"Oh? Finally back? Hehehe... the testing equipment and raw materials I've been waiting so long for..."
Hearing the underling's report, the fat on Queen's face trembled slightly as his beady eyes lit up with excitement.
The Beasts Pirates' main base was hidden on an uncharted island unknown to the world.
This barren island was rich in mineral resources. Using them, Kaidou had built several massive weapons factories. With his grasp of military technology, he'd established an enormous arms production line here.
The island was surrounded by unique ocean currents. Without the proper navigational markers and guidance, no outsider's ship could possibly find this place.
This treacherous and isolated environment served as the most critical defense for the Beasts Pirates' base—but it also brought countless inconveniences.
There were no forests or grasslands on the island. And even if there were, pirates wouldn't farm or raise livestock.
After all, the essence of a pirate was plunder.
If they had the patience to grow crops or hunt, they wouldn't have chosen the path of piracy.
As a result, all of the Beasts Pirates' living supplies had to be sourced through underworld connections—acquired through various channels, shipped through multiple transfers, and only delivered here once safety was absolutely guaranteed.
For Queen, who was obsessed with technological research, this had long been a massive headache.
Scientific research was already expensive, and sourcing raw materials and lab equipment was even more of a challenge—they could only be acquired from the underworld.
But the transport ships had extremely limited space, most of which had to be reserved for essentials. So this batch of experimental equipment was something Queen had waited a very long time to receive.
Thinking about this, Queen turned to Daren and Bullet with a grin.
"Did you hear that? The new lab equipment's here. Once I create an even stronger virus, you'll be crying and begging on your knees... pleading for mercy from the great Queen-sama!"
"Muhahahaha!"
Before Daren or Bullet could reply, Queen bounced out of the prison, his massive belly jiggling with every carefree step.
Bang!
The heavy prison doors slammed shut, and silence returned to the dark cell—only the ragged breathing of the two men remained.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds...
The heavy, labored breaths suddenly grew steady.
Daren and Bullet, who had been sprawled on the floor like "dead dogs," slowly sat up from the blood-stained ground and leaned against the wall.
They exchanged a glance, as if the agony they'd just endured had never happened.
"Never thought I, Douglas Bullet, would fall to this point," Bullet muttered, wiping the bloody sweat from his face. He casually tied up his messy golden hair, a bitter smirk tugging at his lips.
Daren chuckled, half-teasing.
"You're not hating it, though, are you?"
Bullet scoffed but didn't deny it.
In the depths of his fierce gaze, a strange light flickered.
He hadn't expected that the powerful virus developed by that fat guy in overalls would have this kind of "side effect."
After enduring the initial agony, once the virus fully entered the body, it triggered a response in the immune system and internal organs, accelerating cellular regeneration and restructuring—boosting physical capabilities and even internal functions.
Of course, as a battle-hardened soldier, Bullet didn't know anything about immune responses or physiological stress. He just vaguely realized that after each injection, if he made it through the worst of it, he came out stronger.
When he first noticed the change, Bullet couldn't believe it.
A method this absurd and effortless could actually enhance strength?
In his experience, every inch of progress meant brutal training and life-or-death battles.
And now? Just a shot, endure the pain, and his body got noticeably stronger?
How was that reasonable?
It wasn't.
Daren noticed the complexity in Bullet's gaze and couldn't help but chuckle to himself, though he felt a tinge of unease.
The viruses Queen had developed—whether it was the Mummy Virus or the Ice Oni Virus—were terrifyingly powerful.
With their infectious nature, these large-scale weapons of mass destruction could be deployed on battlefields or in densely populated areas to annihilate tens of millions without lifting a finger.
In truth, if Queen had used over 50% of the virus's potency on them from the beginning, they likely wouldn't have survived.
But he hadn't.
The triple purpose of "torture," "gathering experimental data," and "recruitment" led Queen to start administering the virus in small doses. The result was that Daren and Bullet gradually developed antibodies within their bodies.
And in the process of resisting the virus, their physical abilities steadily improved—quietly but surely.
With that in mind, Daren instinctively activated his talent to assess his current physical stats.
Physique: 77.112
Strength: 69.339
Speed: 69.591
Fruit: 77.197
Armament Haki: 31.119
Conqueror's Haki: 50.017
Compared to when he was first captured by Kaidou, his Physique had jumped by an outrageous margin—a full 7 points!
As a result, Strength, Speed, and Armament Haki had also seen an increase of around 1 point each, thanks to the overflow effect caused by the surge in raw Physique.
If he hadn't experienced it himself, Daren wouldn't believe that such a drastic improvement could happen in just a few days.
More than 10 points of total stat growth.
The impact this had on Daren's overall combat capability was far from minor.
If this were happening in a Marine training camp, it would've taken at least three to six months of intense drills to achieve such gains.
However, due to the suppressive effects of high-purity Seastone, his Devil Fruit development had come to a complete halt.
"Seems like that fat guy's virus is getting less and less effective on us..."
Bullet rotated his neck and wrists, the heavy Seastone shackles clanking loudly as he moved.
Daren nodded.
"Repeated infections by the same virus cause the body to generate sufficient antibodies, gradually reducing its destructive effects."
At this point, even a full 100% dose of the virus likely wouldn't have much of an impact on them.
That much was clear from the diminishing returns on his stat growth.
At first, even a low dose would grant a "+0.05," sometimes even "+0.09" or "+0.12" boost. But now, even a 70% dose only resulted in minor gains like "+0.03" or "+0.04." It was clear the virus's potency was fading fast.
Bullet nodded slowly, still a bit puzzled.
"But why hasn't that fat guy noticed how much stronger we've gotten? He should be able to tell with Observation Haki."
"Well…"
Daren gave a crooked grin and raised the shackles on his wrists.
"Because of these."
...
(70 Chapters Ahead)
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