"The situation really is as bad as it can get," Monet said with a bitter smile.
Mr. Vergo, their strongest fighter, had been defeated by Law, and she herself was on the verge of death.
It could be said they had completely lost the ability to fight back.
"However, the situation isn't so bad that it's beyond saving," Doflamingo said. "Baby 5 and Buffalo are already in position and can take Caesar away at any time."
"They're already here?"
Monet was momentarily stunned, then a gentle smile appeared on her face. "That's good..."
This way, she could press that button to destroy this island with peace of mind.
After the explosion ended, Caesar should be the only one left alive on this island.
This way... she could still consider her mission accomplished!
Thinking this, Monet smiled even more happily.
As for her own life?
She was already about to die, so there was no need to worry about such things.
Right at that moment, Doflamingo spoke: "Monet... I don't want those brats to leave Punk Hazard alive."
"So I need you to do one thing."
After saying this, Doflamingo paused briefly before continuing: "Hidden in the Third Research Institute is a weapon capable of destroying the entire island."
"Just press the detonator, and the only person who will survive on this island is Caesar!"
"And the location of the detonator is..."
Before Doflamingo could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by Monet's somewhat weak voice.
"Young Master... please say no more."
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, Doflamingo was momentarily confused. What did she mean?
"Young Master..." Monet's lips curved upward. "That was my plan from the very beginning."
"And right now... I am standing right in front of the detonator."
Glancing at the detonator not far away, a blissful smile appeared on Monet's face, clearly overjoyed that she could be of help to her Young Master.
Then, Monet continued: "However, the explosion might destroy the escape yacht outside. Is that alright..."
Doflamingo fell silent upon hearing this. Even at the final moment, this girl was still considering the family.
After a moment of silence, Doflamingo said: "I'm sorry, Monet."
"Take everyone... to their deaths together."
"Understood~"
With a blissful smile on her face, Monet gently placed the Den Den Mushi receiver on the table, then slowly raised her head to look at the ceiling. "I will take everyone to their deaths together."
After saying this, Monet paused briefly, then said with a smile: "Young Master!"
"I believe you are the man who will become the Pirate King!"
"For that... I willingly go to my death!"
After saying this, Monet slowly got up and gradually moved toward the detonation device.
"Sorry, little sister Sugar..." Monet stared at the detonation device, thinking to herself, "Big sister is going to break her promise."
But with the young master here, her little sister could still live a happy life.
Thinking of this, a smile reappeared on Monet's face.
Let her, as the older sister, use her life to clear the family's enemies!
"Next, we just need to keep moving forward, right?" Nami said.
"Correct."
Law stared intently at the area ahead and said, "This tunnel leads straight to the outside."
After saying this, Law paused briefly before continuing, "And... if I'm not mistaken, there will be a cruise ship there."
Upon hearing this, the Marines' eyes immediately lit up.
A cruise ship?!
If there really was a cruise ship there, they could use it to return to the G-5 Branch!
"That's good," Nami said. "Then let's charge straight ahead."
Meanwhile, Sanji glanced at the Marines with their shining eyes and nodded, thinking to himself, "This isn't too bad."
At least these Marines had a ship to leave this place.
Well, this way they could also take the children away from here.
"By the way, what happened to this guy Kin'emon?"
Meiser glanced at the statue beside Brook and said, "Why did he end up like this?"
"This..."
Brook said somewhat helplessly, "Not long ago, we learned that Mr. Kin'emon's son had turned into a dragon, so Mr. Kin'emon thought the one we had cut down earlier was his son."
"So he frantically rushed back in the direction we came from and eventually entered the poison gas..."
Hearing Brook's explanation, everyone understood why Kin'emon had ended up in his current state.
So it was because he ran into the poison gas himself?
"That couldn't have been his son," Sanji said. "I remember that Zoan Ability Users return to their human form after losing consciousness, right?"
As he spoke, Sanji recalled his battle at Enies Lobby.
That werewolf returned to human form after he defeated it, didn't it?
"I know that too," Brook said. "I explained it to him at the time, but he didn't believe me."
If Mr. Kin'emon didn't believe what he said, what could he do?
"Then how did you get him out?" Perona asked curiously.
When that poison gas covers a person, doesn't it turn them into a white statue?
So how did Brook manage to bring him out alive?
"This..."
Brook tilted his head and thought for a moment before saying, "I don't know how it happened either."
After saying this, Brook paused, recalling the events that had occurred earlier, then continued, "At the time, I was dragged along by Kin'emon as he charged into the poison gas. He turned into a statue, but aside from some white stuff on my Afro, I was completely fine."
As for why that happened, he wasn't sure.
After all, he wasn't a scientist.
"Is that really possible?" Perona looked at Brook in surprise and said, "So that means... you're not afraid of poison gas!"
"It seems so~"
"Yohohohoho~"
Brook laughed happily. It appeared he really wasn't afraid of poison gas.
"Why is that?" Merry asked, puzzled.
"Probably because Brook's body lacks flesh and blood," Meiser speculated. "And this poison gas was developed specifically for living bodies with flesh and blood, which is why it has no effect on Brook."
How can you target something that has no flesh and blood?
So Meiser found it quite reasonable.
"So that's how it is."
Everyone immediately showed expressions of sudden understanding. So that kind of poison gas was ineffective against special life forms like Brook!
"Yohohohoho~"
"It seems having a body of bones has its advantages too~" Brook chuckled.
At least he wasn't afraid of that poison gas, right?
Just then, a terrifying roar came from behind, sounding like something had exploded.
"Huh?"
Luffy, who was looking up from a higher position, asked in confusion, "What's going on? An earthquake?"
"No."
Nami glanced back and said, "It should be an explosion somewhere."
Could it be those oil tanks they passed earlier?
But hadn't she already extinguished the flames there? Why would there still be an explosion?
"It's Building D," Law said. "The explosion likely came from the S.A.D. manufacturing room where I and the sunglasses guy were earlier."
The S.A.D. manufacturing room, destroyed to that extent, was bound to explode, so the sound must have come from there.
"Will it affect us?"
"Hard to say."
Law scanned the area above and said, "Because I'm not sure how long this tunnel can hold up."
For now, he could only pray the tunnel would last until they safely rushed out.
Otherwise, they'd have to find another way to get everyone out.
"Then let's try to go as fast as possible," Nami said with a frown.
Although she, as a Logia-type ability user, wasn't afraid of rocks, her crewmates were!
So it was better to hurry and get out.
Then, Nami noticed Meiser's expression and asked curiously, "What's wrong with you?"
"I have this bad feeling."
Meiser frowned, staring at the tunnel behind them, and said, "It's like something terrible is about to happen."
As soon as he said this, the expressions of the Straw Hat Pirates immediately changed.
Because Meiser would never say something like this for no reason!
"Did you discover something?" Nico Robin quickly asked.
"Not really."
Meiser shook his head and said, "It's just a feeling."
To be precise, he hadn't actually found anything, but that feeling lingered in his heart.
"Maybe we overlooked something?" Perona suggested.
Hearing this, Sanji thought for a moment, then turned to Law and asked, "Law, does Caesar have any secret weapons he hasn't used yet?"
"Secret weapons?"
Law glanced at Caesar, who was restrained by Sea Stone, and said, "I'm not really sure about that."
After all, he hadn't been here long, so he didn't know if Caesar had anything else hidden away.
"Are you overthinking things?" Usopp looked at Meiser and said, "After all, we've already captured Caesar, haven't we?"
Caesar himself had been captured by them, and the remaining soldiers had left with them. In this situation, even if there were secret weapons, they couldn't be used, right?
"That's true, but..."
Perona thought for a moment, then looked up at Nami and said, "I remember you just said you defeated a Logia-type ability user, right?"
"Yes."
Upon hearing this, Nami proudly raised her head and said, "I used the power of the Cloud-Cloud Fruit to defeat that Snow-Snow Fruit ability user!"
With her scientific knowledge, she had completely crushed that woman named Monet!
"That woman was defeated, and Vergo was taken down by Law," Perona continued. "So, it seems like all the enemy's key members should have been defeated by us."
"But why..."
At this point, Perona turned her gaze toward Meiser.
Even though the enemy's key members were gone, why did Meiser still have that strange feeling?
As if sensing Perona's confusion, Meiser said, "I told you, I'm not sure either."
"Why dwell on this?"
Zoro glanced at Caesar and grinned. "Just wake him up."
"I agree with that," Sanji nodded as well.
Rather than worrying about it here, it was better to just wake Caesar up!
"That is indeed a solution~"
Gradually, terrifying smiles appeared on everyone's faces, causing the still-unconscious Caesar to shiver involuntarily.
Soon after, the man slowly woke up.
"Where am I..."
"Oh, you're awake," Franky said with interest as he looked at Caesar. "Looks like I don't have to do anything."
He had been thinking of giving the guy a few hits to vent his anger, but the other party woke up right away...
Seems like he couldn't do it now.
"Huh?"
"Huh?!!"
Realizing his situation, Caesar froze for a moment before exclaiming in terror, "What are you going to do?"
"Bastards, I'm Joker's man!"
As he spoke, Caesar tried to use his Gas-Gas Fruit to escape, but he soon fell into despair—he couldn't use his ability at all.
"Sea Stone..."
Feeling his body weaken, Caesar's heart sank immediately.
It's over...
"So what?" Luffy said carelessly. "I'm not afraid of him."
Caesar: ...
He almost forgot—the Straw Hat Pirates weren't afraid of Doflamingo or the Four Emperors.
"Come on," Franky gave Caesar a "very friendly" smile and said, "Tell us everything you know."
As he spoke, Franky clenched his fist, as if to say: If you're not honest, you might get beaten up~
Upon hearing this, Caesar instinctively swallowed and said, "Wh-what should I say?"
To avoid getting beaten further, he could share some things he knew, but the problem was... what exactly did they want to know?
"Do you have any secret weapons here?" Perona asked.
"Secret weapons?"
Caesar was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then burst into laughter as if he had thought of something. "That's right, I do have a secret weapon here!"
"Shurorororo~"
"If you know what's good for you, you'd better..."
Bang crash thump~
Before Caesar could finish his words, he was beaten up by everyone clenching their fists, after which he became obedient.
"I really do have a secret weapon here," said Caesar, bruised and battered, speaking honestly. "Just press a detonation device, and the entire island will be blown sky-high!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's expressions immediately changed.
There was actually such a terrifying weapon here?
"No wonder I had that feeling. So there's something so dangerous here," Meiser frowned and said. "It seems we can't afford to dawdle any longer."
With that, Meiser quickly activated Wood Release Ninjutsu.
Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!
Hum~
In the next moment, an enormous Wood Dragon appeared behind everyone, swallowing the cloud created by Nami in one gulp.
Then, the Wood Dragon began weaving through the tunnel at top speed, rushing swiftly toward the distant exit!
"Everyone, hold on tight!"
"Alright!"