Punk Hazard.
The warship slowly docked at the pier.
Reddy led the still angry Bonney off the warship and headed towards the research institute.
Behind them, Borsalino followed with his hands in his pockets.
"When can I go find my dad?"
Bonney, who was visiting Punk Hazard for the first time, couldn't help feeling nervous and asked the question.
She was already missing her father.
Reddy thought for a moment and gave an uncertain answer. "Maybe a week, maybe a month, or it might take at least half a year."
Bonney froze.
She had only asked casually to hide her nervousness.
In her view, since this guy had struck a deal with her father, he wouldn't easily let her, a hostage, go.
But it turned out he didn't care at all.
This psychological gap left the five-year-old Bonney at a loss, and she was led into the research institute by Reddy in a daze.
"Dr. Reddy!"
Beal and several other assistants rushed over as soon as they learned Reddy had returned to the institute.
Reddy pushed Bonney forward and ordered, "Starting today, you are responsible for monitoring all her physiological indicators. Notify me immediately if any abnormalities appear."
"Doctor, you have a new research target, right?"
Beal's eyes sparkled as he looked at Reddy with an expression that said, "I'm an excellent assistant, please take me along."
The other assistants had the same expression.
In this world, aside from Dr. Vegapunk, who else could develop two strategic-level achievements in half a year like Dr. Reddy?
No one!
Absolutely no one!
Reddy smiled without answering and led Bonney into his laboratory.
"Are you very important here?"
Bonney looked around the laboratory, somewhat unable to believe her eyes and ears.
"I'm the director of this research institute."
Reddy picked up a gun-shaped injector and loaded the test tube from his pocket onto it.
This serum was the result of careful preparation by him and Vegapunk.
He and Vegapunk had collected normal genes from Bonney's body, modified them into special genes with viral characteristics, and encoded specific gene fragments into them.
"After this injection, you'll be able to see your dad soon," Reddy said with a smile, motioning for Bonney to come over for the shot.
"I'm not sick!"
Bonney muttered under her breath, emphasizing seriously, but she obediently walked up to Reddy and raised her arm.
However, Reddy pressed it down.
"It needs to go here."
Reddy pointed to the blue stone below Bonney's right eye.
"Are you going to take my gemstone?"
Bonney stared at Reddy warily, slowly backing away until she reached the corner.
Reddy shrugged. "This is part of the deal between me and your dad."
Bonney hesitated, then finally steeled herself, walked up to Reddy, and closed her eyes, muttering, "I'm giving you the gemstone, as long as you don't hurt my dad."
Reddy smirked but didn't hold back.
Quick, precise, and ruthless!
Bonney immediately teared up from the pain, biting her lip and glaring angrily.
Reddy chuckled, pushed Bonney out of the laboratory, and handed her over to Beal and the other assistants for observation and monitoring. Then he closed the laboratory door.
"Now it's my turn!"
Reddy's spirits lifted as he walked to the lab bench to prepare the gene enhancement serum.
The formula for the gene enhancement serum came from Vegapunk.
The problem that had long troubled Reddy posed little obstacle for Vegapunk.
Vegapunk used an incredibly unconventional method to eliminate the rejection reaction caused by the fusion of foreign genes with one's own genes.
Reddy saw immense potential in this formula.
In fact, the principle of this formula was the same as the treatment serum for Bonney's condition. Both were special RNA viruses that used their reverse transcriptase to perfectly integrate foreign gene fragments into one's own genes.
Currently, this gene enhancement serum could only allow one type of gene to smoothly fuse with one's own genes. However, now that he understood the principle, he could modify it into a serum capable of fusing more types of genes.
After all, RNA viruses are single-stranded, offering infinite possibilities.
Reddy even had new ideas for forcibly fusing two Devil Fruit abilities.
Reddy opened the system and entered the biochemical laboratory.
He only knew the formula for the gene enhancement serum and hadn't yet completed the preparation of the final product.
Moreover, since it was for his own injection, he cautiously chose the all-powerful system over the real-world laboratory.
With the formula in hand, the rest of the work was left to the system, using energy as a substitute for raw materials.
The progress bar slowly increased.
"Really expensive."
Reddy clicked his tongue. Developing this gene enhancement serum consumed a full one million points of energy, on par with modifying a clone body.
The clone body, equipped with an exoskeleton, gained unparalleled defensive capabilities.
The gene enhancement serum was naturally no less impressive.
As soon as the progress bar reached the final segment, Reddy immediately retrieved it.
"Now all that's missing are gene samples from Kaido or Big Mom."
Reddy tightly gripped the pale blue gene enhancement serum, silently thinking to himself.
This gene enhancement serum incorporated gene fragments from the Lunarian race.
Under the serum's effects, these gene fragments would perfectly integrate into the genetic chain after being injected into the body and spread to every cell.
Reddy calmed his emotions and coolly loaded the gene enhancement serum onto the gun-shaped injector, then pressed it against his neck.
This area was densely packed with blood vessels, allowing the gene enhancement serum to invade every cell in the shortest time possible.
The serum in the test tube rapidly decreased as it was injected into Reddy's body.
Reddy silently monitored his body's condition.
Everything was perfect!
His body showed no abnormalities other than the brief pain from the injection.
After the injection, Reddy put down the gun-shaped injector and waited for the gene enhancement serum to take effect.
In less than three minutes, Reddy began to feel it.
With a thought, a cluster of flames suddenly erupted from his back.
The flames were weak at first, about the size of a peanut, but they quickly grew stronger.
A few minutes later, the flames on Reddy's back had expanded to the size of a washbasin.
With another thought, the flames on his back vanished instantly.
Reddy tentatively tried moving and instantly disappeared from his original spot, reappearing several meters away.
"That was reckless!"
Reddy wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, staring at the wall that had almost touched his nose, his heart still pounding.
Only after experiencing it firsthand did he truly understand the power of the Lunarian race's innate abilities.
Since he currently had no gene samples at level 13, he chose level 12 gene samples from King for peace of mind.
In addition to the Lunarian race's innate gene fragments, he also extracted specific gene fragments related to King's physique and strength.
Reddy estimated that he was now roughly equivalent to a weaker version of King.
When the flames on his back were extinguished, he gained unparalleled speed.
"Let's test the defense next!"
With the flames reignited on his back, Reddy returned to the lab bench, picked up a scalpel, and made a deep cut on his arm.
After the blade passed, his arm remained unharmed.
Reddy gritted his teeth. Indeed, as long as the flames were present, he could nullify damage, but it still hurt.
With another thought, the flames on his back disappeared.
"As long as I don't reveal the flames, no one will know I've gained the Lunarian race's innate abilities."
Reddy flexed his body, secretly laughing to himself.
The characteristics of the Lunarian race were very obvious: brown skin, flames on the back, and black wings.
Reddy only took the flames on the back, ignoring the other two traits.
As long as the flames weren't active, opponents would assume he was weak, only to be punched into disbelief.
I'm so evil, hahaha!