Just as Vegapunk said.
Long ago, MADS had set its sights on pushing science to its absolute limits.
The scientists within the organization all had different personalities, different research philosophies, and many of them couldn't stand each other.
But most of them agreed on one thing: in this world, the most important subject worth studying, the ultimate research topic, was always the Devil Fruit.
These "Secret Treasures of the Sea" possessed unimaginable power, a unique cycle unlike anything else in the world, and origins no one could truly explain.
So they pursued the source of Devil Fruits, traveling through ancient kingdoms, until they found the "root" Vegapunk now held in his hand within the ruins of one such civilization.
Or rather, to give it another name...
"The Blueprint of Life, that's what we called it after studying its properties."
Vegapunk's voice carried a trace of nostalgia, as if the day they discovered that root was still vivid in his memory.
"When we first noticed it, we thought it was just a fossil. If there hadn't been other things nearby, we probably would've ignored it completely."
"But after studying it, we realized it was something extraordinary."
He began recounting everything they currently knew about the root.
"It looks like a tree root, but in reality, it is... everything."
Everything?
Just as the name implied.
"The genetic structures of humans, beasts, fish, all living creatures exist within this root."
"And not just that. The structures of inorganic matter and even gases are fused into it as well."
"It's like a template for life itself. Even though it's only a fragment of a root, the power it contains is beyond imagination."
As Vegapunk spoke, a fanatical gleam flashed through his eyes.
"I'm not boasting, but I believe the MADS we formed back then was the greatest scientific team in the world."
"And yet, even with all of us studying it obsessively, analyzing its composition day and night, we still couldn't understand even one ten-thousandth of its mysteries!"
"And in the end..."
His voice became hoarse and shaky. Even a genius like him, whose mind contained countless memories and knowledge beyond measure, could never forget that day.
Because that was the day they uncovered the deepest secret hidden within the root.
"It was a structure identical to that of a Devil Fruit, only much clearer... It was the Lineage Factor."
That was the first time the term truly entered the world.
Lineage did not refer to human bloodlines. It referred to the bloodline of Devil Fruits, their origin, their identity, the very foundation of their existence in this world.
"After discovering the Lineage Factor, every one of my colleagues made major breakthroughs in their respective fields."
Vegapunk listed them one by one.
"Judge discovered its applications in genetic modification. Queen found clues about energy conversion and the transformation and continuation of life force. Caesar devoted himself to studying matters related to Devil Fruit abilities."
"Buckingham used to be the ship's doctor of the Rocks Pirates. Even though she wasn't a scientist, researching alongside us allowed her medical skills to advance dramatically."
"And in the end, we created the first artificial human, without defects, possessing a Devil Fruit ability, and aging at an extremely slow rate thanks to genetic modifications. It was a perfect result!"
There was no need for further explanation. Star Lord immediately knew who he was talking about: MADS's first artificial human, the Queen of the Pleasure District, Stussy.
What surprised Star Lord slightly, however, was Vegapunk's mention of Buckingham.
Her full name was Buckingham Stussy, a former member of the Rocks Pirates and the original template used to create the Queen of the Pleasure District. As far as Star Lord knew, Buckingham had supposedly been little more than a freeloader within MADS.
But from the sound of it, her real profession had been that of a doctor, and she had indeed benefited from some of MADS's research.
Of course, the thing Star Lord remembered most clearly was something else. Buckingham was the mother of Edward Weevil, the sworn enemy of his teacher, Zephyr.
And after hearing Vegapunk's words, Star Lord found himself even more suspicious about the true identities of that mother and son.
Naturally, none of that mattered right now. What mattered was...
"Then what about you?"
Star Lord's eyes, filled with flowing starlight, fixed on Vegapunk.
"Your colleagues all gained something from the Lineage Factor. What did 'you' discover?"
It was only natural. If everyone else had found something within the root, then Vegapunk certainly had as well.
Hearing that, Vegapunk scratched his enormous head.
"I'm a little different from my colleagues who specialized in a single field."
"I'm greedier. And more curious."
That was how he put it. But it was clearly not self-deprecation; in fact, it was quite the opposite.
For a scientist, curiosity is a necessity, and greed is the catalyst for inspiration. Only a scientist curious about everything, greedy for every piece of knowledge, can climb the highest peak of science.
So...
"I know a little bit about everything."
Vegapunk's words sounded humble, but Star Lord could keenly sense that the "little bit" he referred to was not in comparison to his colleagues.
He was comparing himself to the world itself. Compared to the entirety of the world's knowledge, what he knew might be only a tiny fraction. But compared to everyone else...
Dr. Vegapunk had long since reached the summit of the highest mountain.
