Chapter 313: Nen Beast

"I didn't expect such a misunderstanding, but it's actually good for me. Their attention has shifted elsewhere." Upon discovering that the World Government, the Navy, and many others across the seas were focused on finding Shiki the Golden Lion, Daniel Davis breathed a sigh of relief. Although he wasn't afraid of being found by the World Government or the Navy—after all, even if he couldn't win a fight, not even Imu could stop him from escaping—he preferred to remain in the shadows. Accumulating wealth quietly was the smart move.

"The technology to make objects consume Devil Fruits is really complex. The materials required are incredibly costly. No wonder the Navy and the World Government don't have many such weapons." With his mind at ease about the turmoil surrounding Shiki, Daniel Davis focused on studying the technology for making objects consume Devil Fruits.

He wasn't worried about the authenticity of the information provided. The two Zoan Devil Fruits he requested were mainly for experimentation. Originally, he had only wanted ordinary Devil Fruits, but he later changed his request to ancient Zoan types. Since they were ancient Zoans, he didn't want to waste them.

Ordinary Zoan Devil Fruits were something he already had. These were the most common Devil Fruits found on the Grand Line. While Kaido was collecting Zoan Devil Fruits, even Kaido couldn't monopolize them all.

"So, only Zoan Devil Fruits can be used. This confirms my previous hypothesis, but it also makes it a bit of a letdown." After reviewing the data and combining it with his previous research, Daniel Davis quickly understood the situation with objects consuming Devil Fruits.

Only Zoan Devil Fruits can be used—neither Logia nor Paramecia types work. If they did, the number of objects with Devil Fruit powers would be far greater. Imagine an object consuming the Door-Door Fruit—it would essentially become a tool for creating portals anywhere.

To animate an inanimate object with a Devil Fruit, only Zoan types work. It's less about eating the fruit and more about a fusion between the two.

This limitation makes ordinary Zoan Devil Fruits somewhat underwhelming. While such weapons are useful, they don't hold up in high-level combat. Perhaps only Mythical Zoan Fruits would be worth it. But even the lavish World Government wouldn't waste Mythical Zoan Fruits like this. One of these fruits could create someone as powerful as a Warlord of the Sea or even an admiral. Using them for objects would be too wasteful.

Especially since the special abilities of Mythical Zoan Fruits wouldn't be fully utilized when given to objects.

"Wow, the costs are astronomical. With this much money, you could build several vice admiral-class warships or create a few more Pacifistas. No wonder Vegapunk didn't produce many such weapons. The ones circulating now are probably just from his early experiments."

Looking at the materials he had invested, Daniel Davis didn't feel too bad about the expense. However, he realized that the World Government had likely provided him with real information to track the acquisition of materials and find out who was behind it.

Of course, he had an ample stockpile of materials. If it were anyone else, even the Revolutionary Army, they would likely need to purchase materials from the outside, risking exposure.

"It worked!" Watching as the katana and the Cat-Cat Fruit fused together, Daniel Davis knew it had succeeded, even though the sword hadn't yet displayed its new abilities.

As he picked up the katana, he immediately felt a change. The sword transformed into a normal-sized black cat, though its eyes were devoid of life.

"Let's try the artificial Zoan Devil Fruit next." Daniel Davis had acquired some artificial Zoan Devil Fruits from Caesar. Although he hadn't mass-produced them, he had made a few.

Because of their sensitivity, Daniel Davis hadn't handed them out to his subordinates. If word got out, Doflamingo and Kaido would be quick to follow.

"It works too." Watching as a mechanical snake transformed into a lifelike serpent, Daniel Davis nodded in satisfaction. While the Grand Line was full of Devil Fruit users and Devil Fruits, these were scarce for individuals—even Kaido couldn't get enough Devil Fruits, let alone someone like him.

"It's possible to give armor or mechanical beasts Devil Fruits, but it's prohibitively expensive." Despite his current wealth, even Daniel Davis found the cost steep. He could afford to use Pym Particles daily, but this was on another level.

"It seems this doesn't have much use for me. Rather than merging armor with Devil Fruits, I might as well use Pym Particles. Is it because I've advanced too quickly?" After a moment of reflection, Daniel Davis put away the katana and the black snake, knowing they couldn't be revealed yet.

"Now, let's see how your Devil Fruit works, Vegapunk." Daniel Davis's true goal wasn't just to create a black cat sword or a black snake mechanical serpent. His real aim was to experiment with the artificial Dragon-Dragon Fruit he had obtained from Punk Hazard.

Instead of letting an inanimate object consume the artificial Devil Fruit, he planned to have his Nen consume it, hoping to develop it into a Nen Beast. This would allow it to grow and evolve, making it a true companion.

However, since he already possessed the Ope Ope no Mi, Daniel Davis wasn't sure if his Nen could consume another Devil Fruit. After all, he wasn't Blackbeard, who either had the Yami Yami no Mi or a special body that allowed him to possess multiple Devil Fruits.

Under normal circumstances, Daniel Davis would need to capture a Nen user, have them consume a Devil Fruit, and then try to have their Nen consume another one. This had been his original plan for caution's sake, but now he didn't need to. As the Sorcerer Supreme, with the Eye of Agamotto—also known as the Time Stone—he could foresee the outcome.

While manipulating time was dangerous, using the Time Stone to peek into the future was no problem. The original Doctor Strange had viewed over 14 million possible futures.

