Events unfolded almost exactly as Ron had anticipated.
The Whitebeard Pirates established control over Jaya with practically no opposition.
After all—
Who in their right mind would provoke one of the Four Emperors?
Once they settled on the island, Ron selected a huge estate to become his research center.
The property was located near the heart of Jaya, slightly farther inland.
Mountains protected three sides of the estate.
The remaining side overlooked the sea.
It was an almost perfect location.
As for security—
Jozu personally oversaw the strengthening of the estate’s defenses again and again.
Meanwhile, Marco and an unusually energetic Ace repeatedly swept through the surrounding area, eliminating every possible danger.
Large beasts were turned into meals.
Threatening creatures disappeared entirely.
At one point, it almost seemed as if they had declared war on every mosquito on the island.
After all, Ron was just an ordinary person.
His safety could not be compromised.
Not even slightly.
As for Ron—
He officially began conducting his "research."
Whether it was real or not, appearances still mattered.
After all, what kind of scientist didn’t have a laboratory?
One week later.
Inside the main hall—
Whitebeard sat in a massive chair.
Medical tubes remained attached across his chest and arms.
His breathing was labored.
His complexion looked unhealthy.
Yet despite everything, a bottle of sake still rested in his hand.
"Gurararara..."
"Any news on Teach?"
Vista shook his head.
"Nothing, Pops."
"Not a single clue."
Then his gaze shifted toward Ron’s laboratory.
"Could Ron have gotten it wrong?"
Marco frowned.
"To be honest, I’ve started wondering the same thing."
"It’s already been a full week."
"And we haven’t heard anything from the lab."
"I’m beginning to think the experiment might have failed."
Ace nodded in agreement.
"I tried checking several times."
"But Ron wouldn’t allow anyone inside."
"Did something really go wrong?"
"That was three billion Berries , after all."
The moment those words left his mouth, Jozu abruptly stood up.
His expression darkened.
"I said from the very beginning that Ron—"
BOOOOM!
A tremendous explosion suddenly drowned out his words.
The sound shook the entire island like thunder tearing through the heavens.
Then—
Three brilliant pillars of golden light erupted upward.
The beams pierced the clouds and shot directly toward the sky.
Magnificent.
Radiant.
Awe-inspiring.
Everyone immediately realized something.
Something incredible had happened.
Even the surrounding air seemed to vibrate.
Excitement instantly swept through the room.
"Could it be...?"
All eyes locked onto the three towering columns of light.
Nobody dared look away.
Whitebeard rose from his seat so suddenly that even he seemed surprised by the movement.
His eyes widened.
His breathing momentarily stopped.
"That direction..."
His voice carried a hint of disbelief.
"It’s Ron’s laboratory."
"Did he actually succeed?!"
Marco’s eyes lit up immediately.
"This feeling..."
"I know it."
"There can only be one explanation."
"The experiment succeeded!"
"Hahaha!"
Ace nearly exploded with excitement.
"I knew Ron wouldn’t let us down!"
Without wasting another second, he rushed toward the exit.
"Come on!"
"Let’s go see!"
Whitebeard suddenly tore away the medical tubes connected to his body.
Metal connectors snapped apart and scattered across the floor.
The abrupt movement startled everyone present.
For a brief moment—
The frail old man seemed to vanish.
Standing there instead was the legendary Emperor who had once dominated the seas.
Whitebeard strode toward the doorway.
Every step felt heavy enough to shake the ground.
"Pops!"
Marco’s eyelids twitched.
Without hesitation, he chased after him.
No matter how excited everyone was, someone had to make sure Whitebeard didn’t collapse on the way.
Moments later—
The hall was completely empty.
Except for Jozu.
He remained standing there alone.
Completely stunned.
He had been absolutely certain that Ron would fail.
Yet somehow—
The impossible had happened.
"Hmph."
Jozu folded his arms.
"Couldn’t succeed earlier."
"Couldn’t fail later."
"Had to succeed the exact moment I was about to call him a fraud."
"He’s definitely doing this on purpose."
Despite his complaints, he quickly hurried after everyone else.
After all—
If Ron truly managed to save Whitebeard, he intended to keep the promise he had made.
At the same time—
Inside the laboratory.
Ron gazed happily at the three Devil Fruits sitting on the table before him.
These things are ridiculously expensive.
One billion Berries each.
And after the guaranteed first enhancement, future attempts weren’t even certain to succeed.
The costs would only continue climbing.
Most pirate crews could never afford something like this.
Even worse—
The system required ten successful enhancements before the next technological branch could be unlocked.
On paper, it sounded simple.
In reality, it was anything but.
The financial burden alone was enough to stop almost anyone.
Thankfully, he had joined the Whitebeard Pirates.
Otherwise, this system would have been nearly useless.
Just as he was thinking about it—
A series of hurried footsteps echoed from outside.
Closer.
And closer.
Then closer still.
A smile appeared on Ron’s face.
The people he had been waiting for had finally arrived.
The next second—
BANG!
The laboratory doors were flung open.
Ace and Marco entered first, helping support Whitebeard as they rushed inside.
Though visibly exhausted, Whitebeard’s eyes burned with anticipation.
Then he saw the three Devil Fruits resting on the table.
And froze.
Time itself seemed to stop.
Several moments passed in complete silence.
Eventually, Whitebeard slowly regained his composure.
His eyes remained fixed on the fruits.
Filled with disbelief.
Filled with expectation.
Ron stepped forward.
"Pops."
"These are the completed enchanted fruits."
"But there’s still one final step left."
He turned toward Marco.
"Commander Marco."
"I need three drops of your blood."
"One for each fruit."
"Once that’s done, the process will be complete."
"No problem."
Marco immediately stepped forward.
His hands were visibly shaking.
Using a small blade, he sliced open his fingertip and carefully let several drops of blood fall onto the fruits.
The instant the blood made contact—
The pale Devil Fruits reacted.
As though some dormant force had suddenly awakened.
They eagerly absorbed the blood.
Like parched earth soaking up rain after a drought.
A brilliant azure glow erupted from their surfaces.
The light intensified rapidly.
Brighter.
Brighter still.
Even brighter.
Soon, looking directly at them became difficult.
At the same time—
Complex patterns began spreading across the fruits.
The markings twisted and expanded as if they were alive.
Within moments, mysterious blue designs covered every inch of their surfaces.
The laboratory became completely silent.
Everyone watched.
No one dared breathe.
Then—
Only a few seconds later—
The transformation came to an end.
Three Devil Fruits rested quietly atop the table.
Each emitted a faint but unmistakable blue glow.
Like stars shining in the darkness.
The room was stunned.
The impossible had become reality.
Everything Ron had claimed was true.
Marco’s eyes widened.
His voice trembled.
"Three..."
"Three Mythical Zoan..."
"Phoenix Fruits?!"