At the moment, he was struggling and roaring non-stop.
"Who are you people? Why did you kidnap me?" Wapol shouted.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Let me go!"
"Idiots!"
As Wapol continued his tirade, Kaos entered with Stussy.
Seeing Kaos's noble demeanor, Wapol frowned and demanded, "Hey! I don't care who you are, but you'd better let me go. I'm the king of the Drum Island and a member of the World Government. Do you realize the consequences of kidnapping me?"
"Release me now, and I might forgive you."
"Otherwise—"
Before Wapol could finish his threat, Kaos waved his hand casually.
Wapol, confused, tried to continue speaking when—
Slap!
A CP member appeared behind him and slapped him to the ground, causing blood to spill from the corner of his mouth.
This slap stunned Wapol.
As the king of Drum Kingdom, he had never been treated like this before.
Furious, Wapol tried to protest again.
Slap!
Another strike landed, silencing him once more.
The CP member then coldly warned, "Be quiet. Don't disturb His Highness. Do you understand?"
Wapol, his mouth full of blood, glared at the CP member with fury but couldn't speak before
"Ahhh!"
A scream escaped him as a dagger suddenly pierced his leg, blood gushing out.
Before Wapol could cry out further, the CP member covered his mouth, muffling the sounds.
"It seems you still don't understand my words," the CP member said coldly, emotionless like a puppet.
Wapol's eyes filled with fear as the CP member raised the dagger again, stabbing him repeatedly in the thigh.
Each wound bled profusely, and the pain was excruciating.
Wapol wanted to scream, but his voice was suppressed.
After several cycles of stabbing and pulling, the CP member finally asked, "Have you learned to be smart now?"
"Woo... woo..." Wapol nodded frantically, tears streaming down his face.
The CP member released his grip on Wapol's mouth.
Despite the intense pain, Wapol kept silent, his body trembling with fear.
Kaos observed with a calm expression and finally spoke. "Now, I'll ask, and you'll answer. Understood?"
"I... I understand." Wapol stammered.
"Very good."
Kaos nodded in satisfaction and asked, "Are you a Munch-Munch Fruit ability user?"
"Yes, I am."
"To what extent has the fruit ability been developed?"
Kaos had initially planned to kill Wapol directly and allow the fruit to regenerate.
But after some thought, he decided to assess Wapol's development of the fruit first.
After all, the power of a Devil Fruit generally depends on how well it is developed.
Although the Munch-Munch Fruit has excellent potential, if someone else were to take it, it would take considerable time before it could be fully utilized.
Kaos didn't want to wait.
Hearing his question, Wapol hesitated before answering truthfully, "Some ordinary things can be eaten and synthesized."
"What about metal?"
"And rare materials?" Kaos continued to press.
"Only as long as it's not too rare, it's fine."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Kaos was intrigued.
That was sufficient.
"Good."
A smile spread across Kaos's face as he gave his orders. "From today, you will give up your throne and remain in Mariejois.
"Your ability is excellent. You should serve the World Government rather than wasting your potential."
"Of course, you can refuse. But if you refuse, I will kill you and allow your Devil Fruit to regenerate. Do you understand?"
Gulp.
Wapol's eyes widened in fear. While terrified, he also felt confused.
Give up the throne?
Stay in Mariejois?
Isn't Mariejois the headquarters of the World Government?
Even with Wapol's limited intelligence, he could sense that Kaos's identity was extraordinary.
After a moment's hesitation, he asked tentatively, "May I know who you are?"
"What do you think?" Kaos replied with a half-smile.
I'm the king of an allied nation.
What kind of person in the World Government could command the king of a member nation to give up his throne so easily and work for Mariejois?
It can only be… Celestial Dragons!
Upon realizing this, Wapol's face filled with astonishment.
Soon after, with a look of resignation and despair, he nodded. "I-I understand, Your Highness. I will abdicate the throne."
This was clearly coercion.
But he had no choice.
If Kaos was a Celestial Dragon, then his position as king of a World Government member nation was utterly insignificant.
Most importantly, he had no alternatives.
