"How could this be? Damn it, did it fail?!" The young assistant looked dejected and frustrated.
"No, I don't think so!" Dalt shook his head and put the black glove back on.
"Huh?" The young assistant was completely confused.
But when Dalt put the glove back on, the stone knight statue in front of them came back to life, its eyes turning and its stone sword raising. It was clear the statue was still animated.
"What's going on?" The young assistant was bewildered. Didn't it lose the animation effect just a moment ago? How could it be alive again without being touched?
"You try it," Dalt said, not answering the assistant's question. He took off the glove and handed it to him.
"Me?"
The young assistant was still dazed. He looked at the stone knight, which was now a statue again, then at Dalt, and cautiously took the glove. When he put it on, the statue in front of him remained motionless.
"Touch it and see if it animates," Dalt said, not at all surprised, and told the assistant to continue.
"Okay!" The young assistant nervously stepped forward and touched the knight statue with his gloved left hand. Still, there was no sign of animation.
"Give it to me," Dalt said, a glint of excitement in his eyes.
The still-bewildered young assistant took off the glove and handed it back to Dalt.
"If I'm not mistaken, the experiment… was a success." Dalt took the glove and quickly put it on.
"Master, we fight for you!"
As expected, when Dalt put on the glove again, the knight statue came to life once more, transforming into a stone knight.
"Hahahaha! It worked! We finally did it! The 'Edvishen' is a perfect weapon!" Dalt laughed with excitement.
"Now all we need is to set a genetic lock, and it will be officially complete!" Dalt looked at the black glove, the Edvishen, his eyes filled with adoration. Perfecting such a powerful weapon imbued with a Devil Fruit's power was a groundbreaking achievement.
The Edvishen was a black glove originating from the Gamas Kingdom centuries ago. It was a glove that had 'eaten' the Paramecia-type Animate-Animate Fruit, giving it the ability to bring inanimate objects to life.
When Aeridar first acquired the glove, he was overjoyed, but he soon discovered its flaw: once removed, the animation ability would disappear, and putting it back on required him to expend energy to animate an object again.
It was incredibly inconvenient unless the user kept it on at all times. Furthermore, anyone could use it, which was a huge security risk.
So, when Aeridar received the 'Blueprint of Life' Lineage Factor theory from Vinsmoke Judge, he had Dalt research the Edvishen in the hopes of perfecting it.
Now, Dalt, through his research into the Lineage Factor theory, had successfully improved the Edvishen. It could now be genetically bound to a user, and with a genetic lock, it would be difficult for anyone else to use it.
The perfected Edvishen, once bound to a user, could be used immediately. When taken off, the animation ability would temporarily vanish, and when put back on, it would return, saving time and energy. Plus, those who weren't genetically bound to it couldn't use it.
"Congratulations, Doctor! This is a revolutionary invention!" The young assistant was also thrilled.
"Sigh… it's a shame."
Suddenly, Dalt let out a sigh, sounding a little frustrated. "It's a shame that while I've completely grasped the Gamas Kingdom's Devil Fruit transference technology, I can't seem to figure out a way to perfect it. Trying to re-create a weapon similar to the Edvishen is not only incredibly difficult but also consumes a massive amount of resources, and the success rate is horrifyingly low."
"Dr. Dalt, with this technology, we'll eventually perfect it. Just like we perfected the Edvishen, His Majesty the King will understand and support you," the young assistant said, trying to comfort him.
"Our captain has never let us down," Dalt said, recalling some past memories. He smiled and regained his confidence. "Once I remove my genetic imprint and set up the lock, the Edvishen can be sent back to the captain. Then, Dr. Vade and I will start our new Project 03."
"The joint project between Dr. Dalt and Dr. Vade… is that the new bio-mechanical weapon plan?!" As Dalt's assistant, he had naturally heard about it.
"That's right. Combining biology with machinery. It should be easier to produce and control," Dalt said, remembering some of his observations during his time in the World Government. "Years ago, when I was with the World Government, they had a similar plan. I wonder how far they've developed it?"
"Dr. Dalt, I've seen Sriya-sama's new mechanical metal legs. They're a work of art. I'm sure that with you and Dr. Vade working together, you'll produce something even better," the young assistant said, brimming with confidence.
"Well… who knows!"
Dalt's eyes narrowed as a certain person's face flashed through his mind.
That person was Vegapunk!
....
A few days later, in the first half of the Grand Line.
Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 11.
Inside the Chris Pirates' mansion, a wounded Death Gun, covered in white bandages, walked into a spacious room. A large black dog followed him, also wrapped in white bandages, so much so that it looked like a "white dog."
"Well, you look pretty rough, Death Gun." Abel, who was drying his damp purple hair with a towel, turned around and teased. "I traveled for days for you; I'm exhausted. You owe me a meal later."
"Tch, Steel Boy," Death Gun said, feeling a sense of relief upon seeing Angus Abel. "I'll treat you to ten meals once we get to Clifford safely." He sat on the soft sofa, and the large black dog, named 'Uken,' unenergetically lay down at his feet.
"There's a file on the coffee table about why you were ambushed by those CP agents," Abel said, putting down his towel and pointing to a document on the mahogany coffee table.
"Oh, good."
Death Gun raised an eyebrow, picked up the file from the coffee table, and began to read.
Three minutes later, he had a wry smile on his face. "No wonder. So that's it. A World Government official's son who's so low-key… I really did get into a mess."
"But we haven't figured out who hired you for that job, either. Was it a deliberate trap, or did they have no idea what they were getting into?" Abel said, shaking his head.
———————
TN: Uken was simply translated before as Black Dog, as I didn't know it was a name. Uken is the japanese for Black Dog.
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