[The reason why Kozuki Momonosuke will become the second Kaido in the future is, to put it bluntly, devastatingly simple: without the Red Dragon Fruit, this pervert wouldn't even qualify as a competent samurai. He'd be nothing—not even worth consideration in the grand scheme of power.
Even acknowledging that Kozuki Oden left a solid physical foundation for his son through genetics, that inheritance accounted for only a very small portion of Momonosuke's eventual strength. The true culprit who created this future tyrant was none other than Dr. Vegapunk. Discarding such a magnificent artificial Devil Fruit as a "failure" represented an absurd waste of resources—the kind of casual dismissal only that eccentric genius could manage.]
[However, the Sky Screen's appearance at this particular moment in history carried profound implications. Various forces had already deduced that Kozuki Momonosuke likely hadn't obtained the Red Dragon Fruit yet in the current timeline. This created a golden opportunity for interception—a chance to claim this legendary power before it ever reached the samurai's son.
No one intended to allow Wano Country's young master to acquire this fruit if they could prevent it. Everyone understood the fundamental principle: first come, first served. Whoever claimed the Uo Uo no Mi (Fish-Fish Fruit), Model: Seiryu (Red Dragon) first would gain power rivaling the Yonko themselves.
The question became: where was it?]
Marine Headquarters, Marineford
The first person to deduce the fruit's location, aside from its creator Vegapunk, was naturally Caesar Clown. When he saw the Sky Screen's detailed description of the Red Dragon Fruit's capabilities, his mind immediately connected to past conversations with his former colleague—discussions he'd dismissed at the time as the other scientist's typical perfectionism.
Now those casual comments took on entirely new significance.
"Admiral Kizaru," Caesar announced, arrogant smile spreading across his face, "perhaps I can provide you with a surprise. I believe I know exactly where the Red Dragon Fruit is located."
Borsalino, standing beside the eccentric scientist, felt the overwhelming urge to shoot him with a laser beam just for that insufferably smug expression. The Admiral's fingers twitched toward the light already gathering at his fingertips. However, he chose to believe Caesar's words despite his intense irritation. Although this man suffered from obvious mental abnormalities and displayed absolutely no humanity in his behavior, he tended toward honesty when facing credible threats of violence.
Admiral Kizaru could read Caesar Clown's transparent intentions easily—the scientist was positioning himself to negotiate conditions, to add bargaining chips to his value. The experimental island already constructed for his research had caused severe financial difficulties for the Marines. If Caesar dared demand additional funding now, the Admiral would refuse immediately. Fleet Admiral Sengoku simply couldn't produce more money—scientific research investments were primarily funded by the World Government's treasury, not the Marines' operational budget.
Admiral Kizaru pushed the sunglasses higher on his nose, impatience finally breaking through his usually lazy demeanor. "Just tell me what you know. I don't have time to play games with you here."
Caesar Clown recognized he couldn't withstand a Marine Admiral's genuine wrath. He abandoned thoughts of excessive demands, settling instead for a more modest request—an opportunity to meet his old colleague to discuss the secrets of Lineage Factor research.
"Then I won't keep you in suspense, Admiral. Go to the location where Vegapunk created the artificial fruit—the same place where you arrested me and brought me into Marine custody."
"What did you say?" Borsalino, a man legendary for sardonic calm and mocking detachment, became unusually agitated. He grabbed Caesar Clown's shoulders with both hands, grip tightening with unconscious force. "The Red Dragon Fruit is at the Punk Hazzard? Why didn't you mention this earlier?!"
The pressure increased dramatically as Admiral Kizaru's excitement manifested physically. Caesar felt genuine pain as his shoulder bones ground together under that crushing grip. He sensed murderous intent radiating from the Admiral—in just another moment, Borsalino might actually crush his shoulder entirely, consequences be damned.
"It hurts... I didn't lie to you!" Caesar cried out, begging for mercy. "The artificial fruit really is there! I'm telling the truth!"
Caesar Clown genuinely hadn't realized that Vegapunk would leave behind such an exceptional Devil Fruit. He'd believed his former colleague's assessment at face value, accepting that the color change indicated failure. He'd even felt smugly superior about his own semi-finished SMILE fruits in comparison.