Life or death.
Was there even a choice?
And starting today, he would no longer be a king.
Thinking of this, Wapol's heart sank further into despair.
Kaos, however, was indifferent to Wapol's feelings. Opening the Double Door, he summoned Vegapunk.
"Your Highness, why have you brought me here?" Vegapunk asked, looking puzzled after being interrupted in the middle of his research.
Kaos pointed at Wapol and explained his abilities to Vegapunk.
Hearing this, Vegapunk's eyes lit up. "Hiss, such an ability exists? This is simply perfect for aiding our research!"
"You see, many research projects are limited by the availability of materials. With this ability, synthesizing the required materials would become incredibly easy."
"Your Highness, would it be possible for this individual to join my scientific research team?"
"With him, I believe my future projects will progress rapidly!"
"Even achieving some forms of black technology might no longer be impossible."
Vegapunk's eyes sparkled with excitement as he spoke, his enthusiasm building with each word.
Meanwhile, Wapol's heart sank further.
He had heard of Vegapunk's reputation.
If this truly was Vegapunk, and even he addressed Kaos as "Your Highness," it clearly indicated that Kaos's identity exceeded Wapol's imagination.
Being targeted by such a powerful figure…
Wapol could already see his future growing darker and darker.
Eventually, Wapol was taken away.
Kaos's cruise ship set sail once more, heading toward North Blue.
Having arrived at Drum Island, it was clear that North Blue was not far away.
At the same time...
Marine Headquarters.
In the conference room, Sengoku looked at the assembled Marine elites, nodded, and took his seat at the head of the table.
Beside him, Garp picked his nose nonchalantly and asked, "Sengoku, why did you call us here? I finally got some vacation time, and I was planning to take a stroll to the World Government."
"What business do you have with the World Government?" Staff Officer Tsuru said irritably. "Haven't you always kept them at arm's length?"
"Hey, that was in the past. Things are different now," Garp replied, scratching his head with a sheepish grin.
Then, he shot Sengoku a glare.
Seeing this, Sengoku coughed awkwardly.
Since the incident involving the motorcycle ride with Tsuru, Garp had been keeping a close watch on him, occasionally dragging him off for sparring matches.
Sengoku felt inexplicably wronged by all this and had been doing his best to avoid Garp's challenges.
Still, Sengoku thought to himself, For my happiness, Garp, I'll just have to bear with it.
Clearing his throat, Sengoku put the document in his hand down and began addressing the group.
"Ahem.
"The reason I've called you all here today is, of course, important. There are two matters to discuss."
"First, the World Government's research division has made significant progress. Two types of groundbreaking medicines have been developed—Potion No. 1 and Potion No. 2."
"Potion No. 1 enhances physical strength."
"Potion No. 2 grants abilities akin to Devil Fruit powers. The ability gained is random, and while there's no guarantee of success, even failed attempts result in a strengthened physique."
"And here's the most critical point: neither potion has any side effects."
"Even for individuals who already possess Devil Fruit powers, taking Potion No. 2 will not cause any conflict."
Sengoku's tone grew heavier as he continued, "I believe all of you understand the implications of this development."
When he finished, the room fell into silence as the gathered Marines exchanged glances.
A wave of shock spread through their ranks.
"Hiss..."
"Marshal Sengoku, did I hear that correctly?"
"How could such a potion exist? Has the scientific research team in Mariejois advanced this much?"
Kizaru appeared calm, but Akainu and Aokiji were visibly moved.
As Admirals, they were keenly aware of what these potions represented.
Potion No. 1 alone was enough to significantly bolster Marine strength.
Potion No. 2, however, was even more astonishing.
What made it truly unbelievable was the lack of side effects.
This was utterly groundbreaking.
After some thought, both Akainu and Aokiji exchanged glances, their expressions contemplative.
"This potion... it probably originated from there?" Aokiji murmured.
Because of his duties, Aokiji had not been part of the mission to the Otherworld, but as an Admiral, he was privy to certain critical information.
...
...
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[Guys give me your power stones and thank you.]