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Chapter 3 - Chapter 3

While searching for opportunities, Hughes devoured academic knowledge like a starving man.

Step by step, by proving himself, Hughes also gained access to rare research files preserved within the World Government.

It was, without question, a colossal treasure trove.

Remember—eight hundred years ago, there were ancient steel giants.

Clearly, in earlier eras, the seas weren't technologically backward at all.

Recently, for his signature result—the "E.S. pills"—Hughes rolled out a brand-new version to the Government:

E.S. 3.0.

Building on 2.0, 3.0 extends the duration of the E.S. effect,

Letting the boost last until the user is completely exhausted.

Recognizing Hughes's special talent in human enhancement,

The World Government decided to put him in charge of the human gigantification experiments.

He'd effectively cut in front of Vegapunk.

In the original timeline, that project was Vegapunk's.

He didn't succeed—but even that guy Caesar managed to brew a giant drug.

There's no reason Vegapunk, who stands far above Caesar, couldn't do it.

Maybe he has his own bottom line—if gigantification truly became reality,

Who knows how chaotic these seas would become?

If that tech fell into the hands of the ambitious, there would be no peace on the ocean again.

Just like the "Jinzō Akuma no Mi Gijutsu (Artificial Devil Fruit Technology)."

It was clearly a success, yet they announced to the world that the fruit was a failure.

That old man is a crafty one.

Which is why we saw the opening scene.

Once the artificial giant project restarted,

Every other research stream had to give way.

Every one of Hughes's requests would get a green light all the way through.

That kind of privilege was enough to make the self-styled "genius" Caesar go insane with jealousy.

Why wasn't he the one honored?

Why not that bastard Vegapunk either?

They're the ones who discovered "Lineage Factors"—so what outstanding contribution did this guy make?

Just cooking up some body-boosting pills with massive side effects?

Having Vegapunk looming above him already made the proud Caesar miserable.

Now here comes Hughes, and Caesar's priority in the Science Division drops again.

Intolerable—when has he ever swallowed such humiliation!

"Shurorororo… well, perhaps it's for the best. Jintai Kyodaihka (Human Gigantification) isn't something humans should covet."

"The World Government has spent centuries and learned nothing that matters."

"When you bash your head bloody and burn through resources with zero progress, I'll enjoy watching how you explain that to the Government's esteemed lords."

"That won't be your concern. I'll succeed."

"Just don't let your 'dōshin' get shattered by my results."

"Ha—save the chatter. I'm waiting for the day you fail."

"Wanna bet on it?"

"If I succeed, you agree to one future request from me—and vice versa."

"Time limit—there has to be one."

"If you only admit defeat on your deathbed, won't this great me be taking a loss?"

"Then…"

"Twenty years—no, ten years!"

"If you succeed within ten, this great me will honor the wager."

"How about it? I'm already being merciful."

"No problem. Plenty of time."

"Shurorororo—settled, then." Caesar's grin said his little scheme had landed.

He was already picturing the scene ten years later where Hughes still hadn't succeeded—

When he, in great "mercy," would recruit Hughes as his assistant.

The man's latter half of life would be spent working for the great Caesar.

Gagagagaga—no, that's not how his laugh should sound.

Shurorororo—now that's the flavor.

On a whim, he'd hammered out this pact mostly because he coveted a future prize:

That near-perfect artificial Seiryu (Blue Dragon) fruit.

After all, the "Maboroshi-shu (Mythical Zoan)" is the meta answer going forward.

If you had to eat one fruit from this world, it would be the Blue Dragon.

Not only could you ride "flame clouds" to fly—you'd also command thunder, fire, and storm.

And with the system, the side effects of the fruit could be erased entirely.

Sure, the gene serum let him break human limits and gave him the capital to grow stronger—

But if there's a shortcut, why suffer through grinding?

At any time, a person should use their brain!

Once Hughes agreed to take on the project, the colossal machine called the World Government began to turn quietly.

Countless rare resources, by Reinhardt's specifications, flowed into a secret laboratory.

Even before this, Reinhardt had secretly been advancing bloodline-modification tech,

And had perfectly replicated the bloodline serum.

No exaggeration—he could immediately create cat-girls, snake-girls, and fox-girls.

If poured into the adult-entertainment industry, it would shake this world to its core.

After all, Zoan fruit users are still a minority.

Either way, he had ways to make a passable report to the Government.

What he intended to show the Government was the "mukusha (Pure Titan) technology."

And he alone possessed titan spinal fluid.

In other words, he controlled the lifeline of the tech.

So even if they got their hands on his research drafts,

Without the key raw material, they couldn't reproduce the miracle.

Sure, you could try cellular cultivation to clone the cells within the spinal fluid—

But only Vegapunk could actually do that.

And he doubted Vegapunk would do it for the Government.

When a normal person is injected with the Pure Titan serum, their cells balloon and divide at extreme speed—

Like a miniature Big Bang.

A small human frame instantaneously expands several times—dozens of times—its size.

The energy required, entirely supplied by the spinal fluid.

Which means the spinal fluid carries substances that spur human cellular division,

And organelles that deliver massive energy.

After division, the cells don't cut lifespan—on the contrary, they extend it significantly.

That implies the presence of longevity-related factors.

Beyond that, the transformed Pure Titan draws its motive power from sunlight and falls asleep at night—

Pointing to something akin to chloroplast-like structures within.

This spinal fluid was truly fascinating. Next, he would unravel every one of its secrets.

(End of Chapter)

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