"Dr. Vegapunk, this is..."
Kuma looked at the strangely beautiful girl before him, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes as he asked.
"Ah, Kuma, let me introduce her to you."
Vegapunk's tone carried unmistakable pride — after all, this was one of his scientific masterpieces.
"This is my assistant, and also a Seraphim under the supreme command of Orin-sama — S-Ninja."
She was the result of the very first Seraphim prototype — predating the [Seraphim: Shichibukai Series] by quite some time. She was Vegapunk's second perfected clone following Stussy.
Not only did she inherit the youthful beauty of Shinobu, but she also possessed the power of the Ripe-Ripe Fruit, a portion of Shinobu's ninjutsu skills, and the natural racial abilities of the Lunarian tribe.
A section of her arm was linked to a tube of glowing green liquid — the sight of it carried an undeniable technological allure.
Her black skin, silvery-white hair, and otherworldly aura gave her a stunning, almost fantastical beauty.
At the same time, her sharp eyes swept over Kuma repeatedly, verifying his authority. Once she confirmed that he was one of the Shichibukai personally authorized by Orin-sama, she finally relaxed.
In the next instant, her figure vanished from sight, melting into the shadows of the laboratory.
Kuma couldn't help but look around curiously a few more times, scratching his head when she disappeared so suddenly.
"Don't worry about her," Vegapunk said with a faint smile. "That's just how S-Ninja is. She only takes orders from Orin-sama and me. I rely on her help for many of my catalytic processes."
As Vegapunk led the way forward, Kuma's gaze was immediately drawn to the massive glass chamber in the center of the room. Inside it, thick green fluid swirled and bubbled continuously.
Its sheer volume was terrifying — if the liquid were to leak out, it could easily drown everyone in the lab.
Even Kuma, with his usual composure, couldn't help but pause in shock.
"Amazing, isn't it? Of course it is. That single cultivation chamber and its nutrient solution alone cost over ten billion Belly!"
Vegapunk stuck out his tongue playfully, smiling as he noticed Kuma's astonishment.
When he had first seen it himself, he'd had almost the exact same reaction — the sheer scale was absurd.
But once he remembered the size of the creature they were attempting to grow inside it, it all began to make sense.
After all, one of the primary genetic materials used was Loki — and even as a child, his body size rivaled that of a normal giant!
As they walked closer to the massive glass chamber, they could see several thick pipes connecting to it, each leading to various instruments where researchers busied themselves over their consoles.
Among them, one figure was jumping around furiously — and upon closer inspection, his goat-like face was instantly recognizable.
"What the hell are you all doing, you idiots?! You can't even handle a simple lineage factor process correctly?!"
The scientists around him, dressed in white lab coats, were being scolded mercilessly and didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.
Only when Vegapunk appeared did they collectively let out a sigh of relief.
"What's going on this time, Caesar? You look absolutely furious," Vegapunk asked helplessly.
He knew Caesar very well — they had once been colleagues, after all — and he was well aware of Caesar's temperament.
As expected, the moment Caesar heard that voice, his face darkened instantly.
He turned around, glaring at his lifelong rival with gritted teeth.
"Vegapunk! I don't need to explain myself to you! I'm teaching my own subordinates — stay out of it!"
"Don't act so high and mighty! I'm the greatest scientist in the world, you hear me?!"
Vegapunk showed no visible reaction to Caesar's outburst. His expression remained calm as he walked past him, quietly helping the researchers correct their data.
Seeing this, Caesar's rage only intensified.
"You bastard!!"
"Who do you think you are, ignoring me like that?! Keep it up, and I'll just quit halfway through these experiments!"
He made a show of pulling off his lab coat, though he didn't dare to actually attack Vegapunk.
After all, he knew exactly how many eyes were watching in this secret facility.
Just as he was about to throw his coat to the ground in anger, Vegapunk spoke — still without turning around, his tone utterly indifferent.
"Go ahead then. I'll report it to Orin-sama and call Doflamingo right after."
The words hit like thunder.
Caesar froze in place, his hand hanging midair as if he had been turned to stone.
His face went from red, to purple, to nearly black.
After a long, silent pause, he quietly put his lab coat back on and returned to the workstation, sulking as he resumed his work on the lineage factor samples.
He had no choice.
Caesar wanted to be angry — but he didn't want to die.
If he stormed out now, he might not live to see the next sunrise.
The underworld would hunt him down, Doflamingo would send assassins, and the Shichibukai themselves might not spare him either.
Leaks weren't tolerated — and the only way to guarantee silence was to kill the source.
To think, he had been doing perfectly fine working under Doflamingo until Orin-sama suddenly requested his transfer.
At first, he had been thrilled — Orin was famous for his wealth and for funding research. Vegapunk himself was proof of that.
But once he arrived here and realized that Vegapunk was in charge of the entire project, his excitement instantly evaporated.
He had never felt so miserable in his life.
Especially after learning the details of the experiment — it had terrified him so much that his eyes and tongue had practically popped out of his skull.
He was shocked beyond words.
And once he knew what the project truly was, there was no turning back. He was aboard the pirate ship now, and he had no choice but to hold his nose and follow Vegapunk's lead.
Unless he suddenly developed a death wish.
A tear of humiliation rolled silently down Caesar's face, his expression twisted with bitterness.
He had never felt so powerless.
What he didn't know was that Orin had originally considered recruiting all the former MADS members.
But Queen was too loyal to Kaido, and Judge was the king of a World Government-affiliated nation — so Orin had ultimately given up on that idea.
Ignoring Caesar's quiet suffering, Vegapunk finished addressing the lab assistants' questions, then gestured for Kuma to follow him deeper into the facility.
Kuma's eyes widened as he saw the mysterious masses of tissue floating within the nutrient fluid — and at the very center, a massive embryonic form.
The enormous fetus floated curled up like a newborn baby, its sheer size almost absurd.
Kuma stared blankly, eyes filled with a strange nostalgia.
That tiny, sleeping form reminded him of Bonney when she was first born.
Turning to Vegapunk, he asked curiously, "Is this the result of your experiment? Why does it look so... unusual?"
"Because," Vegapunk said, his expression complicated as he swallowed hard,
"He is... Nika."
Kuma's eyes went wide — shock shifting to awe, then to something close to reverence.
Vegapunk's gaze deepened as he added silently in his heart—
Not just Nika.
The Dark Sun God, Nika.