El did not want to go through any extra trouble, so he simply kicked the man unconscious with a single blow!
There was no need to guess—Caesar had undoubtedly mistaken him for someone from the Beasts Pirates.
El shook his head slightly.
While Caesar was undeniably skilled in scientific research and development, the man seemed to lack basic common sense in everyday life; he had rushed to label El an enemy without even finding out who he really was.
If Caesar were not still of some use to him, El would have truly grown to detest this fool—he would have been dead and buried long ago!
After all, Caesar was a Logia Devil Fruit user.
If El had hesitated even for a moment and let Caesar fully unleash his powers, even though there was never the slightest chance the scientist could win, capturing him would have been far from easy.
Among all Devil Fruit users, Logia wielders possessed an extraordinary range of abilities; once they transformed into their elemental state, even their critical points shifted and changed, making it nearly impossible to land a truly fatal blow—even against masters of Armament Haki.
They would still suffer injuries, of course, for Armament Haki could still directly harm them, but it would rarely be enough to end their lives.
El had struck suddenly, almost like a surprise attack, for one very specific reason: the last remaining All‑Star of the Beasts Pirates, King the Conflagration, was about to arrive at this very spot!
He had already crossed paths with King on his way here to find Caesar, but had paid him no mind at the time, unwilling to let the All‑Star get there first.
Now that Caesar was firmly under his control, El was free to turn his full attention to dealing with King.
It seemed the Beasts Pirates had deployed nearly all their strength this time around—or at the very least, every single one of their top‑ranking officers had been sent out, with all three All‑Stars dispatched to the field.
The only more formidable force they could possibly muster would be to add their captain, Kaido himself, to the mix!
This single fact spoke volumes of just how desperately the Beasts Pirates coveted Artificial Zoan Devil Fruits.
El knew perfectly well that if he truly intended to seize control of this entire industry, he would likely face the full, burning wrath of the Beasts Pirates.
But so what?
It was true that they were incredibly powerful, but El's crew was by no means any weaker.
Looking no further than the present moment, two of their most elite commanders had already fallen.
These so‑called Emperors of the New World, the legendary overlords of the second half of the Grand Line—was this really all they had to offer?
What was more, El had already set his sights on his next target: the last remaining All‑Star, King the Conflagration.
If he could bring down this great pirate as well, the Beasts Pirates would have no truly outstanding officers left to call their own!
For El's crew, this was an unparalleled chance to lift their morale to new heights.
What was so special about an Emperor's crew anyway?
Their finest commanders had fallen one after another at the hands of their own captain!
If open war ever broke out between them, with such victories already secured, El's crew would have absolutely no reason to feel inferior to any Emperor's crew.
El hoped more than anything that Doflamingo's old mindset would not take root in his other officers.
Doflamingo was no coward, but when it came to standing face to face with an Emperor's crew, his heart still wavered with doubt.
His fellow former Warlord, "Gecko" Moria, had been utterly crushed by the Beasts Pirates long ago, and Doflamingo had no wish to suffer the same fate.
When he ruled over Dressrosa, he had bent entirely to the Beasts Pirates' will when it came to the Artificial Devil Fruit trade, not daring to oppose them in the slightest.
He knew exactly who could be provoked and who must never be crossed—and the Beasts Pirates fell firmly into the latter category.
Even after joining El's crew for some time now, that deep‑seated belief had proven almost impossible to shake.
Though Doflamingo carried a special bloodline that set him apart from ordinary people, he had grown up among common folk from a very young age, so his way of thinking remained far closer to that of regular pirates.
It was his own father who had cast aside their noble status, dragging the young Doflamingo along with him; he had clawed his way through the darkest years of his youth, learning the harsh rules of the sea and never daring to overstep what was permitted.
For all his outward defiance and disregard for convention, he was the very sort of person who would tread most carefully around the powers that be.
But El did not need allies who walked on eggshells—he needed trusted lieutenants brave enough to break every chain and forge a brand‑new legacy across the entire Grand Line!
That was why Doflamingo's old way of thinking had to be discarded entirely. Yet changing beliefs forged over a lifetime was no easy task.
One could only take things one step at a time, eating one mouthful at a time.
If the Beasts Pirates could help El's crew grow stronger through this trial, then they would have earned their place in history.
In El's mind, the Beasts Pirates, along with every other great crew in the world, were nothing more than stepping stones on his path to greatness!
To play even the smallest part in his crew's success was the highest honor they could ever hope for.
If they dared to stand in his way, he would crush them with overwhelming, thunderous force, showing no mercy whatsoever.
…
Once he had finished securing Caesar and all matters at hand, El did not rush to leave. Instead, he waited quietly within the research facility, letting the last All‑Star of the Beasts Pirates—King the Conflagration—walk straight into his trap.
King was the strongest fighter in the entire crew save Kaido himself: not only was he an exceptionally rare Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit user, his innate racial gifts rivaled the power of his Devil Fruit, making him nearly twice as formidable as an ordinary ability user!
WHOOSH!
Suddenly the entire blizzard was whipped into a frenzy, with impossible winds howling down from the sky!
Then came a heavy thud—THUD! A massive shadow of deepest black slammed onto the ground, and the swirling snow and gales slowly died away.
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