Chapitre 73: Chapter 73: A talk with Investors!
Between 1503 and December 1507, Whitebeard had invested a total of 50 billion beli in Edie's research projects. It was a substantial amount, but this year marked the first time anyone from Whitebeard's crew had inquired about the progress. Every year, they sent the funds without a word. Now, Marco himself had come to ask for updates, signaling that the 10 billion per year sponsorship was beginning to strain even the Whitebeard Pirates' resources.
As for the progress of the research...
Edie felt a bit embarrassed. The truth was, he hadn't made much headway on the grain production project they were likely interested in. His focus had been split between two other, far more complex undertakings.
The first was cloning Logia Devil Fruit users. So far, he had the blood samples of four Logia users: Kizaru, Aokiji, Caesar, and Crocodile. While Caesar and Crocodile were easier to work with, Kizaru and Aokiji posed much more challenging obstacles. Edie had always wanted to clone them, but the scientific barrier was formidable—thick, high, and seemingly insurmountable. Despite spending a lifetime of simulation work alongside Vegapunk, the problem still remained unresolved after two years of intense research in reality as well.
The second project—breaking the level limit—had shown much more promising results. The key was strengthening one's soul, which could raise the upper limits of their abilities and haki. One reason Edie had chosen Beehive Island as the base for his cloning experiments was the abundance of pirates and the lack of a structured ruling power. More pirates meant more "experimental materials," although Edie carefully avoided experimenting on innocents or petty criminals. Instead, he targeted only the most notorious and vicious pirates, using them for his soul-related experiments.
The results so far had been encouraging.
"Marco? Bring him in," Edie said after a brief pause, taking a measured sip of his fragrant coffee.
Chenlong quickly got up and left to carry out the order. King, who had been silent during the conversation, finally broke his reverie after watching Chenlong exit the room. "Mr. Edie... what exactly is going on?"
"You Beasts Pirates didn't pick up on any of the intel?" Edie asked nonchalantly, openly confirming his involvement in human cloning.
King's eyes widened as he listened, processing the revelation. The clone of Kaido—fused with Lunarian bloodline factors—was standing right before him. It was hard to believe. If King hadn't seen Chenlong with his own eyes, he would've thought the whole idea was outrageous.
"So, was Zishu lying to me all this time?" A vein bulged on King's forehead as he recalled how he had believed for years that he was of mixed blood.
Edie chuckled, clearly amused. "Oh, Zishu probably teased you at first, but who would've thought you'd take it seriously for all these years?"
King gritted his teeth, cursing the mischievous Zishu in his mind. "Who was Zishu cloned from, then?" he asked, trying to shake off his embarrassment.
"Roger. The Pirate King."
King's eyes widened, then he relaxed a little. Being beaten up and mocked by a clone of Roger was humiliating, sure, but it wasn't the worst thing to happen. He could live with that.
Edie, still amused, added, "Alber, you're the last known survivor of the Lunarian race. You're pure blood, so don't let this nonsense bother you." Calling King by his real name, Edie smiled warmly.
King, now flustered, was unsure how to respond. Edie turned the conversation back to Kaido's interests. "So, what does the little guy want this time?"
"Kaido-sama mentioned that he's sponsored your institute with 100 billion beli over the past few years," King began, his tone solemn. "He wanted to know if it's possible to purchase a higher-grade, genuine artificial Zoan Devil Fruit—unlike the defective versions Caesar produces."
Edie raised an eyebrow. "Is he interested in the Azure Dragon Fruit?"
King shook his head slightly. "We're willing to make an offer, but we're also interested in buying either ancient Zoans or even regular Zoans if that's an option. Kaido-sama doesn't expect everything at once; he's been patient and sees the value in our long-term cooperation."
Edie smiled knowingly. "I won't sell you the Azure Dragon Fruit, but regarding Zoan awakening… I can help."
King's eyes lit up with surprise. "Awakening? You mean you can forcibly awaken a Zoan user?"
Edie nodded. "Yes, through scientific methods, it's possible to stimulate a Zoan user into awakening. However, there's a risk. If the process fails, you know what happens."
King's face grew serious as Edie continued. "In Impel Down, many of the guards are former Zoan users who failed to awaken properly. It's not exactly a failure—the animal consciousness within them suppresses their human self-awareness. They become little more than beasts."
Edie leaned back in his chair. "Tell the little guy that I can either help with awakening or provide a perfected clone of a regular Zoan. Let him choose."
King nodded, appreciating Edie's candor. While the Azure Dragon Fruit wasn't on the table, this offer still had value. Rising to his feet, King added, "Understood. One more thing—Yamato has missed you a great deal. Kaido-sama has agreed to let her stay with you for a while."
He hesitated for a moment before adding with a somewhat awkward expression, "The princess often mentions wanting to marry you when she grows up. In a drunken stupor, Kaido-sama agreed to the match. But, of course, it's up to you."
Edie blinked, taken aback. Kaido had a grand and wild idea indeed—no longer content to be the little guy, he seemed eager to promote himself to father-in-law now.
