Chapter 154 Question 9

"Correct answer," Luke said.

Luke's affirmation infuriated people around the world.

They never expected that all these experiments were real. They could tolerate the second option of artificial Devil Fruits, but the first option, using children for human experimentation, was truly horrifying.

That Caesar guy is despicable!

To actually use children for experiments.

In their anger, people also thought about Doflamingo being behind Caesar. They couldn't help but be even more furious with him. He should have been killed by non-affiliated nations long ago. He is a menace to society.

And the World Government, who did you choose? Are these the kind of people you want in your government?

You've completely chosen scum. Each and every one of them is scum. Are these Shichibukai really useful?

Many people angrily criticized the World Government, but what frustrated them even more was that they had no say in the matter. Their opinions were irrelevant, leaving them feeling both angry and helpless.

At this moment, Luke added some additional information to his answer.

"The Giantism experiment is a project that Caesar received from the Four Emperors, Big Mom. Big Mom Wanted to create a home for all races, and the only races that she don't have is the Giant race, because of what she did in the past, the Giant race all hated her, so Big Mom did not have any way to obtain a giant race as one of her family member, so she decided to ask Caesar to make a drug that can make her family become Giant so she can eat will all her family in the same table and have all race in her home. And so, with the help of Doflamingo , he kidnapped children from the surrounding areas for experimentation. To appease the children, they were falsely told that they were being treated for a condition that caused them to grow larger. However, Caesar's experiment to enlarge the children's bodies ultimately failed, as they would explode once their bodies reached a certain size. Despite this, Caesar continued to pretend to conduct the experiments while using the funds provided by Big Mom to indulge in luxury and pleasure. "

The truth of these events enraged everyone. Doflamingo's involvement in kidnapping children for Caesar's experiments, and Caesar's knowledge of the experiments' inevitable failure while still deceiving Big Mom for funds, made them seethe with anger. They no longer had words to describe this scum of a person, and they wished for his demise.

In the New World, on Whole Cake Island, tensions reached an all-time high. Big Mom's children cowered in fear, not daring to provoke their enraged mother. Big Mom was furious upon learning that Caesar had betrayed her, using her funds for his own pleasures instead of conducting the enlarging experiments she had financed.

"I'll kill that bastard!!" Big Mom roared with fury. She turned to Katakuri and commanded, "Bring me Caesar immediately. I want to see him!"

"Yes, Mother," Katakuri replied, then turned and walked away.

Big Mom angrily grabbed a pastry and stuffed it into her gaping mouth. How dare Caesar take her money and try to deceive her? Did he think her funds were so easily obtained? If he couldn't deliver the experiment results, then he would pay with his life!

Meanwhile, Caesar, who was preparing to retreat while watching the live broadcast, change into a cold sweat and turned pale upon hearing Luke's words. This was trouble, big trouble. If Big Mom discovered that he had been deceiving her, he was as good as dead!

Caesar paced anxiously, unaware of the significant change in his nearby subordinates' expressions. They, too, were watching the broadcast and were shocked by what they heard. Their savior, Caesar, was experimenting on the kidnapped children? And not just any experiment, but an experiment to enlarge their bodies?

But Caesar had always told them that the children were suffering from an illness that would cause them to grow larger and eventually explode. They had believed in him because, in their eyes, Caesar was their messiah, the one who had saved them by bringing them to this gas-infested island.

How could he... how could he do such a thing?

"Is it all a lie?" the prisoners muttered, their faces filled with disbelief and confusion as they looked at the live broadcast.

If Caesar was indeed deceiving them, then what about the the lethal gas weapon mentioned in the third option? Caesar had always told them that Vegapunk had created the gas and that their transformations were caused by Vegapunk's actions. While they were aware that Caesar was also researching the gas, he had claimed that he did so out of resentment towards Vegapunk, wanting to create an even more powerful weapon to defeat him and take his title as the world's foremost scientist.

