Warning and Arrival

In just an instant, Bright found himself trapped in the dire situation of being surrounded by Marines.

Although the Marines, heeding Vegapunk's orders, did not use weapons, Bright had also put his shackles back on, leaving the odds still overwhelmingly against him.

Truth be told, Bright could understand the Marines' anger.

The people who had died today because of him, the people who had been injured because of him—they were the Marines' comrades, their friends.

It was only natural for them to feel furious.

But unfortunately, such understanding was utterly meaningless.

In many cases, people don't do things because they want to; positions, interests, emotions—all sorts of factors act like strings, pulling people like puppets into actions beyond their control.

Bright understood the Marines' anger well, but he had no intention of just taking the beating.

So the moment the Marines swarmed in, trying to pin him to the ground, he had already lowered his stance slightly, his leg muscles tensing as more water began to flow into them.

"Shark Skin Palm Strike!"

His bent legs snapped straight in an instant, explosive force driving into the earth, and the reaction sent his towering body hurtling forward like a runaway train.

First things first—break out of this encirclement.

Though the leg irons prevented him from taking long strides, short, quick steps were more than enough for now.

Not a single Marine could stop him; everyone in his path was scattered like bowling pins.

For a moment, the corridor outside the cell rang with a chorus of screams.

"You bastard!"

Colonel Ronald roared, his feet blurring as they stomped the ground.

Shave!

Geppo!

Just as Bright began to slow down, Ronald appeared above and behind him.

"Rankyaku!!"

The Colonel twisted midair, his right leg arcing like a scythe in a sharp trajectory, slashing straight down at Bright's shoulder.

Nowhere near as fast as that Rear Admiral.

Bright thought to himself as he raised his hands.

Clang!

A deafening impact rang out.

Ronald's right foot slammed viciously into the chain between Bright's hands.

The Colonel's heavy, powerful kick made the taut chain groan and bend downward, even forcing Bright's arms to flex slightly.

But the fact remained—this base's custom alloy handcuffs were built tough; the chain showed no sign of damage.

"What?!"

Ronald's eyes went wide.

Blocking my strike so easily—this guy's strength—

Bright gave Ronald no time to panic. He grabbed the Colonel's leg and yanked him forward.

The Colonel's body instantly lost control, his vision spinning as Bright hoisted him upside down.

"What I meant by 'I advise you not to,'" Bright said calmly, "is don't keep provoking me."

Ronald gritted his teeth and kicked at Bright with his other leg.

But before that landed, Bright had already swung him around.

Like wielding a whip, Bright spun Colonel Ronald into a full, continuous arc.

Then he looked at the Marines behind him.

Aimed. Let go.

The next instant—a cannonball shot forth.

Boom!

The projectile crashed through the clustered Marines.

The sheer force was something no Marine could withstand; they were scattered once again.

As for Ronald himself, he punched straight through the Marine ranks and slammed heavily into the corner wall further back, accompanied by a dull thud.

"Ugh—wah—"

Ronald lay on the ground, struggling to lift his head, his face full of disbelief. But before he could say a word, a mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips, and then his whole body went limp, leaving him with only enough strength to stare.

The remaining Marines fell silent, trembling.

Without exception, every single face was painted with terror.

That Colonel Ronald, the one who had mastered the Four Styles and Six Powers, had fallen so easily?

Bright slowly let out a breath.

His strength was considerably greater than before.

Just by eating the fruit without even using its abilities, he had gained this much enhancement? A Mythical Zoan—truly terrifying.

Or had Kaido's Lineage Factor already taken effect?

If so, then he had something to look forward to.

Once he fully unleashed his abilities, just how strong would he become?

Thinking this, Bright strolled back slowly.

As he approached, the Marines instinctively shrank to the sides, pressing themselves against the walls, trying to stay as far from Bright as possible.

Of course, there were also plenty who, despite being filled with fear, still stood in Bright's way.

"Don't get cocky!! Fishman!!"