Edie shook his head with an amused smile. "Nah not anytime soon."
Turning to Caesar, who was trying to slink out of the room unnoticed, Edie scowled. "Caesar, why don't you head back to Wano? You'll write that research report properly this time, or you know the consequences. And as for the funds you've been misappropriating, I'll be deducting double from your salary."
"Yes, doctor! Don't worry!" Caesar responded eagerly, grateful for the reprieve. Without a second thought, he quickly scrambled after King, vanishing from sight.
After King left, Edie barely had time to relax before another visitor arrived. As soon as Marco entered, he cut straight to the chase.
"Mr. Edie, Father—"
"I already know," Edie interrupted, waving his hand dismissively. "Go back and tell Whitebeard that I'll have what he wants ready in two years at the latest, maybe even as soon as one year. That's a promise."
Marco, caught mid-sentence, was taken aback, unsure how to proceed. Edie, as if it were nothing, continued, "Isn't it just about increasing food production? A minor task."
With that, Marco was silenced, left at a loss for words. Edie, noticing Marco's hesitation, leaned forward and asked, "Have you thought about what comes next?"
Confused, Marco stammered, "Next? My father's dream is to make sure the people in our hometown have enough to eat."
Edie frowned, displeased. "That's it? Your ambitions are that small?"
"Small?" Marco echoed, clearly perplexed.
"Yes! You and your father's vision is far too limited!" Edie's tone sharpened, as though he were chastising Marco for thinking so narrowly. "Why just your hometown? Why not the whole world? I can develop high-yield grain seeds—it's nearly done—but what's the point if you don't think bigger?"
Edie spread his arms wide, gesturing as if he were holding the world itself. "Think globally! There are countless people across the world who need better food sources. Have you ever considered leaving the pirate life behind and becoming a global grain supplier?"
Marco stood silently, processing Edie's words. He wasn't entirely sure if Edie was serious or mocking him. But by the time Edie finished outlining three constructive suggestions and offering seven or eight strategic guidelines, Marco had a clear goal and left, seemingly satisfied.
Once he was gone, Edie chuckled to himself. "Alright, I need to start working on that sometime soon" he murmured as he gazed out the window, watching Marco fly towards the port.
Edie didn't just want to work on solving hunger just for Whitebeard—he genuinely wanted make this. And if the grain seeds worked as he envisioned, having Whitebeard handle distribution would be a mutually beneficial arrangement. Edie mused that he wasn't a heartless capitalist; a 70% profit margin seemed reasonable. If things went as planned, he would monopolize the world's grain trade, and when Edie stomped his foot, the world would tremble.
Soon after Marco's departure, Momousagi returned with Haizhu and Chou. She was no longer a Marine Vice Admiral and had left her cloak of justice behind. Nowadays, she dressed like a researcher, blending into Edie's institute effortlessly.
"Edie, I finished testing them," she announced. "Haizhu's energy level is 230 billion, and Chou's is 310 billion."
Edie nodded in approval, though he noticed that both Haizhu and Choun had sustained injuries during their fight. To avoid damaging Beehive Island, Momousagi had them duel out at sea.
"Good data," Edie remarked with a satisfied smile. He then reviewed the rankings of the seven earthly branches under his command:
Zishu, a clone of Roger with no Devil Fruit abilities, held the top spot with an energy level of 350 billion.
Wuma, Whitebeard's clone with the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, followed closely at 330 billion.
Chou, Garp's clone, also fruitless, ranked third with 315 billion.
Weiyang, Sengoku's clone with the Mythical Buddha Fruit, held an energy level of 300 billion.
Chenlong, Kaido's clone with the Azure Dragon Fruit, registered at 270 billion.
Haizhu, a clone of Charlotte Linlin with the Soul-Soul Fruit, boasted an energy level of 250 billion.
Shenhou, Kozuki Oden's clone, with green blood and the Clone-Clone Fruit, had an energy level of 125 billion—though this was rounded due to the precision of the glasses Edie used.
Of course, Edie understood that energy levels were just raw indicators of Haki reserves. Real combat strength involved many other factors—experience, intelligence, and strategy all played key roles.
As he pondered, Edie's thoughts turned to Shenhou. "Shenhou's weak," he muttered. "If new clones join the ranks and surpass him, I may have to demote him."
There were still five more spots to fill in his Twelve Earthly Branches. Two of the three clone warehouses remained active, producing new subjects while the third remained on standby for maintenance and to prevent cloning-related diseases.
His mind wandered to the possibilities for new Earthly Branch prototypes. "If only I could find Rocks' remains," Edie mused. "Where could his body be buried?"
If that lead dried up, he could always turn to Impel Down's Eternal Hell, where a host of powerful individuals were imprisoned on its sixth underground level.
"Red-Haired Shanks, Golden Lion Shiki, Dracule Mihawk, Fujitora and Monkey D dragon... I wonder how they're doing right now?"
As he pondered his next move and potential cloning targets, Edie's excitement grew. He was on the brink of greatness—world-changing research, limitless power, and a global empire of influence. The future was his to shape.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone