Saturn's staff struck the ground heavily.
Each hit seemed to pound directly on everyone's hearts, letting out a scary, dull thud that filled the entire room with a tense and heavy feeling.
The smile on Vegapunk's face vanished instantly, like thin clouds blown away by a cold wind.
He quickly pulled himself together, turning slightly to face Saturn with a very respectful pose.
"Honorable Elder, your timing is perfect. About the research on the Bloodline Factor..." Vegapunk's words carried a hint of panic as he tried to steer the conversation back on track.
However, Saturn showed no patience for his opening words.
He interrupted angrily, "Enough nonsense! Just tell me the research progress directly!"
Vegapunk wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He bowed his head a little, not daring to meet Saturn's sharp stare, and quickly reported.
"Our current technology can only make clones, we cannot test on living subjects. Fully grown people show a strong rejection to the Bloodline Factors of other creatures, which leads to the tests failing."
Seeing this, Edison quickly stepped in to add, "But we have actually made a major breakthrough! Through Bloodline Factor technology, clones can use multiple Devil Fruit powers at the same time. However..."
He paused here for a second, as if choosing his words carefully, a look of helplessness in his eyes.
"This technology cannot be used together with the Super Green Blood potion. If we try, the test subject will explode from too much energy!"
Hearing this, a cold smile appeared on Saturn's wrinkled face.
The smile held no warmth at all.
Instead, it made everyone feel like they were being watched by a poisonous snake.
"That is enough," he said slowly. "Begin making these clones in huge numbers right away. Also, the Seraphim project needs an improved version too."
As he spoke, he slowly walked over to the testing table.
"The cost must be lowered by another 30% so the World Government can use them on a massive scale."
His eyes locked onto the clone in the growing tank, as if he were planning a world-shaking scheme.
Saturn's voice suddenly got louder. "The World Government plans to use these war machines to completely end the chaos on these seas!"
Vegapunk scratched his head in worry, making his already messy hair look even worse.
Frowning, he whispered under his breath, "Improved version? Is that not just a cheaper, simplified version..."
Clearly, he was not happy with Saturn's demand, but he did not dare to openly say no to him.
However, under Saturn's sharp stare, he instantly changed his tone.
"Of course! As long as we are given enough Lunarian blood, skipping the growing phase will save a huge amount of money."
His voice carried a feeling of defeat and giving in.
To protect his research and his own life, he had no choice but to follow Saturn's orders.
Hearing this, Saturn frowned and fell into deep thought.
A moment later, he let out a cold laugh that sent chills down everyone's spine.
"Very well. Then capture that runaway Lunarian brat!"
With that, he turned and walked toward the exit, his black coat blowing behind him like a moving dark cloud.
"This is perfect timing to use him as a live test subject for the clone experiments!"
As Saturn left, the heavy feeling in the lab seemed to slowly return to normal.
Vegapunk stared at the closed automatic door with a complicated look on his face.
Pythagoras softly sighed. "It seems another bloody storm is about to begin..."
...
High in the sky, the howling winds whipped Momonosuke's kimono wildly.
His body was tied tightly with rough ropes to the tail of a Dragon.
He swung violently through the air with each flying movement like a ragdoll.
"This... what is this..." Momonosuke's lips shook.
His face was as pale as paper, and his heart was filled with endless fear and confusion.
The earth-shattering sounds of battle from two days ago still echoed in his ears.
When he first heard the cannon fire, he had thought it was the man from the prophecy finally leading an army to rescue them.
He had even been moved to tears of joy.
"It must be the moment foretold by Mother!" he remembered telling Kin'emon at the time, his voice full of hope.
But reality hit him hard.
When he learned it was actually the Marine fleet attacking, Momonosuke was stunned at first, and then overjoyed.
Even though it was not the man from the prophecy, at least the Marines would free the prisoners after they won.
He had even started planning how to keep searching for the man from the prophecy after he was free.
But what happened next in the battle completely shattered all his hopes.
"Impossible... this cannot be..." Momonosuke stared with wide eyes as the Marine fleet suffered defeat after defeat against the Eternal Divine Kingdom's attacks.
Those giant warships sank one after another into the sea.
Even the legendary Marine Admiral...
"Admiral Akainu... is dead?"
When this news reached him, Momonosuke felt his heart almost stop.
His entire body turned cold, his lips shook uncontrollably, and darkness clouded his vision.
"Young master! Young master, stay strong!" Kin'emon's panicked cries seemed to come from far away.
But Momonosuke could no longer hear them.
He dropped his head in defeat, the light slowly fading from his eyes.
Opening Wano's borders, the man from the prophecy—it all seemed like a joke in the face of such terrifying power.
Despair washed over him like a giant wave.
He even began to question the meaning of the Kozuki clan's twenty years of holding on.
The man from the prophecy?
Where is the man from the prophecy? It was all a lie!
Beside him, Kin'emon was also shocked into complete silence.
The loyal samurai's tied hands shook without him realizing it.
"This level of power... why have I never heard of it on the high seas..." Kin'emon whispered to himself.
As a samurai who had traveled through time, he thought he had seen the strongest forces of this era.
But the arrival of the Eternal Divine Kingdom completely flipped his understanding of the world upside down.
The strangest one of all was Kanjuro.
This usually talkative actor was now unusually quiet.
He kept his head pointed down, making it impossible to see the look on his face.
But his darting, shifting eyes gave away the dark thoughts in his head—this was not a look of despair or fear, but rather the look of someone planning an evil scheme.
"Hey, you lot!"
A rough voice suddenly boomed from above like thunder, carrying obvious anger and cruelty.
The pirate guarding them had a face full of thick, ugly scars.
He looked even more dangerous now because of his anger.