Chapter 249 Vegapunk
If the World Government's power was truly only as visible on the surface, Brett wouldn't have made this call.
He probably would have waited until the Reverie ended, until the innocent kings returned to their nations, then visited Mariejois once more and blown the government's upper echelon and Celestial Dragons to the sky with a Dyna Stone.
But Brett knew the World Government's power far exceeded what appeared on the surface.
From information obtained from Doflamingo's mouth about the Celestial Dragons' national treasure, Brett learned that blowing Mariejois to the sky wasn't an easy task.
That mysterious Lord Imu was no pushover like the Five Elders.
Calling it fear might be too humble, but Brett was indeed full of wariness toward that person.
If everything went as expected, that person should be this world's final boss.
"What will happen next?" Neptune seemed worried.
They'd now completely broken with the World Government. War could erupt anytime.
It was hard for Neptune not to worry about Fish-Man Island's future.
"Just relax," Brett said with a smile. "Like I always say, everything will be fine."
"You're right." Neptune smiled.
Just like every time before, Brett would never disappoint him or Fish-Man Island.
As long as he was here, everything would develop in the right direction.
"Well then, next," Brett stretched in the deep sea, "the target is that person."
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
The escape battle at Mariejois was unknown to most people at sea, but to those in this great fortress, it was otherwise.
"That guy got that strong?" In the Fleet Admiral's office, Fleet Admiral Sengoku had arms crossed, his eyes incomparably grave. "One strike critically wounding Sakazuki—even Roger couldn't do that!"
Garp the Hero sitting on the opposite sofa shook his head.
Having once been one of the Pirate King's greatest opponents, he naturally understood that man well.
Even the Pirate King who dominated the Grand Line couldn't seriously injure a Marine Admiral with a single move.
"That guy is only twenty this year, right?" Vice Admiral Crane sitting beside Garp said calmly.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku's expression became even graver.
That's right—that guy was only twenty.
He was still young with vast room for growth.
At that guy's rate of becoming stronger, not even ten years—in just five more years, what level would he reach?
Impossible to imagine.
"More troublesome is that guy also has Dyna Stones," Vice Admiral Crane said.
The Fleet Admiral's office fell into deeper silence.
Yes, Dyna Stones.
How to handle this?
Brett could fly in the sky, could move in water.
If he came to Marineford to drop a Dyna Stone, no one could react in time.
"So what's going on with that guy?" Sengoku gritted his teeth. "Why does he have the same ability as Kaido? Why can he overcome seawater!"
"The Five Elders probably went to find the answer!" Garp said quietly.
Mariejois.
The Five Elders who'd returned to the Room of Authority were indeed discussing this.
"What the hell is that bastard Vegapunk doing!!" Saint Saturn raged. "All of Brett's abnormalities are because of him, right!"
There was only one possible source for Brett's ability—Vegapunk's supposedly failed experiment.
"We've already sent people to question that bastard Vegapunk!" Saint Ju Peter said. "If he really was behind this, perhaps this isn't entirely bad!"
If they could clone Kaido's ability once, why not multiple times?
If they could make Brett freely move in the deep sea, why not make more devil fruit users do the same?
The Five Elders' hearts even began to stir with excitement.
Now it depended on what Vegapunk said.
New World, Punk Hazard, within the Navy Science Unit's experimental base—
Vegapunk, busy with experiments today, welcomed government agents arriving from afar.
"So what's the matter? My experiment is only halfway done," Vegapunk yawned, looking impatient.
The government agent carrying the Five Elders' orders could only maintain a forced smile. "Doctor, Lord Five Elders asked me to inquire about some matters."
"What matters?"
Vegapunk looked drowsy, making it hard to believe he'd been energetically experimenting minutes before.
"Fish-man Brett—you should remember this man, right?"
"Of course." Vegapunk nodded. "That kid. The fish-man lineage factor soldier experiment succeeded because of him."
He chuckled. "Who would have thought that kid would have such power now?"
You really didn't foresee this?
The agent thought to himself, but his face remained serious. "Doctor, just at the Reverie, the government discovered Brett's conspiracy and planned to capture him."
"But that guy displayed shocking abilities!"
"Oh?" Vegapunk suddenly looked interested. "What abilities?"
"The same ability as Kaido of the Beasts—Zoan Mythical Fruit, Azure Dragon form ability!"
The agent said. "Though that guy's is red-colored, perhaps it should be called Red Dragon form!"
"What?" Vegapunk looked shocked. "Could that failed fruit actually have succeeded?"
"So Doctor, the fruit did cause this?" the agent asked urgently.
"That fruit was indeed eaten by him, but I thought it was a failed product so didn't pay attention!" Vegapunk got excited. "Hahahaha! It succeeded! I knew it—I couldn't possibly fail!"
The agent didn't know what to say.
"But during examinations we didn't detect him as an ability user," Vegapunk murmured. "Is it because the ability wasn't complete?"
The agent immediately thought of something else. "Actually, Doctor, that guy even didn't lose his swimming ability!"
"Exactly!" Vegapunk now understood, nodding. "That fruit has incomplete abilities."
Is not losing swimming ability considered incomplete?
Doctor, are you sure this isn't an optimization?
"So Doctor," the agent asked hopefully, "can that fruit be cloned again?"
"Of course," Vegapunk nodded matter-of-factly.
"Really?" The agent was overjoyed.
"But you must bring Kaido to me again," Vegapunk smiled. "After all, I've used up his lineage factors."
"And I can't guarantee success either. That fruit can only be called a coincidence, hahahaha. That kid's luck is really something!"
The agent fell silent.
How were they supposed to capture Kaido now?
Moreover, Brett's luck was something the government didn't want to see.
"Doctor, there's another order from the Five Elders," the agent said.
"They hope you can further improve the fish-man serum—ideally so users can truly fight in water like fish-men!"