However, to use the Time Stone to see the future, Daniel Davis would have to return to the Marvel universe. In the Pirate World, it wouldn't work. Space and time are two of the most powerful forces; mastering even one is remarkable, and now he wielded both.

"Has that old geezer Shiki finally shown himself? Haha, too bad it's not like the old days anymore. The old guy's outdated. Let him try to come after me."

When news of Shiki the Golden Lion's return reached the New World, Kaido of the Beasts immediately taunted him. Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin, shared a similar attitude.

The return of Shiki had drawn the attention of many pirates to the New World's Yonko—a clash between the legends of the past and the legends of today.

Kaido and Linlin responded aggressively, while Shanks and Whitebeard remained indifferent.

"Dad, is Shiki really that powerful?" On Whitebeard's ship, the Moby Dick, Marco, the Phoenix, asked curiously. Though he had heard of Shiki as a legendary figure, the details were unknown to him.

"Who would've thought he'd stay hidden so long before reappearing," Whitebeard mused as he drank, his expression a mix of nostalgia and surprise.

Just as Sengoku, Tsuru, and others were shocked that Shiki had remained hidden for so long, Whitebeard was similarly amazed. Back in the day, Shiki had been truly unstoppable.

While most Devil Fruit users feared the sea, Shiki was different. His Float-Float Fruit allowed him to control the waves, meaning he could even create tsunamis if he wanted to.

The World Government and the Navy quickly pinned the blame on Shiki because he was the most likely candidate. Unlike Whitebeard, who was content in his territory, Shiki harbored great ambitions.

"But I never expected him to target the Celestial Dragons first upon his return," Whitebeard added with a hint of admiration. Even he didn't dare to attack the Celestial Dragons so openly.

If it were just him, Whitebeard wouldn't be afraid, but he had his sons and the many civilians under his care to think about.

The Celestial Dragons were known for making an example of those who defied them. If Daniel Davis's identity were exposed, it wouldn't just be him in danger—the Baroque Works and even the Kingdom of Alabasta could be targeted. The World Government might even launch a Buster Call to erase Alabasta from the map.

"Has that old man changed after all these years?" Whitebeard thought but didn't say. He wasn't the only one with this suspicion—Sengoku, Tsuru, and even Shanks shared the same thought.

"Captain, can you tell us about the Battle of Edd War?" On a small, deserted island in the West Blue, Shanks and his crew were resting. A plump man in green clothing, munching on roasted meat, asked curiously.

As he asked, the rest of the crew looked eagerly at Shanks. To them, the Battle of Edd War was a legend, but to Shanks, it was a personal experience.

"Back then, I was just an apprentice. If it weren't for Captain Roger, Uncle Rayleigh, and some luck, I wouldn't be here." Shanks wasn't exaggerating. That battle had been brutal, and many of his comrades with great potential had died.

Shiki had surrounded Roger's crew with overwhelming force. While the Roger Pirates were strong, Shiki's Flying Pirates were equally formidable.

It was thanks to Shanks that Buggy ate the Chop-Chop Fruit; otherwise, he might have died in that battle.

"Captain, Shiki's

 first target was the Celestial Dragons. He must be planning something big." Ben Beckman, Shanks's right-hand man, didn't share the crew's relaxed attitude.

"Back then, he wanted to recruit Captain Roger, unify the seas, and then attack the World Government. But who would've thought this time, he'd go straight for the World Government? And to use such methods... He must have found someone very capable during his time in hiding."

"Enough talk, let's drink!" After a moment of silence, Shanks raised his mug with his remaining arm and took a large gulp.

"Yeah, let's drink!" The crew quickly joined in.

Plop, plop, plop.

On a luxurious floating island in the East Blue, a figure walked to a private swimming pool. As he approached, a strange sound, like someone passing gas, echoed.

"Indigo, I've told you before—can you do something about that noise?" The figure lounging by the pool, with a ship's wheel embedded in his head and long golden hair, didn't bother to turn around as he shouted.

"Captain, something's happened." Indigo approached and handed a newspaper to the man on the lounge chair.

"I've been exposed." The man jumped up from the chair, then suddenly started dancing with Indigo.

"This is no time for that!" After a moment, he snapped back to reality, angrily tearing the newspaper to shreds and glaring at Indigo.

"What's going on? How was I exposed?"

"I don't know. I only found out when I saw the newspaper."

"Find out what happened immediately."

"I'll get right on it."

"I had no idea the captain was still alive! He never contacted me. I don't know where he is!" On a small island, four CP0 agents interrogated a bar owner, whose establishment was littered with corpses and soaked in blood.

"If you don't know, then you're useless. *Shigan*." One of the CP0 agents thrust his finger through the bar owner's skull. "Let's move to the next target."

Shiki's reappearance had first impacted his former subordinates. After his escape from Impel Down, his crew had scattered—some remained pirates, while others retired to live quietly. Now, the World Government's CP agents were hunting them all down.

Whether they were simple farmers, bar owners, pirate captains, or underworld leaders, they were all being slaughtered, just as the World Government had once hunted down the Roger Pirates.

This time, the World Government was truly enraged. They didn't care about casualties—anyone unlucky enough to cross their path was eliminated.

Unaware of these developments, Daniel Davis had returned to the Marvel universe, arriving directly on the alien planet where he planned to use the Time Stone.

"Huh? Seriously? After everything I did, she still made it here?" Watching Simmons on a monitor, Daniel Davis was speechless.

He had wiped out the Hive and Hydra's leadership, thinking Simmons wouldn't make it to the alien planet. But reality proved him wrong—she had still found her way there.

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