Warnings and a Visitor

In an instant, Bright found himself surrounded and under attack by the Marines.

Although the Marines had refrained from using weapons out of consideration for Vegapunk's orders, Bright had put his shackles back on as well. The situation was still overwhelmingly unfavorable for him.

In truth, Bright could understand the Marines' anger.

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

It was only natural that they would be angry.

But unfortunately, that understanding was meaningless.

In many cases, people did not do things simply because they wanted to. Positions, interests, emotions—countless factors were like threads, tugging puppet-like people into action whether they wanted to move or not.

Bright understood the Marines' anger, but he had no intention of standing there and taking a beating.

So, the moment the Marines rushed him, intending to force him to the ground, he lowered his body slightly. The muscles in his legs tensed as more moisture began flowing into them.

"Shark Skin Palm Strike!"

His bent legs straightened in an instant. Explosive force struck the ground, and the recoil sent Bright's massive body charging forward like a locomotive.

No matter what, he had to get out of the encirclement first.

Though the shackles around his ankles prevented him from taking long strides, short, quick steps were more than enough right now.

Not a single Marine could stop him. Every Marine blocking his path was smashed aside like a bowling pin.

For a moment, screams filled the area outside the cell.

"Bastard!"

Colonel Ronald shouted furiously, his feet stamping against the ground in a blur.

Shave!

Geppo!

Bright had only just slowed down when Ronald appeared above and behind him.

"Rankyaku!!"

The colonel twisted sharply in midair, his right leg carving a sharp arc like a scythe as it chopped directly toward Bright's shoulder.

He was nowhere near as fast as that Rear Admiral.

Thinking this, Bright raised both hands.

Clang!

A deafening crash rang out.

Ronald's right foot struck the chain between Bright's hands with full force.

The colonel's heavy kick bent the taut chain downward with a creak, even causing Bright's arms to bend slightly.

But it proved that the custom alloy cuffs made by this base were truly sturdy. The chain did not suffer any damage at all.

"What!"

Ronald's eyes widened.

He had blocked his attack so easily. This guy's strength—

Bright gave Ronald no time to panic. He grabbed the colonel's leg with both hands and yanked it forward.

The colonel instantly lost control of his body. As his vision spun wildly, Bright forcibly hoisted him upside down.

"What I meant when I said you'd better not,"

Bright said calmly, "was that you'd better stop provoking me."

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

But before the kick could land, Bright had already swung him up.

Like cracking a whip, Bright swung Colonel Ronald through a complete circle.

Then he looked toward the Marines behind him.

He took aim and let go.

In the next instant, the cannonball left the barrel.

Boom!

The cannonball tore through the densely packed Marines.

That terrifying force was far beyond anything the Marines could withstand, sending them flying apart once more.

Ronald himself even blasted through the Marine formation before slamming heavily into the wall at the far corner with a dull thud.

"Urgh—blegh—"

Ronald lay prone on the ground. He struggled to raise his head, his face filled with disbelief, but before he could say anything, a mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips. Then he collapsed to the floor, with only enough strength left to stare.

The surviving Marines fell silent as cicadas in winter.

Without exception, every face was filled with terror.

Colonel Ronald, who had mastered four of the Six Powers, had actually been defeated so easily?

Bright slowly let out a breath.

My strength has increased quite a bit from before.

I only ate the fruit and hadn't even used its abilities, yet I received this kind of boost? Mythical Zoans really are terrifying.

Or had Kaido's Bloodline Factor already started working too?

If so, then this was something to look forward to.

Just how strong would I become once I fully unleashed my abilities?

Thinking this, Bright leisurely walked back.

When they saw him approaching, the Marines instinctively moved aside, pressing themselves tightly against the walls in an effort to get as far away from Bright as possible.

Of course, many of them still stood in his way despite their fear.

"Don't get cocky, Fish-Man!!"

They roared, "Have you forgotten your situation?"

Bright ignored them completely. He simply walked around them, turned around, entered the familiar cell, and casually shut the door behind him.

The Marines looked at one another.

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

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

"Go see how Colonel Ronald is doing!"

Bright did not care that the cell door had been locked again.

Covered in sweat, he decided to take a bath.

Cold water poured over his body as Bright began reviewing everything that had happened that night.

If Vegapunk's promise was genuine, then he had definitely struck it rich tonight.

The bootleg Mythical Zoan that came with Kaido's Bloodline Factor had already given him a qualitative leap in strength compared to before.

It was not merely an immediate increase in combat ability. After fusing with Kaido's Bloodline Factor, his body's potential had risen dramatically.

If Vegapunk completed his research, that potential might even rise to an unbelievable level in one go.

But was Vegapunk really trustworthy?

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

For now, I have no choice but to trust him.

He turned off the water and wiped the droplets from his face, looking somewhat frustrated.

Why was a scientist so strong?

Bright recalled how Vegapunk had smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder earlier. It had felt as though a mountain was pressing down on him, leaving him completely unable to break free.

He was absolutely no match for that guy!

Bright had realized this.

Like Judge, Caesar, and Queen, that bastard Vegapunk was not some frail scientist either!

Just as that guy had said, whether he wanted to or not, he could only stay and cooperate with his research.

No matter what, this was all he could do for now.

Bright lay back down on the bed.

Things will work themselves out when the time comes.

After keeping his nerves taut all night, Bright quickly fell asleep.

He did not sleep for very long.

A loud crash suddenly rang out in Bright's dream. He awoke at once and rolled to his feet, but before he could do anything, a force slammed him directly into the wall.

Then, a sharp sword tip nearly touched Bright's right pupil.

The Rear Admiral he had met the previous night now stood inside the cell, his face filled with rage.

His left hand pressed Bright's shoulder against the wall, while his right held a sword whose tip was almost piercing Bright's eye.

"Nice work, Fish-Man! You sent quite a few more idiots to the medical division!"

The Rear Admiral named Hag was brimming with anger. "You bastard, do you want me to slice you into sashimi?"

Bright said nothing.

At a moment like this, he felt a strange sense of reflection.

These people were not deliberately using discriminatory words to provoke his anger. To them, such words were simply conventional, natural, and slipped easily from their mouths.

It was a helpless reality.

While letting his thoughts wander, Bright calmly said, "Do you intend to defy Vegapunk's wishes, Admiral?"

The Rear Admiral clicked his tongue. "You'd better pray that the doctor's research lasts a little longer, Fish-Man. That way, you can keep strutting around for a while longer."

"Then at least while I can strut around, I can strut around, can't I?"

Bright casually raised a hand and pushed the Rear Admiral's sword aside. He looked straight into the man's eyes, his tone as still as an ancient well.

Hag's cheek twitched. Then he said coldly, "In any case, behave yourself, Fish-Man. If you cause trouble again, even if the doctor gets angry, I'll kill you!"

"Then what you should do is keep your Marines under control,"

Bright shoved the man away and said casually, "I can't be bothered creating trouble for myself either."

"Hmph. I'll be watching you."

The Rear Admiral sheathed his sword. "Come on. You're going to see the doctor."

Bright did not refuse.

He silently followed the man all the way to Vegapunk's laboratory. After the door opened, Bright saw someone unexpected.

"Yo, hello there."

Bright's pupils suddenly contracted.

Thanks to boss 'Boring Cold and Black' for the five hundred-point donation! Thank you, thank you!

Ryokugyu had actually gone after Monkey D. Luffy. Perhaps the Emperor-Admiral battle that had lasted more than a decade would finally have a result.