Chapter 415: Research Results, Next Steps!
On board the Dragon Hunter Pirates' ship, Marin presented her findings.
"Captain, the analysis is nearly complete," she reported, handing over a thick set of notes. "This creature is nothing more than an incompletely developed demon seed. It even suffered severe trauma during its growth, which left it a half-baked existence. For now, it's been tossed into the training yard as a punching bag. At least its self-healing ability is impressive."
Ryuunosuke glanced over the report. His eyes narrowed.
"Demon seed… what exactly is this thing?" he asked slowly. "And Merlin, what about that demon fruit you got from Chrollo? Is there any connection between these so-called seeds and those fruits?"
Merlin pushed her glasses up with a faint smile. "The Devil Fruit is far more valuable for study. Its very nature is unique—an accident of the world that cannot be replicated. The power sealed within it, that raw magic, is unlike anything else. It can even influence abilities that exist on entirely different levels."
She tapped the notes. "Escanor is proof. After eating his fruit, he managed to compensate for his original magical deficiencies. Do you realize how long I studied Escanor, without ever fully grasping his nature? And yet a single fruit accomplished what I could not. That kind of phenomenon is priceless!"
Her voice carried the giddy excitement of obsession, her words tumbling out faster and faster.
Ryuunosuke pinched the bridge of his nose. "Tch… shouldn't have asked."
When Merlin entered research mode, it was impossible to stop her.
Half an hour later, she finally wound down. "That's about it. In short—if we can discover the origin of the Devil Fruits, everything will become clearer."
Ryuunosuke leaned back. That was the part he understood: they needed to find the source. But such a place wasn't going to be easy to locate.
There were no concrete records of when Devil Fruits first appeared. But given their history alongside the rise of the World Government, they had to have existed for thousands of years. During that long span, countless scholars and madmen had tried to study them. Many had died for their research.
The most brilliant among them was the legendary scientist—Vegapunk.
"Right," Ryuunosuke muttered. "Merlin, you could infiltrate the World Government's scientific division. With your talent, becoming one of their prized researchers wouldn't take long. You might even be welcomed directly."
His gaze sharpened. "Vegapunk's studies into bloodline factors and artificial fruits are second to none. If you can access those files, we'll gain insights no one else has."
Marin's eyes glimmered. "So this world already has such achievements… that bloodline factor report I skimmed before—it makes more sense now." She lifted her hand, and an old report materialized. "Incomplete… but enough to confirm I'll need to go. I'll create a new identity."
She produced a forged dossier and handed it to Ryuunosuke.
He chuckled. "With this, and the Dragon Hunters' reach, slipping you into their ranks will be easy. Morgans can spread the right story—soon, they'll come looking for you themselves."
"Then I'll prepare immediately." Merlin snapped her fingers. Her clothes shifted into a lab coat, her figure altered, even her aura changing until she looked like an entirely different person. A scientist born from thin air.
With a nod, she vanished.
Once she was gone, Ryuunosuke summoned his crew's system dashboard. The Dragon Hunter Pirates now boasted four divisions, each terrifying in its own right. Recruiting even a single new member boosted their collective strength enormously.
But the path ahead demanded more than strength. It demanded strategy.
He tapped the Den Den Mushi. "Beru beru…"
"Morgans here!" the voice squawked almost instantly. "Captain Ryuunosuke, don't tell me you've cooked up something new already! I haven't even finished digesting the last wave of chaos. If you keep stirring storms at this pace, the world will get numb, and your news value will crash!"
Ryuunosuke smirked. "Morgans, I'm about to find Pluto."
The receiver fell silent.
"I want you to spread that news. Sell it to the World Government, and whisper it into the underworld. Fabricate some details about Pluto's abilities if you have to—make it sound irresistible. Then spread it everywhere."
Morgans's feathers puffed out on the other end. He could barely breathe.
Pluto. One of the three Ancient Weapons. A ship said to erase islands with a single volley. Its existence had always been shrouded in mystery, dismissed as legend. But if Ryuunosuke truly intended to find it…
The thought alone was enough to set the seas ablaze.
Morgans trembled. "Can I… broadcast it live?" His voice carried both fear and the hunger of a news hawk staring at the story of the century.
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