"A Seraphim?" Michael asked with interest. "And it's based on me?"
"Exactly. Ever since I saw your heroic deeds in those recorded images, I've believed that the perfect warrior should embody your essence," Vegapunk spoke of Michael with great admiration.
"However, the Seraphim's appearance wasn't based on you directly. Instead, it was designed according to the genetic donor."
"Genetic donor?"
"Correct. Once I began the Seraphim research project, I synchronized its progress with the SWORD Classified Special Forces." Vegapunk placed stacks of paper documents in front of Michael.
"This is the complete list of SWORD Classified Special Forces members who provided their Lineage Factor, along with the extraction process for each."
Michael nodded.
Vegapunk had prepared these materials well in advance, likely having heard that Michael wasn't particularly enthusiastic about cloning technology—in fact, he could even be said to dislike it.
But in reality, Michael wasn't a fool.
What he despised was the likes of Vinsmoke Judge, who turned clones into mindless tools devoid of self.
Vegapunk's technology was far beyond what Vinsmoke Judge could achieve.
Judging from the original work, the Seraphim created through cloning technology largely retained the emotions of normal humans, though their preferences were influenced by the genes of their donors.
Five members of the SWORD Classified Special Forces had provided their Lineage Factors:
Rosinante, Hawkeye, Crocodile, Stella, and Boa Hancock.
These could essentially be considered the elite of the SWORD Classified Special Forces.
Vegapunk's records meticulously detailed the process of extracting the Lineage Factors.
But... Michael still had one question.
Namely, the current Vegapunk had never manufactured Pacifistas.
In the original work, the Seraphim were actually an evolved version of the Pacifistas, possessing their fundamental capabilities.
"In that case... wouldn't these so-called Seraphim just be clones of those five?"
"That's precisely why we need you, Michael." Vegapunk's gaze grew increasingly fervent as he looked at Michael.
"Your Lineage Factor is the most crucial element of this research."
"My Lineage Factor?"
Michael was speechless.
That being said... it doesn't seem like there's any problem with this.
If his Lineage Factor could be used as the foundation, even the Pacifistas wouldn't be worthy to carry his shoes.
Moreover, Michael didn't know whether his infinite stamina and monstrous physique could be inherited through the Lineage Factor.
If possible...
The Seraphim would undoubtedly become the most terrifying weapons of war in the future.
"And I'm also very interested in your Devil Fruit ability..."
"Although I know you mean no harm," Michael said with a sweatdrop as he looked at Vegapunk, "that grin of yours is downright creepy... You're the spitting image of a mad scientist."
"You jest, Michael..." Vegapunk replied, sticking out his long tongue with a smile.
"In science, who isn't a little mad?"
...
The process of extracting the Lineage Factor wasn't particularly complicated.
Michael simply had to lie inside Vegapunk's specially designed machine for a while.
Both Stella and Crocodile had gone through this procedure before.
However, what made Michael's case different was that Vegapunk asked him to activate his Devil Fruit ability while inside the machine.
Although he had already obtained the power of the Lunarian Race, Vegapunk wanted to gain some insights from a true Seraphim.
"How do you feel?" Vegapunk stood by the machine, eagerly approaching Michael as soon as he emerged.
"Any discomfort?"
"Aside from the hassle of squeezing my wings in completely, nothing bad," Michael replied, stretching his neck with a smile.
"Is that so? Good."
Vegapunk nodded in relief before proceeding with a series of operations that Michael couldn't comprehend at all.
Eventually, a vial of extracted Lineage Factor was produced.
However, Michael noticed that after obtaining this vial, Vegapunk fell into a prolonged state of shock.
"Uh, Dr. Vegapunk? What's wrong? Don't scare me like this!" Michael waved his hand in front of Vegapunk's face, but the scientist's eyes remained unresponsive.
"Hey!"
"What's going on?" Shaka and Lily rushed into the lab. "Why did Punk Records crash!?"
Punk Records was essentially Vegapunk's brain.
As a Brain Human who had consumed the Brain-Brain Fruit, Vegapunk's brain had become an infinitely expandable database.
Due to its increasing size, he had separated it and turned it into Punk Records.
It was equivalent to converting his brain into a cloud server.
This ability was the basis for creating his six clones.
And now Shaka and Lily were saying that Punk Records had crashed?
Michael couldn't help but look at Vegapunk, who was holding his Lineage Factor.
Was there something unusual about his Lineage Factor?
Something that could cause Vegapunk—who had studied Lineage Factors for decades—to blue-screen?
He had no clue.
He could only watch as Shaka and Lily frantically rebooted Punk Records, eventually restoring Vegapunk to normal.
"Whew! Whew! Whew! This is absolutely incredible!"
A panting Vegapunk turned to Michael with shining eyes.
That look made Michael feel like he was some kind of rare, one-of-a-kind creature.
"Could you be more specific, Vegapunk?" Michael tapped the apple-shaped antenna on Vegapunk's head.
"Stop speaking in riddles."
"Michael, you continue to astound me..." Vegapunk shook his head, the fervor in his eyes not diminishing but growing even stronger.
"Normally, Lineage Factors appear red or blue after extraction... But this is the first time I've seen one that's pure white and glowing!"
As he spoke, Vegapunk held up the vial containing the Lineage Factor, its soft radiance illuminating the room.
This was also Michael's first time actually seeing what a Lineage Factor looked like—he had assumed this was normal...
But according to Vegapunk's explanation, when he looked again at his own Lineage Factor...
That gentle glow...
It seemed somewhat similar to his Holy Light?
Could it be that the Mythical Zoan-type Human-Human Fruit: Seraphim Form Devil Fruit had already begun rewriting his very Lineage Factor?