"Ha ha ha…"
"A warm welcome!"
"Welcome! Welcome!"
"Welcome, Admiral Jovian, to Doflamingo's No. 1 Research Lab!"
Rows of fully armed soldiers wearing gas masks stood on both sides of the road, holding up signs as they loudly welcomed Jovian's arrival.
"Ah…"
"Quite the little production you've got going here."
Jovian held Monet in one arm as he commented on the scene before him.
"Admiral Jovian, I am Seesar, the manager here! I'm the top researcher under Donquixote Doflamingo. Is there anything you need help with? No matter what it is, just say the word, and I'll do everything I can to help you!"
Caesar, with a fake mustache stuck under his nose and a sleazy grin on his face, looked at Jovian with utter humility, completely lacking his usual arrogance as the world's second-greatest scientist.
"I do need you to help me with something."
Jovian gave a slight nod after hearing Caesar's words.
"Please, go ahead…"
Caesar leaned forward and came up to Jovian, waiting quietly for him to speak.
"Before I say anything…"
"Caesar, can you take that disgusting mustache off first?"
"It's really annoying to look at."
Jovian looked Caesar up and down before speaking with dissatisfaction.
"Huh!?"
"I've been exposed!"
Caesar panicked after hearing Jovian's words. He had specifically disguised himself a little, yet Jovian had seen through him just like that. This was way too ridiculous.
"Did you take me for an idiot, you bastard?"
The corner of Jovian's eye twitched slightly after hearing Caesar's response.
"Admiral Jovian, you've got the wrong person. I'm Seesar, not that Lord Caesar, the smartest man in the world, envied by countless scientists, and so brilliant that even Vegapunk can't compare to him!"
Caesar kept waving his hands, emphasizing his identity.
"…"
"Whatever you say, Caesar…"
"I do need something from you. Bring me the Devil Fruit Vegapunk left here."
Jovian looked at Caesar playing dumb and could not be bothered to waste words with this moron. He would just take him away directly in a little while anyway.
"The Devil Fruit that bastard Vegapunk developed?"
"Ah! You mean that failure!"
"So that's what you came here for, Lord Jovian…"
Caesar's eyes narrowed slightly. He had never really thought about it before, but now that he did, how could that bastard Vegapunk possibly have failed? That Devil Fruit, the one made using Kaido's Lineage Factor, was probably the real deal. The whole world had been fooled by Vegapunk. That thing was a success. Damn it!
"Anyway, give me that fruit."
Jovian gave Caesar the order. In the original story, the artificial Devil Fruit Vegapunk made using Kaido's Lineage Factor technically should not be called a copy of the Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Type, Model: Azure Dragon. It should be called the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Type, Model: World's Strongest Creature Kaido.
In other words, that artificial Devil Fruit was completely a cheat item created for Momonosuke in the original story, the ultimate overpowered cheat fruit.
That allowed Momonosuke, after eating the artificial Devil Fruit, to successfully load two of the strongest Lineage Factors.
Because Kozuki Momonosuke carried the two strongest Lineage Factors, Kozuki Oden's and Kaido of the Beasts', he did not need to work hard. All he needed was to grow up, and he would possess terrifying power. That was also why, after being artificially aged in the original story, Momonosuke could turn into a giant dragon and make Kaido feel pain just by biting him. After turning back into human form, he had an indestructible body and solid, powerful muscles without any training at all. So when someone attacked him in the bathhouse, he did not feel any pain whatsoever.
Unfortunately, Jovian was not Kozuki Momonosuke's father. He had no reason at all to leave such a powerful fruit to the future Momonosuke, that damn little pervert.
Although Jovian had no right to criticize anyone else when it came to being perverted, he did not care. Anyone else was whatever. Momonosuke had to die.
"I understand…"
Caesar listened to Jovian's order and regretted not researching Vegapunk's artificial Devil Fruit more, but given the situation, he had no choice but to agree.
"Go bring me the fruit Vegapunk left behind, the one I've had thrown aside all this time!"
Caesar pressed a hand on the shoulder of a nearby soldier and spoke in a deep voice.
"Yes, sir!"
After receiving Caesar's order, the soldier did not dare waste any words and immediately returned to the base to retrieve the fruit.
Before long, he brought the Devil Fruit back for Jovian.
"This is it?"
