The blizzard struck Blizzard Island with such cold that it was difficult to stand. The pirate underlings who came along quickly donned thick... spiked armor.
It's the kind of metal and leather armor with gaps showing the chest and waist, but also worn with pirate shirts underneath.
Since Sage gained the name 'Disaster' until now, the uniforms of the underlings have been largely unified.
Without this uniformity, it doesn't matter if there are few people in the pirate crew, but when the numbers grow, it's hard to tell who's who.
In the end, Sage couldn't argue against Renedia's choice and went with this wasteland-style spiked leather look, which somewhat resembles the style of the Hundred Beasts, but with colorful shirts and pants inside, it also has a hint of the Big Mom Pirates' flair.
He's generous to his underlings, supplying clothing and weapons at no cost.
After all, it's possible to source them from elsewhere. These clothes can also help develop the economy, choosing this style allows for the production of both.
Textiles, leather, and some scrap metal can become new supply chains, adding to the local economy he governs.
Since it's all his own, there's no loss involved.
"Trafalgar Law?"
Renedia extended her small hand, touching her pale chin, thought for a moment, blinked, and said:
"Ah... he's the guy from the batch two years ago who owes Sage fifty-two billion Belly. He's also here?"
"Yes, he's a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, currently collaborating with Caesar, but he's not easy to deal with. We encountered him before, and were hit by his ability, ending up in this state."
Monet laughed, "Many of the subordinates here have been modified, but as a result, gained rare animal abilities."
"Hm? He wasn't here the last time I visited, was he?"
Renedia shook her head: "Never mind, I'll go collect the debt later. For now, let's retrieve the items. Monet, how are our people doing?"
"They're learning well, some have already started assisting Caesar. Please follow me."
Monet smiled and waved her wings, leading the group into the large, ice-covered building ahead.
After opening the door, the group proceeded through a dim corridor, quickly arriving at a lounge.
Renedia unceremoniously sat on the lounge's sofa, with Weevil standing obediently behind her like a bodyguard.
"Where's Caesar? Tell him to come see me!"
"Please wait a moment, Lady Renedia, I'll contact him immediately."
Monet smiled, poured Renedia a glass of juice, and promptly pressed the emergency contact button.
"Pressing this will notify Caesar, and he will come right away," Monet said.
Despite being familiar with each other from previous transactions and several meetings, there was still an air of respect.
After all, these two are not ordinary people.
The big guy, Weevil, is now one of the Three Phases, the 'Wind Phase', and Renedia has been a core officer since the East Sea days.
Even with their Young Master backing them, no one dares to neglect them now.
Soon, a human-shaped mass of gas hurriedly emerged from a dim passage.
The gas formed into a humanoid shape, wearing a gaseous coat, underneath which was a light yellow striped suit, with black long, pointed hair, and what looked like ram horn accessories on top.
"Monet! What urgent matter interrupted my important experiment..."
Before he could finish, he saw a little girl sitting on the sofa, his eyes brightening, but upon closer inspection, he immediately broke into a cold sweat.
The gaseous coat vanished, turning into a regular light fur coat, and he landed on the ground, rubbing his hands like a fly:
"Oh ho ho ho... so it's Lady Renedia and Lord Weevil, long time no see."
"Cut the nonsense, Caesar, have you developed the antibiotics we need? It's been a year! We gave you so much money, yet there are no results?!"
Renedia bit her straw and glared at him.
Caesar Clown, known as the 'Genius Scientist', had a bounty of three hundred million Belly four years ago. He ate the Gas-Gas Fruit, a Logia-type Ability User, and, through deeper collaboration with Sage and Dofla, obtained this channel.
It started a year ago when Sage's subordinates were still conquering islands, but some of the older islands harbored ancient parasites and viruses. After all, the Grand Line islands are seldom connected, even the wildlife is isolated.
When his subordinates were infected, even Hogback couldn't help. He's a surgeon and has limited knowledge of viruses. Diseases that can be treated at sea are fine, and alternative sources could be used to buy the medicine, with Sage himself even offering high prices for formulas to produce them.
But these ancient viruses had long been forgotten; there was no way to cure them.
Sage himself could only treat internal illnesses, and while he could handle viruses to some extent, it was never significant enough, and with so many subordinates, when would it end?
He was already overwhelmed and realized such incidents were bound to happen again.
So, he sought out good scientists through connections, looking for someone who could produce the best antibiotics.
Caesar came recommended.
Sage didn't have much of an impression of this guy. If Dofla hadn't mentioned him, he might have forgotten entirely about this person.
