Chapter 91: Do You Really Think I'd Believe Your Nonsense?

Under the armed deterrence of the Pacifistas,

Vinsmoke Judge quickly came to terms with reality and adjusted his "little brother status."

The once defiant and unruly evil commander of Germa 66 instantly became docile.

To save his own life, Judge no longer mentioned "treatment fees" or held onto any hope of obtaining "Bartholomew Kuma's genetic data."

Truth be told, he had originally had a backup plan—

If he couldn't get the Tyrant's genetic data, that red-haired brat nearby would have made a decent test subject.

The Paramecia-type [Magnet-Magnet Fruit]—as a scientist, Judge understood all too well just how powerful this Devil Fruit was!

But unfortunately, the iron fists of the Pacifistas completely shattered Judge's ambitious dreams.

"Lord White Dragon!"

Judge spoke with extreme humility.

"The Germa Kingdom is willing to waive all treatment costs for Miss Bonney!"

As he proposed this "free service," Judge felt as though his heart was bleeding.

Germa 66's proud clone army—

Before White Dragon's "Pacifistas," they were as fragile as paper, crushed into mere scraps in an instant.

Though Judge hadn't yet tallied the exact losses to his clone forces,

a single glance had been enough for him to realize…

that the clone army was pretty much finished.

The time and resources required for Germa 66 to rebuild another clone army would be staggering.

And yet…

Who told Judge to provoke White Dragon in the first place?

'I'm such a fool, truly… I knew White Dragon was one of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea, but I never imagined his strength would be on this level…'

Regret—that was all Judge felt now, overwhelming regret.

If the heavens gave him another chance, he would never, ever cross White Dragon again…

The treatment plan Judge had devised for Bonney involved using Germa 66's technology to clone stem cells for her, followed by a live transplant.

The full cost of the procedure would likely be comparable to creating a "modified human."

But make no mistake—a "modified human" was not the same as a "clone."

The Germa Kingdom had an army of clones.

But modified humans? There were only four and a half.

Vinsmoke Reiju, Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji—plus the half-baked Sanji, who wasn't even acknowledged by the family.

These four and a half children were the modified humans.

They were the true trump cards of the Germa Kingdom, Judge's meticulously crafted "masterpieces"!

Now, having to waive Bonney's treatment fees, Judge felt like he was bleeding gold.

But no matter what, staying alive was what mattered most…

"Hmph."

Storm let out a disdainful snort.

Some people were like this—unless they were beaten into submission by reality, they'd never understand the harshness of the seas.

Storm didn't bother discussing trivial matters like treatment fees with Judge. Instead, he cut straight to the core issue.

"Roughly how long will Bonney's treatment take?"

According to Kuma's earlier explanation, one doctor had estimated that Bonney wouldn't live past the age of ten.

Judge, after all, wasn't Vegapunk.

Even Vegapunk would need a year and a half to fully cure Bonney.

How long would Judge take?

"Based on my experience, creating a 20-year-old clone soldier takes approximately five years."

Judge made preliminary calculations and gave a slightly conservative estimate.

"Cloning and cultivating Miss Bonney's stem cells would take about a year.

"The subsequent surgical procedure would require at least half a year.

"Factoring in recovery and observation periods, the total time needed would likely be... two and a half years."

Two and a half years...

Storm frowned slightly.

Bonney was currently six years old. In another two and a half years, she'd be eight.

While this age hadn't yet reached the "ten-year deadline" mentioned by the previous doctor...

It was still a dangerously close timeframe...

Kuma, however, felt profoundly relieved.

"Two and a half years... That's excellent. Bonney can fully recover before her tenth birthday..."

Seeing that even Kuma, her father, accepted this timeline, Storm found it difficult to raise further objections.

"Then we'll proceed with this arrangement for now, Dr. Judge."

Storm nodded before making an additional request.

"When you clone Bonney's stem cells, preserve a copy of the data for me and set aside a sample as well."

"The data won't be a problem, but the sample..."

Judge hesitated before asking,

"Lord White Dragon, may I ask why you need the sample?"

"Naturally, as a precaution."

Storm's tone remained calm as he laid all cards on the table.

"Dr. Judge, to be frank, I don't trust you. I believe in your scientific capabilities, but not your character."

"Ahaha..."

Judge forced a dry laugh, unable to mount any real defense.

Given his past behavior, the fact that White Dragon merely said "distrust your character"...

The phrasing was already remarkably diplomatic.

"Moreover, you're not the only one who can treat Bonney's Azure Jade Scale condition."

Ignoring Judge's discomfort, Storm directly referenced another scientist.

"I'll soon depart for the Grand Line, heading to Punk Hazard in the New World.

"Dr. Judge, as a former member of MADS, I assume you're quite familiar with the so-called 'World's Greatest Scientist'?

"Vegapunk!"

