Chapter 507: Supernovas (Part 2)

"Well, this is troublesome," Kizaru muttered, his usual sly smile faltering as Daniel's threat sank in. With a slight hesitation, he dispelled the golden light in his hands.

A threat like this might not have affected Aokiji, Akainu, or even the Vice Admirals. They wouldn't abandon a fight based on a mere promise to kill Celestial Dragons. After all, even if such an event occurred, neither Fleet Admiral Sengoku nor the Five Elders of the World Government would punish them for failing to surrender on such a basis.

But Kizaru was different. As the poster child for "on time in, on time out," Kizaru preferred to avoid complications. If he could secure a legitimate reason to avoid combat, especially against someone who had even given Aokiji trouble, he'd take it. After all, Kizaru had maintained a minimal-effort approach even during the Summit War.

"Very well, as you wish," Kizaru replied, raising his hands in mock surrender, smiling wryly at Daniel.

Aokiji frowned at Kizaru's easygoing attitude. Yet, as a fellow Admiral, Kizaru was a peer, and Aokiji knew he couldn't criticize his decision. The three Admirals symbolized distinct factions within the Navy; even if Kizaru seemed laid-back, his standing and influence within the Navy were hardly trivial.

"If I want to capture Kizaru, it'll have to be in the Mirror Dimension," Daniel mused. He knew that, theoretically, he could indeed defeat an Admiral, Yonko, or similar powerhouse. By pulling them into the Mirror Dimension, he could overwhelm them with the collective strength of several Edo Tensei warriors. In the pirate world, there were few means of sealing techniques. Only some Devil Fruits held such power, but most had no effect against Edo Tensei.

However, all of this relied on Kizaru's ignorance of the Mirror Dimension. If he became aware, he'd undoubtedly flee immediately. Daniel's clash with Aokiji had reinforced a critical lesson: every Navy Admiral was formidable and required careful handling. Especially Kizaru with his Glint-Glint Fruit; his speed made him just as troublesome as Enel with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, and he could be practically invincible if he chose to fight evasively.

"A fight between the Glint-Glint Fruit and the Rumble-Rumble Fruit would be quite a spectacle."

"Alright, time to go." With all ten warships sinking beneath the waves, Daniel glanced at Aokiji and Kizaru, offering them a casual parting remark. "Please send my regards to Fleet Admiral Sengoku. Our leader may visit Marineford in person soon—better prepare yourselves."

Watching the last of the fleet go down, Daniel's form blurred, twisting before he disappeared.

"It seems Sengoku will be in for some serious trouble. I might find myself needing to leave Marineford soon," Kizaru remarked calmly, touching down beside Aokiji and staring after Daniel's vanished silhouette.

At this, Aokiji and several nearby Navy personnel turned to look at Kizaru, who maintained his indifferent expression.

"Report back to Fleet Admiral Sengoku on what happened here. I'll finish up and join you later," Aokiji said, glancing at the Navy troops, many of whom shivered on the icy ground, then looked back at Kizaru.

"Then I'll leave it to you," Kizaru replied, transforming into a golden beam and speeding back toward Marineford.

"I should probably try my strength against a Yonko," Daniel thought as he emerged from Kamui Space, hovering high above the sea. Looking out over the vast ocean, he reflected on his recent clash with Aokiji.

The strength of Logia Devil Fruits wasn't in their sheer power alone but in their exceptional durability. Without the Ice-Ice Fruit, an opponent of Aokiji's caliber would've sustained serious injuries from Daniel's Armament Haki. As things stood, however, Daniel had managed only to inflict minor wounds on the Admiral.

"Now, which one? Whitebeard would feel too much like bullying the elderly and ill, and Shanks' nomadic nature makes him hard to find… so it's down to Kaido and Big Mom."

Although Whitebeard remained a revered legend, Daniel knew his physical condition had deteriorated significantly. During the Summit War, he had struggled to maintain the grandeur of the "Strongest Man in the World" and was left badly wounded by Akainu alone.

If Daniel wanted fame by challenging a Yonko, Whitebeard would certainly be a tempting target. However, Daniel had different motivations.

"It'll have to be Kaido, then."

Daniel's curiosity was piqued by Kaido's Devil Fruit. Initially, he had assumed Kaido possessed a Dragon-type Zoan Fruit, only to later discover it was the Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Model. The revelation left him bewildered when he first heard it.

Among the three Devil Fruit types, Zoans were abundant. There were fruits based on land, sea, and air creatures—animals of every kind, from insects to sea creatures. Still, the Fish-Fish Fruit was something Daniel had never encountered.

Logically, fish should exist within the Zoan class, but a fish-type Zoan fighting on land or with seawater limitations seemed… unusual, to say the least.

However, Daniel realized he had overlooked another fish-related Devil Fruit for years: the Turtle Fruit, wielded by a Big Mom Pirate crew member. This made him realize that artificial Zoan fruits could potentially include fish and insect genes, an area Caesar had also overlooked, focusing instead on standard animals.

"Fish-Fish Fruit, model: Azure Dragon, huh? So Kaido's a fish who jumped the dragon gate. But if a regular fish had eaten it, they'd probably just stay an ordinary fish."

