Marine Headquarters had pleasant weather, with bright sunlight that made one feel comfortably lazy. In such good weather, the Commander-in-Chief and Admiral of the Scientific Force, Kizaru, who usually didn’t bother to move, was here instead. Rowen had a feeling he had something to discuss.
No doubt about it!
Kizaru not being lazy was definitely unusual!
“You really stole the limelight, Rowen…”
Kizaru stretched lazily, his upper lip curling into a “π” shape, looking incredibly sly.
“It’s all thanks to Admiral Aokiji and Admiral Akainu. Without them holding off Kaido, I wouldn’t have been able to sink him.”
That was the plain truth, but it wasn’t what Kizaru wanted to talk about.
“I’m talking about the Super Electromagnetic Cannon on the Ark…”
“Do you know, Rowen… Originally, Vegapunk’s mission was to investigate where the vitality in your blood, which is even more abundant than a Zoan Ability user’s, comes from… When the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars) heard about your request, they specifically instructed Vegapunk to put down all his other tasks and cooperate with you to forge a weapon…”
The Thunder Cloud Sword, having been broken by Kaido, no longer qualified for a reforging.
This time, it was even more thorough than before, with even the blade bearing five distinct indentations. To say it was scrap metal would not be an overstatement.
So, after the war, Rowen found Vegapunk and asked him to think of a way to help him reforge a weapon. He had already tried it. Even if he embedded Thunder Gemstones into ordinary weapons, they couldn’t withstand the corrosive high-voltage current that coursed through him.
They would be melted into molten iron in the blink of an eye. The intricacies within the Thunder Cloud required professional study, and Vegapunk was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate.
As for Caesar…
Rowen didn’t expect anything from him!
After listening to Kizaru’s account, Rowen’s heart tightened.
Sure enough, his uniqueness was being watched by the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars).
He just didn’t know if this was solely the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars)’s unilateral decision, or if it was the intention of the Im-Sama on the Empty Throne…
“Continue!”
At this moment, Kizaru gave a light command and tossed a small object over.
Rowen caught it in his hand and found it to be a syringe.
“Draw half of it, replicating the blood is simple. They just want to compare your current blood with your past blood.”
“Mm… alright, let’s hope so…”
This was the will of the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars). He didn’t want to rebel, so he complied. Rowen shrugged and inserted the syringe into his wrist…
Gē Zhī…!
Rowen: “…”
Kizaru: “…”
A teeth-gritting, twisting sound rang out. On Rowen’s wrist, the fine needle of the syringe bent 90 degrees, and while his skin did sink in a bit, not a trace of blood was visible.
As the Thunder-Lightning Stimulation Method gradually intensified, Rowen’s physical strength had already undergone a profound transformation compared to when he first gave blood! This was an effect that simple practice couldn’t achieve.
Under the prolonged stimulation of lightning, constant ruptures and healings had fundamentally changed every cell, giving Rowen true “steel-reinforced bones”! Not to mention a single needlepoint, even an ordinary blade couldn’t cut his skin!
Silence, a suffocating silence appeared between them!
After a full minute, Rowen raised his head, holding up the syringe. “Trust me, this was an accident. Do you have a spare?”
Kizaru: “…”
Sighing in frustration, Kizaru waved his hand and walked towards the main building.
“Just a moment, I’ll go look for one…”
…
Handing the syringe to Kizaru was something that happened half an hour later. While Marine Rokushiki’s Tekkai could give an ordinary body the hardness of steel, it couldn’t make bones as flexible as muscles.
The process of steel-reinforced bones was irreversible…
To draw this half-tube of blood, two Devil Fruit Ability users rummaged through the warehouse and found the scarce Seastone needle tips, completing this difficult mission.
It was said that the Seastone needle tip originated from Wano Country, but Kizaru didn’t know if it was true or not. That secluded country hadn’t allowed anyone in or out for hundreds of years, making it quite mysterious for the Marines.
