"Whoa!"
Emboar blocked the experimental subject's punch, then flames ignited on his fist and smashed into the subject's ribs. Battles between most giant creatures had no technique to speak of; they just relied on brute force and swung fists wildly.
The power they possess can largely make up for their lack of technique. Only when both sides' power and speed are on roughly the same level does technique become more useful.
Emboar's metrics were slightly stronger than this experimental subject, so the battle on the beach was a one-sided beating.
"Emboar, stop fooling around, finish him off with Flaming Fist!"
Upon hearing Queen's request, Emboar's fists flared up again. The experimental subject didn't have Kaidou's resistance; the flame-covered fist left a charred mark on the subject's chest, and the beard on his chin was completely burned.
The painful experimental subject let out a dreadful howl, his body kept retreating, and finally collapsed onto the beach, while Emboar's body leapt high, aiming his elbow at the subject's abdomen and slammed down.
A small-scale earthquake seemed to occur on the beach as a large pit formed beneath the experimental subject, and even the sea water beneath the sand began seeping out. If this were another world, the subject's eyes would have turned to spirals.
It was clear it had lost the ability to fight.
"Emboar, come back!"
Following Queen's command, Emboar returned and sat down directly behind them.
"Mwahahaha, the things you people research are really worthless. They're no match for my little piglet. You think you can use such things in trade?"
The CP0 agents regarded the Hundred Beasts Pirates as a group of primitives, thinking they could exchange precious minerals with mere fire stones. But upon arrival, they found the other side had pulled out a lighter, windproof at that.
Faced with the quality gap, they knew the deal was likely a failure. The well-trained, fire-using beast was far superior to the brainless giants they brought.
"Pity, this broken thing of yours doesn't seem to cut it. Can it farm? Doubtful by the looks of it. Let's talk again when you have something valuable to offer. Queen, let's go."
With that, transforming into a Cyan Dragon, he created flame clouds and took Emboar away, while Queen followed suit, still mocking the World Government folks for having no vision, for having taken a liking to that useless Caesar.
Though Queen spoke contemptuously, the CP0 agents had no temper at all. They were well aware of their strength; pirates like Kaidou were already beyond their capability to handle.
They faced tremendous pressure in their missions, much more than Kaidou, knowing that if relations soured, there would be no real recourse for them, and escaping might not even be an option.
"Captain... that thing... Bloodline Factor?"
As a team that dealt with labs on a daily basis, the term "Bloodline Factor" was no stranger to them.
Moreover, the term wasn't a secret; the ongoing Peacekeeper project somewhat related to Bloodline Factor's abilities.
Emboar and the experimental subject had just fought in the sea; the waist-deep seawater affected Emboar substantially, yet ruled out the possibility that it was an impersonating Zoan Awakener.
The only conclusion they could reach about the fire-wielding beastman was that Queen had made a breakthrough with the Bloodline Factor and applied it practically.
"Perhaps so, those guys were indeed blind to let someone like that slip away."
"What now?"
"Withdraw, leave the rest for the higher-ups to worry about. At least this incident shows Kaidou has an intention to trade, but what price they can offer is beyond us."
The trade failed, and the CP0 team returned empty-handed once more, while the half-dead experimental subject was boxed up and taken back, with Emboar having helped them save quite a bit on anesthetics.
Although it was a failed product, it couldn't just be discarded. Transporting them back to Punk Hazard for refreezing was the most likely option at present.
....
At Punk Hazard, upon receiving the report sent by CP0, Caesar's expression twisted.
"Impossible, absolutely impossible! How could that dumb swine achieve success with Bloodline Factor and gigantification at the same time!"
Caesar couldn't believe Queen achieved what he couldn't, but the CP0 report demonstrated everything, forcing him to accept the harsh reality.
It wasn't just Caesar with such thoughts; just like Scotch's change prompted the Navy to preemptively start researching Peacekeeper, Emboar's appearance proved the experiment's feasibility.
The failure of the Ancient Giant Race's revival experiment wasn't due to an unviable method; it was because they took the wrong path. With this guidance, once shelved plans were restarted, diverting their thinking.
Pure giants were ineffective, and Oars-like demon men didn't work either; Emboar's emergence showed animals were more adaptable to Bloodline Factors, pointing beastmen as the correct route.
This line of thinking guided them further down the wrong path.
The Seastone trade wasn't abandoned, now considering seriously whether to acquire that plate from other Heavenly Celestial Dragon as a trade item.
Kaidou and Queen hadn't brought Emboar back to Ghost Island, and the transaction location was at the Windless Zone, requiring significant time to return to Ghost Island.
Moreover, an event occurred on Ghost Island, where Yamato and others witnessed the evolution of Pokemon for the first time.
With Kaidou leaving Ghost Island, it meant vacation time for her. Although there were many restrictions added on Ghost Island, places without restrictions were still free to enter and exit.
Ghost Island had buildings not limited to one floor, so while running down stairs, she accidentally misstepped, rolling down several flights. Despite still being a child, she had undergone considerable training, making this no big deal for her.
Even as she fell, her first instinct was to hold Milcery in her arms; during the tumble, Milcery experienced plenty of rolling, with Yamato holding some chocolates.
When the tumbling Milcery encountered candy, its evolution condition was triggered.
After Nico Robin used Flower-Flower Fruit to spawn arms to stop Yamato and make her halt, a dazzling white light appeared from Yamato's embrace.
Originally pure white, Milcery started growing larger, transforming from an ordinary little ball into a doll-like figure dressed like a princess, though its color changed from pure white to light brown due to the chocolate...