They roared, "Have you forgotten your situation?"

Bright paid them no mind at all. He casually walked around them, turned, and stepped into the familiar cell, closing the door behind him.

The Marines exchanged glances.

Then, in the next instant, they all breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Hurry, lock the door! Lock it fast! Don't let him out again!"

"Go check on Colonel Ronald!"

Bright didn't care that the cell door was locked again.

He was drenched in sweat, so he decided to take a shower.

As the cold water poured over him, Bright began to summarize the night's events.

If Vegapunk's promise was genuine, then tonight had been an absolute win for him.

A bootleg Mythical Zoan with Kaido's Bloodline thrown in as a bonus—his strength had undergone a qualitative leap compared to before.

It wasn't just an immediate boost in combat power. After fusing with Kaido's Lineage Factor, his body's potential had skyrocketed.

And if Vegapunk's research was completed, that potential might surge to an almost unbelievable level.

But could that bastard Vegapunk really be trusted?

Bright tilted his head back, letting the water wash the grime from his face.

For now, he had no choice but to trust him.

He turned off the water, wiped the moisture from his face in one motion, and wore a frustrated expression.

Why was a scientist so damn strong?

Bright recalled earlier, when that bastard Vegapunk had smiled as he placed his hand on Bright's shoulder. It had felt like a mountain pressing down on him—he couldn't break free at all.

He was completely no match for that guy!

Bright realized this truth.

Like Judge, Caesar, and Queen, that bastard Vegapunk was no frail scientist either!

Just as the man had said, whether he liked it or not, he could only stay and cooperate with the research.

No matter what, this was the only option for now.

Bright lay back down on the bed.

Cross that bridge when you come to it.

After a night of tension, Bright quickly drifted off to sleep.

He didn't sleep for long.

In the midst of his slumber, Bright suddenly heard a loud crash. He jolted awake and flipped over, but before he could do anything, a force slammed him directly into the wall.

Then, a sharp blade tip pressed almost against Bright's right pupil.

The Rear Admiral he had seen last night now stood in the cell, his face twisted with rage.

His left hand pinned Bright's shoulder to the wall, while his right hand held a sword, its tip nearly piercing Bright's eye.

"Nice work, fishman! You've sent a few more idiots to the medical bay!"

The Rear Admiral named Hag spoke with barely contained fury. "You want me to slice you into sashimi, you bastard?"

Bright said nothing.

At this critical moment, he actually found himself having some strange reflections.

These people weren't deliberately using discriminatory language to provoke his anger. To them, these words were just convention, second nature, slipping out without thought.

A frustrating reality.

Amid his wandering thoughts, Bright replied calmly, "Do you want to defy Vegapunk's wishes, Admiral?"

The Rear Admiral clicked his tongue. "You'd better pray the doctor's research lasts a long time, fish-man. That way, you can keep acting arrogant for a while longer."

"Then at least for as long as I can act arrogant, I can act arrogant, can't I?"

Bright casually raised a hand and pushed aside the Rear Admiral's sword, his eyes fixed directly on the Rear Admiral's, his tone as calm as a still lake.

Hag's cheek twitched, and then he said coldly, "Anyway, keep yourself in line, fish-man. If you cause trouble again, even if the doctor gets angry, I'll kill you myself."

"Then what you should be doing is properly restraining the Marines."

Bright directly raised his hand and shoved the man aside, saying casually, "I don't feel like making trouble for myself either."

"Hmph, I'll be watching you."

The Rear Admiral sheathed his sword. "Let's go. See the doctor."

Bright didn't refuse.

He followed the man in silence all the way to Vegapunk's laboratory. Pushing open the door, Bright saw an unexpected person.

"Yo, how's it going?"

Bright's pupils suddenly contracted.

Thank you to the big shot 'Boring Cold and Dark' for the five hundred point tip! Much appreciated!

Ryokugyu actually went to find Monkey D. Luffy. Maybe the decade-long battle between the Emperors and the Admirals is finally about to have a result.