakening through pure energy accumulation is unrealistic. With current technology, those rules cannot be analyzed.
"To artificially induce awakening, we would need to fully understand and decode the nature of Devil Fruit abilities. Only then can we apply the right method to trigger it."
He paused, then seemed to gain a bit of inspiration. "However… Zoan types might work."
Among the three types of Devil Fruits, Zoans were the easiest to replicate and the simplest to analyze. Their strength lay in physical power, or more precisely, energy.
"If we use the Ripe-Ripe Fruit along with nutrient solutions, it may be possible to push a Zoan user into awakening without side effects. But the amount of nutrient solution required would be enormous. The cost would be too high. It's not very efficient."
On the other side of the screen, inside the Fleet Admiral's office, Sakazuki narrowed his eyes.
"Zoan types…"
* * *
New World, the frontline near Whole Cake Island.
Inside the Marine base, Zephyr and Garp were both stationed here. Although they had not seen each other for a long time, and there had been some disagreements in the past involving Sakazuki and Sengoku, they were still comrades from the same generation. Seeing each other again brought a sense of familiarity.
Garp stuffed donuts into his mouth while laughing loudly. "Bwahahaha! Why did you suddenly come here? Not willing to admit you're old yet, Zephyr?"
Zephyr snorted lightly, the corner of his mouth lifting. "You're older than me, aren't you? If you haven't admitted it, why should I? I am 'Black Arm' Zephyr."
That title once struck fear into the hearts of pirates across the seas.
Garp's mouth was still full of donuts as he laughed. "Bwahahaha!"
Boom!
A thunderous roar suddenly echoed outside. The two exchanged a glance and stepped out of the building.
Garp looked completely unconcerned, still chewing his donuts.
Crunch, crunch…
"Is that lunatic acting up again?"
* * *
From within Whole Cake Island, a powerful burst of Conqueror's Haki and killing intent erupted. Even from across the sea, the Marine base could feel it.
Big Mom's furious roar spread across the island.
"SAKAZUKI!!!"
Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar eye specimen in her hand, she nearly lost control.
An awakened Three-Eye Tribe eye… hatred surged within her…
* * *
At the Marine base across the sea from Whole Cake Island, the two men could sense Big Mom's furious aura rising from the island, along with the faint echo of the name "Sakazuki."
Both Zephyr and Garp wore strange expressions.
Good grief… what had Sakazuki done this time to make Big Mom this angry?
Garp chewed on his donut as he spoke. "Looks like a big fight is about to start. You came at just the right time."
The corner of Zephyr's mouth lifted as a long-lost surge of fighting spirit rose within him.
"Yeah…"
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