Inside the grand castle hall of the [Gluttony], Ace reported with a look of shame, "Captain, that bastard Teach jumped into the sea to escape. His current condition is unknown."
'A Devil Fruit user dared to jump into the sea... could it be because of his unique body structure?' Setsuna speculated internally, but didn't dwell on it.
Even the Blackbeard from the original work was far from his match, let alone the current Teach, who had been thoroughly duped by him.
Just as Setsuna was about to plan the next course of action, a rapid Den Den Mushi ringtone shattered the castle's tranquility.
Purupuru purupuru—
Gacha.
The call connected. From the other end came Dr. Vegapunk's voice, uttering only a single, brief sentence—
"The research on the S Cells is complete."
After speaking, the call was immediately disconnected.
Clearly, he was worried about the World Government eavesdropping, hence only giving a vague mention.
But Setsuna naturally understood the implication behind those words. Even he felt a surge of excitement.
Six years had passed since he obtained the Saiyan Cells.
Now, this power sufficient to dominate the world was finally about to become truly his.
…
The Golden Ark sliced through the sky, soon arriving at Punk Hazard's experimental base.
Over the past two and a half years, Setsuna had frequently visited Punk Hazard to cooperate with research. The stationed Marines were long accustomed to it.
After routine checks, the soldiers respectfully cleared the way.
Setsuna entered Vegapunk's laboratory. Vegapunk pointed to a test tube in a cultivation chamber. "As per your request, I removed the unstable elements from the genetic chain. But it's still xenogeneic cell transplantation. Whether it can fuse perfectly depends on your constitution."
"I understand," Setsuna removed his upper garment, revealing well-defined muscles.
He lay down on the specially designed operating table, his tone calm. "Begin."
The procedure went extremely smoothly. Once the Saiyan Cells integrated into Setsuna's body, they immediately displayed astonishing activity.
"Seems the adaptability is good," Vegapunk stared at the monitoring screen. "Observe for a few more minutes. If there's no rejection, it's a success."
Setsuna closed his eyes, sensing the changes within him. A faint, satisfied smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
However, just as he was about to get up and thank Vegapunk...
An utterly terrifying presence suddenly erupted from within him.
At that instant, the planet's rotation seemed to halt. Time itself appeared to freeze.
Powerful figures across the New World looked up at the sky, faces filled with confusion. A moment ago, they had suddenly felt a tremor in their hearts, as if sensing the world's destruction.
Simultaneously, within the Pangaea Castle of Mary Geoise, the Room of Flowers.
Imu suddenly opened her eyes, her form shuddering violently. "Joy Boy? No, that's not right!"
Her voice, for once, carried a slight tremble. "A force more terrifying than Joy Boy... what is this? Could it be... the origin of Devil Fruits?"
That suffocatingly terrifying presence receded like a tide, vanishing in an instant.
Setsuna slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with shock and doubt.
Don Slime's roar reverberated within the Gourmet Space. "Setsuna! What in the world is that power inside you? That foreign force interfering with your hand seals just leaked its aura moments ago."
His voice was full of shock and disbelief. "That power is even stronger than my peak self. It's like... a true god!"
Setsuna remained silent, equally shaken.
The source of that foreign force had been dormant for so long that he had almost forgotten about the ticking time bomb within him.
'But why did it suddenly stir precisely during the Saiyan Cell implantation?'
'Could it be because I contracted something unclean when I crossed over to the Dragon Ball World?' Setsuna pondered internally, but quickly dismissed the thought.
Don Slime had previously stated that this power was deeply bound to his soul, existing even before his birth.
'Wait... before my birth?' Setsuna's eyes grew profound. A bold conjecture surfaced in his mind.
'I must verify this conjecture,' Setsuna murmured to himself. This thought spread like wildfire in his heart.
…
After bidding farewell to Vegapunk, Setsuna boarded Enel's Golden Ark, heading straight for Whole Cake Island.
The golden ship cut across the sky, clouds swiftly receding on both sides.
A ship appearing near Whole Cake Island without prior notice would be seen as a provocation by the Big Mom Pirates, but Setsuna naturally was an exception.
Upon landing at the Cake Castle, Big Mom welcomed him warmly. "Mamamamama~ Isn't this my Gourmet Advisor? What new and interesting delicacy have you brought me this time?"
Setsuna got straight to the point. "I'm not here for food this time. I'm here for your daughter, Charlotte Pudding."
Big Mom laughed heartily, pleased. "So you've finally come around, ready to form an alliance with the Charlotte Family through marriage. Although Pudding's ability is very important to me, if it's for you, handing her over isn't out of the question."
Setsuna felt quite speechless. "I want to borrow her Devil Fruit ability."
"Mamamamama~ Young people are always so shy," Big Mom signaled to Katakuri beside her. "Go fetch Pudding."
Katakuri nodded, soon returning with Pudding.
Perhaps having been primed with certain ideas by Katakuri, the moment Pudding saw Setsuna, all three of her eyes lit up, her cheeks flushing. "S-Setsuna-sama!"
Setsuna looked at Big Mom. "I need to speak with her privately."
Big Mom smiled meaningfully. "Fine. But don't bully her, now."
Pudding led Setsuna to her room, her heart racing, palms slightly sweaty.
"Setsuna-sama, what business do you have with me?" Steam seemed about to erupt from Pudding's head.
Without beating around the bush, Setsuna said directly, "Use your Memo Memo no Mi ability. Extract all the memory film you can from me, from the present moment back to before my birth."
"Before your birth?" Pudding was taken aback, even the steam halting.
"Don't ask why. Just do it," Setsuna's voice was low and dangerous. "And don't try to peek at my memories. Otherwise… no one in this world can protect you."
Pudding trembled all over, nodding hurriedly. "I-I understand!"
She carefully activated her ability. Her hands glowed faintly as she slowly reached towards Setsuna's temples.
However, the instant she prepared to extract the memories, a dangerous thought suddenly flashed through her mind.
'What if I implant some fragments into Setsuna-sama's memories? Make him believe I'm the most important person to him? Then no one in this world could ever bully me again...'
The moment this thought surfaced, Pudding felt a bone-chilling cold shoot from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.
She looked up in terror, discovering a pitch-black demonic silhouette had materialized behind Setsuna.
That silhouette's crimson eyes stared fixedly at her, as if ready to devour her at any moment.
"I was wrong! I'm sorry!" Pudding's legs gave way, and she collapsed to her knees, tears streaming. "I won't dare again! I'll extract the memories immediately!"