Shua—
Karol's figure vanished within the secret chamber of the Oden Castle ruins.
No one knew what transpired here, save for a slowly decaying corpse, making it appear as the scene of a crime...
----------
New World, Egghead Island.
Within a secret laboratory amongst the clouds.
Karol, holding the Devil Fruit Reclaimer, materialized.
He walked directly towards Vegapunk's usual laboratory.
As expected, he found Vegapunk conducting an experiment.
Karol entered:
"Dr. Vegapunk."
Vegapunk, engrossed in his work, turned around upon hearing the noise, looking at Karol:
"Ah, Karol."
"You've brought the item so quickly."
His gaze fell upon the Devil Fruit Reclaimer in Karol's hand.
Karol shrugged:
"He wasn't any significant opponent."
"Once I located him, obtaining it was effortless."
He handed the Devil Fruit Reclaimer to Vegapunk.
After all, with the ability of the Warp-Warp Fruit, most individuals couldn't withstand Karol's assassination.
Vegapunk chuckled and shook his head, taking the Devil Fruit Reclaimer:
"Follow me."
"The materials are already prepared."
He turned and led Karol towards the cloning facility for the Seraphim.
In the cloning facility.
Many jars filled with green nutrient solution, of various sizes.
However, the most frequently replicated subjects were the corpses of Jinbe and Edward Weevil (Whitebeard Jr.). The reason...
Their tough hides were the primary factor...
He approached a cloning tank for a Jinbe Seraphim and pressed the activation button.
The Jinbe Seraphim within abruptly opened its eyes, then, as if diving, its body propelled forward and disappeared into the bottom of the tank.
Splash—
The sound of water.
The cloned Jinbe Seraphim leaped out from the ground in front of the tank, standing before Vegapunk and Karol.
A hint of admiration flashed in Karol's eyes:
"The power of science is truly miraculous."
Though he had seen it more than once, he couldn't help but marvel.
Devil Fruits themselves were already outlandish, yet science could replicate such outlandish things...
This Jinbe Seraphim utilized the abilities of the Water-Water Fruit, belonging to a pirate from the now-destroyed Donquixote family.
Vegapunk smiled, seemingly lost in thought:
"Science is the inevitable trend of future development."
"There will surely come a day when we can create free and infinite energy."
"For all the people of the world to use."
"That would be a dreamlike world."
"But..."
Vegapunk snapped back to reality:
"We must first deal with the World Government."
"They have kept this world suppressed for too long."
"They have caused immense suffering to the world..."
Karol chuckled:
"We will."
"Soon."
Vegapunk nodded:
"I trust Sakazuki."
With that, he beckoned Karol and ordered the Jinbe Seraphim to return to the laboratory.
He awakened the modified bear that had consumed the Glutton-Glutton Fruit.
The giant bear opened its massive maw, transforming into something resembling a grand door.
Vegapunk placed the Devil Fruit inside, then ordered the Jinbe Seraphim to enter. The giant bear's mouth closed.
Mechanical sounds emanated from within, as if a colossal factory was operating inside.
Beside him, Vegapunk operated a console, connected to the modified bear by several cables.
Data from the giant bear flashed rapidly across the large screen.
Vegapunk continuously made adjustments based on the data.
Moments later...
Hiss—
Steam puffed from the modified bear's ears.
It then opened its maw, becoming door-sized.
The Jinbe Seraphim emerged, its appearance unchanged, but the Devil Fruit that had been placed inside had vanished.
Karol looked at the Seraphim, stroking his chin:
"Speaking of which..."
"After the fusion, can he still use his previous abilities?"
Vegapunk smiled:
"Of course."
"The Seraphim's abilities are due to special blood, allowing them to handle multiple powers."
"Furthermore, we have overcome the barrier between Devil Fruits."
"Through the Glutton-Glutton Fruit and precise calculations, we can perfectly extract and fuse fruit abilities."
"Unlike directly eating a fruit and modifying the host's bloodline factors."
"Abilities fused through the Glutton-Glutton Fruit can be extracted at any time, without the host needing to die to regain the ability."
"However, this is limited to users who have fused abilities via the Glutton-Glutton Fruit."
"Those who have already eaten a Devil Fruit can only have their abilities recovered using the Devil Fruit Reclaimer after death."
He then had the Jinbe Seraphim submerge into the ground and reappear.
Next, he placed a small metal part in its hand. Under the Seraphim's ability, the iron component quickly rusted and aged.
Vegapunk picked it up and crushed it with a slight pinch.
Karol nodded slightly.
This was already a formidable technology. If they wished,
They could easily create a large number of dual-ability users through Seraphim, and after their use, the abilities could be extracted without the need for death to reclaim them.
With a slight sigh, Karol placed his hand on the Jinbe Seraphim:
"I'll be leaving now, Dr. Vegapunk."
Vegapunk quickly stopped him:
"Wait!"
He then turned and dashed back inside, emerging with several green syringes, which he handed to Karol:
"These are ability blood samples."
"I don't know what your intended use is, but these should support him using the Water-Water Fruit abilities for a while."
Karol took them and nodded:
"Understood."
He accepted the ability serum containing green blood, and with his other hand on the Jinbe Seraphim, he looked at Vegapunk:
"Goodbye, Doctor."
Shua—
Activating his Devil Fruit ability, he instantly vanished from Egghead Island.
-------------
New World, New Marineford.
In the Fleet Admiral's office.
Karol appeared with the Jinbe Seraphim:
"Mission accomplished, Fleet Admiral."
Sakazuki looked at them and nodded.
He opened a drawer, retrieved the prepared nutrient solution, and walked over to Karol:
"Let's go to the prison."
Karol temporarily placed the green syringes on the ground and placed his hand on Sakazuki.
Shua—
Together with the Jinbe Seraphim, who had fused with the Rip-Rip Fruit ability.
The three of them appeared in the deep underground prison of New Marineford.
In the temporarily modified prison, there was only one inmate.
An unawakened Three-Eyed Tribe member...
Pudding.