Jovian weighed the strange-looking Devil Fruit in his hand and asked.
"Absolutely!"
Caesar did not dare hide anything and gave Jovian his guarantee.
"I believe you."
Jovian looked at Caesar, who was trembling in fear, and smiled faintly.
"Whew…"
Hearing Jovian's words, Caesar slowly let out a breath. The fear in his heart finally calmed down.
"All right!"
"In that case, we can set off now…"
After putting away the fruit, Jovian gave Caesar another order.
"Set off!?"
"Where are we going?"
Caesar, whose mood had just calmed down, froze after hearing Jovian's words. He did not understand what Jovian meant.
"Just come along."
Jovian did not answer Caesar's question. He only pressed down hard on Caesar's shoulder and smiled faintly.
"Uh…"
Caesar felt the tremendous force coming from Jovian's hand, and his expression changed.
"So I really was exposed!"
"Joker, save me!"
Caesar shouted with tears in his eyes.
"Ha ha ha…"
Jovian did not give Caesar any chance to play tricks. He kept one hand locked firmly on Caesar's shoulder, wrapped the other around Monet's slender, delicate waist, and walked onto the Marine warship.
"What are you soldiers staring at?"
"Hurry up and save me!"
After being dragged onto the warship by Jovian, Caesar shouted at the soldiers holding firearms and saying nothing.
"Fire a salute for our boss's departure!"
The soldiers looked at Caesar, then looked at Jovian dragging Caesar away. One after another, they stood in place and saluted Jovian.
"Fire!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!…"
Then they fired ceremonial shots into the sky, holding a send-off ceremony for their boss's departure.
"Where the hell did you backstabbing bastards even come from?"
"I swear, I'm done…"
Caesar, now being sent off, had tears filling his eyes as he shouted at the soldiers.
"Stop messing around, Boss Caesar. The guy across from us is a Marine Admiral! The little bit of money Young Master Joker pays us isn't nearly enough for us to throw our lives away!"
The soldiers looked at Caesar being taken away by Jovian and spoke with disdain.
"I…"
Tears kept streaming from Caesar's eyes. The most infuriating part was that he actually had no way to refute them.
"Everyone! Set course for Dressrosa!"
After boarding the warship, Jovian personally put Seastone handcuffs on Caesar. Then, with an arm around Monet's waist, he announced loudly.
"Oh!!"
The Marines all roared in response, their voices shaking the air.
"I have to escape!"
"I absolutely have to escape!"
On the warship, Caesar's eyes kept darting around as he thought of a way to escape.
"Admiral Jovian sent me to watch you."
However, before Caesar could think of a way to flee, Jovian's adjutant, a cigarette in his mouth, came up beside Caesar and spoke coldly.
"You are…"
Although Caesar did not know Jovian's adjutant, he recognized the rank on the Marine coat in front of him. He knew this man was a Marine Vice Admiral.
"What the hell?"
"He sent a Marine Vice Admiral to watch me?"
"Isn't that giving me way too much fucking credit?"
Caesar wanted to cry. Even if the Seastone were removed, he would not be a match for a Marine Vice Admiral in a one-on-one fight. Jovian had actually assigned a Vice Admiral just to watch him. Just saying it casually, wasn't this a ridiculous waste of talent?
"In short, don't even think about going anywhere."
The Vice Admiral sat in front of Caesar and kept blowing smoke from his mouth toward him.
"Cough, cough…"
As the user of the Gas-Gas Fruit, Caesar was choked by smoke for the first time. The reason was that he was wearing Seastone handcuffs and was now no different from a powerless man.
"Young Master, I tried."
"But it was useless…"
"The enemy's strength isn't something we can handle…"
Monet was held in Jovian's arms, helpless. Facing the Admiral beside her, even a hundred of her attacking together would just be throwing their lives away. Right now, she could only pray that Doflamingo would prepare in advance so he could avoid being beaten into a mess by Jovian.
Dressrosa…
At this moment, Doflamingo was also at his wit's end.
He had already used every connection he could find, but the moment people heard that he needed help dealing with a Marine Admiral, and that it was Jovian, the man who had beaten down two of the Four Emperors and several Warlords during the Paramount War, every single one of them replied with the same sentence.
"Mr. Doflamingo, we wish you a pleasant life in prison!"
