Chapter 708 The Celestial Dragons’ Swan Song

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The raging of the self-healing cells was a phenomenon Rowen was all too familiar with. 

It mirrored the times he'd overtaxed his regenerative abilities, pushing his body into a desperate state of autophagy. This survival mechanism, where starved cells cannibalize surrounding tissues to stay alive, was a horrifying experience.

Even Rowen, who could survive being hacked to pieces by Shanks, would never willingly endure being consumed by his own healing cells. The maddening hunger, the searing pain in his abdomen – it was a nightmare that still haunted him.

In that state, all reason vanished. All he craved was to devour anything containing energy.

Even… human flesh.

Everything in it can be summarised in a single word: hunger.

An insatiable, all-consuming hunger.

Saint Priestley was now experiencing this very phenomenon.

However, it wasn't Priestley's own body causing this. It was the spontaneous behavior of the cellular organization within him.

'Why are self-healing cells considered self-healing?'

It's because both their devouring and healing functions inherently cease on their own!

Once the original cellular organization is restored, the cells typically stop devouring and return to their usual dormant state unless energy is desperately needed.

But here lay the problem – why do they stop?

The answer was clear.

These were Rowen's cells, and their behavior was dictated by their deeply ingrained genetic memory. Each cell knew its precise role within Rowen's body, operating with order and purpose.

In another organism, however, the genetic information didn't match. Rowen's self-healing cells misinterpreted the body as severely damaged and began devouring everything to "repair" it completely.

The result? A raging inferno of self-healing cells.

"You've really outdone yourself this time, Vegapunk."

From the available information, Rowen was certain Vegapunk had once cloned a replica of him.

But unlike typical cloning, this process involved continuously supplying energy to Rowen's blood, allowing his cells to naturally grow and assemble into another "Rowen."

Rowen hadn't yet delved into the specifics. He was waiting – for Vegapunk to complete the experiment so he could use this method to create his own army of clones.

Much like the relationship between Kuma and the Pacifistas.

Vegapunk's approach was theoretically flawless. The Universal Gene Solution itself had no inherent flaws. They simply underestimated the terrifying devouring capacity of Rowen's cells.

Confronted with Priestley's body, riddled with the Nether River Virus, it was like awakening a pack of starving wolves with the bleating of a goat. The wolves wouldn't stop until every last trace of their prey was consumed.

Naturally, Rowen understood this better than anyone.

But the Gorosei (Five Elder Stars) didn't grasp the intricacies of the situation. Even after the thick nutrient solution conduit was removed, Priestley's condition didn't stabilize. His body continued to wither, shrinking to near emaciation.

Seeing this, the long-mustached Gorosei shouted angrily:

"He's going to die, Vegapunk! Use that brilliant brain of yours and figure something out!"

"It's no use… It's already… too late…"

Vegapunk's expression was grim as he slowly shook his head. He then opened a compartment on the console and pressed a red button.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of metal echoed as thick glass walls rapidly rose around the experimental table. Heavy steel plates, several centimeters thick, slid into place, sealing Priestley within.

"What are you doing?!"

The long-mustached Gorosei roared in rage.

"The raging of self-healing cells is irreversible! Cutting off the energy supply only limits their ability to replicate to a certain extent!"

Faced with the Gorosei's questions, Vegapunk replied:

"Because the last thing you'd want to see… is what they would become with unlimited energy supply."

As Vegapunk finished speaking, his gaze passed through the glass window to rest on the figure lounging on the sofa, calmly watching the events unfold.

"Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon), may I request your assistance in exterminating it?"

"Oh? Naturally."

One of Rowen's purposes for observing this experiment was to prevent unforeseen incidents— cleanup duties included.

With a leap, Rowen shattered the glass window and landed on the steel plating below.

"All I need to do is eliminate it, correct?"

"Exactly."

Vegapunk nodded gravely. "Please grant him a proper death before his body dissolves into pus."

When self-healing cells consumed everything available, the final outcome was turning on their host, leading to complete breakdown and liquefaction— a result Vegapunk had observed in hundreds of prior experiments.

"No wonder a steel plate was prepared… I see now."

Rowen glanced down at the metal surface and allowed a faint smile. "Saint Priestley, my apologies!"

300 Million Volt: Discharge!

Zzzzz!

The piercing sound of electricity echoed through the lab. Lightning crackled around Rowen's hand, glowing with an ominous blue light, before plunging straight down, penetrating the metal plating effortlessly.

The oppressive aura suffocated everyone in the room. Rowen, expressionless, extended his hand further, allowing the thunderbolts to envelop the rapidly withering Priestley.

And then—

Boom!

A muffled explosion resounded. The thick glass walls designed to withstand cannon fire cracked with countless fine white fissures. Priestley, without even a moment of pain, disintegrated in the blast into a cloud of black smoke.

Though the devouring nature of the cells was terrifying, they were ultimately still just cells. Against the destructive might of Rowen's current electrical power, they stood no chance.

"H-how… how could this happen…"

The Gorosei (Five Elder Stars) looked on in pale disbelief as Priestley's ashes vanished in the lightning storm. Their expressions were dazed, stunned into silence.

They hadn't stopped Rowen because they trusted Vegapunk's judgment—it was never wrong.

But even so, Priestley had been a Celestial Dragon!

A supreme, unparalleled Celestial Dragon!

At this moment, the Gorosei felt no anger, only overwhelming sorrow.

Even Vegapunk's cutting-edge experiments had failed. Was the Celestial Dragons' extinction truly inevitable?

"Truly deserving of being my cells— they didn't let me down."

Standing on the steel plate, Rowen calmly observed everyone's expressions.

He then turned to the stunned staff and ordered: "What are you standing around for? Clean up the site and organize the data!"

"One failed experiment doesn't mean your methods were wrong. Don't let Saint Priestley's sacrifice be in vain— understood?!"

The white-coated researchers, stunned moments earlier, quickly regained their composure, their eyes lighting up.

"Yes, sir!"

After reprimanding the staff, Rowen was about to leave when he noticed Caesar lurking in a corner.

Caesar wore a grim expression. Although this experiment had been supervised and dictated entirely by Vegapunk, Caesar's contributions had been crucial— it was his creation that had formed the foundation of this test. He bore undeniable responsibility.

Yet Caesar's gaze wasn't one of fear over potential punishment. It was the look of someone making a decision—a wild, reckless decision.

"Interesting," Rowen thought. He turned his head as if he hadn't seen Caesar's expression, took a step forward, and vanished.

Back in the room where the distraught Gorosei gathered, Rowen took a deep breath and spoke solemnly:

"That being said, we cannot afford to be as optimistic as they are."

"Now is not the time for you to wallow in sorrow!"

"Gentlemen, I believe it's time for a serious discussion… about the future!"

(End Of Chapter)