The pirates of the Flying Pirates had arrived with overwhelming momentum.
But after landing, each one of them became as docile as obedient students.
At the edge of the beach in Habu Port, thousands of people crowded the shore, busy lighting fires and preparing meals.
On the steel warship docked at the port, the deck had already dried in the wind.
Caesar, Shiki, and the others sat aboard this ship, eating the food that the pirates had carefully presented to them.
A whole roasted tiger over three meters long was devoured by Caesar in just three mouthfuls, leaving Shiki dumbfounded.
"Are you a starving ghost reincarnated? What about the others? Don't they need to eat?"
Shiki glared irritably at Caesar across from him, then smilingly handed the tiger leg he had managed to snatch to Hiyori.
"With table manners like yours, you expect me to follow you?"
"If I followed you, wouldn't I starve nine times in three days?"
And to be honest, Caesar's stomach was truly a bottomless pit...
Caesar laughed heartily.
"Borororo, what kind of animal is this? Why does it taste so good? The meat is so chewy and flavorful. Even the delicacies of Totland can't compare to this roast."
Praised by Caesar, Shiki immediately puffed up with pride.
"Of course! This roasted meat comes from animals on Merveille Island. Moreover, they've been cultivated with Indigo's IQ serum—not only is the meat delicious and tender, but they also grow rapidly. Roasted over a high fire and sprinkled with cumin, it's incredibly fragrant! Leave some for me!"
Shiki leaped three feet high, wrestling with Caesar over a roasted deer.
Caesar chewed voraciously, the meat and bones of the roasted deer crunching loudly between his teeth.
His teeth were like grinders, effortlessly pulverizing even the hardest bones.
While eating, Caesar mumbled teasingly.
"Oh? So that bullshit IQ experiment of yours—was it really not just to satisfy your gluttonous cravings? Hah, no wonder you had no results for over a decade. Turns out all the results ended up in your stomachs."
Caesar expected Shiki to argue back, but to his utter surprise, Shiki's face flushed red, and he gave an awkward laugh.
"Damn, did I hit the nail on the head?" Caesar's mouth twitched.
Shiki cleared his throat. "Heh, you have to understand, life on a sky island can be quite dull. There aren't many entertainment facilities, and no one to fight with. The only daily pleasure I look forward to is enjoying delicious food in different ways."
"How pitiful."
Caesar's eyes were full of sympathy, then in a flash, he stuffed an entire roasted suckling pig brought by Indigo into his mouth, making it vanish instantly from Shiki's sight.
Shiki: (╬◣д◢)
Black Maria, Ulti, and Page One also sat beside Caesar, curiously observing Shiki and Indigo.
Everyone chatted while eating.
Shiki picked up a glass of red wine, took a sip, and tapped the deck beneath him, producing a dull thud.
"Is this really the ancient weapon Pluton? Does it really have that much power? I heard the Pluton warship can blast through the Red Line with a single cannon shot."
"Who knows? Anyway, Wano Country only has this one decent large ship—if it's not Pluton, then it must be Pluton. As for the power you mentioned, how would I know? I've never tested it. More importantly, you—weren't you hiding in the sky for over a decade? What made you suddenly decide to come down for a stroll?"
Caesar looked at Shiki with curiosity.
He was genuinely intrigued.
If Shiki had stubbornly stayed hidden in the sky, they might never have met until death.
Caesar wondered what had prompted Shiki to suddenly descend to the sea...
Shiki glanced at Indigo beside him, signaling him to explain.
Indigo chuckled and, like a magician, pulled out a large assortment of bottles and jars from his robe.
These glass bottles contained liquids of various colors, appearing vibrant and rather pleasing to the eye.
Caesar carefully picked up one bottle with two fingers, held it up to examine it, and asked.
"What is this? Could this be the so-called IQ Potion you mentioned?"
"The bottle you're holding is indeed the raw material for the IQ Potion. The ingredients for this potion come from certain plants on Merveille Island. They contain elements capable of transforming animals—truly remarkable."
Indigo, being a fervent researcher, was intimately familiar with these potion bottles and spoke about them with great enthusiasm.
"I've researched for over a decade. Finally, I developed the IQ Potion to its 3,561st generation, successfully enhancing the ferocity, strength, and reproductive abilities of the animals on Merveille Island! But from the very beginning, I've actually had another hidden agenda in researching this potion."
Indigo's eyes gleamed as he said.
"I want the IQ Potion I develop to not only enhance animals but also boost human capabilities! The IQ Potion significantly strengthens an animal's physique and healing abilities. I thought to myself, if one day I could create a perfect version of the IQ Potion, perhaps I could heal Boss Shiki and make him younger."
As he spoke, he picked up a bottle containing a deep red liquid from the ground, his expression turning fanatical:
"See the blood in this bottle? This is the breakthrough I need to surpass the limitations of the IQ Potion and develop the final, perfect version! With it, I can restore Shiki to his peak, free from the influence of the ship's rudder embedded in his head, which causes him headaches every day."
The moment Caesar noticed the small bottle, his eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"My blood?"
Before Indigo could react, he continued from his previous train of thought.
"Exactly, what I need is your blood. Your blood, combined with the raw materials of the IQ Potion—specifically, some unique plants from Merveille Island—can create an improved version of the IQ Potion. Then, by eliminating some of the instinctual bloodthirsty behaviors, it can be used to enhance humans..."
Clatter...
The glass bottle in Indigo's hand fell to the ground, its contents splattering everywhere.
Ulti flew into a rage, pointing at Indigo and shouting.
"Are you out of your mind?!"
But Indigo seemed not to hear her, his gaze fixed blankly on Caesar.
He stood motionless, unable to process what had just happened for a long while.
After what felt like an eternity, Indigo shook his head and stammered.
"Caesar-sama, did you just say... that was your blood?"
"Huh? That octopus had Caesar's blood inside it? Damn, Caesar, what did you do to that octopus?"
Shiki was dumbfounded.
But soon, Shiki also understood what Indigo was trying to say.
He, too, froze, standing rigidly in place for a long time without moving.
Finally, Shiki managed to curse with great difficulty:
"Damn it, no wonder that blood was so potent. I should have guessed it was you. If that's the case, then it all makes sense.
To hell with the IQ Potion. If you directly feed animals your blood, the mutation and strengthening effects would far surpass the IQ Potion."
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