C30 Australovenator Fusion

Esaki glanced at Robin, noticing that her gaze was fixed on him as well. With a smile, he opened the cage and unlocked the shackles binding her.

"You're free now. You're safe," he assured her.

He had decided to release her because he needed the ship for himself, and it made no sense to keep unrelated individuals aboard. Moreover, he wasn't looking to attract trouble, especially since Nicole Robin had a bounty on her head.

Most crucially, Nicole Robin was a key character, possibly shielded by some stroke of fortune—a luxury he didn't share. It might be superstitious, but he preferred to err on the side of caution.

Once she was free, Esaki paid her no further mind and moved to a deck hatch in the room, swinging it open to reveal a wooden ladder.

"Let's hope she's not destitute," he mused. His current financial state left him with a singular focus: to make money.

Robin, emerging from her confinement, watched Esaki descend before her body slowly began to move. She stood up, tense and cautious, and stepped out of the cage. After a brief glance at the entrance, she bit her lip and ventured forth with care.

The moment she stepped out of the cabin, a foul, hot breeze assaulted her face. Looking up, she was met with a gaping maw, and two nostrils, each larger than her fists, exhaling steam. Robin's face drained of color, and she collapsed to the ground, paralyzed with fear.

The Australovenator issued a low growl, its massive vertical pupils shifting as it inspected the tiny figure with curiosity.

Then, a gray silhouette slid down from the dinosaur's back, gracefully landing on its head before dropping down to Robin.

Thud!

The little gorilla hit the ground and stood upright, equally intrigued by the small Robin.

...

Back in the cabin, Esaki's face was lit up with a dazzling grin. Before him lay a wooden chest, half a meter across, brimming with stacks of Belly notes, each worth 10,000. Nestled among the cash was a Devil Fruit.

"Robbery really is the way to go," he chuckled to himself, his eyes gleaming with visions of wealth. "I might just have to pay a visit to those noble estates."

"Time to cash in!"

He placed his hand on the Belly and whispered a quiet incantation.

[Recharge successful. 15 million Belly acquired!]

"Not bad."

Esaki nodded in satisfaction, pleasantly surprised to find himself in possession of a hefty sum of 15 million. That, and a Devil Fruit to boot.

"This sum will only cover an intermediate strengthening, which won't significantly boost the Australovenator's power. But if the Devil Fruit is a good match... it could be worth synthesizing."

A synthesis opportunity costing 10 million Belly had to offer substantial enhancement to the Australovenator to be worthwhile.

He then accessed the synthesis interface.

Choosing the Australovenator as the base.

Next, he inserted the Devil Fruit and its details flashed on the screen.

Slice Fruit, capable of automatically correcting flaws post-synthesis.

"Slice Fruit..."

Esaki's brow furrowed. What kind of fruit was this? He had never heard of it.

But one thing was certain: it belonged to the superhuman class of fruits, designed for offensive capabilities.

"That's actually quite fitting. The Australovenator is a born predator; an offensive boost is ideal for it."

After some thought, he decided to proceed with the synthesis for the Australovenator.

He then stepped out of the cabin and approached the giant's cage, placing his hand on the creature.

Indeed, the giant's profile popped up as an option in the item selection.

A smirk formed on Esaki's lips as he dragged the giant's icon into the frame.

With nothing else to add, he hit confirm.

Original Form: Altered

Altered.

This time, he was eager to test a theory he had in mind.