The upheaval at Fish-Man Island remained unknown to the rest of the world.
In the Holy Land, Vegapunk continued, "…Therefore, the Pure Gold project cannot be implemented."
"Indeed, given that guy's cunning nature, even if the Pure Gold is truly in his possession, it would be nearly impossible to wrest it away from him."
Rowen nodded, understanding Vegapunk's current predicament, and then asked,
"So… are you suggesting I step in to seek revenge on Orrick?"
"Not for the time being."
The long-mustached Gorōsei shook his head, "This mission has already become a long-term one. Given that even your Assassination Force has been unable to locate Orrick, it's clear he will not give us any opportunities at this moment."
"This time, we contacted you not just to inform you about the Pure Gold issue but also because Vegapunk's experiment has reached a critical stage."
'Oh right, they mentioned that earlier!'
Seeing Rowen's gaze shift to him, Vegapunk respectfully explained, "Through research and analysis, we've successfully transplanted your blood cells into experimental samples… The formal treatment is about to commence, and for safety reasons, I suggested that you be present."
"The transplantation has already succeeded?"
Rowen looked at him in surprise.
It was worth noting that despite Law's extensive experimentation under Rowen's support, he had not achieved a single success.
"Interesting!"
Grinning widely, Rowen said, "Then take me to see it."
---
Rowen himself had no idea where his Undying body came from, but Vegapunk provided a precise explanation of how it worked.
Simply put, Rowen was not "human"—at least, not in the literal sense.
This was because humans as a species were incapable of storing such vast amounts of life force within their bodies.
The colossal life force contained within Rowen's body was something Vegapunk had only seen before in Kaido— and even then, only after Kaido consumed the Mythical Zoan Dragon Fruit.
To make a comparison: Rowen, who had honed his body through mastery of Rokushiki and Life Return, breaking past physical limits, had a three-meter-tall physique containing a concentration of life force so dense it would put some Large-Scale Sea Kings— creatures thousands of meters tall— to shame.
A normal person's cells were like cups, capable of storing only a limited amount of energy. In contrast, Rowen's cells were like lakes, holding tens of thousands of times more than ordinary humans. This had no connection to being "human" in any conventional sense.
Because each of his cells stored such vast life force, blood separated from his body did not die off quickly like normal human blood, which loses energy and expires rapidly.
Normal individuals would need to freeze severed limbs to preserve their viability for reattachment, but Rowen had no such requirement.
His cells, regardless of their function, inherently stored immense life energy. This energy provided a foundation for the cells to continue growing. As long as there was a continuous supply of nutrients, they would never die.
Conversely, as Rowen's body was composed of such cells, as long as his internal energy was not completely depleted, he was incapable of suffering a fatal injury.
This was the secret behind his "Undying" body.
Fortunately, in a world as strange and diverse as this, Rowen's uniqueness sparked discussions among scientists but did not cause a world-shattering stir.
Did it matter whether Rowen was human or not?
After all, this was a world where humanity was not the sole intelligent species.
Rather than debating "What consequences would arise if Rowen isn't human?", scientists were more intrigued by "What can we do with Rowen's cells?"
"After several failed experiments, Caesar discovered that the issue wasn't our method but something we overlooked," Vegapunk said as he led Rowen to a familiar underground laboratory and opened the door.
"That issue was metabolism!"
"No matter how your cells proliferate or replicate, the fundamental properties of living organisms remain unchanged. While we marveled at their ability to reproduce endlessly and supplied them with energy, we ignored the fact that these living cells also produce waste and impurities during their growth."
"Just like how carbon dioxide is harmful to the human body and must be expelled, waste products from these cells also need to be removed."
"When detached from your body, these cells cannot autonomously expel waste materials. Over time, the accumulation of waste damages the cells themselves. To heal this damage, the cells instinctively increase energy absorption, which in turn produces more waste, creating a vicious cycle…"
"And so, the experiments failed."
"I see," Rowen thought, nodding in realization. It made sense now— no wonder Law's experiments had never succeeded; this critical factor had indeed been overlooked.
Rowen thought about taking some time to inform Law of Vegapunk's experimental progress. Vegapunk was cautiously "feeling his way across the river," while Law was essentially "feeling his way across Vegapunk."
'But… Caesar discovered this?'
"As expected of the Gas-Gas Fruit user. It seems he has quite the expertise in this area."
Just as he spoke, a man shrouded in a misty, almost ethereal aura "floated" over from afar, exclaiming with delight, "Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon), you're finally here!"
"I have a surprise for you!"
The man floated closer, but Rowen's mouth twitched in discomfort. Caesar's appearance was too much for him to bear. Without hesitation, Rowen bent his fingers and activated Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), flicking with lightning speed.
Bang!
Whoosh… Clang!
Caesar flew through the long corridor, eventually embedding himself into the wall. Rowen sighed helplessly, saying, "How many times have I told you, Caesar? Don't get too close to me."
This was not the first time Rowen had warned Caesar, dating back to when they were at the G-10 branch before he was summoned to the Holy Land. It wasn't that Rowen couldn't tolerate Caesar's personality— it was simply his looks that were unbearable.
"I… cough cough… I'm sorry. I'll be more mindful next time."
With a look of grievance, Caesar pried himself out of the wall. As a Logia Fruit user, his endurance was impressive enough to handle such punishment.
"So… how far along is the experiment?"
Rowen lit a cigar as he asked, scanning the surroundings, which didn't seem much different from the last time he had visited.
Vegapunk nodded in response and led the way. "Please follow me."
The trio continued forward, passing through several layers of intricate security before arriving in a silver-white hall deep underground.
At the center of the hall, on a mechanical platform, stood a glass container filled with a viscous, milky-yellow liquid.
"Ta-da!"
Seeing the container, Caesar's eyes lit up. He floated in front of the two, striking a flamboyant pose.
"This is the surprise I wanted to show you, Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon)!"
"While Vegapunk aimed to clone a complete organism to extract secretions from the clone, I took a different approach. Using Lineage Factor technology, I altered them at the genetic level, directly creating this Universal Gene Solution!"
As he showcased his work, Caesar couldn't resist taking jabs at Vegapunk, his intentions as clear as day.
But to his disappointment, Rowen wasn't interested in the rivalry. With a calm nod, he remarked, "Universal Gene Solution? What a terrible name."
"Yet fitting," Vegapunk added with a smile. "Thanks to its unique ability to self-replicate infinitely, it can heal wounds, regenerate lost limbs, and even optimize a living organism to its peak state."
"It's essentially an all-purpose restorative fluid. However, since its capabilities extend beyond healing, we've named it the Universal Gene Solution."
Hearing this, Rowen couldn't help but widen his eyes in astonishment.
So…
What even is this?!
Some kind of Lizard DNA Blood Serum + Super Soldier Serum?!
Am I in the wrong universe?!
(End of Chapter)
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