Chapitre 60: Chapter 60: Double Agent Lucci!
Breaking through the 100-billion energy level and touching his own upper limit, Edie felt a deep sense of satisfaction wash over him. But that satisfaction was quickly tempered by a lingering headache—how to push beyond his own limits?
He needed to approach this scientifically. First, identify the factors, second, develop a hypothesis, and finally... well, he had no clear answers yet. Lost in thought, he left the underground laboratory, contemplating the unknown.
As he ascended the long staircase, Edie was greeted at the exit by Chen Long.
"Lord Heavenly Father," Chen Long said respectfully.
Without hesitation, Edie gave his orders. "Contact Du Feld and place an order for another 10 billion in goods, following the previous material list. Expedite it, and ensure it's delivered within a month."
The lab's resources had been drained almost entirely by his recent breakthrough, and with 400 clones still in progress, he couldn't afford any delays in restocking.
"And summon the other earthly branches. Have them meet me at the [right eye]," he added before heading upstairs.
Soon after, Edie found himself seated on a comfortable throne within the Hive Research Institute, nestled within the skull's right eye. Holding a cup of hot coffee, he waited until Chen Long arrived with the other four earthly branches. They all knelt on one knee, bowing with deep reverence.
"Lord Heavenly Father," they greeted in unison.
"I'm going to teach you two advanced Haki moves," Edie announced, wasting no time. "They're difficult to master and require an understanding of ghost particles and souls."
He was referring to the Black Flash and Red Flash techniques—moves that required mastery of P particles, the enigmatic ghost particles central to his research. Sighing inwardly, Edie began a rudimentary explanation, starting with the most basic principles of science from his previous world.
"Science is objective, divided into the macro world and the micro world..." he droned, losing himself in the lecture.
Minutes passed when suddenly Hancock entered the room. Edie stopped mid-sentence, and the earthly branches snapped out of their trance, grateful for the interruption.
"Hancock, what's wrong?" Edie asked, noticing her downcast expression. He smiled knowingly. "Who bullied you?"
"Master Edie..." Hancock's voice was soft as she ran toward him. Edie barely had time to set his coffee aside before she leaped into his arms.
"What's the matter?" he asked gently, hugging her back.
"Do you not want me anymore?" Hancock's voice was trembling, her big, teary eyes staring up at him with a mixture of vulnerability and hurt. She clung to him tightly, like a small animal afraid of abandonment.
Edie chuckled softly, running his hand through her hair, feeling the silky strands slip through his fingers. "Why would I not want you? Without you, who would cook for me, wash my clothes? How would I survive?"
His words echoed what Hancock had said to him two years ago when he left the Flower Capital Research Institute, causing her to beam with pride.
"Yes, I take the best care of you, Mr. Edie!" she chirped, though her expression quickly shifted. "Master Edie, I want to be the Heavenly Mother too..."
Edie's mind flashed to Toki, realizing what had stirred Hancock's competitive spirit. She was only 14, after all, still a child in his eyes.
"You're only 14..." he said with a sigh, thinking to himself how ridiculous this female rivalry was.
But Hancock, unwilling to be treated as a mere child, frowned in defiance. "Almost 15! I've grown up!"
She gazed at Edie with wide, pleading eyes. "Can't I, Master Edie? Please~"
She was acting coquettishly now, and Edie couldn't help but smile. "Of course, you can. Chen Long, ensure that Hancock is always treated with the utmost respect."
Chen Long and the others immediately saluted, their voices ringing out, "Yes! Good morning, Heavenly Mother!"
Zishu's voice was the loudest, clearly relieved to have avoided Edie's dense scientific explanations. Hancock's smile widened, and she buried her face into Edie's chest, her cheeks flushed with happiness.
"Alright, alright. Enough of that. Get up now, don't cling to me like that," Edie said, patting her on the shoulder. Her wriggling was starting to affect his concentration—and his composure.
"I don't want to," Hancock pouted. "Let me hold you for a bit longer, Master Edie. You smell so good."
"That's just the scent of the cloning chamber fluid..." Edie muttered, feeling exasperated. Hancock was growing more clingy by the day, acting more like both a daughter and a girlfriend wrapped into one.
Sensing the growing tension, the earthly branches quickly took their leave, practically fleeing the room. As soon as they were outside, they shared a collective sigh of relief.
"Did you understand any of that science stuff?" Zishu asked with a grin.
"Not a single word," Shenhou replied.
"Yeah, there's no way I can learn that stuff. Let's go grab a drink," Zishu declared, immediately tossing aside the scientific book he had been holding.
Meanwhile, back inside, Edie sighed, gently hugging Hancock who was still nestled in his lap. He knew he wasn't the best teacher but it baffled him that the others couldn't grasp concepts that seemed so basic to him. But for now, he pushed those thoughts aside and focused on comforting the overjoyed Hancock.
Just then, the phone bug rang.
Edie reached out and picked up the phone bug, noticing the fiery anger in Hancock's eyes. She clearly resented the intrusion, finding it unforgivable that someone dared to interrupt her precious time with Edie.
"Get up first," he instructed gently.
"Yes~" Hancock responded, though still visibly annoyed, obediently rising from his lap. "Mr. Edie, I'll make you a fresh cup of coffee."
As she left, Edie connected the line, and a hoarse, hurried voice crackled through the receiver.
"I'm Rob Lucci, Mr. Edie. The World Government is preparing to launch a Buster Call on Beehive Island!"
