Inside the laboratory.
"It really disappeared... Incredible. None of the Lineage Factor Source Energy was preserved at all."
"How was that even possible? That energy shouldn't be extractable through normal means. It should only be possible to draw it out slowly through the corresponding Lineage Factor sequence."
Vegapunk was frantically operating various research instruments around the room, investigating the dust left behind after the root had crumbled. His voice was filled with disbelief; there was certainly some regret and disappointment, but far more noticeable was the excitement and joy he couldn't hide.
That made Roy, who had been feeling slightly guilty, frown.
"Dr. Vegapunk." Star Lord finally spoke. "The Devil Fruit root is indeed very important to me, and there are several things I'd like to ask you. But before that, I need to know what it is you truly want."
Behind the mask, his starlit gaze settled on Vegapunk. "I mean what you 'really' want. I don't like unnecessary formalities. Let's be direct."
Hearing those words, Vegapunk froze. Then he fell silent.
And at times like this, silence itself was an answer.
That only confirmed Star Lord's suspicions. Just as he had thought earlier, Vegapunk's sincerity had gone too far.
Star Lord naturally believed Vegapunk genuinely wanted to save Bonney. Based on what he knew from the original story, Vegapunk was unquestionably a good person. His biggest flaw was being too naïve, allowing others to exploit the things he created.
But people often forgot something: he wasn't just a good person. He was also an extremely intelligent man, the world's greatest scientist, meticulous and cautious by nature.
Yet from the moment Star Lord appeared, no, more accurately, from the moment Star Lord revealed the Star Contract and spoke of Im's existence, Vegapunk's attitude had been exceptionally humble. Almost overly so.
Along the way, he had answered nearly every question without hesitation. He had even brought Star Lord into this secret laboratory, a place that clearly even the Five Elders didn't know existed.
And what convinced Star Lord most was Vegapunk's reaction just now. Even if he had intended to let the Zodiac examine the root, it was still an irreplaceable research specimen. Any scientist would be furious to see something so valuable destroyed.
Yet Vegapunk wasn't angry at all. If anything, he seemed delighted.
"...So you noticed after all." Vegapunk let out a bitter smile, then shook his head. "Though even if you hadn't asked, I would've told you eventually."
He sounded surprisingly relaxed about it.
"A moment ago, I told you where this root came from. It was discovered in the ruins of the Kingdom of Furrydom in the West Blue, hidden beneath the royal palace after the kingdom was destroyed..."
As he reminisced, he casually continued explaining. What he didn't know was that, beneath the mask, Star Lord's eyes had already begun to flicker.
'The Kingdom of Furrydom?' Roy repeated the name in his mind. 'I've heard that somewhere before...'
Without hesitation, he switched Devil Fruits.
[Devil Fruit Loaded: Brain-Brain Fruit LV1 → LV3]
[Brain-Brain Fruit LV3: Greatly enhances mental capacity, learning ability, memory, perception, imagination, inspiration, and intuition. Allows the brain to search, archive, delete, and process information like a storage drive. The brain itself grows larger as memories and inspiration accumulate.]
As the Brain-Brain Fruit he had recently analyzed activated, Roy felt his thoughts and memories accelerate dozens of times over. A moment later, he found the answer.
The name came from Thriller Bark. Back before meeting Moria, Brook had casually mentioned it while talking about his homeland. It was the country where Brook had once served as the captain of the royal guard of the Kingdom of Nismail.
And it was also...
"The homeland of Gunko, the most unusual member of the God's Knights?"
Now Roy had learned something even more shocking: that kingdom, which had been erased by the World Government, had once housed the source of the Lineage Factors.
'There's definitely something abnormal about that kingdom,' Roy immediately realized.
Unfortunately, he didn't have time to think about it, because Vegapunk was still talking.
"We found four roots in total, along with a very unusual Poneglyph. Judge, Queen, Caesar, and I each took one root. As for the Poneglyph, nobody could read it, so it was stored aboard MADS's research vessel."
Vegapunk thought back for a moment. "I later heard that when MADS disbanded, Queen lent his root to Buckingham while pursuing her romantically. In the end, she stole it and disappeared with it."
His casual remark left Roy even more stunned.
'There are three more?' He nearly blurted it out.
The root Vegapunk had possessed had increased his Lineage Factor Development Progress by nearly fifteen percent. The remaining three roots could very well do the same.
'No... that's not right. Vegapunk used part of this root to create the Scarlet Dragon Devil Fruit. Which means a complete root may provide far more than fifteen percent progress.'
Roy instantly understood the implications. If he could obtain the remaining three roots, then combined with his normal progress, his Lineage Factor Development might leap straight to the brink of completion.
'Buckingham Stussy... Caesar Clown... and Vinsmoke Judge...' Roy silently repeated the three names in his mind.
He was certain of one thing: those three roots were still in the hands of their respective owners. Treasures of that level weren't something anyone would casually hand over to someone else.
