"Franky, can't we wait just a little longer?"
Gladius glanced sideways, eyes sweeping over the alloy and the set of blueprints he and Franky had spent nearly two months drafting. He let out a helpless sigh.
"This kind of modification… I honestly don't think I can pull it off."
The fusion of family lineage factors still had a chance of success.
But turning a living human into a machine—without any tests—just sounded like pure fantasy.
"You can do it, Gladius! We were both trained by Tom-sensei. I trust your hands."
Franky tightly fastened the restraint straps across his chest, preventing any sudden reactions from the pain to come.
To ensure precision, he refused to use any anesthetic.
He had to witness every single step of the transformation himself.
"Just follow my instructions."
"This is really dangerous, Franky. Once Pluton and the unknown ancient weapon are complete, they'll be enough to fulfill your wish. You don't have to go this far."
Gladius clenched his fist, still unable to bring himself to make the first move. He grabbed Franky's hand instead, trying a different approach.
"Submit this project. Wait until testing is finished before applying it to your own body."
"Gladius, everyone's different. No one knows my body better than I do. And we don't have enough alloy for large-scale testing. Besides... rather than create Pluton, why not become Pluton?!"
"Let this body become part of His Majesty Doflamingo's ultimate power!!"
Franky gripped Gladius's hand in return, eyes burning with madness and seething hatred.
The day Tom-sensei was taken... the agony, the struggle—those memories haunted him every night.
His gaze drifted to the slabs of alloy beside him, and his desire surged uncontrollably.
"I can't wait anymore. Not a second longer! Now is the perfect moment."
"With blueprints specifically designed from my research on Pluton and my own body, plus the alloy and IQ Doflamingo-sama granted me— Every condition for progress has been met."
"The unparalleled power will be in my hands!"
Franky's unwavering conviction—and the pain radiating from the grip of his hand—left Gladius speechless.
After a long silence, Gladius sighed, brushed Franky's hand aside, and picked up the surgical knife nearby.
"I'll help you… but if it threatens your life, I'll stop it. I won't let this madness go unchecked."
"Alright!"
Franky responded without hesitation, gaze fixed firmly on his own abdomen.
"Gladius, start by cutting open my stomach. Begin with the energy core!"
He activated Tekkai and forced the blood to retreat from his abdomen.
Squelch!
The white layer of fat, the red muscle tissue, and the writhing organs were exposed to the open air.
...
Time passed.
BIG MOM's upcoming tea party had once again stirred the entire New World.
The event in Totto Land would host countless powerful factions—not only to flaunt strength, but also to form alliances and, above all, arrange marriages.
And this time, it was extraordinary.
Charlotte Smoothie was marrying none other than the Heavenly Yaksha, Doflamingo—another Emperor of the Sea.
It captured the eyes of the entire world.
"Is that… snow? Is Cake Island a winter island?"
Seeing the flurry of snowflakes falling over the distant sea, Robin—who had never been to Totto Land before—felt curious.
She didn't sense any drop in temperature.
"Hehe, not quite~"
Smoothie, acting half as a host, turned with a smile.
She activated the power of the Float-Float Fruit, sweeping a cluster of snowflakes toward Robin, her eyes filled with encouragement.
"Try it. I promise it won't disappoint."
With her wedding to Doflamingo drawing near, Smoothie had been in great spirits.
Among all of Doflamingo's women, she was the only one granted a wedding ceremony.
After hesitating for just a moment and receiving Doflamingo's approving glance,
Robin dipped a finger into the snow and placed it on her tongue.
"Mmm… So sweet!"
The sugary taste made her eyes instinctively curve into crescents of delight.
"These snowflakes are made of cotton candy. How is that even possible?"
"That's the ability of my brother, Perospero!"
Robin's reaction made Smoothie visibly proud.
Among the many ships approaching Totto Land, one vessel in the sky stood out in particular.
Aside from the legendary Golden Lion whose grave now sported four-meter-tall weeds, only one man dared such an entrance today:
The new king of the sky—
The Heavenly Yaksha, Doflamingo!
Pirates invited to BIG MOM's tea party were few and cautious—not many had the guts of someone like Joy Boy to rebel.
Even while flying through the skies, no one dared interfere with Doflamingo's ship.
They all wisely steered clear, not wishing to provoke the Heavenly Yaksha's mood.
A group of tart-shaped patrol ships rapidly approached from the coastline.
At their head was a man in a suit, with an eggshell on his waist and comically long legs—
From a distance, his body looked like a living compass.
Robin glanced curiously at Smoothie.
"He should be from the same race as Smoothie-sama—the Longleg Tribe.
"But what's with the eggshell? That's not a human trait. Is it just decorative? Or is it from a Devil Fruit?"
Of course, she kept these impolite thoughts to herself. Robin knew how to mind her manners.
Smoothie didn't seem to care much about her kin.
All the children of the Charlotte family had one thing in common: they only had a mother, no father.
"Welcome, His Majesty Doflamingo! Smoothie!
I am Baron Tamago. Please, allow me to guide you—s'il vous plaît."
Baron Tamago tipped his hat elegantly, inviting Doflamingo to follow.
"Let's go. I want to see what the rebuilt Cake Island looks like. I did pay for it, after all."
Doflamingo pulled his gaze away from the eggshell.
This wasn't his first visit, but he had never encountered this bizarre Zoan user before.
Baron Tamago's Devil Fruit was certainly intriguing.
When attacked, he could cycle through three forms—Baron Tamago, Chick Baron, and Rooster Baron.
As long as he avoided taking a hit while transforming, he could survive—growing stronger with each form.
Thinking about it, Doflamingo's hands started to itch.
He asked, half-curious, half-playful:
"Baron Tamago, how much damage can you actually take?"
"Ah—!"
Baron Tamago trembled, so nervous he forgot his usual French interjections.
Doflamingo was a peer to his own mama in terms of power. An attack from someone like him would be instant death.
Why did he have to be on patrol duty today of all days!?
"If it's you, I doubt I'd even get a chance to transform. I'd die instantly."
"Furufurufurufuru~"
Doflamingo chuckled at the sight of the trembling Tamago.
"Relax. I'm just asking."
It wouldn't do to piss off the mother-in-law the moment he arrived by killing one of her subordinates.
Hearing this, Baron Tamago breathed a deep sigh of relief and vanished from the deck—
Dashing into the control room to lead the way with full concentration.
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Fanfic is finished 527 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg