Spandam slumped powerlessly in his chair, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "It's over... All of CP9's arrangements in Water 7... completely ruined!"
He looked out at the ocean, a genuine fear appearing in his eyes for the first time.
The strength of those sudden newcomers was absurdly high, thoroughly destroying everything he had meticulously planned. Now he had not only lost his strongest combat force, but even his channels for requesting aid from above had been severed.
Spandam clenched his fists, his nails digging deeply into his palms, yet he felt no pain—only a bone-chilling cold and the bitter taste of failure.
"Damn it! Straw Hat!"
Spandam sat slumped in the shadows, the chill of failure almost consuming him.
Just then,
his fingers inadvertently brushed against a cold, hard object in his arms.
He was startled, then, as if grasping a lifeline, eagerly pulled it out. It was a golden Den Den Mushi, entirely gold, still gleaming in the dim light.
Spandam gazed at the small object in his palm, which contained destructive power, and a crazed, twisted smile suddenly reappeared on his previously ashen, despairing face.
His trembling fingers caressed the smooth shell of the Den Den Mushi again and again, as if drawing infinite courage from its cold touch.
"Hahaha... That's right! I still have this! I still have this!" He hissed softly, his voice distorted by excitement, "Buster Call... This is a Buster Call!"
He suddenly gripped the golden Den Den Mushi, raised it high, and roared at his transformed elephant-like sword beside him:
"Do you see? As long as I press this button, all of Water 7 will be reduced to ashes! Tens of thousands of civilians will be buried with me! Who still dares to touch me?!"
The existence of the golden Den Den Mushi seemed to inject him with a frantic stimulant.
He grabbed the elephant's trunk—the sword transformed from the elephant—and stood up, stumbling but determined, his face filled with hysterical confidence and destructive desire.
"Assemble! Everyone assemble! Follow me!" He waved the golden Den Den Mushi, ordering hoarsely, "To Water 7! Straw Hat... and that damned Pluton! I will definitely capture them all!"
"This time... I'd like to see who can stop Spandam!"
He led his remaining CP subordinates, charging furiously out of the temporary command post, directly towards Water 7.
The golden Den Den Mushi in his hand flickered with an unsettling light, and an impending disaster quietly descended with his frantic footsteps.
...
In a remote sea area of the New World,
the Moby Dick sailed steadily across the sea.
The long twelve-hour vigil finally came to an end, and the faint glow enveloping Whitebeard's body gradually receded, finally merging completely into his massive physique.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes, and a sharp, vibrant light, far more intense than before, burst forth from them, as if a slumbering lion had fully awakened!
"Gurarararara...!"
His characteristic hearty laughter once again echoed throughout the Moby Dick, the rolling sound waves even causing the surrounding sea to tremble!
The laughter was full of vigor, as if containing unprecedented vitality, as if the ailments of years had been swept away.
However, it disappeared again after a moment, like a false prosperity.
"He succeeded! Pops successfully fused!" Marco was the first to shout excitedly.
"Oh—!!!"
The entire Moby Dick instantly erupted in deafening cheers, and all the crew members' faces were filled with wild joy and excitement.
Ace dashed to the front: "Pops! How do you feel?"
Whitebeard slowly stood up and stretched his body, his bones emitting a series of crisp cracks.
Feeling the surging, unprecedented potential within him, he laughed loudly: "Better than ever! I feel like my body... has a 'slot' capable of holding another ability!"
The sea trembled at this!
The news quickly spread throughout the Whitebeard Pirates: their Pops had not only been reborn but had also gained the ultimate potential to reach the pinnacle of the world!
"Brothers!" Marco raised his arm in a rallying cry, quieting the cheers, his voice carrying across the deck, "Now is not the time to celebrate! The Dual Devil Fruit Constitution is complete. Next, we must find the most suitable second Devil Fruit for Pops!"
"That's right!" Diamond Jozu slammed his fists together, producing a clang, "It must be a Mythical Zoan with super recovery ability! Or an Ancient Zoan with an invincible physique!"
"For Pops' future!" Flower Sword Vista's hand rested on his sword hilt, his sharp gaze sweeping over everyone, "Even if we search every corner of the New World, we must find it!"
"Oh—!!!" Everyone responded in unison, their shouts shaking the heavens.
After the thunderous cheers gradually subsided, Marco clapped his hands, attracting everyone's attention.
Although a smile was on his face, his eyes had returned to their usual calm and analytical state.
"Alright, brothers, calm down for a moment."
His steady voice slightly settled the fervent atmosphere, "We all know that Mythical Zoan Devil Fruits with super recovery ability... are incredibly rare.
Such things are encountered by chance and cannot be sought after; it depends more on the guidance of fate."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over every captain and crew member present, and continued: "As for powerful Zoan Fruits...
Speaking of that, the entire world would probably immediately think of one place: Wano Country, the Beasts Pirates' base, Kaido's army of ability users, whose numbers are indeed unsurpassed."
A low murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd, but Marco immediately changed his tone:
"But, don't forget, having many ability users doesn't mean he has ready-made, uneaten Devil Fruits.
What we need is a brand new Fruit that Pops can eat. Ultimately, we still have to find this ourselves, and whether we can find it is still an unknown."
Diamond Jozu, standing beside him with his thick arms crossed, grumbled, "Marco is right. Are we really going to storm Onigashima and break into Kaido's base to snatch one?"