"Beal, notify them to come to the laboratory."
Reddy put down the Den Den Mushi, his eyes brimming with uncontrollable excitement.
The moment Hancock agreed to provide a blood sample, he knew he was infinitely close to the truth. All he needed were a few simple steps to confirm the answer.
The question was straightforward.
How does intangible spiritual will affect objective existence?
The answer was actually very simple.
As everyone knew, the human body was an extremely complex system.
All physiological activities were related to various compounds secreted within the body.
For example, when a person was emotionally agitated, they would secrete large amounts of adrenaline, which could keep them in a state of excitement.
The answer was obvious.
The main reason for triggering the gene fragment of Conqueror's Haki was likely that when a Conqueror's Haki user activated their Haki, their body secreted a special substance, thereby activating the gene fragment.
Now, all he needed to do was collect Hancock's blood sample in her normal state and after using Conqueror's Haki, then compare the two to determine whether there were differences in the substances they contained.
If this could be confirmed, the next steps would be simple.
Extract or artificially synthesize the substance, then conduct experiments on test subjects.
Before long, Beal and several other assistants rushed into the laboratory, panting heavily.
Clearly, they had run here before entering the lab.
This level of physical exertion might not be much for others, but for scientists like Beal and his team, it was a serious challenge.
Reddy wasn't in a hurry to assign tasks to them. Instead, he personally collected Hancock's blood sample, then signaled her to activate her Conqueror's Haki.
Hancock complied.
The next moment.
Tangible Conqueror's Haki erupted in the laboratory.
Beal and the others didn't even have time to react before their eyes rolled back, and they fainted.
Reddy's expression was grave as he endured the waves of dizziness, carefully observing his own state at this moment.
"Are… are you okay?"
Seeing Reddy's pale face, Hancock grew flustered.
"I'm fine."
Though his face was pale, Reddy's eyes shone with excitement.
To put it simply,
This was a battle on the spiritual level.
If one's willpower couldn't withstand the erosion of Conqueror's Haki, it would lead to unconsciousness.
To use a somewhat crude analogy,
It was like getting into a fight.
If your opponent was determined to tear a piece of flesh from you even at the cost of their life,
No matter how much bigger or stronger you were, if you feared death or injury, you would still lose the upper hand.
Reddy steadied his mind slightly, then immediately collected another blood sample from Hancock.
"This time, it's a sure thing."
He carefully labeled the two samples, then relaxed and downed an energy drink.
When Beal and the others woke up, he promptly assigned them tasks. "You're responsible for testing the components of these two samples. The sooner, the better."
...
Two days later, Reddy received the test report.
"Just as I thought!"
As he compared the two reports, his eyebrows rose.
There were indeed differences in the components of the two samples, and quite a few at that.
The second sample contained several additional types of dopamine, steroid reductases, and some other components.
Although he hadn't gotten the exact result he wanted in one step, Reddy was still very satisfied.
The scope had now been significantly narrowed. As long as he conducted experiments to compare these components one by one, he would find the answer.
"Director, what do you need us to do?"
Beal and the other assistants looked at Reddy with high morale.
They had always been eager to assist Reddy in scientific research.
Unfortunately, Reddy rarely gave them the opportunity.
Now that they had finally gotten such a chance, none of them wanted to miss it.
"You're responsible for finding methods to artificially synthesize these components. The sooner, the better."
Reddy circled the components from the second sample's test report and handed both reports to Beal.
"Understood!"
Of course, these two reports alone didn't reveal what kind of research Reddy was conducting, but that didn't stop Beal and the others from faithfully fulfilling their duties as assistants.
After quickly exchanging opinions, they divided the work and began busying themselves.
Reddy wasn't idle either.
Now that it had been confirmed that the key factor in activating Conqueror's Haki was related to those additional dopamine and other components, he still needed to use the system to determine whether these components could be artificially synthesized.
If they couldn't be synthesized artificially, the universalization of Conqueror's Haki would remain a pipe dream.
Such a high-level power would forever remain exclusive to a select few.
Reddy accessed the biochemical laboratory function.
He had hardly used this function before, but he didn't deny its power.
Analyze the structures of those components!
He soon got the answer he wanted. Staring at the molecular structures displayed on the interface, he fell into deep thought.
What the hell is this?
I can't understand any of it!
The system could synthesize it using universal energy.
But what he wanted wasn't the finished product—it was the synthesis method.
A crucial criterion for universalization was whether it could be prepared industrially.
The synthesis method was far more important than the finished product prepared in a lab.
"I need a professional."
With this thought, Reddy had no choice but to take a step back and synthesize a batch of the finished product first.
Soon, he was holding a test tube.
"It's time for the most critical step!"
Reddy took a deep breath, steadily loaded the test tube into a gun injector, and then summoned the clone he had previously created using Garp's genes as a template.
This clone was an experimental product, still in its initial stages in all aspects, though even at this stage, it already surpassed at least 60% of humans.
Reddy pressed the gun injector against the clone's right arm and injected the finished product. Then, he took a few steps back and waited patiently.
Five minutes later, Reddy stepped forward and collected a blood sample from the clone, sending it directly to the gene analysis laboratory for testing.
The next moment!
The golden specks on the double-helix gene chain sent his heart racing with joy.
Success!
This unpurified finished product contained multiple types of dopamine and steroid reductases, which had indeed activated the golden recessive gene fragments on the gene chain.
The success of the first step greatly invigorated Reddy. He proceeded to purify the finished product further, then waited for the substance in the clone's body to degrade completely before conducting the next experiment.
The rest was a matter of permutations and combinations.
First, he injected each individual component separately, but none activated the golden recessive genes.
That left the verification of compound components.
At this stage, it was actually quite simple—just a matter of trial and error.
After what felt like an eternity, Reddy identified the compound that activated the golden recessive gene fragments.
However, a new problem arose.
Reddy stared at the three complex molecular structures displayed in the biochemical laboratory, lost in thought.
The Punk Hazard Research Institute had once been an all-purpose research facility.
But after he took over, it became a holy land for Bloodline Factor research.
Beal and the other researchers were indeed talented scientists, but their expertise was somewhat lopsided. They could handle simple tasks like component analysis, but finding industrial preparation methods was beyond them.
"There's no other way."
Reddy rubbed his temples and picked up the Den Den Mushi.
Soon, the call connected.
Reddy reluctantly extended an invitation. "Dr. Vegapunk, would you be interested in coming to my side?"
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