Against Jovian, a man who treated the World Government's orders as nothing and, even before becoming a Marine, had dared to beat up a Warlord right in front of an Admiral, these people were willing but powerless.
Besides, now that he was truly an Admiral, they could afford to offend him even less.
When Doflamingo had no other options, he finally called his business partner, one of the former Four Emperors and now one of the only two Emperors of the Sea, Kaido.
"Boss Kaido, I need your help!"
Facing Kaido of the Beasts, Doflamingo put away his arrogance and addressed him warmly as boss.
"Glug, glug, glug, glug…"
"Huh!? Help!? Hic…"
Kaido, halfway through drinking, heard the voice from the Transponder Snail and felt a wave of confusion.
"Yes. I need you to come help me deal with someone!"
Doflamingo was not certain Kaido would help him, so he tested the waters carefully.
"No problem! Leave it to me!"
"I'll head to Dressrosa right now! Wait for me there!"
Just when Doflamingo was unsure whether Kaido would help him, Kaido unexpectedly agreed to his request with incredible ease.
"Excellent!"
Doflamingo had not expected Kaido to agree so readily. Holding the Transponder Snail, joy rose in his heart.
"Fuffuffuffu…"
"Looks like this is settled!"
Doflamingo laughed loudly, believing everything was under control.
"Hic…"
Meanwhile, on Onigashima, Kaido was burping with a completely blank look on his face.
"Captain Kaido, what did that bastard Doflamingo say?"
As the second-in-command of the Beasts Pirates, King asked his captain.
"Doflamingo said he ran into someone he couldn't handle and needs us to take care of it for him. Supposedly, the enemy is very strong. I'll go take a look myself…"
As Kaido spoke, he stood up, but because he was far too drunk, he kept swaying in place like he was shadowboxing.
"Captain Kaido, how are you supposed to go anywhere when you're this drunk?"
King looked at the drunken Kaido and asked.
"I'm not drunk! I'm not drunk at all…"
Kaido waved his hand, indicating that his current state was just right.
"Don't be ridiculous. If you weren't drunk, how could you possibly agree to such a rude request from Doflamingo?"
King was somewhat helpless. He understood Kaido too well. He knew Kaido was truly drunk right now.
"Hic…"
Kaido did not answer King's words. He only burped, then lay down on the ground and began snoring.
"This…"
Seeing Kaido fall asleep, everyone in the Beasts Pirates was at a loss for what to do.
"He fell asleep, and he still says he isn't drunk?"
"Honestly, if you're drunk, don't just casually agree to other people's requests."
"Still, we do need to go check on Doflamingo's situation. After all, Captain Kaido already agreed to help him…"
King looked at Kaido, who had gotten so drunk that he fell asleep on the spot, and spoke helplessly.
"Let me go!"
Just as King was struggling over whom he should send to Dressrosa to help that disaster magnet Doflamingo, an extremely steady voice rang beside his ear.
"Ah! It's Jack!"
"Then I'll leave this to you!"
After seeing who had come, King's eyes lit up. He gently patted Jack on the shoulder and entrusted him with this important mission.
"Don't worry, King. I'm more than enough for this job!"
Jack gave a slight nod, seemingly full of confidence in himself.
On the Beasts Pirates ship commanded by Jack…
"Boss Jack, can just the few of us really support Doflamingo?"
"I heard he's being targeted by that Marine Admiral!"
One of Jack's subordinates asked him.
"Isn't that obvious?"
"I'm more than enough!"
"Who do you think I am?"
"Bring the ship in!"
After hearing his subordinate's words, Jack roared angrily.
"Got it, Boss Jack…"
After hearing Jack say that, the subordinate had nothing else to say and could only head toward Dressrosa at full speed.
At the same time…
Jovian's Marine warship had already arrived near Dressrosa.
"Jovian, will the people here be easy to get along with?"
Shirahoshi, who had been soaking in the pool the entire time, asked Jovian.
"Of course they will, Shirahoshi!"
"The people here talk nicely, they're enthusiastic, and they're super interesting!"
Jovian looked at the enthusiastic beauties on the island and smiled faintly.
"That's wonderful…"
Shirahoshi breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that. She planned to make a hundred good friends here.
// 20 chapters today! I hope you enjoy it
//Check out my P@tre0n for 10 extra free chapters //[email protected]/Razeil0810