The Experiment Begins

"Sig, it seems there won't be any results with the Op-Op Fruit for the time being. How about we change our approach and try other fruits...?" Gage's tone began to carry a hint of threat.

More than two months have passed since Sig arrived in Germa's territory. Although Gage considers Sig his for the taking, he is beginning to lose patience!

"I... well, I think so too." Sig pretended to be "forced" and "clinging to a sliver of hope."

Gage chuckled inwardly, knowing that Sig had guessed what he was going to do, but he pinned his hopes on Sora's medicine!

Sig chuckled inwardly, because Gage was thinking was exactly what Sig wanted him to think...

That evening, Sig secretly met with Reiju.

"Sig, this... I found it among my mother's belongings. Luckily, Aunt Aboni didn't consider it important when she was sorting through my mother's things, so Father didn't know about it either." Reiju's face clearly showed a struggle.

Reiju strongly resisted her current actions, but she had no choice but to obey Gage's orders because she was part of the Lineage Factor modification process.

Sensing Reiju's guilt, Sig felt somewhat embarrassed.

"You've found where Sanji is being held, right? I've arranged for a merchant ship to the East Blue for you. In three months... when he comes back, take this to him," Sig said to his younger friend.

With Sig's "Telepathist" ability, it would be incredibly easy for him to win over the merchant ship Captain heading to Germa Island.

Of course, the other party was unaware that the person Sig was going to "smuggle" across the border was the third prince of Vinsmoke.

"I..." Reiju didn't know what to say, her expression conflicted.

"You didn't do anything wrong, you were just trying to protect your brother," Sig said, taking the medicine from her and offering her words of comfort.

When Sig took the medicine bottle, he clearly felt her grip tighten slightly.

"This medicine... might not work!" Reiju warned Sig as much as she could.

Sig stopped her from continuing and patted her little head, saying, "Don't worry, I didn't rely entirely on this medicine! I think... the most important thing about your mother's ability to create miracles wasn't this medicine, but her love for you and your brothers!"

This wasn't just Sig's baseless claim; after all, Roger's wife, through "love," doubled her pregnancy.

Moreover, Sig has indirectly tested and confirmed with several researchers that the "Lineage Factor" modification is not something that can be achieved overnight, Sig has the opportunity to try to resist!

Sig received the fake medicine. Gage knew Sig and assumed Sig didn't know it was fake, but in reality, Sig knew it was fake.

The next day, Sig accepted the invitation to begin a new experiment.

Because Gage was unaware that Sig knew it was a fake drug, he assumed Sig wouldn't take any further precautions and thus confidently prepared for his Lineage Factor modification experiment. Sig, however, knew that Gage was unaware...

In short, Sig stood to the advantage in both logic and this power struggle!

"For the first one... let's choose the Flame-Frog Fruit!" Sig suggested to Gage.

Of Vinsmoke's five Devil Fruits, Sig is most interested in the "Electric Snake Fruit." He had previously demonstrated excellent coordination between "water and electricity" when he fought a few kids.

In comparison, the "water + fire" combination is rather foolish. Both the Iron-Iron Fruit and the Winch-Winch Fruit can improve Sig's physique, but neither is the most important factor.

After all, they won't actually give Sig a body of steel or the power of the Winch-Winch Fruit; they'll only increase his physical strength and improve his power generation structure...

The reason Sieg chose the Flame-Frog Fruit was because it was the one Sig cared about the least; he wanted to conduct an "experiment" first.

Gage didn't care about Sig's choice. He didn't need Sig to become strong; he just wanted to obtain experimental data from him!

If successful, this would be a prime example of successful Lineage Factor modification in adults.

If we could then find a way to replicate Sig's unique characteristics, wouldn't we be able to modify ourselves, and even all combat clone soldiers?

"Okay, lie down in there, just like when you usually practice 'Life Return'." Gage pointed to the larger and more complex "nutrient tank" inside the laboratory.

At the other end of a pipe in the nutrient tank, a container soaking in Flame-Frog Fruit was connected!

After entering, Sig immersed himself directly in a nutrient solution that was similar to, but not exactly the same as, the one he usually used for cultivation.

When the Flame-Frog Fruit on the other side was completely lit up...

Then Sig realized that he could no longer completely block out the whispers of the Flame-Frog Fruit!

Sig did not resist this, but tried to accept it willingly—the previous reasons were just excuses, and would not be "replaced" just because he heard the whispers of other Devil Fruit.

Sig by Distortion and insane "knowledge," Zig's "Life Return" functioned efficiently, generating a new set of organs within his body capable of breathing fire and generating heat!

This is precisely why Zoan Devil Fruit are much easier to analyze than Logia Devil Fruit.

Cultivating "Life Return" to generate new organs is undoubtedly much easier than transforming the body into other particles.

The "nutrient capsule" that Sig used for ordinary auxiliary training was a universal type, and its effect was to promote the mutation or "Awakening" of Lineage Factor. Gage's children used this method to train in order to accelerate the development of the abilities that had been edited into their Lineage Factor.

The nutrient chamber that Sig is currently using is a different version, specifically designed to match a certain fruit and modify the user's Lineage Factor!

However, in previous experiments by Germa, no adults had been successfully modified; all the test subjects died suddenly.

Sig now roughly understands the reason—others don't have the ability of "Reasoning Trainee," and forcibly instilling it would only cause their own Lineage Factor to collapse.

At the same time, Sig also sensed it...

There was also a faint "voice" mixed in with the whispers of the fruit!

[What are you doing? A disgusting voice has come in!] The voice of the Prison Demon echoed in Sig's mind.

He clearly sensed the voices that were imposing "restraints" on him.

This should be another part of the transformation—imposing ideological constraints of absolute obedience, which also applies to Lineage Factor.

Sig thus became completely certain that the sounds he heard with his "Listener" ability were not real sounds. In the world of One Piece, they were "powers from the outside that had seeped in and altered him," which were manifested as "sounds."

To resist this force, Sig also activated the power of the "Light Pray-er" with all his might...

From a mystical perspective, the powers of these two Sequence are similar... yet opposite!