In the New World, on the top of Dressrosa Royal Palace,
Bellu-Bellu-Bell-
The den den mushi was answered, and there was a burst of screams and exclamations from the other end, "Doflamingo, help!"
Doflamingo, who had just picked up the call, was a little confused. "Ceaser? What's going on?"
Ceaser's voice on the other end trembled as he replied, "Doflamingo, it's bad! A group of uninvited guests has infiltrated our research site. They came straight to the research institute, and now they are inside!"
Furious, Doflamingo roared, "Are you an idiot? If there are intruders, go and kill them! Eliminate them all!"
"But how can I?"
Ceaser panicked and rapidly mentioned a list of names, "They are the Clown King Buggy, Gabban, Bullet, Doringo, Sunbell, and Crocodile. They have been missing for days and are all major criminals with billion-belli bounties! The bounties offered for capturing them have exceeded tens of billions! How can I deal with these wolves?"
Doflamingo couldn't help but criticize Ceaser's naming choices in his mind.
"That's enough," came a voice from the other end, bringing a moment of silence.
Doflamingo was also facing a dilemma. Even he, in his arrogance, knew that challenging someone as powerful as Buggy would be unwise. Buggy's strength during the Summit War was renowned, and he was considered one of the new Four Emperors.
Realizing that Buggy could potentially disrupt their experiments at Punk Hazard, Doflamingo felt helpless. His only option might be to call on Kaido to deal with Buggy if things escalate.
Suddenly, a roar, followed by Ceaser's scream, and voices from the intruders erupted through the phone bug.
"What kind of person are you, Ceaser Clown?"
"You are using children to experiment to turn them into giants? How inhumane!"
"Huh? You don't even know Haki? And you think Logia users are invincible?"
"Hahahaha, Enel, it's hilarious when you say that!"
"Crocodile, do you have any right to say that about me?"
Doflamingo contemplated hanging up, but the microphone was suddenly picked up.
"Doflamingo, huh? I am Buggy. What's your take on this situation?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Doflamingo's forehead broke into a cold sweat. He gritted his teeth and replied, "Buggy, we don't have any conflicts, do we? Why do you want to occupy my territory?"
Doflamingo tried to reason, explaining that Punk Hazard was not just his territory but also an experimental base for Four Emperors Kaido and Big Mom.
Buggy responded indifferently, "You can tell them to come directly to Punk Hazard and ask me themselves. I'd love to weigh myself against these two Four Emperors!"
Buggy's voice came across as indifferent as he spoke into the phone, "I can also tell you that I'll be at Punk Hazard for a while, so if they want to fight me, they better hurry up."
Click!
After speaking, Buggy hung up the phone abruptly, leaving Doflamingo stunned by the audacity of his statement.
"It's so crazy," Doflamingo thought to himself, marvelling at the weight Buggy carried as one of the Four Emperors. Can such a claim be made casually?
However, when he considered the members of Buggy's Four Emperors crew, he fell silent, understanding that there might be some truth to Buggy's confidence.
One of the reasons behind Buggy's audacity was that, after leaving Fish-Men Island, he obtained a reward that altered the course of events in his favour.
This reward was the Rokushiki Grandmaster and physical enhancement, significantly enhancing his physical fitness and strength. The change in the plot during his time on Fishman Island proved to be worthwhile.
Even someone like Lucci, who had trained the Rokushiki his entire life, was no more than a [Master]. To truly master all six styles you must learn the last secret move of Rokushiki, Rokuogan. Buggy had achieved the [Grandmaster] level, allowing him to master the formidable ability of the Rokuogan.
This Rokuogan move was said to be ten times more powerful than Sky Island's impact shell, a fact demonstrated by Wyper's experience. It even had a remarkable impact on Haki powerhouses, provided it was executed with proficiency.
The attack method of the Rokuogan resembled Sengoku's [Buddha's Impact], which involved a direct impact on the human body. Buggy believed this move needed further enhancement. If someone with physical prowess like Garp were to use it, it might surpass even Sengoku's Buddha Shock in destruction.
Despite the threats from Doflamingo, who planned to use Kaido and Big Mom to intimidate him, Buggy was not afraid. On the contrary, he was eager to face powerful opponents to improve his Haki and strength.
With Gabban and Bullet by his side, he felt confident even if Kaido and Big Mom came after him. Moreover, he possessed a Dragon's den den mushi, further fueling his confidence.
With various thoughts racing through his mind, Buggy took a seat in front of the monitoring room, his eyes fixed on numerous screens of different sizes. He then asked Ceaser, "Are there surveillance videos in all the rooms here?"
"Yes, Mr Buggy," Ceaser replied.
Ceaser rubbed his hands together, wearing a flattering smile as he replied, "I don't know what Mr Buggy needs to find, but I can certainly help you."
"Have you ever come across a man-made Devil Fruit that 'failed' Vegapunk's experimentation?" Buggy got straight to the point.
Hearing this, both Ceaser and Monet, who had been pretending to be innocent, showed surprise.
"There is indeed a Devil Fruit like that, Mr. Buggy. Is that what you're looking for?" Ceaser was initially surprised, but upon seeing Buggy's expressionless face, he quickly added, "Master Buggy, take a look at screen 58, that room might have what you seek."
As Ceaser pondered why Buggy would be interested in a supposedly failed Devil Fruit, he couldn't help but wonder if there was something special about it.
Unperturbed, Buggy turned to Bullet with a smile and instructed, "Bullet, go and fetch it."
"Sure," replied Bullet, though he was puzzled by Buggy's request.
With his expertise, Bullet quickly identified the target and retrieved the Devil Fruit from a glass cabinet, smashing the glass to get it.
Returning to the monitoring room a few minutes later, Bullet casually tossed the fruit to Buggy and remarked, "Buggy, you came all the way here for this?"
Without much ado, Buggy caught the Devil Fruit but then tossed it back to Bullet, surprising everyone in the room.
"This Devil Fruit has a name: Uo Uo no Mi Mythical Zoan model Seiryu," Buggy declared.
The revelation sent shockwaves through the hall, with everyone in an uproar.
"Impossible!"
"How could that fruit be here?"
"Buggy, are you sure about this?"
"Even though we've been in Impel Down for over ten years, we know about the past matters!"
"That fruit was given to Kaido by Linlin herself back then."
Buggy hadn't expected such a strong reaction from them. After all, the reputation of this fruit was well-known worldwide. The Devil Fruit belonged to the Four Emperors-Kaido of the Beasts, known as [the strongest creature in the world]!
"It's a copy," Buggy added with a mischievous smile.
This statement only heightened their confusion and shock.
"Buggy, you said this Devil Fruit was a 'failure' made by Vegapunk," Robin interjected, looking sceptical.
Buggy chuckled at her doubt and replied, "People are different, and geniuses are even more distinct from the rest. What Vegapunk considered a production failure was merely a variation. Do you believe it was a failure? It's just that Vegapunk chose not to pursue this line of research."
This revelation sparked a passionate response, especially from Ceaser, who set aside his flattery to argue vehemently, "Impossible, absolutely impossible! I experimented with Vegapunk, and he confirmed that the experiment failed. He deemed this lineage factor impossible to succeed, which is why he abandoned it!"
Buggy looked at Ceaser with disdain and retorted, "Don't try to comprehend Vegapunk with your limited understanding. He is far beyond your grasp. As his assistant, you learned nothing and kept silent, and you even stooped to the despicable act of using human traffickers to conduct experiments on children."
"Do you honestly think you're worthy of being Vegapunk's assistant? And do you believe that he gave up just because he couldn't experiment with Giant blood? Ridiculous!"
Ceaser couldn't believe what he had just heard and immediately exclaimed, "I can't believe it! Vegapunk just couldn't do it."
But before he could finish his sentence, Bullet swiftly punched him in the head, leaving Ceaser stuck on the floor with a big lump on his head. It took a while for Ceaser to pull himself up, still wearing a dissatisfied expression.
Bullet, annoyed by the noise, tossed the fruit in his hand and frowned.
"So, Buggy, why did you throw it at me? Do you expect me to eat it? You know one person can't consume two Devil Fruits."
