This time, the group didn't find themselves in another dark cave or a busy port. Instead, Queen led them into a laboratory that was flooded with bright, clinical light. The room was mostly empty, but standing right in the center was a young girl who appeared to be about seven or eight years old. She stood less than a meter tall, her golden hair catching the light. She wore a cloak and outfit that looked strikingly similar to the specialized battle suits used by the Vinsmoke family, decorated with golden stripes and headphone-like devices. A small saber was strapped to her waist.
The crew exchanged confused glances, wondering what Judge had been up to this time. However, Kaido stared at the girl's familiar features and noticed the smug, proud look on Queen's face.
"Stussy!?" Kaido barked, his eyes widening.
"Hahahaha!" Queen let out a loud, boisterous laugh. "I knew you'd recognize her immediately, Big Brother! Come on, Stussy, don't be shy. Greet your master!"
The young girl looked up. There was a strange, awkward charm in her eyes—the look of a small child trying very hard to act like a serious adult. She bowed respectfully toward the massive pirate.
"Stussy greets the master!" she said clearly.
Kaido nodded, having already guessed the truth behind her existence. He looked the girl over once more before turning his gaze to Queen. "Alright, Queen. What exactly is going on here?"
With everyone's attention locked on him, Queen began to explain his latest achievement. "Well, Big Brother, ever since you shared your ideas with me, I couldn't stop thinking about one specific problem: how do we perfectly combine the power of a Devil Fruit with an object? To be honest, everything we've done so far—whether it's Caesar's Artificial Devil Fruits or Judge's Lineage Factor technology—has been imperfect. The Lineage Factor inside a real Devil Fruit is just too complex. We can only replicate a small part of what it does. Those things are incomplete, and I refuse to offer you anything less than perfection."
Queen gestured toward the girl. "So, I remembered something from my time at MADS. Vegapunk once created a clone using Buckingham Stussy as the prototype. That gave me a brilliant idea. If an object can't handle the full power of a Devil Fruit, why not use a living being? I used Judge's equipment to create her."
Every eye in the room shifted back to the little girl. Under the intense pressure of their stares, a flicker of genuine panic flashed across her face. This small display of emotion caught Kaido off guard.
"Queen, you've actually managed to surprise me," Kaido admitted.
Originally, Kaido had thought about creating powerful talismans, but looking at the girl, he realized this was much better. At his level of strength, simple charms wouldn't provide much of a boost anyway. Having someone who was both helpful to look at and effective in a fight was a far superior result.
"Hahaha, I knew you'd like it!" Queen beamed. "And she isn't like those mindless clone soldiers Judge makes. I fixed the flaws in her genetic code. She has real emotions and a normal human lifespan. On top of that, I added some of King's bloodline to the mix, giving her the natural gifts of a Lunarian."
Kaido looked closer, his curiosity piqued. "Then why don't I see any wings or flames on her back?"
Queen's smile grew even wider. "That's the best part! Stussy, show Big Brother Kaido where you're hiding those wings."
"Yes!" the girl chirped.
Suddenly, two bulges appeared on her back that looked like liquid metal. They stretched out and shifted, hardening into a pair of black feathered wings exactly like King's. At the same moment, a bright burst of flame ignited on her back.
"Boom!"
Before Kaido could ask, Queen jumped back into his explanation. "I have to say, Big Brother, that guy Wapol you brought back was a massive help. The 'Wapol Metal' he creates is useful, but the power of his Munch-Munch Fruit is truly incredible. I ran some tests and found he can swallow things 100 times larger than himself. While Stussy can't go that far, fusing her with that ability makes it easy for her to 'swallow' and hide her wings inside her own body."
Queen continued, pointing out different parts of her gear. "I also completely overhauled her body. I threw out all of Judge's cheap components and replaced them with parts made from Wapol Metal. Her clothes and cloak have incredible defensive power. When you combine that with her Lunarian genes, she's practically immune to high temperatures. I even put Wind Dials and Cloud Dials from Sky Island in her shoes so she can fly for short periods. Her weapons use Flame and Slash Dials for extra kick, and those headphones have built-in radios and televisions. This is the most perfect thing I have ever made."
Queen looked like an artist admiring his masterpiece. Kaido, however, was focused on something else.
"What about her Devil Fruit power?" Kaido asked.
Queen gave Stussy a quick nod. She immediately moved her hands into a specific pose, placing one over the other with her pinkies and thumbs touching to form a triangular frame.
"Space-Time Freeze!" she shouted.
A brilliant white light exploded from her body, filling the entire lab and creating a strange, shimmering triangular zone. King, Enel, and Jack looked around, confused by the sudden change in the air.
Queen raised a finger, his voice trembling with excitement. "Right now, the flow of time inside this space is only one-tenth of the speed of the world outside!"
The entire room went dead silent. Even Kaido looked shocked.
"Big Brother Queen... how is that even possible?" Jack stammered, his jaw dropping.
"Why wouldn't it be?" Queen countered. "I had Stussy eat the Time-Time Fruit that Big Brother gave me—the one that used to belong to Kozuki Toki. The result was flawless. She has full control over time now. And honestly, one-tenth isn't even her limit. The beauty of a living being is that it can grow. She's only a month old; just imagine what she'll be able to do later."
Kaido didn't need to hear anything else. He was more than satisfied. He walked over to the young girl and looked into her calm eyes.
"Does she have another name?" Kaido asked.
"No, Big Brother," Queen replied. "I figured you'd want to name her yourself."
Kaido thought for a moment. He wasn't usually the type for creative names, but a specific one came to mind.
"Alright. From this day on, your name is Lily," Kaido declared. "You are the first member of the Beasts Pirates' Maiden Knights. You'll be staying right by my side from now on."
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