One Piece: Starting with Creating the Strongest Character Design

Chapter 83 Caesar Courant (Please subscribe!)

"What a huge city wall!"

Sentomaru and Dori stood at the bow of the ship, their jaws dropping to the ground.

Those with the same expression were a group of navy personnel who had never seen Punk Hazard before.

This was the first time they had ever seen such a heavily guarded area.

Even Marineford, the headquarters of the Navy, doesn't have such a rigorous configuration.

Within that steel jungle, countless enormous plants grew out, their lush foliage even extending beyond the towering steel walls and reaching outwards.

The steel walls, which were originally filled with a sense of bleakness, were transformed by the lush, enormous plants, making the entire Punk Hazard seem full of life.

Welcome to Punk Hazard!

Vegapunk stepped off the research ship and turned to the group of marines.

When the soldiers on duty on the city wall saw the director disembarking, they immediately opened the gate.

Vegapunk simply waved his hand, and a massive transport vehicle appeared inside the city walls.

He had already communicated with the research institute in advance, and as soon as he arrived, he would transport the two captured sea monsters to the artificial lake on the island.

"What kind of animal is that?"

Sentomaru stared curiously at the creature driving the transport vehicle.

"Is it a monkey? Or a gorilla?"

The creature on the transport vehicle was an ape whose body was loaded with steel and whose chest was engraved with numbers.

"That's a cyborg," Vegapunk said.

"I modify organisms so that they can understand and execute human commands."

"What about that one?"

Dolly pointed to the area inside the restricted zone, where winged lizards were occasionally flying through the air.

"Oh, it's an artificial creature I developed."

"How about it? Pretty cool, huh?" Vegapunk said with a grin.

"Is that a dragon?"

Do dragons really exist?

Sentomaru also stared in surprise at the winged lizard.

"Uncle Vegapunk, you're really something!"

Dolly was greatly surprised, never expecting that the other party could even create a legendary creature like a dragon.

However, he seemed to realize something and suddenly shuddered: "Uncle Vegapunk, would you do that on top of a person?"

Upon hearing this, Vegapunk, who had been smiling, immediately fell silent.

Seeing that something was amiss, Kitahara Tsune quickly interrupted Dori and said to Vegapunk, "Sir, please don't mind the child's words. Please show us around Punk Hazard first."

Vegapunk took a breath and nodded: "Come on, follow me."

"Punk Hazard has many restricted areas, and things inside are dangerous, so it's best not to wander around."

Vegapunk was firmly opposed to conducting experiments directly on human bodies.

However, being part of the World Government, he couldn't refuse some of their requests. Sometimes, as a last resort, he would use technologies that were not yet fully developed on human subjects.

For example, the giantification experiment —

After safely dealing with the two sea monsters, Vegapunk led a group of marines into Punk Hazard.

Although this is a naval research base, some areas are specifically for public visits.

That's how it is in Building A.

After all, not everyone understands science, and the areas open to visitors are where experimental results are directly displayed.

For example—

"This is a longsword that has eaten the elephant-elephant fruit."

"This is a rocket launcher that ate the Dog-Dog Fruit."

Vegapunk pointed to the longsword and rocket launcher in the display case.

"We have discovered the conditions for converting Devil Fruit abilities, allowing objects to consume Devil Fruits."

As he spoke, he used his authority to open the alloy glass of the display case and took down the long sword.

Vegapunk flicked his wrist, and his longsword was suddenly drawn from its sheath, the entire blade transforming into an elephant.

This move immediately drew gasps of surprise from the navy personnel.

Vegapunk then introduced technological products such as clones and modified organisms.

Ordinary naval personnel had never seen anything like these before, and they were all repeatedly stunned, thinking that the trip was worthwhile and that they could go back and brag to their superiors.

Kitahara Tsune seemed rather uninterested.

These things certainly have experimental value, but for him now, they are of no use other than satisfying his curiosity.

What he was more concerned about was the whereabouts of that year-round fruit.

That thing should be in Punk Hazard.

Kitahara Tsuneo and Vegapunk's relationship has gotten quite good after spending these past few days together.

However, things weren't good enough for them to directly ask for the Devil Fruit.

He also didn't want the Navy to know that he had taken a Devil Fruit.

As for what to do after obtaining this Devil Fruit, Kitahara Tsune had already planned it out.

"—Next is what the world government considers the most important research findings."

At this point, Vegapunk, who was introduced earlier, said, "It's also the first artificial Devil Fruit!"

As Vegapunk introduced it, a fruit that was entirely blue and decorated with circular cyan patterns appeared before the group of marines.

This fruit was created by extracting Kaido's bloodline factor after 20 years of research.

The World Government once wanted to take this fruit, but after research, Vegapunk discovered that the dragon transformed from this fruit was a different color than Kaido's, making it a failed product, so the World Government was not allowed to take it.

"Artificial Devil Fruits?! These things actually exist?!"

"I thought it was just something someone in the Navy made up, but I never expected there really are artificial Devil Fruits."

The sailors looked at the Devil Fruit and swallowed hard.

This is a Devil Fruit! Just by eating one, you're guaranteed to have at least the strength of a lieutenant.

Now that we can even manufacture them, it's clear that the navy is the most powerful force!

Logically speaking, there's no need for Vegapunk himself to personally present research findings.

However, since Kitahara Tsune was a new friend of his, he was still happy to personally introduce these research findings to him.

As Sentomaru is his future bodyguard and "research subject," it is still necessary to explain to him what he will be facing in the future.

Upon hearing this, Kitahara Tsune became interested.

According to the original story, even Vegapunk, who ate the Brain-Brain Fruit, took more than 20 years to develop the first artificial Devil Fruit.

Judging by the timeline, this Azure Dragon Fruit should have been developed five or six years ago.

"I wonder if green blood has been researched yet, or if it's still just a concept?"

"Now that artificial Devil Fruits have been introduced, the extracts of Devil Fruits may not be far off," Kitahara Tsune thought to himself.

However, Vegapunk's subsequent introduction did not meet Kitahara Tsune's expectations.

After introducing the artificial Devil Fruits, Vegapunk then showcased some purely technological creations.

For example, lightsabers and automatic cooking machines in the experimental stage.

Clearly, the Devil Fruit extract is not in Hall A.

After completing the tour, the group of naval personnel left Building A and registered.

Punk Hazard wasn't just a place to wander around for nothing.

In return, after visiting the exhibition hall in Building A, ordinary naval personnel are required to sign a confidentiality agreement and participate immediately whenever Punk Hazard has an off-site research mission.

In other words, in a sense, this group of naval personnel can be considered as unofficial members of the scientific research department.

"It's a pity I didn't see any news about the Year-Round Fruit." Kitahara Tsune shook his head slightly.

Just then, a researcher wearing a white uniform, with ram's horns on his head and a wicked smile on his face floated over.

It was Caesar Courant.