It's a seller's market. Unless Buckingham throws herself at the World Government, she won't find anyone else capable of this task.
"You want Linlin's DNA?"
"Exactly. If you collected Whitebeard's, you likely have others too. Given your nature, you'd have backups."
To Oran, Buckingham was a treasure trove. Having mingled with the Rocks Pirates, she'd crossed paths with countless powerhouses, giving her access to things others couldn't dream of.
Whether she had Charlotte Linlin's sample, Oran didn't know, but it didn't stop him from probing.
"You're in luck. I do have her sample. Others? Not so much. As a woman, I had some chances to interact with Linlin."
"So, you agree."
"Of course. My goal is Newgate. Her sample? Yours if you want it."
In Buckingham's mind, Whitebeard was the mightiest.
Oran disagreed. When the Four Emperors structure solidified—three men, one woman—Whitebeard, dubbed the World's Strongest Man, had forged his name through countless battles from a young age.
Kaido, born in a non-affiliated nation, grew up on battlefields, recruited by Rocks, and favored by Linlin, who gifted him giant techniques and a Mythical Zoan fruit.
Shanks, Roger's apprentice, absorbed much from his mentor.
Their strength had clear origins, honed through trials. Linlin was the outlier.
Abandoned young, she lacked formal training, her only passion eating. Yet, as a child, she'd killed a veteran giant hero in a frenzy.
Though the giant was past his prime, no ordinary kid could've done it.
Discovered by Long Bread, she became a pirate.
As an adult, Linlin spent years birthing her own pirate crew, barely training, yet rose as an Emperor purely on raw talent.
In terms of attributes and potential, she was unmatched.
Surviving these seas demanded top-tier strength. For the future, Oran needed such power. Buckingham's offer was a chance he wouldn't let slip.
"And the Haki training method?"
Surviving on Rocks' ship, Buckingham wasn't powerless. With Whitebeard as her lover, Oran was certain she had his Haki insights.
Given Whitebeard's character, he'd never stint those he saw as family.
"Haki training's no issue, but I can't guarantee results."
In the Grand Line's first half, Haki was rare, but farther along, practitioners multiplied.
Whitebeard was mighty, but his Haki didn't transcend the sea's limits.
His strength stemmed from himself. Even with his methods, replicating him was uncertain.
Buckingham's Haki paled compared to his—a vast chasm.
She knew what top scientists could achieve, so while Haki's value was high, she'd trade it for greater gains.
"No need for you to worry."
Haki wasn't some mystical art risking obsession. It was about forging inner potential through physical tempering.
Whitebeard's insights could shortcut the process, especially for advanced Haki. Self-exploration might take years to grasp higher techniques.
With a mentor, progress could come in days. Even a mediocre guide could strengthen you significantly in two years.
"Looks like we have a deal. I'll stay aboard to freeload until the results are ready."
Buckingham needed her clone and had specific demands—a more controllable Whitebeard, not overly smart, just matching his potential.
With the deal sealed, MADS gained a freeloader. Caesar and Queen didn't mind; as long as she wasn't like Oran, siphoning research funds, she was no threat.
But they knew Vegapunk and Oran had launched a human cloning project. Judge took keen interest, envisioning cloned soldiers to revive the Germa Kingdom.
Oran's team pressed on. The P-particle filtration experiment continued, while Oran's Hextech core upgrades entered testing.
Of the cores he'd brought, one powered Blitz, another healed Kate's heart, leaving three unique samples.
Until similar materials or synthesis methods were found, they were irreplaceable, but experiments proceeded.
MADS members now focused on Devil Fruit research.
Vegapunk explored their origins, Caesar attempted fruit replication, Judge aimed to imbue cloned soldiers with abilities.
Queen, spurred by Kate, began self-augmentation, while Oran sought to fuse Hextech cores with Devil Fruits for a new energy source.
In Oran's lab, a metallic humanoid frame took shape, beside a peculiar orb. But Vegapunk's voice crackled through the broadcast.
"Everyone, pause your work and head to the meeting room. We've got new trouble."
Regular researchers kept working, knowing Vegapunk meant the core members.
"What's this, Vegapunk? My research was at a critical point! If you hadn't interrupted, I'd have succeeded!" Caesar grumbled.
Vegapunk ignored the obvious funding plea.
As the others trickled in, Oran arrived last. Vegapunk nodded, his expression grave. "Everyone, we're facing MADS's greatest crisis yet. We're… out of money!"
"What?!"
(End of Chapter)
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