Digesting the smear that had been pinned on him would take some time.
But when Roy sent people to take some of Caesar Clown's nails and hair to make a Vivre Card...
At that moment, Caesar Clown knew that he no longer had any possibility of escape.
The smear that he could translate Poneglyphs had already left Caesar Clown with nowhere to hide on these seas.
Faced with a massive organization that ruled over more than 170 countries...
Anyone standing against it would surely feel the suffocating pressure of being crushed.
The World Government's control over information related to Poneglyphs was considered taboo in the Pirate World.
And now, with news that Caesar Clown could translate Poneglyphs spreading across the entire sea...
Given his identity as a genius scientist, no matter how one looked at it, he was far more dangerous than the Devil Child of old.
The wanted posters concerning him had now spread across the entire world.
Anyone with half a brain knew exactly what kind of attitude the World Government held toward a dangerous man like Caesar Clown.
And now that Roy had taken Caesar Clown's hair and nails to make a Vivre Card capable of locating his direction and position...
It also meant that Caesar Clown's greatest weakness was now in Roy's hands.
From his previous interactions with Roy...
Caesar Clown did not doubt in the slightest that if he truly betrayed this new master he had submitted to...
Then that ruthless man would absolutely use the Vivre Card to threaten him to the utmost extent.
Whether Roy personally hunted him down or handed him over to the World Government, neither was a consequence Caesar Clown could bear.
In truth, when Roy sent people to take his hair and nails, Caesar Clown had already formed a terrifying suspicion.
Why had nothing happened after he had been imprisoned for so long?
Yet after Roy captured him, news suddenly spread across the sea that he could translate Poneglyphs.
Such a coincidence left Caesar Clown with no choice but to suspect it, yet he absolutely did not dare believe it.
After all, being able to manipulate the World Government was such a terrifying thing.
At least in Caesar Clown's memory, aside from the Celestial Dragons, no such person had ever appeared in this world.
Therefore, while Caesar Clown suspected Roy, who had still been forcibly trying to persuade him to surrender just days ago, he also doubted his own conjecture.
Because if Roy were someone within the World Government, there would have been no need for him to go to such great lengths.
Yet every coincidence happened to be tied to the exact time Roy captured him.
So Caesar Clown's mind was now a complete mess.
If Roy knew what Caesar Clown was thinking...
He would surely smile knowingly.
After all, this was precisely the result he wanted, and it was also the terror of foreknowledge.
Ever since Caesar Clown's Vivre Card had been made, he had begun frantically proving his value to Roy.
The intense sense of danger made him want to quickly gain a firm foothold in the safe Sky City.
In response, while pleased, Roy also showed Caesar Clown the enormous research institute specially built for him in Sky City.
As he looked at the vaguely familiar equipment inside the institute...
Caesar Clown was horrified inwardly, while becoming even more respectful toward Roy.
Although he did not know why some of the research machines from Punk Hazard had appeared in this Sky City, upon seeing the scale of this institute and the strength Roy had displayed...
Caesar Clown knew that he had likely submitted to someone truly extraordinary this time.
Roy then brought Caesar Clown to a laboratory made of iron clouds.
As the door opened...
The moment Caesar Clown saw what was inside the laboratory, his pupils suddenly contracted.
"How is that possible? How do you have this?"
As he looked at the cultivation chamber in the center of the massive laboratory...
Caesar Clown's eyes were filled with disbelief.
A Shichibukai clone would be shocking enough wherever it appeared.
But why was it here?
Clearly, Caesar Clown also knew some of the inside details of the Seraphim project.
The fawning expression on his face was now replaced by shock.
His gaping mouth and the bobbing of his throat as he swallowed showed the turmoil in Caesar Clown's heart.
One had to know that the Seraphim project was Punk Hazard's most important project of the past several decades for the World Government, without question.
Back when he was in the restricted zone of Punk Hazard...
Caesar Clown had only occasionally learned a few secrets of this project from Vegapunk.
But now, the Seraphim project's test subject was right before his eyes.
Amid his shock, Caesar Clown grew even more curious about Roy's identity.
After all, the Seraphim project was one of the World Government's highest-priority projects.
Under normal circumstances, even Caesar Clown was not qualified to personally participate in it.
Because in ordinary times, the project was generally overseen entirely by the world's First Scientist, Vegapunk.
That was why Caesar Clown was so shocked upon seeing this test subject before him.
Gulp!
He swallowed several mouthfuls of saliva.
For a moment, Caesar Clown gained a new understanding of just how unfathomable the man beside him was.
"Caesar, I trust I do not need to tell you what this is.
"Your task from here on is simple: study this test subject properly, then allow it to awaken slowly and safely."
Roy reached out and stroked the glass cover of the cultivation chamber.
He held great expectations for this clone of Jinbe.
"M-My lord, may I boldly ask where you obtained this?"
After his shock subsided, an intense light of inquiry erupted in Caesar Clown's eyes.
No scientist could refuse the chance to study one of Vegapunk's test subjects.
Although Caesar Clown usually did not get along with Vegapunk, even a genius like him had to admit how formidable Vegapunk was.
Roy looked at Caesar Clown, who had now become completely obsessed.
"Where it came from is none of your concern.
"Remember your task, Caesar.
"I hope he wakes up soon."
Roy repeated what he had said before.
As he watched Caesar Clown practically burrow into the cultivation chamber...
Roy knew that the day he would possess a Shichibukai clone was likely not far away.
Before you continue