Judge's pupils contracted slightly.

During their MADS days, all members had operated under the shadow of one supreme genius—Vegapunk.

Whether it was Queen, Judge, or Caesar...

These mad scientists were formidable enough.

But Vegapunk existed on an entirely different level.

The very technology that caused MADS' dissolution—the Lineage Factor research.

That had been jointly discovered by Vegapunk and Judge—the "Blueprint of Life" capable of biological modification.

Though Judge longed to claim supremacy in Lineage Factor studies...

Even he had to admit Vegapunk's research in this field... matched his own!

Judge had even heard rumors that Vegapunk had cloned a Devil Fruit—or rather, an "Artificial Devil Fruit"—using the Lineage Factor of the current Emperor, Kaido of the Beasts.

That was simply extraordinary...

Zoan-type Devil Fruits had more extractable Lineage Factors than other types.

But Kaido of the Beasts wasn't some ordinary Zoan user—his ability was—

The latest novel is first published on 69shuba!

[Zoan-type Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Azure Dragon Form]!

Can a "Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit," which combines the physique of a Zoan with the supernatural abilities of a Paramecia, truly be replicated through science?

Judge didn't know.

But he desperately wanted to find out whether that legendary "Artificial Devil Fruit" was real...

"Vegapunk..."

That name stirred up some memories in Judge.

"The government must be 'keeping' that guy very well, huh?"

As he spoke, Judge's tone carried unmistakable envy.

He wasn't just jealous of Vegapunk's talent and knowledge—he was also envious of the treatment Vegapunk received.

A super scientist who transcended his era required vast resources to nurture.

Judge had to toil and risk his life fighting for others just to earn bounties, all to fund his research on Lineage Factor technology.

Yet Vegapunk could casually request research funds from the World Government!

Moreover.

As one of the member nations of the World Government,

the Germa Kingdom was also required to pay an exorbitant Celestial Tribute.

For all he knew, some of the research funds Vegapunk used might even have come from Germa's coffers!

The mere thought of it filled Judge with bitter resentment.

They were both scientists—how could the gap between them be so vast?!

"The World Government indeed holds Dr. Vegapunk in extremely high regard,"

Storm remarked coolly.

"But I've already obtained permission from the Five Elders to meet Dr. Vegapunk on Punk Hazard.

"Dr. Judge, remember to prepare Bonney's cell data and clone samples.

"When I go to Punk Hazard, I'll bring these materials to consult with Dr. Vegapunk.

"And if I discover you've tampered with anything..."

Storm left the rest unsaid.

But every adult present could hear the warning in his words.

"Absolutely not, White Dragon-sama!"

Beads of sweat once again formed on Judge's forehead, his back drenched in cold perspiration.

"My loyalty to you is as clear as the sun and moon!

"And Miss Bonney is so adorable—who could bear to harm her?"

"Save it, Dr. Judge."

Storm nearly laughed at Vinsmoke Judge's fawning expression.

"Do you really think outsiders don't know what you've done to your wife and children?

"Germa Kingdom's 'Poison Pink,' 'Sparking Red,' 'Dengeki Blue,' 'Winch Green,' and that 'Stealth Black' you disowned and stripped of his name.

"The tragedies of Sora the Hero and those five children were all your doing.

"Don't give me that 'couldn't bear to hurt a child' nonsense...

"Do you really expect me to believe your lies?"

If Judge had merely been panicked before, he was now utterly terrified.

Sora, Reiju...

And Sanji, long considered dead within Germa...

The kingdom's highest secrets were being casually laid bare by an outsider.

And now the White Dragon had even mentioned MADS—a project the World Government had forcibly shut down...

Judge felt as though his entire life was laid bare before the White Dragon, with not a single secret left.

"I... I... I..."

Judge's body trembled violently, his speech becoming stuttered, until he finally lowered his head.

"I understand, Lord White Dragon. I will do everything in my power to heal Miss Bonney."

"Excellent, Dr. Judge."

A smile finally appeared on Storm's face.

"Now this is what a proper doctor-patient relationship should look like...

"By the way, does the Germa Kingdom accept contracts?"

Though Vinsmoke Judge had pledged his loyalty...

Storm wouldn't believe a single word of it.

He could never bring himself to trust this scum.

Still, scum though Vinsmoke Judge might be, his scientific methods did have some merit.

"Contracts?"

Judge raised his head, looking at Storm in surprise, but quickly masked his expression.

"No need for contracts! The Germa Kingdom is willing to dedicate everything to Lord White Dragon!"

"Heh..."

Storm

chuckled lightly, not bothering to discern whether those words were sincere or not—they sounded pleasant either way.

"In that case, first teach this illiterate fool of a subordinate of mine.

"That [Magnet-Magnet Fruit] in his hands has been reduced to a 'Scavenger Fruit' under his usage.

"What a waste of a treasure!"