Vegapunk

Bright picked up the fiery red fruit.

Of course, it was a Devil Fruit.

But it was no ordinary Devil Fruit.

It was an Artificial Devil Fruit, and very possibly the first Artificial Devil Fruit in this world.

After Bright had been sent here, no one had ever told him this place's name or location.

But he knew where this was. He knew it was a secret government research base, an island called Punk Hazard.

Then this fruit should be here!

The Mythical Zoan Azure Dragon Fruit, personally created by Vegapunk using Kaido's Lineage Factor as its template!

Although Vegapunk considered this fruit a failure, Bright knew that perhaps it was not!

In the future, Momonosuke, who ate this fruit by chance, displayed abilities that could not merely be called identical to Kaido's—they were practically a perfect reproduction of the original.

It was very likely not a failed product.

Of course, it was also possible that Momonosuke truly was heaven's chosen, with some special bloodline that had not only revived this failed fruit but given it powers comparable to the original.

But Bright could not worry about that now.

After his attempt to reach the harbor had failed, he had already been driven into a corner.

This so-called Plan B was nothing more than a gamble on luck.

What if Vegapunk had not made this fruit yet?

What if the fruit was not in this room?

What if the room was too heavily guarded for him to enter?

If he could have simply jumped into the sea and escaped, why would he have come here to gamble on his luck?

And if he had another choice, why would a fish-man eat a Devil Fruit? Especially an Artificial Devil Fruit whose effectiveness was unknown?

Bright was not some master strategist. He was simply out of options.

Fortunately, it seemed that Lady Luck was on his side today.

Now it depended on whether Lady Luck was willing to grant him one final blessing.

Bright wiped the dust from the fruit, opened his mouth wide, and bit down.

The moment the flesh entered his mouth, Bright could not help but knit his brows.

Straw Hat Kid had certified it as disgusting. Its reputation was clearly well deserved.

The flesh was neither crisp nor soft. It was sticky and slimy, like swallowing snot; it clung to the inside of his mouth and could not be chewed apart.

As for the taste, even Arlong's cooking was a hundred times more delicious. Bright exhausted his vocabulary and still could not find an apt description for the flavor.

But this was no time to be picky. Bright hardened his heart and swallowed the entire fruit in just a few bites.

What if the quality control on Artificial Devil Fruits was poor, and he could not gain its power unless he ate the whole thing?

Then, Lady Luck, lend me your luck once more.

Bright took a deep breath.

Would he become a fish-man who could not swim for nothing, or gain the power of a Mythical Zoan and a chance to escape alive? It all came down to this!

At the same time, more and more Marines gathered outside. Even the Rear Admiral who had previously blocked the door had arrived, and the densely packed Marines completely sealed off the corridor.

"Prepare to force our way in."

The Rear Admiral said solemnly, "Officers of colonel rank and above, come with me. Try to keep that guy alive."

"Yes."

The Marine officers nodded in unison.

The Rear Admiral's hand was already resting on the hilt of his sword.

For someone like him, who had mastered Haki, the heavy metal door before him was nothing much.

"Wait."

But at that moment, a somewhat sleepy voice suddenly came from behind the crowd.

The Marines froze, then immediately turned around together and made way.

"Doctor?"

The Rear Admiral looked at the man slowly walking down the path the Marines had opened, surprise written across his face. "Why are you here?"

The newcomer had messy hair and a fairly tall build. He was a middle-aged man wearing huge glasses.

He wore a white lab coat over a T-shirt and jeans, making him look quite casual.

He looked utterly unremarkable, yet even this Rear Admiral treated him with immense respect.

Because his name was Vegapunk.

"That kid ran into my storage room. Of course I had to come take a look."

Vegapunk wore a strange smile. "What if you people destroy my treasures?"

The Rear Admiral smiled bitterly. "Doctor, aren't those all failed products?"

"That is precisely why they are treasures!" Vegapunk said as though it were only natural. "To me, failure holds far more commemorative value than success."

The Rear Admiral was helpless.

This doctor truly had the qualifications to say that.

The failures born from his hands really were far fewer than his successes.

"Then, Doctor, what do you intend to do?"

The leader of the entire Marine Science Unit was naturally the government's chief scientist standing before him.

"Driven into a corner, he actually thought of using my collection to seek a chance at turning things around. He is quite an interesting fellow."

Vegapunk said with a smile, "Let me go in and have a chat with him."

"Doctor, are you serious?" The Rear Admiral stared in disbelief.

"Hmm? Are you questioning me?" Vegapunk shot him a sidelong glance.

"No, I would not dare."

The Rear Admiral could only smile bitterly.

Doctor, no matter how you looked at it, he was a civilian!

Behind that heavy metal door.

Bright sat atop a platform that had originally been used to store things, gazing up at the ceiling.

Would it be easier to blast through the ceiling, then carve through the entire mountain, or open the door and fight through every Marine in his way?

A calm smile rested on his lips.

Screech!

At that moment, a sharp sound came from the gap in the door.

Were they cutting through the lock?

Bright rose to his feet and moved to the side of the door, avoiding a concentrated volley the moment it opened.

He took a deep breath.

Then.

Fiery red scales emerged from his skin. His legs gradually took on the shape of reverse-jointed limbs, a thick tail grew from behind him, and most importantly, two pairs of sharp horns curled out from his forehead.

Bright transformed into a tall, fiery red Dragon Human!

Lady Luck had blessed him once again.

That Devil Fruit really had succeeded. Bright could now proclaim it loudly.

After gaining the power, Bright underwent a transformation as though he had been reborn.

His strength and physique increased enormously. The tough dragon scales even gave Bright confidence that he could withstand bullets, and the wound on his shoulder was nearly healed.

More importantly, although he could no longer swim, he could fly now!

He had truly gained the power to escape alive.

Moisture seeped from Bright's palms once more. He was ready to strike.

Click.

The lock was finally cut through, and the door was pushed open.

Bright held his breath.

"Kid, do not rush to attack. I came alone. Let's have a talk."

A voice came from outside, and then a man stepped inside.

Bright froze for a moment. "Vegapunk?"

The one who entered was Vegapunk. Though Bright had only seen him a few times, there was no way he could forget what this man looked like.

Why was this guy here?

And he had actually turned around and shut the door!

What were the Marines thinking?

"Hmm?"

After closing the door, Vegapunk turned around and saw Bright as he was now.

"Oh!!!"

The man's eyes immediately lit up. He hurried over to Bright and examined him with near obsession. "You ate that fruit?!"

"Hahahaha! So you are the one it was waiting for? Oh, it is fiery red? I thought it would be gentler in color."

Bright was taken aback.

What did he mean?

What did he mean, it had been waiting for someone?

Could it be that this guy had known all along that the fruit had not failed?

But none of that mattered now.

Bright looked at Vegapunk before him, secretly delighted.

Even with his new power, escaping would inevitably require a bloody battle, and there was a strong chance he still would not get away.

But now, an opportunity had arrived!

As long as he could seize Vegapunk and use him as a hostage, leaving this place would be effortless!

"Originally, I only wanted to make you behave, but now it seems—haha, kid,"

Just as Bright was about to make his move, Vegapunk suddenly said, "How about we make a deal?"

What?

Thanks to boss Xicun for the four hundred-point donation, and thanks to bosses Youzhou and Disappearing Mediterranean for the fifteen-hundred-point donations! Thank you, thank you!