Saying goodbye to Kizaru, Rowen took the elevator down as he usually did, and in the Underground Port area, he found his target for this trip.
Among a large pile of thick-armored cables held by researchers under Vegapunk’s command, the Thunder Gemstone was suspended in a cylindrical glass container. It had no visible support, yet it floated in the middle as if by magic.
A faint electric light burst forth from the gem, casting a shimmering azure glow around the container.
“Vice Admiral Rowen! Come over here quickly, guess what I’ve discovered!” Vegapunk exclaimed with delight, pulling Rowen over to the experimental platform.
Resting on it were the “remains” of the Thunder Cloud, having been minimally repaired to its original state for the purpose of studying why it wouldn’t melt under the thunder’s heat.
However, the last time Rowen saw the Thunder Cloud Sword, it was just a pile of plain metal scraps. This time, the surface of the Thunder Cloud’s blade was covered in a network of vein-like blue patterns.
These patterns weren’t raised or recessed; they seemed to be an intrinsic part of the Thunder Cloud Sword, causing it to emit a constant flickering luminescence.
“What is this?” Rowen asked, his face full of astonishment.
He could clearly sense a highly destructive current coursing through the Thunder Cloud’s blade. However, in his perception, this current was not only different from his own, from the Thunder Gemstone but also distinct from the normal currents in the surrounding devices!
Though they were all currents, the differences between the three were crystal clear to Rowen and his Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder-Thunder Fruit). It was like three sheets of identical-looking white paper; an ordinary person could only observe them with their eyes, but he could directly discern the essence and determine that they were made of different pulp materials.
Vegapunk didn’t possess his level of observational skills, but he had technology!
Rowen believed that Vegapunk must have discovered something as well.
Sure enough, faced with Rowen’s inquiry, Vegapunk excitedly explained, “The composition of the Thunder Cloud Sword is easy to analyze, but I couldn’t understand why metals of the same composition would melt while it wouldn’t… until the last time I placed it next to the Thunder Gemstone. Through observation, I did indeed find something I hadn’t noticed before.”
“Take a look at this!”
As Vegapunk spoke, he pressed a switch on the experimental platform. Rowen felt a current extend from beneath the table, and suddenly, the entire platform was enveloped in an extremely high voltage.
The air became dry, and invisible surges lightly brushed his clothes. Under Rowen’s astonished gaze, the patterns on the Thunder Cloud suddenly began to change.
Roar!!
A faint low roar echoed in his ears, and the blue electric light seemed to come to life, pulsing rhythmically. An invisible pressure that gripped the heart tightly surged forth. The researchers in the vicinity were momentarily left dumbfounded.
“Is this… the roar of a Dragon?!” Rowen suddenly widened his eyes.
Three words appeared in his mind.
Dragonforged Sword!
This was the true Dragonforged Sword!!
With Dragon whirlwinds, and Dragon might as formidable as a prison!!
Could this be a sword that harbored the soul of a Dragon?!!
Rowen turned his head and looked at Vegapunk, his eyes burning with intensity. Could it be that this man’s research had reached the level of delving into souls?! In the world of One Piece, possessing a soul didn’t seem to be anything extraordinary.
Big Mom is the Soul-Soul Fruit Ability user, possessing the unique ability to take away others’ lifespans and create “Homies,” containers for souls.
If Vegapunk had already scientifically proven all of this, it would be an achievement spanning centuries, rivaling the Lineage Factor technology!!
However…
As if knowing what he was thinking, Vegapunk looked at him with disdain, taking out a palm-sized black cube from his pocket and pressing a switch.
Roar!!
The exact same low roar emerged, and even the gripping pressure on the heart was entirely identical.
“I can’t explain why these patterns change the nature of the current when electrified, while also exhibiting an effect similar to Haoshoku Haki… But don’t be disappointed, Vice Admiral Rowen, this isn’t mysticism, it’s science!”
Rowen was stunned!!
Was Vegapunk trying to dispel feudal superstitions?!!
In the world of One Piece?!
……
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