But upon recalling, he realized that this guy seemed to have decent research abilities, and so he decided to fund him to create the best antibiotics and produce some necessary medicines and formulas.
For this reason, Sage specifically sent a group of people here to learn from Caesar.
He's not interested in that artificial devil fruit, but learning from Caesar's scientific talents is still very useful.
After all, he's a pirate, and no scientist wants to follow him; the efficiency of searching is too low, so cultivating a batch himself is more practical.
Renedia and Weevil came here, first to check on the people sent by Sage, and secondly to collect other drug formulas and research progress on antibiotics.
"Soon, very soon..."
Caesar wiped the sweat off his forehead and stammered, "Please give me some more time; it's almost done."
"Sage asked me to come and ask you exactly when."
Renedia finished her juice, discarded the straw, stood up from the sofa, and placed one foot on the coffee table, shouting at Caesar:
"Three months ago when I came here, you said it was soon. You're still saying it's soon. You must provide an exact time today, or I'll smash your teeth with one hammer!"
"Roar!!"
Weevil, standing behind, drew his sword Murakumogiri from his back and roared at Caesar, causing a gust of wind that blew Caesar's hair straight back.
"This, this... it really is soon, the experiments themselves take time. I also have to ensure the gas production of SAD; I'm completely stretched thin. I'm really doing it, not scamming for funds, those students can testify."
Caesar stepped back two steps, pleading, "Please, Master Disaster, give me some more time; after all, it's a universal antibiotic, not something simple. As for other medications, I've already prepared the formulas."
"I didn't come here to hear excuses, I came for time. The formula is your obligation; Sage said all byproducts belong to him. Now... the main goal, needs an exact time!" Renedia said.
Caesar thought for a moment and held up three fingers, "Three, three years?"
"Hmm?" Renedia frowned.
"One year!" Caesar gritted his teeth, saying, "One year is enough! I can definitely complete it!"
"Hmm... minimum one year, maximum three years, I've noted it. If you can't complete it within the time, I'll drag you back as energy!" Renedia said fiercely.
She was also considered a part-time scientist; she knew some things weren't easy to produce, including what Sage often said: as long as enough byproduct formulas exist, tolerance is possible.
Regarding time, they could afford it.
Seeing Renedia agree and even loosen the time limit, Caesar breathed a sigh of relief, and some unexplainable frustration welled up inside him.
For such a genius scientist like him to be so subservient, it's really...
Bearable, at least he's alive.
He's not like dealing with Big Mom, scamming for funds, though what Sage wanted was about as difficult as Big Mom's 'human gigantification' experiment.
But in terms of medication and gaseous weaponry, he was indeed an expert; this direction was smoother for Caesar than human gigantification.
Universal antibiotic.
This is what Sage wants.
No matter the infection or virus, it can be resolved with one drug, but nothing in the world is so convenient; specific symptoms have specific special drugs, universal anything is too exaggerated.
Yet there was no choice, that Disaster gave too much.
At the time, he already had tasks from two of the Four Emperors, adding another Four Emperor seemed safer, so he accepted.
Besides, he didn't dare refuse, it was a Four Emperor! The same rank as Big Mom and Kaido!
Anyway, there was no downside, but after accepting, Sage immediately sent people to Punk Hazard, having them learn from Caesar and also act as supervisors.
This also caused Caesar's research progress to slow, originally needing many people for human gigantification experiments, including children...
But now, due to the need to research antibiotics, he really could only find those with diseases, and even those with various tricky conditions, experimenting with human gigantification while researching universal antibiotics through treating them.
That Disaster dislikes bullying the weak, and with those who seemed like apprentices but were actually ancestors at the side watching, Caesar didn't dare be too reckless.
Otherwise, he had prepared to use addictive drugs to control the test subjects.
"Boru Boru Boru Boru..."
Just then, a radio snail beside suddenly rang.
Monet slightly bowed, the tail feathers on the wings at her tail-end acting like fingers, picked up the radio snail, "This is Monet."
"Lady Monet, there are pirates approaching Flame Island, seemingly intending to invade!" The radio snail quickly reported.
"Invading?"
Upon hearing, Caesar turned his head, revealing a vicious smile, "Pirates, then capture them, the test subjects are just not enough!"
He couldn't afford to offend great pirates, but no one cared about ordinary pirates, unlike those ill children, needing to rack their brains to keep them.
Such individuals, he could dispose of freely.
Perfect to vent my frustrations!