This time, Buggy didn't answer directly. He looked at Ceaser and said, "You seemed quite dissatisfied with Vegapunk, didn't you? You believed he couldn't replicate the Devil Fruit, and that's why he abandoned this experiment. You meant to convey that, right, Ceaser?"
"Snort!" Ceaser shook his head, but when he noticed Bullet's fierce expression, he quickly put on a smile again. "Yes, Lord Buggy, that's what I think."
"Alright." Buggy chuckled. "Today, I'll show you a miracle. But after witnessing it, you'll never be able to leave my territory and can only become my subordinate. Are you still willing to watch?"
After a pause, Buggy tilted his head and looked at Monet, who was sitting quietly in the corner. With a half-smile, he said, "And you, Miss Monet, the user of the Logia Snow-Snow Fruit."
Upon hearing Buggy's words, the others' expressions changed almost instantly. They all turned to look at Monet, who was sitting there obediently.
Monet's expression changed as well, and she sighed before saying, "How did Mr. Buggy know that I am a Logia Snow-Snow Fruit user? When I consumed this fruit, not many people should have known."
Gabban and the others were astonished by this revelation. Another Logia user, and in addition to Ceaser Clown, Punk Hazard seemed to possess two Logia abilities. They couldn't believe Logia Devil Fruit users had become so easy to find.
"I know everything about you," Buggy said calmly, before adding, "Don't worry, I don't kill women; I'll either make them my subordinates or they'll disappear sooner or later."
Monet's body trembled slightly, but she then chuckled and said, "Master Buggy, aren't you afraid I might pretend to join you and then pass information back to our young master?"
"I'm looking forward to it," Buggy replied with a grin. "Then I'll have a perfect excuse to kill Doflamingo directly! My reputation requires me to kill all people who dare to betray me. Miss Monet, I'm sure you wouldn't want your young master to meet a tragic end because of your actions, would you?"
Robin, however, contemplated the situation. Though she didn't fully understand why Buggy had such animosity towards Doflamingo, she recalled that Buggy seemed to have uncovered something when they entered the base. Combined with his earlier mention of experimenting with children for the Giant Corps, it became apparent that Buggy held a deep grudge against the human trafficker Doflamingo.
"You're a monster!" Monet gritted her teeth and glared at Buggy.
Buggy's smile vanished as he stared directly at Monet and uttered, "Compared to you human traffickers, who deserve to have your whole family wiped out, I should be considered an angel."
His words struck a chord, and Monet fell silent, realizing that she had no right to pass judgment on the man standing before her.
Buggy didn't address Monet any further; instead, he turned his attention to Bullet, wearing a half-smile, and asked, "Bullet, do you regret eating the Clank Clank fruit?"
Gabban and the others all directed their gazes at Bullet. Though he hadn't openly expressed it before, they were aware that Bullet wasn't entirely satisfied with his Devil Fruit's ability.
"Why?" Bullet sighed and explained, "It would be a lie to say that I have no regrets, but eating a Devil Fruit is like a lottery for pirates who don't have access to the Devil Fruit illustrated book. My fruit ability isn't too bad; with proper development, it can still enhance my combat power."
"You mean, the thickest armour gets the hardest beating?" Buggy quipped, prompting laughter from Gabban and the others, including Enel, who couldn't contain his amusement.
Ignoring the banter, Bullet appeared lost in thought. He looked at Buggy and asked, "Do you want me to eat this Devil Fruit? According to what you said, the Devil Fruit was copied from Vegapunk [Uo Uo no Mi Mythical Zoan model Seiryu]. If I eat it, won't I explode and die?"
The rest of the group turned to Buggy in confusion upon hearing Bullet's question.
Buggy smiled and confirmed, "If you haven't been specially modified, eating two Devil Fruits by yourself would indeed cause you to explode and die."
"And what about you?" Bullet inquired.
Drawing everyone's attention, Buggy hesitated but then revealed something shocking, "What if I told you that I can extract the power of the Devil Fruit in your body, allowing you to eat this Devil Fruit?"
The hall fell into an eerie silence, and everyone stared at Buggy with horror-stricken eyes.