"Come on!"
Vegapunk floated again while grinning with his hands behind his back.
"Try out this ship! I spent several days crafting it."
"I know who you are, Ian, a criminal wanted by the World Government!"
Caesar's eyes widened. He then looked at Vegapunk. "So, you have been secretly helping this guy build a ship this whole time? Damn it, I came back just for this, wait..."
Like he had discovered something interesting, his face showed excitement. "You actually built a ship for a criminal wanted by the World Government?"
"Eh? You found out?"
Vegapunk showed a helpless expression. "Can you please not tell the World Government? Don't worry, I won't tell them you escaped either."
"No, I'll tell them this. As for my escape, compared to you, it's just a minor matter!"
Caesar let out his peculiar laugh. "Shurororo! The World Government will surely strip you of your title as the world's number one scientist, and I'll have the chance to become the number one scientist. This is amazing!"
"Looks like things are going badly."
Vegapunk rubbed his head in frustration. "You really can't help? Caesar Clown, you're also a criminal wanted by the World Government now."
"It's already too late, Vegapunk. I will soon become the world's number one scientist!"
But just as Caesar Clown was gloating over discovering this major secret and seeing Vegapunk looking troubled, Ian interjected.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't forget we are here."
Ian said irritably to the two, then waved at Kuma.
"Kuma."
With Ian's words, Kuma nodded. "Got it!"
Removing his gloves, he approached Caesar Clown, but Caesar still spoke confidently. "Tyrant of the South Blue? You can't touch me. No, I'm going to immediately report—"
However, before Caesar Clown transforms into gas to escape…
Bang!!!
Unsurprisingly, Kuma's hand slammed onto his body, and the impact threw him harshly against the wall.
Caesar Clown: "...?"
This left Caesar Clown utterly dumbfounded; his eyes were full of disbelief.
At this moment, Ian was already in front of him and raised his axe while smiling. "Watch yourself next time!"
"W-w-wait! I won't tell the World Government!"
Seeing the glowing axe lifted before him, Caesar, who was previously arrogant, was now scared so much that his tears and snot fell together, his face showing a pitiful expression. "Please don't kill me! I swear I don't know anything!"
'Damn it, I'm getting carried away again. These guys were monsters who had even defeated an Admiral!'
"I-I-I saw nothing just now! Vegapunk, please save me!"
"It's already too late!"
But before Ian's axe could fall, Vegapunk floated in front of him and looked at the snot-and-tears-covered Caesar with a helpless expression.
"Ian, can you spare him? After all, he used to be my colleague. I don't want him dying in front of me. Besides, we should thank him; if it weren't for the accident he caused, I wouldn't have known how to deliver the ship to you!"
"That's right, we're colleagues."
Caesar nodded quickly and forced an ugly smile despite the tears and snot on his face. "I'm still a little useful!"
'Damn it, as long as I survive, I'll report this to the World Government when I get the chance!'
A glimmer of light flashed in his eyes.
Of course, Ian noticed this; he was familiar with this guy.
Cruel, arrogant, cunning, and sinister, yet cowardly and self-preserving. If someone caught his weakness, he would obey.
From the beginning, Ian never intended to kill him.
Umbrella Corporation now needed talents like him in chemistry and biology!
"Fine, for Vegapunk's sake, I'll spare you!"
Ian smiled at Caesar, then said, "But you will need to cooperate a bit!"
"Cooperate, cooperate! I'll definitely cooperate!"
Hearing this, Caesar didn't hesitate and showed a happy expression. "Whatever you want me to do, I'll cooperate!"
"Law."
"Got it, Room."
With Law's calm voice, before anyone could react, something seemed to emerge from Caesar Clown's chest under everyone's gaze.
…
"Op-Op Fruit? That's an exceptionally special Devil Fruit. I didn't expect to see it here. You really do have a lot of talented people around you!"
Seeing Law's Devil Fruit ability and the small organ still pulsating in his hand, Vegapunk spoke in amazement: "Is this a heart? Even after being removed from the body, it's still beating?"
Caesar Clown: "...?!"
At this moment, Caesar Clown also noticed the heart in Law's hand, especially when Law gently squeezed it.
It was as if something was gripping the heart inside his body, making it impossible for him to breathe.
Instantly, he understood what was going on.
Clutching his chest, he quickly begged, "Please don't squeeze it, I'll obey you!"
'These damn guys... They actually have a method like this?'
After thinking this, he truly didn't dare act recklessly anymore.
"That puts my mind at ease. I was worried this guy might report me to the World Government!"
Seeing that the final potential problem had been dealt with, Vegapunk visibly relaxed, sticking out his long tongue. He floated over to Law with a cheerful grin, his eyes radiating a strange light as he stroked his chin. "Op-Op Fruit..."
That peculiar look made Law a bit uncomfortable all over, but before he could say anything,
Vegapunk spoke again: "Your name is Law, right? Young man, can you give me a bit of your blood? Just a little, and I can grant you a request."
"Blood?"
Law looked at Vegapunk, puzzled, not understanding why this guy wanted his blood.
Just as he was about to ask...
"Enough, don't give him your blood."
Ian immediately rejected him for Law without hesitation. "I don't want to see our enemies attacking us with my partner's face!"
Law: "...?!"
Hearing Ian, Law quickly stepped away from Vegapunk.
"Lineage Factor, Vegapunk, are you trying to create clones?"
As a colleague, Caesar Clown instantly understood. "When did you learn that from that old guy, Judge?"
"I didn't learn from him. The Lineage Factor was discovered by us together."
Vegapunk ignored Caesar's comment and simply said that, then he looked at Ian with curiosity. "But how do you know all this? You seem to know something."
"Is it hard to guess?"
"True, once you know the Lineage Factor, you can probably guess it."
Hearing Ian's words, Vegapunk nodded naturally, then glanced at the three in front of him, before sighing regretfully: "Forget it, let's not talk about this. You'd better set sail with the ship quickly! Also, be careful not to let the World Government find out, or I'll be punished."
"Actually, I was about to ask, there's no sea here."
Ian looked at the ship again. "How am I supposed to sail it out?"
"Well, you'll see once you get on."