In the original story, Artificial Devil Fruits were discovered two years later by Straw Hat and his crew on Punk Hazard.
But at this point in time, Donquixote Doflamingo had already begun experimenting with them.
In some respects, his nephew had developed quite a diverse network of contacts and business ventures.
Arms dealing, underground organizations, underground fighting rings, gambling-he had a hand in all of them. He even held a stake in the slave trade on the Sabaody Archipelago.
He really was a villain through and through!
But a weapon in someone's hands could be used for evil or for good.
River knew very well that Donquixote Doflamingo had both ambitions and ideals. His methods could certainly be put to legitimate use.
The arms trade could provide his troops with a steady supply of weapons. Underground organizations could keep certain people in the country in a relatively stable balance, and could even be brought into the open and transformed.
And if the Artificial Devil Fruit factory was developed properly, it could even double the strength of his forces.
River had no intention of disrupting or destroying these experiments. On the contrary, he intended to give them his full support.
Devil Fruits were known as the secret treasures of the Grand Line. Those who ate them gained powerful abilities, but were also cursed by the Grand Line, losing the ability to swim and becoming vulnerable to seastone.
But after growing stronger, River had naturally come to understand that people could develop a degree of immunity to this curse.
"If we could grasp the principles behind Devil Fruits, or understand their true nature and master the ability to create them..."
River's eyes flickered.
This was undoubtedly a powerful and terrifying technology, one that could make his strength soar in an instant.
That