Artificial Devil Fruit success, part three

Half of World's body had vanished. His remaining eye widened as he stared at Rogge in disbelief.

"You..." World kept his eye fixed on Rogge.

"You really were too weak. Someone who had only just learned Haki beat you this badly. Those thirty years on ice must have frozen your brain," Rogge said flatly.

World's life was slipping away, and his past flashed before his eyes. He thought back over his life, but he had never imagined that so soon after escaping prison, not only would he lose to a brat, but someone else would crush him to death with ease.

"Why didn't you leave with that ship back then? If only you'd listened and done as you were told," Rogge said helplessly.

World's eye widened again as he looked at Rogge. He remembered the second group that had arrived when he escaped Impel Down. Blackbeard had led the first group, but World had not left with him. The people in the second group had said that anyone who went with them could live under the sun.

Clearly, that second group had some connection to Rogge. This Shichibukai might even have arranged it himself.

"You..." World tried to say something, but the last of his life finally drained away. The remaining half of his body fell to the ground.

The final cannon shot never fired, so Rogge naturally never got to witness Hawk-Eye's magnificent slash. But what the hell did that have to do with him? What mattered to him was whether the fruit he carried could absorb World's Devil Fruit power. The More-More Fruit could increase strength and speed a hundredfold. It would be a good fit for Taishan, Jerry, or even Shiryu. This was no place to check, so Rogge lingered beside World's corpse for a moment before