One piece: I,Akaino will not die easily

Seeing that no one had been chasing after him for a while, Frankenstein let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't in vain that he had run across several blocks.

Now that he thought about it, that bastard Marine had definitely been feigning weakness. If they hadn't coordinated so poorly, there was no way they should have been beaten so badly in just one exchange.

"Damn it… Hahaha! How am I supposed to take revenge on that bastard Caesar now?" He laughed in anger. The appearance of that Marine had completely ruined all of his plans.

Not long ago, the two of them had just formed an alliance with [Thunder Lord] Marcugay. But now, he was the only one left—just a pure researcher. Without a companion who could use Haki, his influence within this pirate alliance would surely drop significantly.

The doctor, who had never mastered Observation Haki, failed to notice that not far behind him, the ground had begun to glow red.

A deep rumble came from beneath the earth, like the growl of Cerberus—the legendary three-headed hound guarding the gates of hell.

"I don't think you'll be taking revenge on anyone, little rat."

That nightmarish voice came from behind Frankenstein, accompanied by a surge of magma shooting into the air. The doctor jerked his head to the side, his body twisting as he looked in shock at the Marine who clung to him like a relentless parasite.

Having used his Devil Fruit ability to burrow underground and pursue his prey, the Vice Admiral's imposing frame radiated intense heat. Molten lava slowly dripped from his face beneath the brim of his cap.

Sakazuki was in no hurry to make a move. These two pirates had weapons and equipment that were far superior to those of the current Marine forces—so advanced they even carried a hint of futuristic technology.

Where had these weapons come from? Sakazuki had to find out.

That pirate who claimed to be from the White Town certainly couldn't be the one behind such advanced technology. In that case, this eccentric man in a researcher's coat standing before him must be connected to it in some way.

Not only that, but the name "Caesar" mentioned by the man had also reminded him of someone else.

Right now, Fleet Admiral Kong was leading an initiative in cooperation with the World Government to establish a newly-formed Marine Science Division.

That division had recently recruited an exceptionally young scientist named M. Caesar Clown—an expert in biochemistry and the development of toxic gas weapons.

After the Golden Lion had escaped from Impel Down, Sakazuki had speculated that he might attempt to orchestrate a biochemical or poison gas attack. (Previously mentioned in Chapter 48.)

Sengoku, always one to think ahead, had taken this matter seriously. To preemptively counter any large-scale weaponry that Shiki might deploy against Marine Headquarters, he had personally arranged for this so-called "expert" to be consulted for strategic countermeasures.

"You know M. Caesar Clown?"

Sakazuki felt like he was onto something. He carefully observed the changes in his target's expression.

The pirate before him, who had been cowering moments ago, suddenly underwent a drastic shift in expression. His face contorted with rage as he bellowed at the Vice Admiral:

"Know him? Hahahaha!! Of course, I know him!!!!!"

Frankenstein showed no fear of the Marine. He completely ignored the dark red, lava-coated fist before him. His eyes were bloodshot as he took another step closer to Sakazuki.

"That idiot's face is burned into my memory forever!"

Sakazuki, who had been trying to coax out more information, was slightly puzzled. After all, in the original records, there was no detailed explanation of where Caesar Clown was born.

He watched as the increasingly unhinged doctor ranted, and deliberately provoked him in a dismissive tone:

"That 'expert' Caesar is currently a high-level technological talent in the Marine Science Division. But look at you—coming from the same place as him, yet your level of expertise is… well…"

Arrogance was a common trait among scientists.

You could insult their appearance, morals, or even mock their wealth and lifestyle, and they wouldn't even bother responding. To them, refuting such things was far less important than conducting another experiment.

But the moment you questioned their professional field—if you dared to belittle their research or scoff at their achievements—you would be lighting a powder keg. And if you encountered an extreme case, it could easily turn into a life-or-death grudge.

"That bastard is not from my hometown! He's just some nobody who came there to study!! And he had the audacity to break my leg!!"

Sakazuki, always observant, noticed something.

The once frenzied Frankenstein, while speaking of this incident, subconsciously revealed a mix of arrogance, disdain, and even a hint of fear—though the latter was quickly masked by his overwhelming rage.

The madman, spitting in fury, continued to expose more information:

"That brat Vegapunk is no good either! Who the hell needs his damn powered prosthetics?! Everyone knows he only helped me out just to spite Caesar!!!!"

The corner of Sakazuki's lips curled slightly.

If it involved Vegapunk, then everything made sense.

The future leader of the Marine Science Division—Vegapunk. A genius scientist from the Kingdom of the Future on Karakuri Island, and the undisputed top mind of his time. His technological prowess was said to be 500 years ahead of the present era. People referred to him as a scientist who had surpassed human intelligence by half a millennium.

Currently, however, the Marine Headquarters' efforts to recruit him had hit a wall. The last attempt, led by Borsalino under direct orders, had reportedly ended with him being turned away.

Sakazuki watched as the ranting "Bomb Doctor" continued his tirade and coldly summarized:

"So, in the end, all you managed to develop were explosives? No expertise in mechanics or biochemistry at all?"

"What do you mean just explosives?!! Do you have any idea how important multi-purpose grenade launchers, seismic mines, and long-range remote-controlled bombs are?!"

The bomb doctor was practically hopping in rage.

"Oh? Then would you be willing to contribute your research results to the Marines?" Sakazuki asked.

"Never! I, the great—"

There was no "great" anything.

Sakazuki's fist came crashing down on the pirate's head before he could finish his sentence.

The 800-degree Celsius dark-red magma instantly burned through the doctor's brilliant mind. His brain matter, momentarily sent flying by the impact, was scorched and evaporated in the blink of an eye, leaving nothing behind.

With no more value to be squeezed out of the pirate, Sakazuki disposed of him without hesitation.

He turned away, took out his Den Den Mushi, and dialed to contact Vice Admiral Onigumo's trusted subordinate, Lieutenant Commander Lindemann.