Recruiting Caesar Clown

Underground laboratory.

The air was thick with the smell of disinfectant and chemicals. The corridor was lined with laboratories, and through the glass windows, one could see all sorts of oddly shaped instruments inside. Some of these instruments were still running, their screens displaying dense, fluctuating data.

"Which room is Caesar in?" Kaido asked.

"At the very back." Lin Yuan's Spatial Perception had already locked onto Caesar's location. "He's surrounded by twelve CP Agents, fully armed. There are also a few others whose auras are very weak, like experimental subjects."

"Experimental subject?"

"Never mind that. Let's capture Caesar first."

The four walked to the end of the corridor. A heavy metal door blocked their way, with a sign that read "Danger - Do Not Enter Without Permission".

Lin Yuan raised his hand and opened a door.

Behind the door was a massive laboratory. In the center of the room stood a man in a white lab coat, topped with strange horns— Caesar Courland. Behind him stood twelve CP Agents, dressed in suits, wearing sunglasses, and expressionless. In a corner, several humanoid creatures trapped in glass enclosures were struggling.

Caesar's face turned deathly pale when he saw Lin Yuan walk out of the door.

"You—how did you get in?!"

"He's come in," Lin Yuan said, hands in his pockets. "Caesar, your Sea Beast Army is wiped out. Your laboratory is surrounded. You choose—surrender, or I'll help you surrender?"

Caesar's face contorted for a moment, then he laughed.

"Surrender? Who do you think you are? A mere pirate, daring to be arrogant in front of Lord Caesar?"

He raised his hand, and a ball of purple poison gas condensed in his palm.

"Have you ever seen the power of the Gas-Gas Fruit? If I release poison gas, you'll all suffocate to death!"

Lin Yuan glanced at him, then at Kaido.

Kaido took a step forward.

"Oh ho ho... poison gas? You try it."

With a wave of his hand, Caesar unleashed a torrent of purple poisonous gas, instantly filling the entire laboratory.

Kaido deep breath—inhaling all the poison gas.

Caesar was stunned.

"You—how could you—aren't you afraid of poison?!"

Kaido burped and exhaled a breath of purple gas.

"The Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon grants immunity to all poisons. Didn't you know that?"

Caesar's face turned from white to green.

Bullet stepped out from behind Lin Yuan and stretched his wrists.

"It's our turn."

He lunged forward and punched the nearest CP Agent. The man reacted quickly, crossing his arms to block and Armament Haki Hardening. Bullet's fist struck his arm with a "crack," and the arm broke. The man flew through the air and crashed into the wall, leaving a human-shaped dent.

The remaining CP Agents attacked simultaneously. Shigan, Rankyaku, Tekkai — the Six Powers of attacks were unleashed in turn.

But their opponents are Kaido and Bullet.

Kaido punched them one by one, like whack-a-mole. Bullet was even faster, punching, kicking, elbowing, and headbutting them one by one. In less than a minute, all twelve CP Agents were lying on the ground, spitting blood and unable to move.

Caesar stood in the center of the laboratory, trembling.

"You... you..."

Lin Yuan walked up to him.

"The Gas-Gas Fruit, quite powerful." Lin Yuan said expressionlessly, "But your opponent isn't me."

Caesar's pupils contracted sharply.

Behind him, Kaido had already raised his fist.

"Caesar Courant, do you have any last words?"

Caesar fell to his knees with a thud.

"Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I can give you money! I can give you weapons! I can give you Artificial Devil Fruits! Anything! Just don't kill me!"

Kaido glanced at Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan didn't answer immediately. He stared at Caesar for a few seconds, his mind racing.

Caesar Clown. Former World Government scientist and Vegapunk's former colleague. Gas-Gas Devil Fruit User. Although his character is utterly despicable, his research abilities are genuine—he can create Artificial Devil Fruits, modify Sea Kings, and develop various chemical weapons. It would be a shame to kill someone like him.

"Caesar," Lin Yuan spoke.

"Yes! Yes!" Caesar knelt on the ground, his forehead almost touching the floor.

"You want to live?"

"Yes! Yes! I really want to!"

"From today onwards, you will work for me."

Caesar looked up, startled. "Work... work?"

"Yes. I blew up your lab, I killed your Sea Kings, I crippled your men. You have nothing now. But I can give you a new lab—on Hachinosu. The conditions are better than the World Government's, the equipment is newer. You'll help me research weapons, Devil Fruits, everything useful."

Caesar's eyes lit up for a moment, then dimmed again.

"You... you're not going to kill me?"

"It depends on your performance."

"Then... then my experiment--"

"Those kinds of experiments are forbidden." Lin Yuan's voice turned cold. "Live experiments, human experiments, experiments that harm civilians—none of them are allowed. If you dare to touch them, I'll personally send you to sea."

Caesar's lips trembled slightly.

"Then... then what should I study?"

Lin Yuan thought for a moment. "Weapons. More powerful weapons. Improvements to the Sea King Cannon, optimization of the Wind Dial's energy, improvements to Artificial Devil Fruits —the kind that don't involve live experiments. Also, whatever Vegapunk is researching, you need to research the same thing for me."

Upon hearing the name "Vegapunk," Caesar's expression changed. Not out of fear, but out of defiance.

