Special Illusion!

After taking a deep breath, Zephyr looked back. "Can you keep going?"

He was not asking Naito, of course.

Naito was in excellent condition. He had used Haki to propel himself, and flowing Armament Haki worked perfectly well as a jet.

The others, however, were another story.

Even Vice Admiral Simon was a little out of breath, while the two Rear Admirals were pale. As for the five Commodores, they had already collapsed on the ground.

"N-no, no problem..."

Commodore Doll braced a hand against the ground and struggled to her feet, speaking between gasps.

Zephyr frowned slightly.

He had been a little hasty.

Should he have left the squad leaders behind?

But in any case, he could not leave them here now.

So the group followed the passage deeper into the base.

Fortunately, Doll and the others gradually caught their breath. At least they had recovered some of their fighting strength.

"Hm?"

Naito raised his eyes slightly.

"What took you so long?!"

A cloud of smoke drifted out from deep within the passage.

It then took Caesar's form in front of them. "You bunch of useless idiots! I was scared half to death!!"

The corner of Naito's mouth twitched.

What a foul mouth.

Whoosh.

The next instant, he vanished from where he stood.

"Huh?"

The still-furious Caesar froze, and a Haki-coated hand immediately clamped around his face.

"Gwah!"

Caesar felt as if his head were about to explode. "Ow, ow, ow, ow! Spare me, spare me, spare me!!"

His body, much larger than Naito's, curled up like a shrimp as he fell to his knees.

The corner of Zephyr's mouth twitched. "Naito, he's not an enemy. He's Dr. Caesar of the Science Unit."

"Is that so?"

Naito released him as though nothing had happened. "He was so arrogant, I thought he was an enemy."

"Wah-"

Caesar went rolling backward like a cannonball until he crashed headfirst into the wall behind him. He clutched his face and screamed, five distinct finger marks left on it.

"Dr. Caesar, what's the situation on Punk Hazard?"

Zephyr asked directly, "Where are those people?"

"How would a genius like me know?!"

Caesar snapped.

He glanced cautiously at Naito. That guy had nearly crushed him to death!

Just you wait. I'll report you for this later!

Naito gave him a half-smiling look, and Caesar immediately looked away, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

"That bastard Vegapunk ran off, so a genius like me had to find somewhere to hide!"

Caesar huffed. "I didn't dare come out until you arrived! When it comes down to it, you were too slow getting here!"

It had to be said, the guy was a good actor. He stayed completely in character as someone who knew nothing.

His attitude was just a little arrogant.

Zephyr paid no attention to Caesar's attitude. He suddenly raised his head and looked deep into the passage.

"Fuffuffuffu, you really did take too long, Black Arm Zephyr. Those people ran off ages ago."

Accompanied by the strange laugh, a figure slowly emerged from the depths of the passage.

Oh, Doffy, you're still here.

Naito raised an eyebrow in surprise.

This is a pleasant surprise, isn't it?

As it happens, I wanted to test how strong I am now, too.

Say no more, Doffy. What a stand-up guy!

Chapter 32: Special Illusion!

Doflamingo was in a very bad mood.

After the escapees left, he had intended to look around Punk Hazard to see if there was anything he could pick up.

But after wandering around the base for ages, all he found were a few experimental subjects the escapees had left behind after picking through them. They were utterly useless.

As for technical data, he had not seen so much as a scrap.

He had come here for nothing but a stroll.

"Huh! Don... Don... Donquixote Doflamingo! Why is this guy here?!"

The sight of Doflamingo startled Caesar. His body turned to gas, and he zipped behind Zephyr.

Caesar knew who the man before him was. After all, there was only one person who had been audacious enough to hijack the Heavenly Tribute and threaten the World Government, thereby becoming one of the Shichibukai. He was unquestionably dangerous!

After destroying some technical data, Caesar had gone straight into the monitoring room to hide, planning to rush out and play innocent as soon as the Marines arrived.

As it happened, a large number of Surveillance Den Den Mushi had yet to wake up, so the people in the monitoring room did not know what was happening outside either.

That was why Caesar really had not known Doflamingo was also in the base.

"A Shichibukai?"

Vice Admiral Simon's hand went instinctively to the hilt of the sword at his waist.

The Shichibukai were nominally legal pirates, forces belonging to the World Government just like the Marines.

But hardly any Marine regarded them as one of their own.

Zephyr studied Doflamingo. He knew, of course, that the government had sent Doflamingo to provide support.

Noticing Doflamingo's battered appearance, Zephyr's gaze sharpened slightly. "Doflamingo, did you fight them?"

"Fuffuffuffu, I certainly tried hard to stop them."

Doflamingo spread his hands. "But there was nothing I could do. They had numbers on their side, and I couldn't stop them."

The corner of Naito's mouth rose.

Sure enough, when you're out and about, you have to give yourself face.

"How long ago did they leave?"

Zephyr pressed immediately. "Which direction did they go?"

"Hey, hey, Black Arm Zephyr."

Doflamingo grinned. "That's no way to ask someone for a favor."

"Doflamingo, do you think I'm joking with you?"

Zephyr's right fist had already clenched, tiny arcs of black lightning leaping around it. His expression had turned as cold as his voice.

"Fuffuffuffu, how frightening."

Doflamingo continued his strange laughter. "All right, I don't mind telling you. They left at least two hours ago, I think? As for the direction, I'm pretty sure it was northeast."

Since this Black Arm Zephyr wants to pursue them too, of course I, Doflamingo, should lend a hand.

Fuffuffuffu.

"Wait!"

A voice suddenly rang out.

Commodore Doll, her face pale, was staring intently at Doflamingo. "You said they left over two hours ago. Why didn't you notify the government during that time? And what were you doing on Punk Hazard?"

Naito lifted his drooping eyelids slightly.

This woman is pretty sharp.

Indeed, on the surface, Doflamingo was the only person who knew for certain that the escapees had left.

Yet he had notified no one and had come sneaking out of the center of the research base. No matter how one looked at it, he was suspicious.

Zephyr's gaze grew even colder. "Doflamingo, aren't you going to explain?"

"Fuffuffuffu, explain?"

Doflamingo paid no attention to Zephyr's reaction. Still looking as carefree as ever, he said with a grin, "I was only helping search for survivors. I wasn't obliged to do that in the first place. I think you Marines ought to thank me properly, Zephyr."

"A foolish woman like her is repaying kindness with enmity."

This guy really knows how to put on an act.

Naito marveled inwardly.

Someone who didn't know better would think he was a former Admiral.

As he thought this, Naito casually reached above Doll's head and grabbed.

"Naito?"

Doll was a little puzzled, not knowing what Naito was up to.

Naito tugged, snapping a thread.

"This-"

Doll froze for a moment.

Thread?

What is this?

"Making a move right in front of me. You really do look down on me."

Naito spoke calmly.