Chapter 195

Chapter 195:

Just as Carl was lost in thought, Vegapunk suddenly clapped his hands together and shouted excitedly,

"Ah! Good! I did it!!!"

Without waiting for a response, he rushed to the operating table and pressed a red button. The glass cover slowly descended over the experiment chamber.

Inside, the solution had completely evaporated from the intense heat, leaving behind only the artificial Devil Fruit, wisps of steam rising from its surface.

As the glass fully sealed, a strange phenomenon occurred—the swirling white vapor coiled above the fruit, momentarily forming the shape of a dragon before dissipating into the air.

The sight was mesmerizing.

Vegapunk, his hands trembling with anticipation, carefully reached out and picked up the Devil Fruit, inspecting every inch with a focused expression.

No one dared to interrupt.

Then—

Carl moved.

In the blink of an eye, he was beside Vegapunk, snatching the Devil Fruit from his grasp.

Vegapunk flinched.

He turned toward Carl, his eyes filled with an almost comical level of resentment, as though Carl had committed an unforgivable crime.

Carl ignored him. Holding the fruit up for closer inspection, he asked casually,

"Vegapunk, are you certain this experiment was a success?"

Vegapunk, regaining his composure, smirked in response.

"Saint Carl, just take a look at those other test subjects."

He gestured toward a pile of discarded apples in the corner.

Carl glanced over.

Many of the fruits had warped, grotesque appearances—some were bloated and covered in unnatural bumps, while others bore strange, darkened patches. Only a handful retained anything close to a normal shape.

Compared to them, the fruit in Carl's hand was perfect.

Carl tossed the fruit lightly in his palm, thoughtful.

Vegapunk, now slightly calmer, rubbed his chin and murmured,

"Of course, this isn't the final test. We still need to confirm that it can actually grant abilities similar to Kaido's. If it does—"

Before he could finish, the Devil Fruit vanished from his hands.

Carl had taken it.

"I'll handle the testing myself," he said simply.

Vegapunk's eye twitched, but he forced a smile.

"Fine, Saint Carl. Just… let me know the results."

Carl waved dismissively.

"Forget about that for now. I actually came here for something else today—I need a physical check-up."

As he spoke, he unbuttoned his black shirt, revealing a muscular chest marred by a deep, striking scar.

Vegapunk blinked, then gestured toward the examination table.

"Lie down."

Carl complied as several monitoring devices were attached to his body. The instrument screen beside them flickered to life, displaying streams of data.

Vegapunk, reviewing the readings, asked,

"Have you been feeling unwell lately, Saint Carl?"

Carl shrugged.

"Not really. Just sleepy from time to time."

Vegapunk nodded, scanning the numbers.

"Your vitals look fine… but your blood pressure is unusually low. That could explain the drowsiness."

Low blood pressure?

It made sense—hypotension often caused fatigue.

But considering Carl's physical condition and the powers of his Blood-Blood Fruit, Vegapunk found it strange. A man who could manipulate his own blood at will… suffering from low blood pressure?

"Any other symptoms? Fatigue?" Vegapunk pressed.

Carl smirked.

"I just fought some Sea Kings over 5,000 meters long without feeling tired."

Vegapunk frowned.

"That makes this even more unusual, Saint Carl. If your blood pressure keeps dropping, even you could be at risk of circulatory shock… or worse."

Carl narrowed his eyes.

Then—

His skin flushed bright red.

A wave of heat radiated from his body, his pores releasing steam as if his blood were boiling.

The monitors reacted instantly.

Blood pressure spiked.

Warning alarms blared across the lab, red text flashing on the screen.

Vegapunk paled.

"Enough! Enough, Saint Carl, stop before you explode!"

Carl exhaled slowly, allowing his body to return to normal. The readings stabilized.

Vegapunk, still reeling from the abrupt fluctuations, muttered to himself,

"...How can you switch between extremes so easily…?"

Carl sat up, grabbing a fresh black shirt from the Dark Bible. As he slipped it on, Vegapunk rubbed his temples in frustration.

"Saint Carl, you should monitor your condition carefully. This sleepiness… it might be a precursor to a dormant state."