"Hey, don't you think that guy started acting weird after eating the candy?"
Sanji glanced back at the giant salamander and said, "It looks really excited."
"Excited?"
Meiser, who had just put away the Den Den Mushi, turned to look at the giant salamander and said, "That's pain."
That expression didn't look like excitement at all.
As he thought this, Meiser jumped down from Sanji's back and said, "Anyway, let's hurry—"
Before Meiser could finish his sentence, an extremely shrill scream echoed through the air.
The sound resembled the death cry of some creature.
"Huh?!"
"What's going on?!"
Brook, who had been looking at the colossal creature, exclaimed, "Why is it screaming so pitifully?"
It sounded as if it were enduring unbearable pain, sending shivers down his spine.
Ah~
Although he...
Oh, right, he probably had a scalp—otherwise, how could he keep his Afro?
Yohohohoho~
"Is this guy going to die?" Sanji asked curiously.
"It..."
Meiser, who was also staring at the creature, said, "The light unique to a Devil Fruit Ability User on its body has disappeared!"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of everyone present changed instantly.
The light unique to a Devil Fruit Ability User had disappeared?
Didn't that mean the other party was no longer a Devil Fruit Ability User?
And the only possibility for a Devil Fruit Ability User to lose their ability was death!
"Is this guy really dead?!" Zoro exclaimed in shock.
"I have a bad feeling... gulp."
Watching the gradually darkening purple gelatinous substance, Sanji instinctively swallowed.
His intuition told him that thing was dangerous!
Meanwhile, Meiser, as if he had noticed something, suddenly changed his expression and shouted, "Something's wrong! Run!"
Seeing Meiser gradually speeding up, Brook quickly called out, "What did you see?"
"That guy turned into smoke!"
Meiser shouted without looking back, "That thing is definitely poison gas!"
Now he understood why Caesar said this thing could destroy an island.
If it could spread across the entire island, it would undoubtedly kill everything on it!
"Poison gas?"
Brook was stunned for a moment, instinctively turning to look at the purple gelatinous substance, only to notice it starting to emit smoke.
Brook: !!
"Run!"
"Run!"
The soldiers who had taken off their protective suits, upon seeing this, also fled in terror toward the distance, afraid of being touched by the poison gas.
But unfortunately, their speed was too slow, and they were eventually engulfed by the gas.
The consequence of being engulfed by the poison gas was being covered entirely in terrifying neurotoxin!
"Shurororororo~"
"This is fantastic!"
Caesar, watching this scene through the Visual Den Den Mushi, grinned widely and said, "This time, I won't let anyone escape!"
"Shurororororo~"
The reason survivors were left in the last experiment was mainly because their mobility wasn't restricted!
It was precisely because of this that the survivors had the chance to escape to the shelters.
But this time, he wouldn't give them that opportunity!
After special modifications, SMILI would immobilize people on the spot, then slowly kill them through their skin!
And this was the weapon he had created this time—the "Death Realm"!
Shurororororo~
"Let's see your power in full display, Death Realm!" Caesar said with a crazed expression. "No one will be able to escape!"
"Shurororororo~"
"Shurororororo!"
"What the hell is that thing?"
Looking at the images in Caesar's live broadcast, Perona said with a grim expression, "Poison gas?"
Isn't this guy Caesar a bit too vicious?
"Isn't it obvious, Perona-ya?" Law said solemnly.
"Perona-ya?"
Perona was taken aback. What kind of strange address was that?
"Did you already know about this?" Franky frowned as he looked at Law.
If that were the case, he felt they needed to seriously reconsider their relationship.
"Not at all."
Law shook his head. "I didn't know Caesar had something like this."
If he had known Caesar had this weapon earlier, he would have warned the Straw Hat Crew to come to the research facility sooner.
So he didn't know...
It seemed Caesar had been wary of Torao all along.
"Shurororororo~"
"How could I possibly tell Law something this important?" Caesar glanced at the people in the cage and said, "I never trusted him from the start."
Even though Law had handed over his heart... the other party was never truly one of them, right?
So from the very beginning, he never considered him a comrade.
"Tch..."
Law spat, looking thoroughly displeased.
Then, he turned his gaze toward Vergo, his expression gradually darkening.
He had known this man would appear here, but he hadn't expected him to act against him so decisively.
That was indeed a miscalculation on his part.
Noticing Law's gaze, Vergo said calmly, "Law, you didn't think your plan was flawless, did you?"
"We've known your intentions all along."
It was nothing more than trying to use Caesar to deal with the Young Master.
But unfortunately... they wouldn't let him succeed!
Listening to Vergo's words, Law's expression grew even darker. "I just didn't expect Monet to be one of you," Law said grimly.
That was the truth—after all, he had never met Monet.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have made such a basic mistake.
"Precisely because of that, the Young Master had me stay here~" Monet said with a smile.
She had joined the Donquixote Family two years after Law left, so it was only natural he didn't know her.
That was also why Doflamingo had kept Monet here.
This time, Law said nothing more. He closed his eyes, clearly unwilling to continue the conversation.
Seeing this, Monet didn't press further. After all... someone who didn't resist was boring.
Just then, Caesar noticed Meiser and the others in the footage.
"These guys look somewhat familiar," Caesar remarked.
"Four of them are from the Straw Hat Pirates."
Monet adjusted his glasses and said, "The one with the two swords is Kozuki Kin'emon."
"Shurororororo~"
"That's perfect~" Caesar grinned.
This way, he wouldn't need to send anyone to capture those guys—they could just endure the poison gas outside.
"As for Zoro and the others..."