Edie's eyes flickered with surprise—not at the Buster Call itself, but at the identity of the person on the other end. Rob Lucci. The fact that Lucci had survived amused him.
"You didn't disappoint me," Edie mused, a faint smile curling at his lips. "You managed to survive... little monkey."
Meanwhile, far away in a hospital within a World Government-affiliated country, Rob Lucci crouched in a small bathroom stall, clutching the phone bug. He listened intently to Edie's voice, feeling an unexpected surge of excitement. The pain from his wounds flared, but he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to remain silent.
"This is indeed a test," he thought, feeling both pressure and thrill from immediately betraying the World Government right after recovering from his injuries.
"The number of troops dispatched is about 5,000," Lucci continued quickly. "There are over 200 Elite marine officers. And this mission is being led by Marine Admiral Sengoku himself. The Vice Admirals participating in the operation are…"
Lucci paused, his voice steady despite the pain.
"Marine Hero, Garp."
"Logia: Frozen Fruit ability user, Vice Admiral Aokiji."
"Logia: Light Fruit ability user, Vice Admiral Kizaru."
"Alternate Admiral of Headquarters, Momousagi."
"And Alternate Admiral of Headquarters, Chaton."
Hearing these names, Edie's expression remained unmoved. The mention of alternate admirals, Momousagi and Chaton, didn't faze him at all. "They will still be alternate admirals even after 15 years?" he thought, amused at the stagnation of their ranks.
"Your intel is impressive, little monkey," Edie remarked with a slight smile. "Now, what do you want as a reward?"
Rob Lucci's cold, calculated tone came through again. "Mr. Edie, your strength is admirable. I don't want anything. I only wish to serve you."
Edie chuckled softly, though he remained wary. "I see... continue lurking then. I look forward to seeing your performance."
With that, the communication cut off, leaving Rob Lucci to exhale a long, shaky breath. He had narrowly escaped death just the night before, clawing his way back from the brink. Despite the near-fatal encounter with Edie, Lucci harbored no resentment—only a burning desire to prove he was more than just a "monkey." He needed to demonstrate his true worth to Edie.
Back on Beehive Island, Edie pondered over the information he had just received. He couldn't entirely dismiss the possibility that Lucci was playing a double role, potentially planted by the World Government as a false informant. Yet, he quickly shrugged off the concern.
"So what?" Edie thought. "Thanks to this information, I can act quicker and keep the battle away from the Hive."
Just then, Hancock returned, carrying a fresh cup of coffee. "Sir Edie, the coffee is ready," she said with a soft smile.
Edie took a sip, savoring the warmth before rising from his throne. He gently patted Hancock's head, offering her a reassuring smile. "Hancock, I'll be taking the earthly branches away for a while. While we're gone, I need you to look after the research institute."
Hancock blinked, her large eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and confusion. "Yes! But... what happened, Mr. Edie?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Nothing," Edie said calmly, his tone light. "Nothing's happened, and nothing will happen."
New World, a Treacherous Stretch of the Sea
A fleet sailed steadily through the dangerous waters, its course set straight for Beehive Island. In the Grand Line, the marines had more than just the usual recording pointers at their disposal. They possessed a "permanent pointer," a tool capable of pointing to a specific island indefinitely, and the World Government had one for Beehive Island. It was not a rare thing, but in this case, it was a tool guiding them toward a fierce confrontation.
The fleet had been navigating the treacherous seas for five days now, braving turbulent waters that stretched across the New World. Leading this immense armada was Fleet Admiral Kong himself. The elite marines aboard were full of vigor, marching forward with an unwavering spirit. They were unaware of the true scale of the conflict they were about to face.
However, unlike the blissfully ignorant soldiers, the five Vice Admirals accompanying them were gripped with a sense of solemnity and unease. This was no ordinary Buster Call. They weren't merely attacking a pirate stronghold—they were challenging an emperor of the New World.
No, it was perhaps more severe than that. Edie and his earthly branches could very well rival the fearsome reputation of the Rocks Pirates themselves. The thought lingered in their minds, a haunting comparison that weighed heavily on their shoulders.
Suddenly, the skies darkened as if nature itself was warning of an impending disaster. The wind howled, and the sea churned, the ominous atmosphere sending shivers down the spines of even the bravest marines.
On the command ship, the lookout marines squinted toward the horizon, their hearts pounding with unease. "Why has the weather changed so suddenly?" one of them muttered nervously, gripping his telescope tighter.
Even in the unpredictable New World, this shift in the weather was unnatural—thick, brooding clouds rolled across the sky, suffocating the light. "This can't just be a storm," another lookout whispered.
Then, someone spotted something in the sky. "Wait... what's that!?"
More marines began to take notice. Under the rapidly darkening skies, five shadowy figures soared above the fleet. Four of them had massive, black wings unfurled behind them, beating slowly but powerfully, while the figure in the center floated effortlessly, hands tucked calmly into his white robes. He had no wings, yet he stood in the air with an aura of supremacy that chilled the onlookers to the bone.
One marine, struck with fear, dropped his telescope, the metallic clatter echoing across the deck.
"Enemy attack!" the panicked voice of a soldier cried out, shattering the uneasy silence.
"Enemy attack!!"
"We have been ambushed!!"
In the blink of an eye, chaos ensued as sirens flared. The once-organized fleet fell into disarray, marines scrambling across the decks as they prepared for what was coming. The air buzzed with shouts of confusion and fear, and the tension swelled like the storm overhead. They were not prepared for this. Not for an sudden attack like this.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone