The world was in turmoil, and destiny called!
As the various powers continued to gather their forces, Ryuuto formulated a new plan. He decided to head to Egghead to collaborate with Vegapunk on a series of projects. If his guess was correct, he might even run into Dragon, whom he had parted from not long ago. Dragon had managed to acquire one of Imu's tails during the battle in Wano, a prize that would be of immense value in the hands of Vegapunk, the pioneer of Lineage Factor research. As for Ryuuto, his own objective for the trip was the Devil Fruit he had long forgotten: the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. On this journey, he would find its most suitable new owner.
Joyful times are always so fleeting. Soon, the moment came for Ryuuto to bid farewell to Dalton, Chopper, and the others.
"Hancock, I have a gift for you," Ryuuto said softly, standing at the bow of the Ark Maxim and gazing at Hancock's deeply affectionate eyes. "You'll see what it is when the time comes."
"Mhm!" Hancock nodded, leaning her head against Ryuuto's shoulder.
As the Ark Maxim soared through the skies at ten thousand meters, Shanks finally located Big Mom and Sengoku on an island in the New World. Thus began the most brutal and desperate attempt at forging a new god. Shanks immediately provoked both factions before tossing Luffy down into the fray.
"Is Luffy going to be okay?" Franky asked Beckman worriedly, staring at the ferocious glare of Big Mom across the way.
"Relax! We know what we're doing," Beckman said, taking a drag from his cigarette and waving a dismissive hand, as if it were no big deal. But as for what he was truly thinking, perhaps only he knew.
I wonder how far Luffy can go? Beckman thought to himself. In truth, he felt this was an impossible task, even viewing it as a desperate gamble on Shanks's part. Yet, in the end, he chose to trust Shanks. He understood the sacrifices his captain had made for this moment. He didn't want Shanks to suffer the same fate as Roger.
"They have come too early."
Luffy, however, was still unaware of what he was about to face. He was just a rookie who had barely learned the three types of Haki. He had yet to master the advanced application of Armament Haki or the use of Conqueror's Coating. But he was fearless. He charged straight for the heart of the Big Mom Pirates' stronghold, with Zoro, Sanji, and Brook right behind him.
Seeing this, Sengoku and Aokiji simultaneously ceased their fighting. Once they saw Luffy, there was no longer any need for them to intervene. This was the grandson of their old comrade and mentor.
Meanwhile, Blackbeard was steadily approaching the bridge of Tequila Wolf... another great battle was destined to erupt there. The fortress was currently guarded by the fugitives from Wano: that damned Shanks and Saint Garling. It was worth noting that they were accompanied by many new faces, who, judging by their attire, were also members of the Holy Knights.
After a journey of a day or two, Ryuuto's group finally arrived at Egghead.
BOOM!
The Ark Maxim's gentle landing still created a commotion that instantly alerted Vegapunk himself in his research institute.
VMMMM—
Vegapunk swiveled a monitor toward the Ark Maxim's location. The figure of Ryuuto standing at the bow was impossible to miss.
"Why has that harbinger of death come here?!" Vegapunk panicked at the mere sight of him.
"Shaka, quickly, open the gate!" he immediately yelled into his communicator, ordering his satellite to open the main entrance to the lab.
Outside the gate—
"This whole place is brimming with technology!"
"What an amazing island. So this is where the world's greatest scientist works?" Nami and Vivi marveled.
The institute consisted of three main buildings: a central four-story circular structure, Building A, flanked by two three-story buildings, B and C. Passageways connected the buildings, forming a ring-like structure. Above them, holographic projections of giant whales and other creatures swam through the air. The entire scene exuded a sense of futuristic wonder.
With that, the group leaped down and walked through the now-open, high-tech gates.
"Vegapunk?" Nami called out as soon as she entered, hoping to summon the scientist.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
With the sound of metal footsteps, a cute robot with a head shaped like an olive-like ellipsoid and the number "03" printed on its forehead walked out. It was another of Vegapunk's satellites—Edison. With its bouncing rabbit ears, Edison looked exceptionally adorable. Nami and Vivi immediately rushed forward and, without a word, began to cuddle and squeeze him.
"Let... let go of me!" Edison cried out for help.
"Edison, bring them to me," a voice commanded. At that moment, the image of a white-haired old man with a long, protruding tongue appeared on a screen in the corridor, addressing both Ryuuto's group and Edison.
"Vegapunk, I'd like to ask for your help," Ryuuto said, getting straight to the point now that the scientist had appeared.
"I know why you've come," Vegapunk said with a sigh, as if resigning himself to his fate. "Come on over first."
Just then, Edison finally broke free from Nami and Vivi's wicked clutches and scurried down the corridor. He ran a good twenty meters before stopping, cautiously waiting for Ryuuto and the others to catch up. The corridor itself was a marvel of technology, composed of various reconfigurable walls.
Before long, the group arrived in the laboratory's basement. There, they finally saw Vegapunk's true body. Behind him stood a towering piece of machinery, currently inactive.
"The thing you want is synthesized by this machine. However, it seems to touch upon some taboo of the Ancient Kingdom. It gives me a terrifying feeling. Moreover, the last successful Mother Flame was already taken by Dragon," Vegapunk explained with unusual candor, getting a great deal off his chest at once.
However, it seemed he had misunderstood Ryuuto's intentions.
"Can you continuously synthesize this thing?" Ryuuto asked, his interest piqued upon seeing the Mother Flame synthesizer.
"No. Although I developed the machine, synthesizing the Mother Flame requires a very ancient medium. I suspect it originates from the Ancient Kingdom," Vegapunk clarified.