They had wholeheartedly believed in him until now, but now they hesitated.

What if Caesar was lying to them?

What if the gas wasn't created by Vegapunk?

The prisoners were at a loss, uncertain about what to believe. They looked at Caesar with a mixture of confusion and hope, as he had been their pillar of strength, their reason to keep going. Could it be... could it be that their worst fears were true?

Meanwhile, the live broadcast continued with Luke's words.

"The second option is the artificial Devil Fruits, which is the project of one of the Four Emperors, Kaido. Kaido reached a deal with Doflamingo, where Doflamingo provided Kaido with artificial Zoan-type Devil Fruits to form the Beasts Pirates, and Kaido supplied Doflamingo with weapons. The origin of Doflamingo's artificial Zoan-type Devil Fruits can be traced back to Caesar's research. However, these Devil Fruits are also incomplete. There is a chance of failure after consuming them. Those who consume these Devil Fruits either gain the intended abilities or lose the ability to express emotions other than smiling. Because of this, these artificial Devil Fruits have earned the nickname 'SMILE.' "

The description of these artificial Devil Fruits sent chills down everyone's spines. The thought of becoming a person who can only smile and lose all other expressions was horrifying. Those who were considering buying an artificial Devil Fruit immediately discarded the idea. No one wanted to become someone who could only smile.

At this moment, people also began to question who Caesar really was. Why did everything he did end in failure? And what was happening with Kaido? Why did he keep buying these incomplete fruits?

Upon deeper reflection, they were terrified. It seemed that Caesar didn't value the lives of his subordinates, or rather, he only showed interest in those who succeeded while ignoring the failures.

Once again, people came to understand the true nature of these pirates: ruthless, heartless, selfish, and willing to do anything to achieve their goals. These were the real pirates, and individuals like Luffy were the exceptions.

---

"Finally, the third option is the Shinokuni, a large-scale weapon that Caesar has been researching. The poisonous gas that devastated Punk Hazard two years ago was caused by his experimental error. As a result, Caesar was subsequently wanted by the Marines. However, a year later, he returned and continued his research. He hoped to create a weapon capable of killing everyone instantly and sell it to the powerful figures in the New World, thereby obtaining an endless source of wealth."

After Luke finished speaking, the prisoners on Punk Hazard were left dumbfounded. It turned out that Caesar, not Vegapunk, was responsible for creating the poisonous gas. He had deceived them by blaming Vegapunk for their transformations.

They had been completely fooled by Caesar and regarded him as their savior. He was the true mastermind behind their suffering.

After the initial shock came an overwhelming anger. They had endured so much torment and despair during the year of the gas outbreak, all caused by Caesar. Yet, they had devoted themselves to him without question.

Anger surged from within them.

At this moment, Caesar, still unaware of the brewing resentment around him, finally noticed that something was amiss. His subordinates, one by one, glared at him with hatred in their eyes.

He immediately realized that his secret was exposed.

As his enraged subordinates approached, Caesar felt the impending danger. However, he quickly regained control of the situation.

Regardless of the circumstances, strength ruled this world. Anger wouldn't solve anything.

Although he was just a scientist, Caesar possessed the invincible power of the Gas-Gas Fruit among his subordinates, who were already considered half-crippled.

Caesar effortlessly quelled the rebellion.

However, things only grew worse after the rebellion was subdued. His pawns were gone, and he still had unfinished work and materials to move. There was no one to help him sail away. He had to rely on himself for everything.

With no other choice, Caesar hastily began to handle things on his own.

Unbeknownst to him, the Neo Marines, Big Mom Pirates, and the entire Marine were all targeting him. They were racing to Punk Hazard, preparing to strike against him.

Despite the minor incident with Caesar, the live broadcast continued.

Luke presented the ninth question.

"9thQuestion: After capturing Caesar, what did Law demand Doflamingo to do?

Time limit: one minute. Timer starts now."