Ren had already made preparations in that regard.
"Let's turn Sugar and Monet, those two sisters, into usable bargaining chips."
Ren headed to Punk Hazard. There was still a pile of affairs waiting for him to handle there.
Punk Hazard was an enormous island, with research facilities scattered all over it like stars across the sky.
Back then, it had served as a joint research territory for a group of scientists.
Caesar alone had no need for such a vast site.
Because of the Demon Pirates' relocation, some of the laboratories had been converted for different uses.
It was worth mentioning that after Caesar completed the artificial Devil Fruit, he had been acting extremely anxious, using every method he could think of to demand a Den Den Mushi.
If this place were not a sky island, he might have gone off to find wild Den Den Mushi and modified them himself.
Robin believed he might have discovered something. After all, one could question Caesar's level of personification, but one could not question a scientist's intelligence.
They had been constantly finding excuses not to give Caesar a Den Den Mushi. There was no way he would truly feel at ease with that.
That artificial Devil Fruit tree had most likely appeared ahead of schedule precisely because of this.
If he had merely been deceived, then handing over his technological results would ensure he was not killed.
If they really were World Government CP agents, then if he handed over his technological results and requested a Den Den Mushi, that request would certainly be approved.
But if he handed over his technological results and they still refused to give him a Den Den Mushi, then he would have to consider the possibility of being discarded once he was no longer useful.
Of course,
this was not Caesar's own conclusion, but the judgment Robin had drawn after consolidating the intelligence.
Fortunately, one Angel of Glory, who had studied through the network and mastered radio-wave technology, proposed a feasible solution.
Monitor Caesar's radio waves, keep a constant watch on his communications, and alter anything unfavorable.
For example, they could create situations such as poor signal, interruption, or shielding.
It was definitely a stopgap rather than a cure, but it could still buy them some time.
Ren also issued an order regarding this: have Robin stall him for a while, then permit Caesar to research the Land of Death.
For a scientist fond of poison gas weapons, Caesar had once deceived BIG MOM for the sake of research funds for the Land of Death.
That alone showed how tempting research in this field was to Caesar.
With this two-pronged approach, Caesar's stability could be temporarily guaranteed.
And the fundamental goal was not limited to artificial Devil Fruits. Ren had also handed half of King's body tissue, obtained during the Dressrosa incident, over to Caesar for research.
The other half was being reserved as research material for Bakkin, who would soon be brought back.
Yes.
After witnessing the Lunarian race's talents during the Dressrosa incident,
Ren had begun considering a direction for strengthening himself. For now, it was still only in a vague preparatory stage.
When he entered the Meteor Burst stage in Dressrosa, the overwhelming amount of energy had been far beyond his control, placing a severe burden on his body.
So much so that he had no choice but to create a "Blood Demon Shell" and enter Phase Two of Meteor Burst.
Then,
if he had a chance to obtain the Mother Flame, what method would he use to absorb such a massive amount of energy?
The Lunarian race's limitless adaptive ability had entered Ren's field of vision.
There was no doubt that
this was the primary extended direction revolving around the core goal of "enhancing his strength with the Mother Flame."
As for whether it would succeed, that would depend on Bakkin and Caesar's research abilities.
If that truly failed, Ren could still place some hopes on Egghead Island's research data.
After handling these matters,
Ren went straight to an underground research facility in a remote corner on the edge of Punk Hazard.
In truth, this place had been converted into a prison.
It had been built from extracted Seastone materials, making it a natural enemy's den for Devil Fruit users.
Sugar and Monet were imprisoned here.
Inside the gloomy prison, footsteps echoed through the corridor for the first time in a long while.
Monet, who had been exchanging details with her younger sister Sugar, closed her mouth. The two of them looked toward the corridor warily.
Ren's figure emerged. With both hands in his pockets, he stood before the Seastone bars.
"Ladies, how has your rest been?"
"Ren!"
Monet spat out those two syllables coldly, but her gaze could not quite turn cold.
There was nothing she could do. She had been influenced too deeply!
In contrast, Sugar burst into furious curses. "You bastard! Young Master will find this place sooner or later and kill you!
"You disgusting maggot, idiot, trash—"
"Your sister thought the same thing before."
Mockery flashed through Ren's crimson eyes as he watched Sugar curse. His gaze made it seem as though he were looking at a barking dog.
He ignored Sugar and looked toward Monet instead. "It's been this long, and you still haven't figured out the situation?"
"..."
Monet clenched her fists. As her golden pupils contracted, her tone turned cold. "You merely used tricks to kidnap Sugar.
"The Donquixote Family won't keep failing forever. You definitely haven't witnessed Young Master's power. Young Master is—"
Her declaration-like voice came to an abrupt halt in the very next second.
It was like a drake being strangled by the neck.
Both the cursing Sugar and Monet froze at once, their eyes widening as they stared fixedly at the red glasses in Ren's hand!
"You don't recognize them? The glasses your Young Master never takes off."
Ren shook the red sunglasses mockingly. "He really is very strong. Even an ordinary Paramecia like the String-String Fruit was developed by him all the way to Awakening.