"Then how many more Mother Flames can you create?" Ryuuto pressed.
"One more at most, and it will take a month," Vegapunk replied, looking Ryuuto straight in the eye.
"Is that so? Well, I didn't come for the Mother Flame. That thing isn't of much use to me. Dragon probably needs it more. Oh, and Imu would likely covet it as well," Ryuuto said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I came to ask for a different favor. You're working on the World Government's Seraphim project, right? I want you to use my and Hancock's genes to clone an artificial human."
As Ryuuto's voice echoed through the lab, everyone finally understood his plan.
"Ryuuto!!"
Hearing his words, Hancock felt so blissful she nearly fainted. She had never imagined that Ryuuto's surprise would be a child of their own, created through cloning. Could anything in the world bring more happiness? Her eyes turned into hearts as she gazed at Ryuuto, her face flushed with a deep crimson. In her mind, she had already planned out the rest of their lives. They would live together, raise their child together, and then grow old together.
This is pure bliss! Hancock screamed internally.
Vivi and Nami were stunned by this revelation. Such a thing was even possible? Nami, in particular, immediately rushed to Ryuuto's side, pinching his waist and whispering menacingly into his ear, "I want one too!!"
"Then add mine and Nami's genes as well," Ryuuto had no choice but to call out to Vegapunk again.
First Hancock, then Nami. Watching this scene, Vivi's eyes turned green with envy. She desperately wanted to rush forward herself, but without being slightly tipsy, she currently lacked the courage.
"Hmm? A Seraphim?" Vegapunk murmured, looking back and forth between Ryuuto and the two women. He finally realized he had completely misjudged Ryuuto's intentions. For Vegapunk, this was not a difficult task. He had already successfully cloned the Warlord-model Seraphim, including a young version of Hancock. This was familiar territory for him.
"It's possible. What are your specific requirements?" Vegapunk asked, his voice emanating from a screen that had materialized out of nowhere. He seemed ready to take notes. He wouldn't dare to defy Ryuuto; as one of the Four Emperors, Ryuuto's fearsome reputation was well known to him.
"You used the Lineage Factor of the Lunarian race, right? Keep that. Then just add our genes. As for the Green Blood, you can skip that," Ryuuto stated his requirements casually. "And I happen to have a Devil Fruit right here."
Listening to Ryuuto's well-informed instructions, Vegapunk was utterly astonished, so much so that he almost forgot what he was noting down. But shock aside, these requirements were all achievable.
As for the others—Hancock, Nami, Van Augur, and the rest—it was all gibberish to them. They had no idea what was being discussed.
"Alright! That's all perfectly fine," Vegapunk confirmed. "However, it will take about a month. Would you like to stay here on Egghead?"
"Yes, yes!!" Hancock nodded her head frantically. From this moment on, nothing was more important than witnessing the birth of her and Ryuuto's child. Ryuuto nodded in agreement as well.
"The three of you, follow me," Vegapunk arranged. "Edison, take the others to their quarters."
And so, the days passed. While waiting for the birth of the Seraphim, the group settled into a peaceful life on Egghead. As for Ryuuto, he was living through days of unbridled passion. The excitement of Hancock and Nami opened up a new world for him. One night, he inexplicably found himself sharing a bed with both of them. To this day, he still hadn't figured out what agreement the two had reached. He could only enjoy it to the fullest. It had to be said, his consumption of recovery potions had started to skyrocket.
Then there was Vivi. In her efforts to have Ryuuto to herself, she began engineering "accidental" encounters with him all over Egghead. The two would then become shamelessly intimate. Their trysts were not only varied but also incredibly wild, making Ryuuto wonder if Vivi was trying to create an artificial human through her own efforts.
After more than half a month, Ryuuto felt more exhausted than he had after his battle with Imu. The toll was immense. Fortunately, his exchange system provided an endless supply of all kinds of restorative supplements.
Time continued to flow. During this period, Ryuuto also got to know Vegapunk's other five satellites: Shaka, who represented leadership; Lilith, who embodied evil and pragmatism; Pythagoras, the symbol of wisdom and knowledge; Atlas, the incarnation of violence and power; and York, the avatar of desire and instinct. Ryuuto paid special attention to York's activities. He knew that this satellite would one day betray Vegapunk. That betrayal might have even already begun... It was possible that York had already relayed his presence on Egghead to the World Government.
Several more days passed before Dragon finally appeared. Ryuuto had no idea where he had been or what had taken him so long. When he saw him again, Dragon was injured.
"Dragon, what happened to you?" Ryuuto asked, curious.
"It's because of this thing!" Dragon said with a hostile tone, glaring at the tail he had thrown on the ground. Imu had been able to use the severed tail to pinpoint Dragon's location, repeatedly launching attacks against him by summoning demons through a pentagram. Fortunately, Dragon's Hurricane Fruit granted him extreme speed, allowing him to escape time and time again until he finally reached Egghead safely.
Meanwhile, at the Tequila Wolf bridge in the East Blue, a massive battle was raging. On one side were the Blackbeard Pirates, and on the other were the Holy Knights, led by Saint Garling. In this conflict, Blackbeard revealed a brand-new ability: the power to control souls. He resurrected the dead by summoning their fragmented souls from the depths of the sea and inserting them into repaired corpses. This was the ability of the Davy Clan. They held dominion over the souls devoured by the sea, the very embodiment of the ocean's darkness.
At this time, Blackbeard's demeanor was exceptionally unstable, as if several souls were sharing a single body.