At noon the next day, the Wind Rider arrived at Punk Hazard.
The current Punk Hazard was no longer the island of ice and fire left behind after the battle between Aokiji and Akainu.
Instead, withered yellow woods covered the terrain, shrouded in a faint, toxic fog.
All the creatures on the island appeared sickly, exuding a deathly aura.
"What a terrifying island…"
The mermaid girls stared at the desolate landscape before them with fear.
The Punk Hazard in front of them looked more like a graveyard, radiating a foreboding atmosphere.
"This is the result of Caesar Clown's research. When the explosion happened, even though the scientific team wore protective suits, many still died. Afterward, the entire island was blanketed in poisonous gas, which was lethal to humans."
"And that was just an unfinished version. According to Navy archives, Caesar Clown's completed version could kill all living things instantly, without giving them any time to react."
"It's precisely because of how cruel and inhumane these weapons were that Vegapunk shut down Caesar's experiments."
Gion explained with a serious expression.
"How awful…"
The mermaid girls trembled in fear.
If something like that were to be released on Fish-Man Island, the entire place would be annihilated.
"So, do you still believe there's treasure here?"
Gion turned to look at Caelan.
"Is there or isn't there? Why don't we take a look?"
Caelan didn't argue. He let the facts speak for themselves.
Everything that had happened at Punk Hazard was just as Gion described.
But she didn't know what had happened afterward.
After Caesar Clown escaped, he secretly returned to Punk Hazard and used it as his hidden laboratory, banking on the logic of hiding in plain sight.
He also accidentally discovered an artificial Devil Fruit left behind by Vegapunk and used it to develop his own artificial Devil Fruit technology.
Through that, he established a partnership with Doflamingo and provided a steady supply of artificial Zoan-type Devil Fruits to the Beasts Pirates.
This twisted scientist was the key link between Kaido of the Four Emperors and Doflamingo.
What Punk Hazard truly concealed was of immeasurable value—enough to shake the entire underworld.
And Caelan knew all of it.
He glanced at Gion again, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
There was no way he'd lose this bet.
"Tch."
Gion scoffed, suited up in her protective gear, and turned to disembark, leaving only a proud figure behind.
Caelan wasn't annoyed. In fact, he found it amusing.
The more confident she was now, the worse her defeat would be later.
"Let's go too."
Caelan said to the women.
Due to the poison gas hazard on Punk Hazard, he didn't bring many people with him.
Only Nami, Vivi, Tashigi, and Kalifa accompanied him. They would help collect the necessary items later.
The rest of the women, including Hancock, stayed on the ship.
The women nodded and began putting on their protective suits.
Caelan, however, went without gear. This level of poison gas meant nothing to his heroic body.
Soon, they set foot on the island.
In reality, it wasn't as bad as it looked.
The poisonous fog was thinning, and faint green sprouts had begun to emerge among the withered yellow trees.
"Something's off."
Gion's expression turned serious, sensing something wrong.
"What is it?"
Nami asked curiously.
"According to Navy reports, the toxic gas here should take at least ten years to dissipate. But the concentration is way too low. Someone must have tampered with it."
"Whoever could do that isn't just anyone."
Gion explained patiently, then glanced at Caelan out of the corner of her eye.
At that moment, everyone turned to look in one direction.
"Who's there?!"
Several teams of armed figures appeared, clad in green hazmat suits, their limbs equipped with mechanical enhancements. They shouted upon spotting Caelan's group.
Buzz—
Caelan's gaze sharpened.
These must be the patrol guards, but he had no time to waste with small fry.
The next moment, his Conqueror's Haki burst forth.
A mighty pressure surged outward, crackling with purple-black lightning.
Instantly, all the fully armed guards began foaming at the mouth and collapsed unconscious.
Caelan didn't stop there.
His powerful Haki spread across the entire island, skillfully avoiding Nami and the other women nearby.
Snakes, rats, insects, and mutated creatures that had adapted to the poisonous gas, along with several guarding dinosaurs, were all rendered unconscious in seconds.
Even within the thick walls of the experimental base, hundreds of researchers fainted on the spot.
Moments later, when his Observation Haki confirmed that the entire island had gone still, Caelan finally withdrew his Conqueror's Haki.
"Whew. Peace again."
The women beside him slowly came back to their senses. Although Caelan had intentionally spared them from the direct impact, the residual pressure still weighed heavily on them, like a massive stone pressing down on their chests.
This guy… has gotten even stronger.
Gion glanced at Caelan, her thoughts uneasy.
This level of Conqueror's Haki was far stronger than what he'd shown back at the Sabaody Archipelago.
"Let's head over there. What we're looking for should be in that direction."
Caelan pointed toward the experimental base and said calmly.
It was just another round of cleanup. Nothing noteworthy.
Meanwhile, inside the experimental base.
"What a terrifying Conqueror's Haki!"
Monet and Caesar Clown struggled to their feet, visibly shaken by the overwhelming aura.
Under such intense pressure, they could barely move, let alone resist.
"Not even the Young Master has Haki like that!"
Monet was deeply shocked, a growing sense of dread rising in her chest.
The Young Master—Doflamingo—was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, part of the elite ruling class.
But this Haki surpassed even his.
Could it be that one of the Four Emperors had come?
If so, nothing must go wrong here. This was the Young Master's most important operation!
"Could it be that Big Mom came for me?"
Caesar murmured nervously.
He had embezzled a large sum of research funds from her, claiming it was for research on human gigantification. In reality, he'd spent it on booze and brothels.
If Big Mom was here to collect… he was done for.
The two looked at each other, each with their own worries, and staggered toward the surveillance room.
They anxiously adjusted the cameras, and soon spotted Caelan and his group at the base's entrance.
"Whew, it's not Charlotte Linlin."
Caesar breathed a sigh of relief.
"But it's not much better. That's the God Slayer… Caelan!"
Monet took a deep breath, her heart sinking.
Lately, Caelan's name had spread across the world. Practically everyone knew who he was.
He had taken on two admirals and Garp at once—and still managed to escape unscathed.
That level of power was easily on par with a Four Emperor. Maybe even stronger.
Let's just hope he didn't come for the artificial Devil Fruits.
"If he's here, it's definitely for trouble."
Caesar's eyes flickered, though he also felt a strange relief.
As long as they weren't enemies, he had nothing to fear.
After all, no one could deny his worth.
No one could resist the artificial Devil Fruits.
And no one could ignore him—Caesar Clown, the future greatest scientist in the world.
(To be continued.)
***
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