No wonder Buckingham Stussy had seemingly vanished after MADS disbanded. So she'd stolen Queen's root back then. Considering Queen had since risen to become one of Kaido's Three Disasters, it made perfect sense that she'd gone into hiding to avoid retaliation.
But Vegapunk wasn't finished yet.
"When MADS was dissolved, everything aboard the research vessel, including all our research materials, was supposed to be confiscated by the government. But I was cautious. I hid that Poneglyph beforehand."
As he spoke, Vegapunk walked over to a wall and lightly pressed his hand against it.
The next moment...
'Buzz!'
The wall silently slid open. And sure enough, a Poneglyph was hidden inside.
The important part, however, was its color. It wasn't the ordinary black of a normal Poneglyph. Half of it was black, and the other half was red.
Star Lord said nothing as he stared at it.
Naturally, he knew what Poneglyphs were. They were records left behind eight hundred years ago by the once-great Ancient Kingdom, preserving the truth of history. There were roughly thirty of them in total, and only by gathering all of them and piecing them together could one uncover the complete truth.
They came in two types: the black Poneglyphs, which recorded ancient history, and the red Road Poneglyphs, which recorded locations.
But the one before them was clearly different. It seemed to exist somewhere between the two.
"As you can see, this Poneglyph is very special." Vegapunk gently touched the stone he had studied countless times, his expression growing serious.
At first, he had been interested in it simply because of its unusual color and because the four roots had been discovered nearby. His instincts had told him it was important.
Unfortunately, deciphering Poneglyphs wasn't his area of expertise. For many years, he made no real progress.
That only changed after his time in Elbaf. Once he had absorbed all of Ohara's surviving documents, along with the historical research and translations left behind by its scholars, he naturally learned how to read the ancient script.
And eventually, he deciphered the contents of this special Poneglyph.
---
'The world has already experienced destruction and rebirth twice. Living beings created a new world and also created the Abyss.'
'It is the source of the sea, the shadow that binds the world, and the force that shackles all things within it.'
'Those who were cursed formed contracts with the Abyss, loosening its restraints in exchange for power and authority.'
'In the end, the sea will rise and swallow everything.'
'That shall be the world's third destruction.'
'The first of the cursed and I were defeated through betrayal, but we have left behind the seeds of resistance, forever beyond the Abyss's reach.'
'I have left the truth within this world. I have left hope upon the final island, the one place beyond all danger, and carved its coordinates upon the red stones.'
'One day, freedom shall return to this world, and the Drums of Liberation shall sound once more.'
'...Joy Boy'
---
This was the message Vegapunk had deciphered, and it was enough to reveal the significance of this Poneglyph.
Like the one on Fish-Man Island, it appeared to have been left behind by Joy Boy himself. It served as the bridge connecting the ordinary Poneglyphs and the Road Poneglyphs.
Before it came the black stones, recording the detailed history of the world. After it came the four Road Poneglyphs, which contained the route and coordinates leading to the final island, Laugh Tale.
From its contents alone, Roy could also determine one thing: the being known as "Saint Imu" was almost certainly not truly named Imu. Its real nature was likely the very thing described on the Poneglyph, the Abyss.
Of course, due to the nature of the ancient language, the translation could only capture the general meaning. Vegapunk had uncovered even more details during his research.
For example...
"According to the Poneglyph, there are three types of contracts that can be made with the Abyss."
"The Shallow Sea Contract appears to involve offering part of one's soul to the Abyss in exchange for power."
"The Deep Sea Contract appears to require offering one's entire soul in exchange for immortality and even greater power."
"And the Abyssal Sea Contract goes even further. One offers everything to the Abyss, becoming one with it. The contractor becomes an extension of the Abyss itself, allowing it to channel power through them at any time. Even their physical form changes, and they gain eternal life."
As he said this, Vegapunk gave Star Lord a complicated look. That was precisely why he had initially mistaken Star Lord's descent for the effects of an Abyssal Sea Contract.
Of course, that still wasn't everything.
"After deciphering the Poneglyph, I spent many years cross-referencing it with Ohara's research and studying everything related to the Void Century. Only then did I finally determine..." At this point, Vegapunk's expression visibly darkened.
"The sea level has risen more than once." Star Lord quietly finished the sentence for him.
Vegapunk's eyes widened, then he nodded solemnly. "So you already know."
'Of course I know. You're the one who revealed it in the original story,' Star Lord thought to himself, though he naturally didn't say it aloud.
Meanwhile, Vegapunk continued. "That's correct. I verified many of the claims recorded on this Poneglyph and confirmed that the sea level has risen multiple times over the past eight hundred years. Many islands and traces of past civilizations now lie buried beneath the ocean."
He paused. "And after studying the root, as you know, I conducted another experiment..."
Vegapunk's expression grew even heavier. "I obtained Kaido's Lineage Factor and used its sequence to extract the 'Lineage Factor Source Energy' from the root. Just extracting that energy alone took me twenty years. After that, I completely rearranged every Lineage Factor sequence."
As he spoke, excitement filled his voice. It was the boldest experiment he had ever attempted. He had even consumed part of the precious Source Energy from the root and spent twenty years preparing for it. The goal was to verify the most fundamental principle behind Lineage Factor research.
"I wanted to create a Devil Fruit. Not an existing one. A truly new Devil Fruit, one that had never appeared anywhere in the world before."
But...
"In the end, the experiment failed." Vegapunk spoke heavily. "Every Lineage Factor sequence I altered automatically returned to its original arrangement during the creation process. All the disrupted ability codes restored themselves as well."
He gave a bitter smile. "Perhaps because the world's rules don't allow two identical Devil Fruits to exist at the same time, the fruit's color ended up different from the original Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon."
And thus, the Devil Fruit currently possessed by Shinryu was born. It was, in every practical sense, a perfect Artificial Devil Fruit; its abilities were no different from the original Azure Dragon Fruit. But to Vegapunk, aside from the color difference, it was a complete failure.
And that failure proved that both the Poneglyph's records and Ohara's research had been correct.
"The Lineage Factors of this world are being restrained. Some force does not allow new Lineage Factors to come into existence. No truly new Devil Fruits can be born.
All Devil Fruits merely continue cycling within a predetermined framework until the sea eventually swallows everything. Based on the dating of the underwater ruins I've examined, the next rise in sea level will occur in less than ten years."
At that point, Vegapunk clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. Yet he seemed completely unaware of the pain.
Such a loss of composure was rare for a scientist like him, but it wasn't difficult to understand.
Vegapunk had been born in the impoverished land of Baldimore. A genius from childhood, his ideals had always been simple: he wanted peace. He wanted everyone in the world to live happily.
He dreamed of a world filled with flowers and sunlight, where people never lacked food or clothing, where war no longer existed. He wanted his inventions and technology to make the world a better place.
For that reason, he had accepted funding from Underworld Emperors. Scientific research required enormous amounts of money and resources. He didn't care about wealth; he didn't care about fame. Even after MADS was dissolved and he was forced to work for the World Government, his ideals never changed.
He knew the World Government had a dark side. He knew the Celestial Dragons were cruel, greedy, and corrupt.
But that was fine, because he had always believed that greed, darkness, ugliness, and struggles for power only exist because resources are scarce and technology remains underdeveloped.
That belief had never wavered. So long as he could create limitless resources and limitless energy, money and power would eventually lose their value. And when that happened, people would stop fighting over them, the darkness and wars born from those struggles would disappear as well.
It was an almost fantastical dream, yet Vegapunk believed in it wholeheartedly. Because he was Dr. Vegapunk, and he possessed the talent to make such dreams possible.
As for the contents of the Poneglyph, they had always worried him, but until today, they had never truly angered him. Because he had assumed the "Abyss" was some kind of natural disaster or universal law. After all, even Vegapunk found it impossible to imagine that any individual could possess enough power to bind an entire world.
He believed the World Government and the Five Elders had merely obtained a fragment of the Abyss's power. Using it, they overthrew the Ancient Kingdom and gained dominion over the world, and perhaps immortality as well.
That was certainly reprehensible, but given the World Government's long history of wrongdoing, it wasn't exactly surprising.
In fact, he had once optimistically believed that the massive bridge construction project currently being carried out by slaves and prisoners across the world might actually be intended to prepare for the coming catastrophe. After all, no matter how corrupt it was, the World Government was still an alliance of nations, wasn't it?
He had even considered a contingency plan. If he couldn't stop the disaster in time, perhaps everyone could evacuate to the Bridge Nation and the Red Line temporarily. Then, after he found a way to lower the sea level, the world could return to normal.
Because of that hope, he had been able to convince himself to continue researching for the World Government.
But everything changed after hearing about the existence of Imu from Star Lord. Now, Vegapunk felt he could finally see the World Government's true purpose.
"They want to turn everyone into slaves! They want to help the Abyss destroy this world and then rule over its ashes forever... isn't that right!?"
"Do they really think they're gods?"
"Those bastards!"
The scientist rarely cursed, yet this outburst was also his answer to Star Lord's earlier question. He knew he was out of time. If the World Government wasn't merely borrowing the Abyss's power, but was actually an extension of the will of the being called Imu, then the world truly stood on the brink of destruction.
Fortunately... at this critical moment, the man standing before him was here.
"Lord Star Lord, your understanding of Lineage Factors is incredibly profound. Whether it's Devil Fruit Fusion or the Star Contract, both prove that you're the person closest to breaking these restraints."
He looked directly at Star Lord and spoke each word clearly. "My original plan can no longer succeed. So..."
"I'm willing to bet everything on the Twelve Zodiac."
"I want to join you."
(End of Chapter)
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