"You don't need to worry about withstanding rough seas."
Crocodile's eyes gleamed as he pressed further.
"I'll have the coating materials prepared for you. How much time can you shave off?"
This ship was never meant for long-distance travel.
It was built to reach Sky Island from Mock Town.
As for whether Sky Island actually existed—those bells that rang across the skies of Mock Town a few years ago had already answered that question.
...
Realizing his warning had fallen flat, Iceburg composed himself and gave a considered response.
"If you can bring me the coating materials from Sabaody within a week, I can cut five days off the time."
"Good."
Crocodile's gaze shifted into the shadows nearby.
"Bring him everything he needs!"
"Yes, Crocodile-sama!"
...
Calm Belt, North Blue
A deserted island deep in the Calm Belt. A Sea Train screeched in with a dying whistle as it rolled to a halt by the coast.
A crowd of beastmen leapt down from the cars, faces flushed with excitement.
"Bwahaha! Those Navy aren't good for anything but eating our dust!"
"Damn shame we had to pull out—if not, yours truly would've made a name for himself today!"
...
"Hyah-hyah-hyah-hyah! What, you think I stuck my neck out for nothing? Want me to send you back? Maybe you'll run into some retreating Marines while you're at it?"
A seven-meter-tall giant loomed closer, and the rowdy atmosphere quickly fell into uneasy silence.
"N-No need, Moria-sama! We were just talking!"
"Yeah, just messing around—we'd never dream of something so reckless!"
"Moria-sama, when are we heading back?"
...
Back in Flevance, these same beastmen had taken a brutal beating from Moria himself—and that memory had clearly stuck.
They had no choice but to fall in line. Those who didn't… well, let's just say they didn't make it past the chaos after their 'modifications.'
"Head back?"
Moria raised a finger and pointed toward the island's interior, roaring,
"Start moving, you bastards! Get to work!!"
The beastmen followed the line of his finger—at the island's center lay a neatly stacked pile of custom materials.
Perona, Moria's crewmates, and a few workers lounged nearby, snacking as they watched the show.
One-Ear jumped forward, his rat-like face twisting in defiance. As his name suggested, he was missing one ear.
"Moria-sama, we're warriors of the Beasts Pirates, not sla—"
Smack!
A sharp crack rang out. One-Ear's head spun through the air, trailing blood from his neck that sprayed across the beastmen behind him.
"Now—does anyone else have a problem?"
Moria slowly lowered his outstretched hand, eyes gleaming with menace as he scanned the silent, terrified crowd.
"Get moving! You think those modifications the boss gave you came free of charge?!"
"Y-Yes, Moria-sama!"
The beastmen scrambled toward the stacks of materials, eager to prove their usefulness.
"Useless trash," Moria muttered, scowling as he rubbed the burn scar across his chest left by King's blazing speed. "Freakin' King. Next time I see that bird bastard, I'm ripping those wings clean off."
Over time, the rules behind beastman modification had become clearer.
The smoother the fusion, the stronger the result—but the dumber the subject.
Thanks to the synthetic Azure Dragon Fruit, Virgo's batch of modified beastmen were more obedient.
Moria, meanwhile, had developed his own approach.
As soon as the experiment was complete, a brutal screening process would begin.
Those who made it through could at least understand human language.
What was happening on this island now, though, was part of Doflamingo's 'waste utilization' plan.
Laying Sea Train tracks through normal seas and the White-White Sea wasn't much of a problem.
But in the Calm Belt? That place was crawling with giant Sea Kings. He wasn't about to waste actual manpower on that.
These beastmen, however, were strong as hell. Perfect for this kind of high-risk job.
After a skirmish with the Navy, those who survived were put to work in labor reform camps.
The ones who made it through all three rounds—survival, modification, and reform—would become obedient beast-soldiers.
Of course, not many made it through. That's why Moria and King had come to blows over the delivery.
...
Tenryu Island, Royal Laboratory
Ability Testing Area
The core structure of the facility was built from Seastone, strong enough to withstand most attacks and prevent costly accidents.
Dozens of Skyfolk flitted through the air, waving their arms mid-flight.
Some trailed fire, others crackled with lightning, and one even resembled a winged centaur.
"A race truly blessed by the heavens…"
In the observation room, Judge gazed on enviously.
His own people had worked for years—decades—with his genius intellect and tireless effort, to finally create Reiju, Ichiji, Niji, Sanji, and Yonji.
Yet this winged race was born with a natural compatibility with Lineage Factor far beyond ordinary limits.
Out of the hundred volunteers, only a handful had failed. The rest were a complete success.
"Fufufufufu~ You should be grateful, Judge. This is the kind of fortune any scientist would kill for."
Doflamingo observed the Skyfolk with satisfaction in his eyes. Brave test subjects, each one of them.
Although they weren't physically exceptional, the sample size proved a direct correlation between high IQ and modification success.
Now that their Lineage Factors had been optimized, training them in Rokushiki and Haki would be simple.
They were already elite warriors—more than capable of defending Sky Island.
"You're right, BOSS. This saved us countless missteps."
Judge clutched his notes tightly, visibly excited.
"And now begins the new era—under your leadership."
"Not leadership." Doflamingo pushed his sunglasses up with a middle finger, a crooked smile on his lips. "Dominance."
"Shurorororo! BOSS, should we get started?"
Caesar was spinning circles around a cart packed with vials, giddy with anticipation.
His mouth stretched ear to ear, and his bright orange-yellow pupils shimmered with manic excitement.
He couldn't wait to create the world's first artificial Logia-type user.
"Pica! Are you ready?!"
"Doflamingo! I've been ready all day!"
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Fanfic is finished 527 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg