A piercing scream echoed above the secret laboratory on Punk Hazard.
"No one in this world can crack the human gigantification experiment!"
"Not even you, a genius scientist who ranks alongside me!"
"Stop dreaming, you damn bastard!"
The speaker was growing increasingly agitated, and even the gas clouds swirling around him seemed to expand with his fury.
The man had long, sharp black hair and horns protruding from his head—though these weren't decorative.
Every time Hughes saw him, he felt an urge to saw those horns right off.
He wasn't sure if the guy was from the oni race, but he certainly looked part human, part demon.
Standing over three meters tall, he made Hughes feel small—and Hughes had always been proud of his impressive 1.9-meter frame back on his home world. But after crossing over to this world, that advantage had vanished instantly.
Hughes wasn't originally from the world of the Grand Line. In his previous life, he'd been a top-tier physicist and biologist on Blue Star.
His greatest achievement had been developing a genetic serum that could help humans break through genetic locks and transcend physical limitations.
But before he could enjoy fame, fortune, and the world's admiration, a blood-red lightning bolt had struck from the heavens, bringing him to this world of pirates and adventure.
And now his mind housed something called the "God of Science System."
Through the system, he learned that his creation of the genetic serum—something so overpowered it defied natural order—had made him incompatible with his world's will.
Everything about the human race—talent, lifespan, potential—was like a predetermined program, designed in advance.
Now a virus had appeared that threatened to rewrite that human program entirely.
So divine punishment had descended to erase him completely.
Fortunately, the system had intervened just in time, bringing him to this far more exciting world where he could unleash his full potential and ambitions.
Someday, he would return to Blue Star and completely destroy that world's will.
After arriving in this new world, he naturally gravitated toward his field of expertise.
As luck would have it, rumors were spreading across the seas about a research organization called MADS, funded by Du Feld and actively recruiting promising scientists.
Hughes had volunteered immediately.
After all, to quickly turn his ambitions into reality, he needed massive logistical support for his experiments—advanced laboratory equipment, research funding, and secure experimental environments.
As they say, it's good to lean against a big tree for shade.
Given his current situation, allying with a major power was the best choice.
The World Government naturally topped his list of potential parasitic partnerships.
Some of the great pirate crews and future Yonko candidates weren't bad options either.
Whether it was the Big Mom Pirates or the Beast Pirates, he had things that would interest them.
Of course, the rising underground emperor codenamed "Joker"—Doflamingo—would also be suitable.
But right now, Hughes was just a nobody.
Those big shots probably wouldn't give him a second glance.
He had to make a name for himself first.
Only then could he command a good price.
Another reason for choosing MADS was that their research results were shared among members.
He could continuously absorb knowledge from scientists across various fields.
Moreover, only by mastering more technologies could he materialize tech points in his system.
And only with tech points could he manifest miraculous technologies from other worlds through the God of Science System.
The system had two main sections: a Technology Panel and a Scientific Achievement Panel.
The rare technologies in the Technology Panel required tech points to exchange.
The Achievement Panel, however, just needed gold—apparently the universal currency across all worlds.
Looking at it this way, the system had really opened up his options.
And compared to the harder-to-obtain tech points, with his intelligence, he could completely manifest achievements first, then reverse-engineer the corresponding technologies.
To join MADS, he had to prove his capabilities by demonstrating his research results.
As his calling card, Hughes had presented what would later become known as the human enhancement drug.
E.S. pills—short for "Energy Steroid."
Consuming these pills increased the user's blood flow and doubled their strength (one pill doubled strength, two pills quadrupled it, and so on).
However, the side effects were severe. Excessive use caused bodily mutations, inflicting excruciating pain and ultimately accelerating aging.
What should have been a banned substance became incredibly popular across these seas.
Pirates, criminals, bandits, bounty hunters, national guard forces, even the supposedly righteous Marines—everyone wanted them.
Some enjoyed the rush of instant power.
Others used them as life-saving medicine in critical moments.
Just one pill could instantly turn the tide of battle.
Demand far exceeded supply.
Due to the drug's scarcity, prices had once skyrocketed to 10,000 berries per pill.
As the direct beneficiary of this technology, Du Feld had made a fortune.
With money flowing in, his loan shark business had also flourished.
He'd gradually become one of the underworld's kingpins, earning the title "King of Loans."
Hughes had indirectly made all of this possible.
So in Du Feld's eyes, Hughes was his lucky star.
Within the MADS team, Hughes had subtly become second only to Dr. Vegapunk himself.
As long as conflict existed in this world, E.S. drugs would always have a market.
Thanks to this, Hughes's reputation as a scientist was decidedly mixed.
Those who'd survived battles thanks to E.S. drugs naturally felt grateful beyond words.
But those who hadn't benefited from the drug—who'd lost battles because their opponents had used it to dramatically increase their power—cursed his name without exception.
Moreover, the drug's existence had intensified the brutality of warfare.
This earned Hughes the nickname "Evil Scientist."
Thanks to the remarkable impact of the E.S. drug, he'd firmly established his position within the MADS team.
As MADS's reputation grew, everything changed when they discovered the "Lineage Factor."
The World Government, which had been sitting back and watching, finally couldn't remain idle. They seized Du Feld's achievements for themselves.
The entire MADS team was absorbed into the Navy's Science Unit.