Among all those achievements, that was also why Vegapunk never paid much attention to Caesar's research before. Cloning technology, lifeform modification, genetic engineering, energy technology, he had made major discoveries in every field through studying the root. In every one of those areas, he stood at the top of the world.
But out of everything he had uncovered...
"The thing I care about most is the true nature of Devil Fruits."
Vegapunk looked at Star Lord and revealed the most important conclusion he had reached after years of research.
"There's a certain kind of energy within this root. I still can't fully identify it, but it's one of the sources behind the birth of Devil Fruits. I used it to create the Seiryu Fruit, Model: Scarlet Dragon."
"So I call it 'Lineage Factor Source Energy.'"
"Through it, I've been able to determine that the true essence of a Devil Fruit is not the fruit itself. Its real nature is something far more conceptual. The fruit merely serves as a vessel that carries the corresponding Lineage Factor sequence."
This was the part he was certain about. He had already verified it through countless experiments.
The results proved that even without eating a Devil Fruit, an object could gain the abilities of a Zoan Fruit through Lineage Factor modification. Animal Lineage Factors were relatively simple.
That meant the "fruit" itself was never the important part. It was merely a container for the power.
Vegapunk had even begun to grasp the edge of the truth. He felt that, given another year or two, he might finally understand what that "concept" really was.
But clearly...
Star Lord had already figured it out.
Because the mural in the Abyss resurfaced in his mind. In that mural, countless people prayed toward the enormous tree, and from that tree, everything in the world began to emerge.
And beyond that, Star Lord also remembered that in the original story, Vegapunk seemed to have grasped the answer about five years from now.
"Wish."
Star Lord spoke softly.
"...Wish... a wish?"
Vegapunk froze.
"Wish? A wish... That's it! That's it!"
His voice turned hoarse as he repeated Star Lord's words again and again. Then he suddenly jumped to his feet as if he'd been struck by lightning.
"That's right! It's a wish! A perfect explanation! Flawless!"
"The true nature of Devil Fruits is the wishes of living beings, and Lineage Factor Source Energy is the condensed form of those wishes?"
At that moment, the way he looked at Star Lord was filled with almost reverential admiration.
"As expected of you, Lord Star Lord! Your understanding of Lineage Factors truly has reached the highest level! That's it! It has to be!"
He started waving his arms excitedly again.
Star Lord: "..."
Imagine telling the original author the answer to his own question, only for him to admire you for it. Who was he supposed to complain to about that?
Of course, Star Lord didn't have time to dwell on it, because he was now almost certain of something.
The root in Vegapunk's hand came from the very tree depicted in the mural. Naturally, judging by the size of that tree in the mural, this wasn't really a root at all. At most, it was an unimaginably tiny fragment of it.
But even so...
"Can you let me take a look at it?"
Star Lord asked as calmly as he could.
"Of course. That's why I brought you here in the first place."
Vegapunk was briefly stunned before realizing he'd still been clutching the box because of his excitement. He quickly walked over and handed the root to Star Lord.
Just as he said, he had brought Star Lord here specifically to show him this root. With the Zodiac's understanding of Lineage Factors, he believed Star Lord might discover something even more significant. In fact, the idea that "the essence of Devil Fruits is wish" was already a tremendous breakthrough. Vegapunk felt inspiration pouring into his mind.
He almost wanted to rush back to his laboratory and start researching immediately.
"You don't need to worry about damaging it. I've conducted countless experiments. This root is indestructible, it's even tougher than a Poneglyph. Wait, wait, wait, wait, WHAT!?"
Vegapunk's sentence never finished, because he had just witnessed something unbelievable.
His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, his tongue stretched straight out, and his face turned bright red.
Right in front of him...
The instant Star Lord's hand touched the root...
'Buzz!'
The root suddenly began crumbling into ash like sand. In the blink of an eye, it completely vanished from Star Lord's hand.
"It disappeared!?"
Vegapunk practically hopped across the floor and appeared in front of Star Lord, staring at his now-empty hand in disbelief.
"I-Incredible! How did you do that!?"
While he cried out in shock, Star Lord silently looked at his own hand.
Beneath the mask, Roy could clearly see the changes within the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia.
[Source of Lineage Factors Analyzed]
[Lineage Factor Development: 19.92% → 34.81%]
That's right. The moment he touched the root, the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia had sent him that notification, and the root immediately disintegrated.
To Roy, this wasn't unfamiliar. Whenever he obtained a genuine Devil Fruit and analyzed it, the fruit would similarly vanish after being absorbed.
So he could roughly guess what had happened.
"If that tree in the mural truly is the source of all Devil Fruits, then its body naturally contains portions of the Lineage Factors of every Devil Fruit in existence."
"And because of that, it can massively accelerate the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia's analysis progress!"
The moment that thought crossed his mind, Roy's heart immediately stirred.
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.p*treon.com/darkshadow6395