Vegapunk

Bright picked up the fiery red fruit.

This was, of course, a Devil Fruit.

But it was no ordinary Devil Fruit.

This was an artificial Devil Fruit, and very likely the very first artificial Devil Fruit ever created in this world.

When Bright had been sent here, no one had ever revealed the name or location of this place to him.

But he knew where he was. He knew this was the government's secret research facility, an island called Punk Hazard.

So this fruit had to be here!

Crafted by Vegapunk himself, using Kaido's Lineage Factor as a blueprint, a replica of the Mythical Zoan Azure Dragon Fruit!

Though Vegapunk considered this fruit a failure, Bright knew that might not actually be the case!

In the future, by some twist of fate, Momonosuke would eat this fruit and display abilities that couldn't be called anything less than a perfect copy of Kaido's.

It was highly possible that this was not a failure.

Of course, it was also possible that Momonosuke was simply the chosen one, with a special lineage that not only revived this failed fruit but also granted it power rivaling the original.

But Bright couldn't worry about that now.

After his attempt to reach the harbor failed, he was completely cornered.

What they called Plan B was nothing more than gambling on luck.

What if Vegapunk hadn't even made this fruit yet?

What if this fruit wasn't stored in this room?

What if this room was too heavily guarded to enter?

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

If it were possible, as a fish-man, why would he eat a Devil Fruit? Especially an artificial one of unknown effectiveness?

Bright wasn't some master strategist; he was simply out of options.

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

Now it all came down to whether the goddess of fortune would grant him her final blessing.

Bright wiped the dust off the fruit, opened his mouth wide, and took a bite.

As the flesh entered his mouth, Bright couldn't help but furrow his brow.

The Straw Hat Kid had certified it as disgusting, and that endorsement carried real weight.

The flesh was neither crisp nor soft; it was sticky, like swallowing snot that clung to his mouth and wouldn't break down no matter how much he chewed.

And the taste? Arlong's cooking was a hundred times more delicious than this. Bright exhausted his entire vocabulary and still couldn't find suitable words to describe the flavor.

But this was no time to be squeamish. Bright steeled himself and swallowed the whole fruit in a few big bites.

What if the quality control on artificial Devil Fruits was lax, and not eating the whole thing meant you didn't get the ability?

So, Lady Luck, once more, lend me your fortune.

Bright took a deep breath.

Would he end up as a fish-man who couldn't swim, or would he gain the power of a Mythical Zoan and a chance to escape? It all came down to this moment!

At the same time, more and more Marines gathered outside the door. Even the rear admiral who had been blocking the entrance earlier had arrived, and the dark mass of Marines clogged the corridor completely.

"Prepare for a forced entry."

The rear admiral said solemnly, "Those of captain rank and above, follow me. Try to keep the subject alive."

"Yes, sir."

The Marine officers nodded in unison.

The rear admiral's hand was already on the hilt of his sword at his waist.

For someone who had mastered Haki, this thick metal door before him was nothing.

"Wait."

But just then, a somewhat weary voice came from behind the crowd.

The Marines paused for a moment, then in the next instant turned around in unison and parted to make way.

"Doctor?"

The rear admiral looked at the man slowly walking down the path cleared by the Marines, surprised. "What brings you here?"

The newcomer had messy hair, a tall build, and was a middle-aged man wearing a large pair of glasses.

He was dressed in a white lab coat over a T-shirt and jeans, looking quite casual.

Unremarkable in appearance, but even this rear admiral treated him with great respect.

Because his name was Vegapunk.

"That kid ran into my storage room. Of course I had to come check."

Vegapunk wore a strange smile on his face. "What if you end up destroying my treasures?"

The rear admiral gave a wry smile. "Doctor, aren't those all failures?"

"Precisely because they're failures, they're treasures!" Vegapunk said matter-of-factly. "To me, failures hold far more commemorative value than successes."

The rear admiral was at a loss.

This doctor was indeed qualified to say such things.

The number of failures born from his hands was truly far fewer than the successes.

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

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

"Cornered and thinking of using my collection to find a chance to turn things around—he's quite an interesting fellow."

Vegapunk said with a grin. "Let me in to have a chat with him."

"Doctor, are you serious?" The rear admiral's eyes widened in shock.

"Hm? Are you doubting me?" Vegapunk shot him a sidelong glance.

"No, I wouldn't dare."

The rear admiral could only force a bitter smile.

Doctor, no matter how you look at it, you're a civilian staff member!

Behind that thick metal door.

Bright sat on a platform originally used for storing things, tilting his head up to look at the ceiling above.

Which would be simpler—breaking through the top, then tunneling through the entire mountain, or opening the Gate of Opening and smashing through every Marine in the way?

A calm smile lingered at the corners of his mouth.

Ssssh!

At that moment, a sharp sound rang out from the gap in the door over there.

Cutting through the lock?

Bright stood up and moved to the side of the door, avoiding a potential volley of fire when it opened.

He took a deep breath.

Then.

Fiery red scales emerged from his skin, his legs began to twist into reverse-jointed forms, a thick tail sprouted from his rear, and most crucially, two pairs of sharp horns coiled and grew from his forehead.

Bright transformed into a towering, crimson Dragon Human!

Lady Luck had favored him once again.

That Devil Fruit had indeed succeeded—Bright could now declare this loudly.

After gaining the ability, Bright underwent a transformation like being reborn.

His strength and physique surged dramatically, and the tough dragon scales gave him the confidence to even withstand bullets, while the wound on his shoulder was nearly healed.

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

He had truly obtained the means to escape alive.

Moisture seeped from Bright's palms once more, ready to strike at any moment.

Click.

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

Bright held his breath.

"Kid, don't rush to act. It's just me alone—let's talk."

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

Bright froze for a moment. "Vegapunk?"

The one who walked in was Vegapunk. Though they hadn't met twice, Bright certainly couldn't forget what this guy looked like.

What was he doing here?

And more than that, he actually turned around and closed the door!

What were the Marines thinking?

"Hm?"

After closing the door, Vegapunk turned back, and then he saw Bright in his current state.

"Oh!!!"

The man's eyes lit up instantly. He hurried over to Bright, observing him with near-obsessive fascination. "You ate that fruit?!"

"Hahaha, so it was waiting for you, was it? Oh, it's fiery red? I thought it would be a bit softer?"

What does that mean?

What does it mean by "the one it was waiting for"?

Could it be that this thing already knew the fruit hadn't actually failed?

But none of that matters now.

Bright looked at Vegapunk before him, a secret joy rising in his heart.

Even if he had obtained the ability, escaping would still require a bloody battle, and there was even a good chance he wouldn't make it out.

But now, an opportunity had arrived!

As long as he could capture Vegapunk and use him as a hostage, getting out of here would be a piece of cake!

"I was just planning to keep you in line, but it seems—haha, kid,"

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

What?

Thank you to 'Xicun' bigshot for the four hundred point tip, and thank you to 'Youzhouyou' and 'The Vanished Mediterranean' bigshots for the fifteen hundred point tip! Thank you, thank you!