The truth now revealed itself in humbling clarity: Vegapunk had surpassed him by vast margins years ago, perhaps excelling even in fruit creation beyond Caesar's comprehension. Kaido's Mythical Zoan-type Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu (Azure Dragon) seemed actually inferior to its artificial copy, the Mythical Zoan-type Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu (Red Dragon). Even someone as foolish as Caesar couldn't miss this comparison. The artificial Devil Fruit's anti-magic properties were absolutely absurd in their power.
A disturbing thought crystallized in Caesar's mind: perhaps his former colleague had done this deliberately. Maybe Vegapunk had known the artificial fruit's specific capabilities all along but couldn't accept using it for some reason. Perhaps he'd found a better alternative—such as the second-generation Seraphim called Homelander that had appeared in Sky Screen broadcasts.
Caesar Clown naturally chose to flatter his former colleague, sharing this unfounded speculation with Admiral Kizaru. He theorized that Vegapunk had acted intentionally, that the humanoid war weapon Homelander displayed in the broadcast was most likely the product of combining multiple Devil Fruit abilities into a single entity.
After all, Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach possessed three Devil Fruits simultaneously according to future broadcasts. Homelander's existence didn't seem particularly implausible by comparison. Caesar vaguely suspected that something unusual existed in Blackbeard's bloodline—after all, this sea never lacked for strange bloodlines and rare races. Perhaps Teach's body possessed unique properties that allowed multiple fruit coexistence, properties that Vegapunk had replicated artificially in Homelander.
Admiral Kizaru had originally planned to personally escort Caesar Clown to a secret research base managed by the Scientific Unit, demonstrating sincerity through direct involvement. But this new information demanded immediate action—the Red Dragon Fruit took absolute priority over scientist relocation.
He contacted Fleet Admiral Sengoku immediately through Den Den Mushi, explaining the situation with uncharacteristic urgency.
The absolute commander of the Marines issued orders without hesitation: "Deploy immediately to the location Caesar identified. We must obtain the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu (Red Dragon) before other forces learn its whereabouts. Its creator, Vegapunk, will also be held accountable afterward. The Celestial Dragons and the Marines will have extensive discussions with him to determine exactly how many secrets he's been keeping from his superiors!"
Holy Land Mariejois
Saint Saturn confirmed the artificial Devil Fruit's location with Vegapunk at the first opportunity, bypassing the Marines entirely. This member of the Five Elders didn't trust the current Marine leadership—he had to guard against those dogs who might harbor divided loyalties, preventing them from seizing opportunities to act against their masters' interests.
Within the luxurious halls of Mariejois, Saint Saturn arranged another meeting with the leader of the Knights of God. His presence here served a specific purpose: securing the artificial Devil Fruit created by Vegapunk. Good things should naturally be shared with one's own people—very few Celestial Dragons would betray their class, after all. Why shouldn't they remain the superior ones forever, supported comfortably by the inferior masses?
Figarland Garland had originally been planning to eliminate Kaido as priority business. After all, Joyboy represented the number one enemy of the Celestial Dragons. Even though most Celestial Dragons weren't particularly concerned about prophecies that Joyboy could liberate the world—such things seemed like fantasy—prudent preparation remained essential.
"Is it truly necessary to summon me personally?" The gray-haired swordsman went straight to the core issue, his tone carrying subtle criticism. "Are the problems within the Marines so severe that you can't trust them with basic retrieval missions?"
Figarland Garland felt in his heart that the Five Elders shouldn't maintain excessive distance from the Old Marines. Doing so would only create opportunities for outsiders to exploit the growing divide. They should be working to secure this violent organization for their own exclusive use, not allowing the Sky Screen to drive wedges between them with mere words and revelations. The five elderly members of the Five Elders were executing foolish policies that weakened the World Government's foundations.
The Celestial Dragons and World Government simply could not afford to lose the Marines in their current precarious situation. Too many uncontrolled pirates roamed the seas—eliminating them all permanently remained impossible without the Marines' organizational structure and manpower.
The Celestial Dragons represented a parasitic class that survived by consuming the blood and flesh of the world's productive populations. If they weren't completely devouring resources, they couldn't sustain their current population size and lifestyle at all. The Heavenly Tribute collected from each member nation not only couldn't be reduced—it needed to increase substantially. Pirates remaining extremely active on the seas served certain purposes for maintaining this system, creating the chaos that justified the protection racket.
You could never have too many Berries. They must be fully prepared for the upcoming war and give one hundred percent effort to dealing with Kaido.
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