Stussy's words caused a ripple in Vegapunk's heart.
Although he was extremely reluctant to abandon Egghead Island, the threat to his life forced him to reconsider. In the face of death, everything else seemed far less important. As long as he could survive, he could continue his research. There were still countless mysteries in this world that he wanted to uncover, and he truly had no desire to die now.
Just then, Shaka spoke calmly.
"Perhaps we should deploy the Seraphim earlier than planned. We can treat it as a real combat test."
Vegapunk immediately shook his head.
"That is unacceptable," he replied without hesitation. "The Seraphim are far from ready for an actual battle. Besides, using the Gorosei as their first opponents is far too dangerous. They could easily be dismantled."
Shaka remained composed.
"If we do not activate the Seraphim, what other method do we have to contend with the Gorosei?" he asked calmly. "Their objective is clear, they want you dead."
Vegapunk hesitated once again.
Stussy quickly spoke up in agreement.
"That's right, Doctor. Your safety must come first right now."
Jozu scratched his head slightly, looking puzzled.
"Seraphim? What exactly are those?"
Shaka patiently explained.
"They are human weapons developed using the lineage factors of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Their combat power surpasses the Pacifista. In fact, they are the most powerful artificial humans we have created, born from the fusion of Lunarian bloodline and what we call Green Blood."
He continued calmly.
"In terms of overall strength, they have already surpassed the original Seven Warlords themselves."
Jinbe could not hide his surprise.
"You mean the Seraphim were created based on the Seven Warlords? Does that include me as well?"
Shaka nodded.
"Yes."
Then he continued explaining.
"Jinbe, after you became one of the Seven Warlords, the Marines conducted a full physical examination on you. Do you remember that?"
Jinbe nodded slowly, realization beginning to dawn on him.
"Could it be that during that examination…"
Shaka confirmed it.
"That is when we obtained the lineage factors of the Warlords."
He continued.
"As for your Seraphim, we granted him the Green Blood ability derived from the Fish-Fish Fruit."
Jinbe frowned slightly.
"Fish-Fish Fruit? And what exactly do you mean by Green Blood?"
Shaka patiently clarified.
"Green Blood refers to artificial Devil Fruit power. Aside from Logia type Devil Fruits, we are capable of reproducing both Paramecia and Zoan abilities through this method. However, artificial Devil Fruits have a limitation. They cannot reach the Awakened state."
Jinbe and the others were once again stunned.
Ever since arriving at Egghead Island, they already understood that Vegapunk was an extraordinary scientist. However, they never expected him to create an even more advanced form of weapon beyond the Pacifista.
Artificial humans that surpassed the Seven Warlords themselves.
At that moment, Vegapunk finally made his decision.
"Alright," he said with a firm expression. "We will discuss the rest later. The priority now is survival."
He turned toward Shaka.
"Shaka, go activate the Seraphim. They may suffer serious damage in this battle, but once everything settles, I will personally repair each of them."
"Yes, Main Body," Shaka replied.
After receiving the order, he immediately turned and walked toward the Seraphim incubation chamber.
At the same time, beneath the dome outside the laboratory, the other members of the Gorosei had already arrived.
When they saw the current state of Saint Jaygarcia Saturn, they showed visible surprise.
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro frowned slightly.
"Saturn… you already used the Four Soul Divine Blood?"
Saturn's eyes widened with fury as he stared at Marco, who had just entered the dome. His pupils glowed with a frightening red light.
"It is all because of that brat," Saturn said coldly. "Do not underestimate him. That boy's Conqueror's Haki has already reached an extraordinary level. He is far from comparable to ordinary insects."
He clearly remembered what had happened earlier.
When he first attempted to summon the others, Marco's overwhelming Conqueror's Haki had forcibly interrupted the summoning.
Hearing Saturn's warning, the other Gorosei turned their attention toward Marco.
At that moment, Marco had already taken out his Transponder Snail and contacted Kaido and Big Mom without hesitation.
"Kaido, Big Mom, get here immediately," Marco said bluntly. "The Gorosei are already on Egghead Island."
The expressions of the Gorosei darkened instantly.
They knew very well that the Big Mom Pirates possessed the power of the Mirror-Mirror Fruit, which allowed instant travel through mirrors.
Support could arrive very quickly.
Soon, Kaido's loud and carefree voice burst from the Transponder Snail.
"Worororo! The Gorosei actually showed up? Good. Linlin and I will head there right away!"
Moments later, Big Mom's voice echoed through the snail.
"Mama mama mama! When you first told this old lady about it, I already started preparing. Kaido and I are in the Mirror World right now. Just wait, we'll be there soon."
Every word was heard clearly by the Gorosei.
Their expressions grew darker.
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro narrowed his eyes.
"It seems another great battle is about to begin."
A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.
"In that case, we might as well take this opportunity to eliminate this entire swarm of insects."
The others nodded in agreement.
Without hesitation, the four Gorosei each took out a dose of medicine and injected it into their arms or necks.
Instantly, their bodies reacted.
Veins bulged violently across their skin. Their bodies turned crimson, and their aura surged dramatically.
An overwhelming wave of Conqueror's Haki exploded outward.
The Transponder Snails within the dome were immediately overwhelmed by the pressure and fainted.
Inside the monitoring room, Vegapunk watched the monitors shut down one after another as the surveillance systems were forcibly disrupted.
The Conqueror's Haki spread across the entirety of Egghead Island.
Outside the dome, the battle between the Phoenix Pirates and the Marines was still ongoing. Yet many weaker soldiers on both sides collapsed instantly under the crushing spiritual pressure.
Marco immediately sensed the dramatic change.
"You're already using enhancement drugs from the start?" he muttered, clearly alarmed.
Now he could fully feel the terrifying power of the Gorosei's Conqueror's Haki. The pressure was overwhelming, like waves crashing endlessly against the world itself.
At the same time, Marco activated his ability to analyze their strength.
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro
Ability: Mythical Zoan, Bakotsu
Estimated Strength: King Level, Demonized State
Saint Shepherd Ju Peter
Ability: Sandworm
Estimated Strength: King Level, Demonized State
Saint Topman Warcury
Ability: Fierce Boar
Estimated Strength: King Level, Demonized State
Saint Marcus Mars
Ability: Itsumade
Estimated Strength: King Level, Demonized State
Marco's expression became even more serious.
Facing five Gorosei whose power had been drastically amplified, even he could feel the enormous pressure of the battle that was about to unfold.