-Alabasta-
Lex and Tanya arrived at Alabasta in front of Croc and surrounding him were his 'Billions',as soon as Lex arrived the billions raised their Pistols and Swords at Lex and Croc stood behind them grinning.
Lex was annoyed,"You're making me angry,Croc!".
Lex didn't give him time to reply he used his Haoushoku and knocked out all the billions and within a sec he ran at the speed of sound and stood behind Croc,he put his hand at base of Croc's neck and pinched at his pressure point this immediately rendered him unconscious.
(Lex used to watch a lot of Sci-Fi in his old life and he was always fascinated by one show about intergalactic travel and one intrigued Alien with pointy ears who always relied on Logic and their signature move)
Lex snorted,"Can't believe it actually worked, and by the looks of his minions he didn't call his commanders he's still paranoid and didn't want them to him,whatever not like i care", he took out a seastone and cuffed Croc
Lex sat down on the sofa and dozed off for an hour,when he woke up he was still in pain, Lex saw that Croc was still out cold,he took the liberty and woke him with some cold water.
Croc woke up feeling heavy and with a migraine, he saw Lex's smug face and scoffed,"Hmph! What do you want, better yet how are you still up you should be lying down in pain", it just dawned on him that the Poison was not affecting Lex.
"About that,where is the antidote?",Lex was serious,he looked at Croc with eyes of a predator
Hearing that Lex had come for the antidote Croc laughed,"and here i thought you came back after getting cured,but unfortunately i don't have a cure it was never made!"
Lex was getting impatient, he knew Croc's personality he was one sly fellow and he would have many contingencies so there was no way he did not have an antidote,"Ok suit yourself"
Lex embodied his fists with haki and bashed his hand on his head making him drop down on the floor struggling in pain.
"Hahaha you can hit me all you want but it won't change the fact that i dont have an antidote",Croc was in pain but he didn't care he wanted to see Lex die.
Lex continued thrashing Croc for more the rest of the day,he would hit him until he was unconscious and then wake him up and continue it Lex was tired of hitting him again and again,"Are you a masochist just tell me the Antidote and I'll leave".
Croc didn't reply he just kept smiling.
Lex was at his wit's end and he decided to use the torture technique he used on Jerry,"I admire your strong will but lets see how long you can last this",Lex had a devious smile and he placed a dome around Croc.
*Half an hour later*
Croc's was screaming in pain and finally gave up,Lex lowered the dome and walked towards Croc,"You really surprised me i didn't think anyone could hold out for 30 mins looks like i need to make some improvements, I thank you, now then where is it?".
Croc grumbled and then pointed with his face towards a huge portrait of himself on a throne, *sigh* so cliche.
Lex removed the portrait and saw a safe and broke the safe but before he opened he went and woke up one of the billions and made him open the safe and the sure enough the safe exploded and killed the poor guy.
Lex saw Croc his face looked disappointing,Lex made his way to the safe and saw a case which was reasonably safe and all a few scrapes he opened it and saw vials of green liquid.
Lex made his way back to Croc,"This better be the Antidote else I'm coming back and you won't like that..oh by the way like i said I'll send Robin back soon don't worry",Lex said smiling, and then he and Tanya both teleported away.
Croc grumbled seeing his defeated Minions and himself.
-Dr.Nero's lab-
Lex handed over the vial to Nero to examin it and soon he confirmed it to be the antidote.
"By the way i found the way to awaken a person's devil fruit",Nero said nonchalantly while contiuing his work.
Lex was about to chugg the Antidote but stopped after hearing the Doctor,"What!? How did you find that out?"
The doctor turned to Tanya,"Well i had my suspicions but after what I heard from Tanya i'm sure of it".
Lex also turned to Tanya with a questioning face.
"I wanted to tell you captain but there wasn't a time. I have awakened my Devil Fruit, but there are many things i have to figure out".
Lex was utterly shocked he never would've imagined Tanya to awaken, atleast not before him,"So what new thing can you do? And how did you awaken it?".
"Captain even i don't understand it fully yet but with my awakening i can teleport to a particular individual,but i would need that person's DNA, and about how I awakened it, it was a few weeks ago I...". Dr Nero interrupted Tanya,"You can tell your story later but the gist of it is that she was fighting someone powerful and was on the verge of death, and the stress of it resulted in her awakening her Devil fruit".
Lex looked at Tanya, 'she could've died what on earth happened looks like I'll have to inquire that later'.
He turned to the Doc"But doctor there have been many situations like this for many devil fruit users but none of them have awakened so then how is it what you're telling possible?"
"Phahaha,Young'un you didn't let me finish, you are right you there are 5 conditions needed to awaken your devil fruit;
1.You need to be on the verge of death.
2.You need that stress on your mind.
3.You need to have a strong will.
4.Be in a state of eurphoria and not fearful of death".
5.Master your Devil fruit power.
Lex was confused,"Euphoria?"
Dr.Nero replied,"Yes you see apprently Tanya here was very exited because she was having a very good time fighting her opponent,she was excited to finally meet a worthy opponent".
Lex looked at Tanya who hid her face in embarrassment, then he thought to himself,' So inshort he needed to be a happy that he was about to die? No it's more like how Luffy feels while fighting his foe, he always wants to fight difficult opponents even if he can't defeat them and he's never afraid to die'.
*Boom* An Epiphany jolted Lex,' he had always wanted to awaken his but whatever he did nothing manifested,now he connected the dots and now Lex finally found a way to achieve this, grinning he turned to the doctor,"With this antidote can you synthesis a serum which would instead of curing me make the poison dorment for a few years?"
This shocked both of Tanya and Nero,"Captain why don't you want the cure? You can be healthy again",Tanya pleaded.
"I agree Young'un you should take it"Dr Nero also urged.
Lex laughed,"Don't you understaned this poison is a blessing in diguise,with this i can awaken my Devil Fruit, so Dr can you do it?".
Dr Nero nodded,"I can do it".
Tanya tugged on Lex's shirt,"Captain i still think its dangerous and captain what are you thinking?".
Lex grinned,he knew a sure fire it would work, it was shown in the anime,"There is a way but i can't do it right now it's gonna take a while.
First step is to make that serum
Second have a meeting with Dragon".
Tanya's eye widened, her captain wanted to meet the world's most dangerous man she couldn't help but tremble,"C.. Captain how are we going to find Dragon he's elusive even the World Government can't find him".
"Don't worry about it i know where his hideout is but we aren't going to meet him there and meeting him is going to wait for another few years..", Lex said.