"Vegapunk? That bastard? What's so great about him! He stole all his techniques from me!"

"Then you should be stronger than him." Lin Yuan looked at him. "Prove it to me."

Caesar fell silent. His eyes shifted from fear to hesitation, from hesitation to resentment, and from resentment to a stubborn determination that said, "I can't be outdone."

"Fine." Caesar gritted his teeth. "I'll do it. But I have conditions."

"Explain."

"First, I want a private laboratory. Nobody can bother me. Second, I want all of Vegapunk's publicly available research materials. Third—" He glanced at Kaido, "That blue dragon bastard can't get into my lab. He'll steal my stuff."

Kaido laughed. "Oh ho ho... Can you even eat your stuff? It's all poison."

"Maybe."

Lin Yuan's lips curled up slightly.

"Make a deal."

Deep inside the laboratory, there was a row of transparent glass enclosures. Inside the enclosures were all sorts of strange creatures—humans, animals, and half-human, half-beast beings. They huddled in the corners, their eyes vacant.

Inside one of the glass enclosures was a thin young man. He looked no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, with white hair and his body covered in needle marks and scars.

"What is this?" Lin Yuan asked.

"A failed experiment with Artificial Devil Fruits." Caesar shrank back, a hint of guilt in his voice. "He ate an artificial Zoan Devil Fruit, couldn't survive, and is now useless."

"It's ruined?"

"It's like... losing consciousness. Unable to move or speak, almost like a vegetable."

Lin Yuan stared at the young man for a few seconds, then turned to look at Caesar.

"Release them all. Take them to Hachinosu. Find a way to cure them."

Caesar's expression changed. "They won't survive if released! They're all useless—"

Before he could finish speaking, Kaido's fist was already pressed against his forehead.

"Cure," Kaido said.

"Heal! I'll heal! I'll try my best!" Caesar trembled as he opened all the glass covers.

Punk Hazard, port.

The Void stopped on the sea. Kuma carried the test subjects one by one onto the ship and placed them on the deck. Some were crying, some were laughing, some were expressionless, and some were trembling.

The white-haired young man was the last one to be carried up. His eyes were closed, his breathing was weak, but he was still alive.

"How is he?" Lin Yuan asked Kuma.

Kuma was silent for a moment. "His body is weak, but his heartbeat is steady. He might still be conscious."

"Take him back. Have Ginny arrange for someone to take care of him. Caesar will be in charge of treating him."

Caesar was held in Kaido's hand like a chick, and his face turned pale with fright.

"I'll treat him! I'm sure I can! But it takes time! It requires equipment! It requires—"

"Once we get to Hachinosu, I'll give you whatever you want," Lin Yuan said, "but if you don't work hard—"

He glanced at Kaido.

Kaido grinned, revealing two rows of gleaming white teeth.

Caesar swallowed hard. "Do a good job. Do a good job, definitely."

Night fell.

The Void sailed away from Punk Hazard, its stern gleaming silver in the moonlight.

Kaido locked Caesar in a storage room in the lower deck—not to torture him, but because he couldn't be let out to roam around right now. Caesar squatted in the corner, hugging his knees, muttering something like, "Vegapunk, you just wait."

"He didn't run away, did he?" Bullet asked.

"He can't escape." Kaido patted his Iron Club. "If he dares to run, I'll break his legs. Anyway, Lin Yuan wants his brains, not his legs."

Through the Den Den Mushi, Ginny's voice carried a sense of satisfaction, as if she had finally gotten it all sorted out. "Lin Yuan, how's it going with Punk Hazard?"

"The lab exploded. Caesar was captured. The test subject was rescued. That's it."

"That's it? You were gone for several hours?"

"Four hours. It took three minutes to fight the Sea Kings on the way, five minutes to fight, and the rest of the time was spent moving things."

Ginny was silent for a moment.

"You're really efficient."

"Thank you for the compliment."

I'm not complimenting you. I'm just saying you're lazy.

Lin Yuan ignored her.

He stood at the bow of the ship, looking at the distant sea. The moonlight shone on the sea, like a silver road being laid out.

Kaido walked over, holding two pieces of meat in his hand.

"Lin Yuan, do you want some?"

"Eat."

Kaido grinned and handed him the meat.

The two stood side by side at the bow of the boat, eating meat and enjoying the sea breeze.

"That Caesar guy, do you really believe he'll do a good job?" Kaido asked.

Lin Yuan chewed on the meat. "I don't believe you. But it doesn't matter. He's afraid of death, that's his biggest weakness. As long as he's afraid of death, he'll work."

"What if he's not afraid anymore?"

"Then he's dead."

Kaido paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Oh ho ho... you're right."

Ginny's voice rang out again through the Den Den Mushi.

"Lin Yuan, there's one more thing. Whitebeard's side has sent another letter, asking when you'll be keeping your appointment."

Lin Yuan thought for a moment. "Let's go. We have the Void, Caesar's been captured, and the experimental subject's been rescued. It's time to go grab a drink."

When do we depart?

"Let's go back to Hachinosu first. Settle Caesar in and make room for the experimental subjects. Then, we'll keep our appointment with Whitebeard."

(End of Chapter 71)