Chapter 40

The escape from Punk Hazard was chaotic. The Straw Hats, the G-5 Marines, and Law’s submarine were all scrambling to leave the frozen hellscape before Doflamingo arrived.

But on the deck of the Clockwork Rose, a different kind of negotiation was taking place.

Caesar Clown, the Master (and self-proclaimed genius), was currently tied to the mast with Sea Prism Stone chains. He was bruised, battered from Luffy’s Grizzly Magnum, and furious.

"Release me!" Caesar shrieked, his gas form suppressed by the stone. "Do you know who I am?! I am the greatest scientist in the world! Joker will kill you for this!"

"Quiet, gas-bag," Carmen walked past him, holding a steaming ladle of soup. "Or I'll use you to season the broth. You smell like sulfur and bad decisions."

"Shurorororo! You insolent cook! I will—"

Clang.

Laki butt-stroked him in the head with her rifle.

"The Captain is sleeping," Laki whispered, pointing to the cabin door. "Wake her up, and I'll test my new 'silent scream' bullets on your knee."

Caesar gulped. These women were terrifying.

The Awakening

Inside the captain's quarters, the air was thick with the smell of medicinal herbs and Carmen’s nutrient stew.

Kurumi’s eyes fluttered open. The world was blurry. Her body felt like it had been run over by a Sea King.

"Status…" she croaked.

"Alive," Law said from the corner, reading a medical text. "Barely. You burned through ten years of lifespan in thirty seconds. Your cells are aged. Your heart took a beating."

He closed the book.

"But you got the heart. Vergo is down. The Alliance stands."

Kurumi tried to sit up, wincing as her ribs protested. "And… the clown?"

"Tied to the mast," Law nodded toward the door. "Luffy wanted to launch him into the sun, but your crew insisted on keeping him. Why?"

"Because," Kurumi swung her legs off the bed, her voice gaining strength. "He is the key to Awakening."

She stood up, swaying slightly. Law moved to steady her, but she waved him off.

"I need to talk to him. Now."

The Interrogation

Kurumi walked out onto the deck. The cold wind of the New World hit her face, reviving her senses.

Caesar saw her emerge. He sneered.

"Ah, the little Marine girl! The one who died! Look at you, barely standing! You think you can hold me hostage?"

Kurumi didn't answer. She walked up to him. She grabbed his chin, forcing him to look into her mismatched eyes.

"Caesar Clown," she whispered. "Creator of SMILE. Expert on Gigantification. And… the only man alive who understands the Lineage Factor of Devil Fruits besides Vegapunk."

"So what?" Caesar spat. "You want me to make you a giant? Too bad! The kids were a failure!"

"I don't want to be big," Kurumi leaned in close. "I want to be eternal."

She released his chin and stepped back.

"My fruit… the Toki Toki no Mi, Model: Zafkiel… it consumes my life force to manipulate time. It is a parasitic power. The more I use it, the faster I die."

She looked at her shaking hand.

"But you… you made a gas that petrified people but kept them alive in suspended animation. You made candy that forced children to grow beyond their limits."

Caesar’s eyes narrowed. The scientist in him was intrigued despite the situation. "Go on."

"I want you to synthesize a drug," Kurumi said. "Something that stabilizes my caloric burn. Something that tricks my cells into believing they have infinite energy, so the fruit eats the drug instead of me."

"Impossible!" Caesar laughed. "That would require a massive energy source! Something like… a perpetual motion machine!"

"Or," Kurumi smiled, a dangerous glint in her clock eye. "We use the refined SAD."

Caesar froze.

"SAD is concentrated animal lineage factor," Kurumi explained. "It’s pure life energy. If you modify it… remove the Zoan transformation aspect… and keep the raw vitality…"

"You want to inject pure SAD into your veins?!" Caesar looked at her like she was insane. "That’s suicide! You’ll turn into a puddle of goo!"

"Or I’ll become a Time Lord," Kurumi countered. "And if I die… well, Law here can just perform the Perpetual Youth Surgery on me before I croak."

Law, leaning against the cabin, scowled. "Don't bring me into your death wish. I’m saving that surgery for Doflamingo’s downfall."

"Exactly," Kurumi turned back to Caesar. "So, Clown. You have a choice. Either you start cooking in my lab… or I hand you over to Big Mom. I heard she’s looking for a certain scientist who took her money and ran."

Caesar’s face went pale. "Big Mom…?! NO! NOT HER! SHE’LL EAT ME!"

"Then get to work," Kurumi ordered, untying one of his hands. "Carmen has set up a lab in the galley. Don't blow up my ship."

The Course

"So we're keeping the gas-bag?" Laki asked, watching Caesar scurry into the kitchen, muttering about molecular structures.

"He’s a villain," Kurumi sat down on a crate, exhaustion washing over her. "But he’s a useful villain. And until we reach Dressrosa… I need every advantage I can get."

She looked at the horizon. The Thousand Sunny was sailing ahead of them.

"Dressrosa is next," she whispered. "Doflamingo. The Birdcage. And the fruit that burns."

She touched her chest.

"I need to be ready. Because if I don't master Awakening soon… the gears will stop turning."

"Captain!" Perona floated down from the crow's nest. "The News Coo just dropped the morning paper!"

She handed Kurumi the paper.

HEADLINE: DONQUIXOTE DOFLAMINGO RESIGNS FROM THE WARLORDS!

HEADLINE: TRAFALGAR LAW AND STRAW HAT LUFFY FORM PIRATE ALLIANCE!

"He took the bait," Law smirked, reading over her shoulder. "The plan worked."

"Or so he wants us to think," Kurumi crumpled the paper. "It’s a trap, Law. Doflamingo never gives up power willingly."

She stood up.

"Full speed ahead. To the Land of Passion and Toys. Let’s go break a kingdom."