Luffy, watching the figures on the screen, shouted, "Hey, Zoro, run!!"
"That smoke..."
Before he could finish, his body went limp and collapsed to the ground.
"Ah... damn Sea Stone... I lose all strength the moment I touch it..."
"Shurororororo~"
"You'd better behave, Straw Hat Boy," Caesar sneered, standing over Luffy. "With you restrained by Sea Stone, there's nothing you can do!"
"You bastard!"
Luffy glared weakly at Caesar. "Let us go! We need to save them!"
"That won't do~"
Caesar wagged a finger. "These guys are important experimental subjects. I can't let them escape alive~"
"Subjects?"
"That's right, subjects!"
Caesar spread his arms wide. "Subjects to test the power of my weapons!"
"Shurororororo~"
This time, no one can escape the pursuit of the Death Realm!
"What a twisted individual," Nico Robin commented.
"Ignorant woman," Caesar snorted. "What do you know?"
"Never mind, there's no point explaining to you. You're all going to die anyway."
"Shurororororo~"
With that, Caesar glanced at Monet and said, "Monet, send them out!"
"Yes~"
Monet nodded with a smile, then pressed the activation switch, opening the outer wall of the building.
"Shurororororo~"
Watching as Luffy and the others were gradually pushed outside by the machinery, Caesar grinned maliciously. "Now, experience the full power of the Death Realm!"
"Perfect timing—this will also help me prove to the world!"
"Whether it's a pirate with a 500 million Berries bounty or a Royal Seven Warlord of the Sea, no one can escape my weapons!"
"Shurororororo~"
"Shurororororo!"
This time, his name will shake the entire underworld!
Shurororororo~
"What do we do?" Perona said with a grim expression.
The poison gas didn't look weak, and based on Caesar's description... if they did nothing, they would really die!
"What else can we do?" Franky sighed. "We can only wait for someone to rescue us."
Bound by Seastone Chains, they had no way to escape.
"Can't you fire lasers?"
"I can fire lasers, sure, but I need my own body to do it," Franky replied helplessly.
Perona: ...
She'd almost forgotten about that.
Glancing at the now-closed walls of the research facility, Perona felt utterly defeated.
Then, with a resigned expression, she obediently lay flat on the ground.
"Zoro... Nami... please come save us..."
For now, she could only pin her hopes on these two groups.
Listening to their conversation, Law's eyes flickered slightly.
However, he didn't speak, instead carefully observing their surroundings, searching for any possible Surveillance Den Den Mushi.
He wouldn't make a move until he found that thing.
"Shall we act?" Nico Robin whispered.
Hearing this, Law showed a surprised expression, then seemed to remember something and said, "Could it be that what's on you is also..."
"Correct."
Nico Robin nodded without hesitation. What was currently binding her wasn't genuine Seastone Chains either.
So she could move.
"Not yet," Law said. "Let's wait until this thing settles down."
Their actions had to be carried out in secret, so they couldn't rush.
"Alright."
Since Law said so, Nico Robin didn't say anything more, nodding to indicate she understood.
Perona: ??
Perona looked at the two of them with a face full of question marks. What on earth were they talking about?
Franky was the same.
As for Luffy?
That guy had been lying on the ground since earlier, too weak to do anything.
"You'll find out soon," Law said calmly. "For now, just wait."
With that, Law turned his gaze to the thick purple mist appearing on the distant mountain peak, his expression gradually turning serious.
"Poison gas, huh..."
"Running like this isn't a solution."
Sanji took a moment to glance at the purple mist that was almost upon them and said, "We'll be caught sooner or later!"
At their current speed, they'd be overtaken by the poison gas in less than half a minute, and then everyone would die!
"How about we catch that dragon up ahead!" Zoro pointed at the dragon running ahead and said, "Grab it and get out of here!"
"That's a good idea, but the problem is... who can catch up to it?!" Ran said with a headache.
That dragon's speed was exceptionally fast. It would be very difficult for them to catch up at their speed.
"Can't you do it either?" Zoro glanced at Meiser.
He remembered Meiser's speed was quite fast.
"I can indeed catch up to that guy, but there's no need," Meiser said. "I have a better method."
"What method?"
Zoro looked at Meiser with a confused expression, clearly unable to guess what method the other would use to help them escape.
Was this guy planning to use Ninjutsu?
But that would easily expose his identity.
"Watch me!" Meiser clapped his hands together and shouted, "I'll use a Wood Dragon to get you out of here!"
Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!
As his words fell, the ground suddenly began to tremble, as if something incredibly terrifying was moving beneath the surface.
"Rumble~"
The next moment...
"BOOM!!"
An enormous Wood Dragon burst through the ground, scooping up Zoro and the other four and running off with them!
"?"
"!!!"
Seeing the giant Wood Dragon appear beneath them, Kin'emon was utterly stunned.
"What is this?!"
Why did such a colossal thing appear beneath their feet?
"This is my ability," Meiser said. "With this, we can escape from here very quickly."
"I see."
Although he didn't understand what this ability was, it seemed very impressive.
Then, Kin'emon said with some emotion, "So you've also eaten one of those strange fruits."
Devil Fruit brewing...
This world truly is interesting.
Regarding this, Meiser merely smiled without offering any explanation.
Let it be so.
"Finally, we don't have to keep running," Sanji sighed in relief. "Franky's body is still too heavy."
If Meiser hadn't been around this time, he would have been finished.
Fortunately, this man was here...
"Hang on tight," Meiser said, staring ahead. "Don't get thrown off!"
"If you fall into the poison gas, you'll die!"
"Got it!"