"At full power, he could even destroy a nation. But... that was all."
Monet suddenly lunged forward, crashing into the Seastone bars.
Weak and powerless, she could not even care about the pain. She grabbed the Seastone pillars with both hands and tried to get closer for a clearer look.
Then she confirmed it.
That battle-damaged pair of red sunglasses really was Young Master's glasses!
"What did you do to Young Master?!"
Green hair flew wildly as a piercing light burst from her golden pupils.
However, under the influence of Seastone, Monet, as a Devil Fruit user, had no real ability to threaten him.
"Calm down! This guy must be lying to you!"
Sugar hurriedly tugged her sister back, convinced this was an enemy trap. "How could Young Master possibly lose?! He's the man who will become Pirate King!"
And yet... Ren took out a black-and-gold card.
"If you don't believe me, why not take a look?"
The domain of Space-Time: The Creator unfolded, bringing this entire area under his control.
A scene so familiar it was nauseating appeared once more. Monet instinctively held Sugar in her arms, attempting to put up even the faintest resistance.
But the "Demon Lord" before them did not affect their minds as he had before.
Instead, he looked toward the wall at the end of the corridor.
No.
There was no wall anymore.
Space abruptly shifted, revealing a pitch-black abyss.
And beneath that abyss, thunder and fire intertwined, constructing an execution platform!
The cold execution platform was covered in mottled bloodstains. Doflamingo, covered in wounds, was bound in midair by more than a dozen serpent-like chains.
Thunder axes, fire whips, and all kinds of weapons condensed from thin air, leaving wound after wound across his body.
In the next instant, the injuries healed, only to be replaced by different wounds beneath new weapons.
This was not a sign of struggle. It was more like a tormenting punishment deliberately designed for him!
Sugar and Monet saw everything clearly. Both of them stiffened in place as a bone-chilling cold surged from the soles of their feet to their skulls.
"Isn't he right here?"
A demonic whisper sounded beside their ears, stabbing into their chests like a sharp blade and making their hearts spasm violently.
"How could..."
Sugar let out a voice like a wail, her whole body going limp.
It was as though all her bones had been pulled out.
Monet gripped two iron bars tightly, feeling as though she could barely breathe.
Why would Young Master appear somewhere he should not be?!
Or had she actually been influenced?!
This had to be an illusion, right?
Monet tried to hypnotize herself into accepting that explanation.
As if hearing their voices, Doflamingo suddenly raised his head, revealing a pair of very ordinary eyes.
Or rather, they looked more like the eyes of the father he despised.
Something shattered inside Monet's mind. The explanation she had barely managed to accept was instantly smashed apart like a mirror.
She had seen those eyes and that gaze before. No one understood Young Master better than she did.
That was—
Doflamingo!
"They're not bead-like eyes anymore... Calm yourselves properly, then thank me for the mercy of allowing you to meet."
Ren wore a face full of compassion—mockery—then walked down into the abyss.
Sugar and Monet's voices were instantly cut off, as though the space outside the abyss and the space within it were two different worlds.
"...Is this your Devil Fruit ability?"
Doflamingo said coldly, "What a strange guy. You actually aren't killing me?"
"Compared to your life, the things inside your head are far more valuable."
Ren spoke bluntly. "Will you tell me? What is the Celestial Dragons' national treasure?"
"Heh. So that is where my value lies? How laughable... to think I would end up like this."
Doflamingo was dazed for a moment, then revealed a ferocious smile. "If you think I'll abandon myself just because I failed, then you're underestimating me too much.
"No matter what kind of torture it is, use it if you want. But until you offer valuable conditions, you won't get a single useful piece of information!"
After saying this, he glanced at the family members imprisoned behind Ren.
Sugar and Monet... so two of them were still alive?
Appearing here... was it a hint?
Then the thing he should do was ignore them completely!
Doflamingo's eyes flickered. Then he closed his mouth, lowered his head, and silently accepted the execution by fire and thunder.
A tyrant... In such a short amount of time, he already understood his situation and made the optimal decision?
Ren raised his brows slightly, knowing there was no longer any possibility of extracting intelligence from him here.
Without hesitation, he turned and left. Even after returning to the corridor, he did not hear Doflamingo's voice.
Inside and outside were isolated from each other.
Replacing the silence were Sugar and Monet's disbelieving questions and accusations.
However, Doflamingo could not hear their voices.
Ren was too lazy to bother with the two emotionally agitated women at this moment. He merely watched them coldly.
Sugar and Monet were not stupid. Gradually, they realized who held absolute initiative here.
"What do you want? Are you just declaring yourself the victor and showing off your superiority?"
Monet bit her lower lip. As her golden pupils flickered, she asked that question.
"Do you want him to live?"
Ren pointed indifferently down into the abyss. "Or do you want him to die completely?"
Whether it was Sugar or Monet, both of their breathing turned rapid because of those words and that gesture.
Clearly, they could not abandon Doflamingo.
This was one of the goals of Ren's trip—
holding Doffy hostage to command Sugar and Monet!
(End of Chapter)