Suddenly, a blue flame descended from the sky, striking the tracks below. Caesar, initially confused, felt a cold sweat break out as he realized the figure blocking the path was none other than Four Emperors Marco.
He frantically applied the emergency brake, sparks flying from the friction between the wheels and the rails. Yet the railcar didn't stop, continuing its perilous approach. With a resounding boom, it shook violently before Marco effortlessly brought it to a halt with a single hand.
Once the railcar was completely still, Caesar cautiously peeked out. Marco's lips curved into a faint smile as he greeted him. "Nice to meet you, Caesar Clown."
"Ma-Marco-sama…" Caesar stammered, swallowing hard. Marco was a legendary pirate, infamous across the seas, and now a Four Emperors. Fear gripped him.
Marco leapt onto the railcar's edge, his posture relaxed yet imposing, and teased, "Where exactly were you planning to go?"
Caesar's face was drenched in sweat. He dared not resist. Forcing an awkward smile, he muttered, "I… I had something to attend to, so…"
Marco interrupted smoothly, showing no interest in excuses. "It doesn't matter. None of that matters anymore. Speaking of which, the poison gas weapons used by the Beasts Pirates… those were your creations, right?"
Caesar's cold sweat increased as he rushed to explain, "I… I was forced to create them! I didn't use them myself! I'm just a scientist!"
Marco waved a hand dismissively. "Relax. I don't intend to kill you. While the poison gas did cause us trouble, most of it has already dissipated, and our affected comrades have recovered. As long as you cooperate, you'll remain unharmed."
"Yes! I will do everything you command, Marco-sama!" Relief flooded Caesar as he nodded repeatedly, like a frantic bird.
Outside, the Phoenix Pirates grumbled among themselves, observing Caesar. "Captain Marco…" "That scoundrel tricked us! I didn't expect him to escape this way!" "And he must have created the poison gas on Nanku Island!"
Marco's gaze shifted to Monet beside him. Though her time in the original story was brief, she was strikingly beautiful—a shame her heart belonged to Doflamingo.
Turning back to Caesar, Marco said, "There's a Devil Fruit on this island, correct? The one Vegapunk made? Hand it over."
Caesar's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know…?" He opened his mouth to ask further but hesitated, realizing it was futile.
Marco continued calmly, "As an Emperor crew, we have our intelligence network. Now, where is it?"
Seeing no escape, Caesar bent down and retrieved a small box from the ground. "Marco-sama… the Devil Fruit you're looking for is this one!"
Marco opened the box. Inside sat a pink Devil Fruit, its surface covered in dragon-scale patterns. Caesar explained, "This was created by Vegapunk as an artificial Devil Fruit. He considered it a failure, so he sealed it away."
"A failure?" Sak looked at Marco in surprise.
Marco shook his head with a faint smile. "Not really. The color is a little off, but it's hardly a failure. If this is considered a failure, then those SMILEs are failures squared."
Caesar's face flushed with indignation. "How dare you! The SMILEs I created are incredible! They can be mass-produced! Compared to Vegapunk's method, which takes years to create a single artificial Devil Fruit, mine have a massive advantage!"
"Shut up," Marco said flatly. The surrounding Phoenix Pirates drew their swords, pressing them against Caesar's neck. Even a Logia-type user wouldn't dare challenge such Armament Haki. Caesar froze instantly.
Marco continued, "SMILEs may be mass-produced, but their failure rate is absurdly high—only ten percent succeed. Vegapunk's technology could fix that problem easily."
With that, Marco handed the artificial Azure Dragon Fruit to Sak. "Eat it."
"Understood," Sak nodded, biting into the fruit in large, eager chunks.
"This tastes awful! Why does an artificial Devil Fruit taste so bad?" he complained, grimacing.
Soon after finishing, everyone watched eagerly. "Captain Sak, can you feel anything?" someone asked.
"I'll try…" Sak muttered, focusing on his newfound powers.
Immediately, his body began to transform. Pink dragon scales sprouted across his face, his limbs lengthened, and he shot into the sky.
"This… this feeling…" Sak gasped as energy surged through him like nothing he had ever experienced. He rose higher, his body expanding until he had fully transformed into a giant pink dragon.
"It's really a dragon!" the Phoenix Pirates exclaimed, awe and surprise spreading across their faces.
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