Chapter 38
Caesar gave an awkward laugh. "Sorry, I came to the wrong place. See you next time."
He turned around, ready to float away.
But in the next instant, a pitch-black blade was already pressed against his neck.
"Don't move."
Salt sneered.
"Eek!"
Caesar instantly threw up his hands in terror. He might have been a Logia user, but there was nothing he could do against a blade coated in Haki.
"Wait, wait, don't hurt me! I'm useful! I'm the Science Unit's top scientist!"
Even at a time like this, he didn't forget to take a jab at Vegapunk?
Naito smiled and activated the Dream-Dream Fruit's ability.
"Ugh!"
Caesar immediately collapsed and fell asleep.
Someone like him, with little strength and a rather weak will, couldn't resist Naito's forced slumber.
A gloating smile immediately appeared on Buckingham's face.
About a minute later, Caesar's eyes abruptly snapped open.
His expression suddenly turned vicious, and he let out a series of incomprehensible screams.
"Done screaming?"
Naito sounded a little impatient. "Lead the way."
Caesar looked up at him in terror, then hurriedly nodded. "Yes!"
Compared to the Marine lieutenant commander who had led them before, Caesar knew the base far better.
He led them through the complicated maze of passages, turning this way and that. Along the way, they encountered several more groups of guards and Marines.
So Caesar could remain in the Science Unit afterward, Naito thoughtfully left no survivors. He even destroyed all the Surveillance Den Den Mushi from a distance.
Before long, Caesar brought them to a cold iron door.
"It's right in here..."
Caesar was still a little shaky around Naito.
Boom!
The iron door was smashed open by an invisible fist.
Naito led the way inside.
It was a storeroom filled with all sorts of things.
"Oh?"
Buckingham looked around with interest. "Is this Vegapunk's storeroom?"
"So, are all the world's greatest scientist's treasures in here?"
Anthony's eyes lit up a little.
"Ho ho ho ho, you've got it wrong there."
Buckingham said matter-of-factly, "Vegapunk actually prefers to keep his failed creations."
Hmm?
Caesar froze.
Why did this old hag sound so familiar with that bastard Vegapunk?
Hiss—but why does she look a little familiar?
"So..."
Anthony immediately lost some interest. "It's all junk?"
Naito swept his gaze around the spacious storeroom and immediately noticed a glass case off to one side. Inside, a purple Devil Fruit rested on a soft piece of cloth.
Its surface was covered in spiral patterns, and it was shaped like an apple.
Naito beckoned with a finger. The glass case opened on its own, and the fruit flew into his hand.
"That's the fruit you're looking for!"
Caesar hurriedly said, "It's a copy of the mythical zoan Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon, made by Vegapunk using Kaido's Lineage Factor."
"The Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon?"
Buckingham was suddenly taken aback.
She knew that fruit all too well. It had been one of the prizes at God Valley back then, and Kaido had gotten it afterward.
"A copy?"
Anthony's jaw dropped. "He copied a Devil Fruit?"
Salt was equally incredulous. "And a mythical zoan at that..."
"But Vegapunk said it was a failure."
Caesar hurriedly added, "He still can't make a perfect copy of a Devil Fruit."
"So it was a failure..."
Anthony breathed a sigh of relief, only to see Naito casually hand the Devil Fruit to Luna.
"Eat it."
Naito said.
"Yes."
Without the slightest hesitation, Luna accepted the Devil Fruit and took a huge bite.
"Huh! My lord!"
Salt said in alarm, "It's a failure! If Miss Luna eats it-"
Naito merely said calmly, "Just because Vegapunk said it was a failure, does that make it one?"
Huh?
Everyone was stunned.
Wait, do you understand the fruit Vegapunk made better than Vegapunk himself?
But in any case, Luna had already eaten the fruit.
"Uh..."
Luna frowned slightly.
"How is it?"
Naito asked.
"Is this what a Devil Fruit feels like?"
Luna said slowly, "It's amazing."
"Try it out."
Naito said, "There's not much room, so use your human-beast form."
"Yes."
Luna nodded slightly.
Then, under everyone's horrified gazes, red scales gradually emerged across her body. Perhaps because members of the Lunarian Tribe naturally had darker skin, her scales weren't the cherry-blossom color from the original story, but more of a dark red.
Her already slender legs grew longer, her thighs thickened, and her legs became reverse-jointed.
A long, slender tail grew from behind her, her finger joints thickened, and sharp claws emerged.
Her valiant face was also covered in scales, and a pair of horns grew from her head.
Of course, she retained her broad black wings.
"This..."
Anthony was speechless.
Was it really not a failure?
"Vegapunk... you..."
Buckingham was equally dumbfounded.
Even after working with Vegapunk for many years, she was still amazed by the technology he had mastered.
"Vegapunk!! You bastard!!!"
Caesar had even forgotten his fear of Naito at this point and shouted furiously, "Didn't you say it was a failure? Despicable! You're so despicable!!"
He couldn't accept it!
That bastard Vegapunk could even copy a mythical zoan Devil Fruit!
"My strength is completely different now."
Luna clenched her fists.
She tried opening her mouth, and a ball of flame burst out.
She swished her tail slightly, and the wind stirred.
She gave a soft roar, and arcs of electricity sprang to life.
"Good."
Naito nodded in satisfaction.
With this, Luna's strength had also made a tremendous leap!
It would be nice if there were someone around to test Luna's strength against now.
Someone at Shichibukai level would be best. Someone at the level of the Tobi Roppo probably wouldn't be enough anymore.
And besides.
Naito studied Luna closely.
Unlike the masklike face of Kaido's human-beast form, Luna's was closer to Yamato's, combining human and beastly features. Her nose and jaw protruded, and her entire face was covered in fine scales, but she didn't look ferocious. Instead-furry, you know?
"Next,"
Naito looked at Caesar. "Take us to the real storeroom."
Caesar answered without hesitation, "Yes, my lord."