With Kaido's Fish-Fish Fruit granting him a dragon's form, Daniel speculated this transformation could be the result of an awakened Devil Fruit. 

"Maybe we'll see a chicken turning into a phoenix one day."

If Kaido's fruit could yield such dramatic results, who knew how many Mythical Zoans were waiting to be discovered or even artificially recreated?

"Esther's request for Devil Fruits to train subordinates is worth pursuing," Daniel decided after settling on Kaido as his next target. Besides Esther, Chelsea had made similar requests. In the world of Akame ga Kill, these artificial Zoans could become invaluable tools, akin to mass-producing Teigu.

For instance, cat-type Zoans would be ideal for spies and infiltrators.

Given Esther and Chelsea's requests, Daniel had agreed to supply the fruits. Initially, he hadn't mass-produced artificial Zoans due to time constraints in building his forces. Though Robin had experience managing Baroque Works for Crocodile, her time under him had been more a matter of survival than interest, and she hadn't enjoyed it.

And Daniel certainly wasn't going to manage it himself. With so many projects in the works, he barely even managed his company in the Marvel world. That same need for time was why he'd barely altered Baroque Works after Crocodile's fall; he'd been too busy training and researching.

But now, with Esther, Chelsea, and others, he had capable allies who could handle these affairs.

"Though we still need more management talent… Tian Yan's worth considering." Daniel thought. Talent like hers—beauty matched with executive ability—was rare. Even with his travels through various worlds, he'd encountered few like her.

As for male candidates, he wasn't considering any at the moment.

Under such criteria, many potential recruits were quickly eliminated.

"White Zetsu could be a useful asset as well; there's no better pawn than one completely loyal. They might even gain abilities from these Devil Fruits—Harry Potter's fantastic beasts would also be useful. I remember Newt Scamander had a Thunderbird and a Demiguise."

Though chameleons could achieve a degree of invisibility, Demiguise had perfect invisibility. The wizarding world was home to an array of fascinating creatures: the Occamy, capable of expanding or shrinking like the Gum-Gum Fruit; Hippogriffs, Thestrals, and various types of dragons; Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes—Devil Fruits derived from these could parallel Mythical Zoans.

And with other worlds to explore in the future, he might find even more incredible creatures, greatly expanding the range of potential artificial Zoans.

"Maybe I could cultivate a Pegasus-mounted force for Ying Zheng." With greater strength came fewer worries about drawing attention. Holding a jade but cursed with weakness would never be his problem. It was like the He Shi Bi; for the weak, it was a death sentence. But when it passed to Qin, nobody dared object.

"So the Going Merry is finally giving out." After sorting out his plans, Daniel made his way toward Water 7. Along the way, he spotted the Going Merry, abandoned at sea, slowly falling apart as flames engulfed her. Luffy, Sanji, Zoro, Nami, Chopper, and Sniper King were gathered on a nearby ship, sobbing openly.

Nearby, Iceberg and Franky's family had come to fetch them aboard a large ship. Water 7's "Gods of the Water" arrived quickly and left just as fast.

"Sorry, Merry." With tears in his eyes, Luffy, the crew's captain, finally came to terms with letting go of the Going Merry. Despite his carefree nature, Luffy always rose to the occasion when it mattered, showing himself to be a reliable leader.

Though Usopp was devastated, practically drowning in his tears, Sanji and Zoro eventually forced him onto Iceberg's ship.

Frank

y, too, wept harder than Usopp, and even his family, along with Iceberg, joined in the grieving. After all, the Straw Hats had already said their goodbyes once, but Franky was seeing the Going Merry for the first time.

For Franky and Iceberg, master shipwrights, the ship's existence was miraculous, as the Going Merry had developed a Klabautermann—a ship spirit—a phenomenon of legend on the seas.

"You'll miss them, won't you?" Daniel asked softly, materializing on the ship's mast beside the blurry yellow figure of the Klabautermann.

Though the crew could only sense the ship spirit, Daniel could see him clearly.

"Yes. I wish I could keep sailing with them, but I know this is the end of my journey. To have made it this far with them… that's more than enough for me." The Klabautermann didn't seem to mind that Daniel could see him.

"Even if you can't join their next journey, it's not impossible for you to meet them again someday." Watching the spirit and the Straw Hats' heartbroken cries, Daniel raised his wand, casting a thick fog that gradually shrouded the Going Merry.

"Why is there fog all of a sudden?" Nami noticed the fog and thought it strange but was quickly overwhelmed by grief over the Going Merry's passing.

Luffy and the others, lost in their sorrow, didn't pay attention to the mist either.

"Reparo." With the Going Merry fully engulfed, Daniel cast a spell. Slowly, the ship's broken pieces pulled back together, as if time were rewinding.

"Of course, it can't be completely restored." Though the ship looked whole again, it was impossible to make it as good as new, only returning it to its former, damaged state.

"Luffy's adventure has been truly intense." The Going Merry's extensive damage was a testament to the harrowing journey they'd endured.

Without these adventures, the Going Merry would never have been so broken, but equally, the Klabautermann would never have appeared.

"It'll be a long time before you can see them again."

"That's alright," the spirit replied, smiling gently. "Just knowing I might see them again makes me happy enough."

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