Roy put away the Den Den Mushi, pondered for a moment, and then gestured for everyone to gather around.
"There's been a major breakthrough on the doctor's side."
He briefly summarized the conversation, emphasizing the 70% success rate and the risk of rejection.
Kaido took a swig of sake and grinned.
"Seventy percent? That's not low! When I challenged those powerful figures back then, my survival rate was less than half!"
The flames behind Jin flickered slightly.
"If the doctor needs test subjects, the Beasts Pirates have plenty of guys willing to take the risk."
"No, the first batch of experiments must be conducted with caution."
Roy shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.
"My suggestion is... that a few of us cadres try it ourselves first."
Roy looked at Kaido and King.
"If even people with physiques like ours can't withstand the rejection reaction, then ordinary people have even less of a chance."
"Moreover, only through firsthand experience can one truly understand the risks and details of the entire process."
Kaido's eyes flashed with excitement. "Hehehe... Try it yourself? Interesting! I agree!"
Jin nodded calmly. "I'll participate too."
"But before that,"
Roy changed the subject,
"I need to discuss some technical details with the doctor first. A 70% success rate is still too low; we need a higher and safer solution."
Roy looked at everyone,
"This time, it's just me, Kaido, King, Moria, and I returning to Wano Country. The rest of us will continue our training on Raijin Island."
Bullet frowned slightly. " Roy, don't you need us to come back with you?"
Not for now.
Roy shook his head.
"The PhD student has only completed the theoretical model; the actual operation still requires detailed planning. Too many people would only attract more attention."
We'll go quickly and return in two weeks at most.
"Understood." Bullet said no more.
Half an hour later, Roy finished arranging things for everyone, and then his mental energy enveloped Moria as he slowly floated up.
Kaido's body swirled with air currents, and his form rapidly expanded and deformed—in the blink of an eye,
A colossal blue dragon, over a thousand meters long, coiled above Raijin Island, its scales gleaming with a metallic sheen in the lightning.
"Come on up!" Kaido's deep voice rang out.
Without hesitation, Roy landed on the broad back of the Azure Dragon first, and Moria also stood firmly under Roy's control. Jhin spread his black wings and followed closely behind.
Hurry up!
Kaido long roar, his dragon tail swung, and he transformed into a streak of blue light that shot into the sky, instantly breaking through the clouds!
The wind howled in my ears, and the clouds rushed past beneath me. The feeling of riding on the dragon's back was completely different from riding the Ark Maxim.
This is a more primitive and wilder way of flying; every swing of Kaido dragon body carries an overwhelming sense of power.
"Hehehehe! Roy!"
"I've found that the surprises you bring me have been increasing ever since we formed an alliance."
Kaido's voice resounded through the dragon's roar, causing the surrounding clouds to tremble.
"Right! I also think that collaborating with you is a good choice!"
Roy sat cross-legged behind the dragon's neck, feeling the wind rushing past him.
Looking down, Raijin Island has shrunk to a tiny purple dot, with the surrounding islands resembling scattered pearls.
" Kaido, if we go at full speed, how long will it take to reach Wano Country?"
"One day!" Azure Dragon's speed increased again. "One day is enough if we fly in a straight line."
"Just one day!"
Feeling the oncoming wind pressure, Roy stretched out his palm, and his spiritual power surged out, forming a cone-shaped barrier in front of the Azure Dragon to block the wind.
At the same time, commands were applied to Kaido's body.
"Speed!"
The sudden disappearance of wind resistance, coupled with the feeling of lightness in his body, caused Kaido's flight speed to soar once again, his dragon body tearing through the clouds like an arrow released from a bow.
Jin stood on the dragon's back, the flames behind him leaving a dazzling trail as he flew at high speed.
"Um?"
Kaido clearly sensed the change.
"The speed has increased again? And it requires less effort to fly!"
"This ability is really convenient."
Kaido's voice was filled with admiration.
"If I had this skill back then, I could have saved so much energy when that bastard Garp was chasing me."
Roy couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this. It seemed that Garp was truly outrageous; without any Devil Fruit abilities, he relied solely on his iron fists...
He has practically defeated all the high-level combatants in the One Piece world; I really don't know how he trained.
The bloodline of the Monkey D. family seems to be quite terrifying. Luffy has only Luffy sea for a few years, yet he has already become a top-tier powerhouse.
Roy felt ashamed just thinking about it; he had so many Luffy to become stronger, yet he couldn't improve as fast as Luffy.
"This is utterly unreasonable!!" Roy cursed inwardly.
With Roy's enhanced abilities, half a day later,
The rugged terrain of Wano Country came into view.
"Arrive!"
Kaido transformed into a blue dragon, and the familiar Wano Country scenery came into view as he crossed the waterfall.
The research base next to Onigashima has expanded more than three times in size after more than a year of construction.
The outer defenses were more complete, and the Seastone electric grid and automatic gun turrets gleamed coldly in the sunlight.
The Azure Dragon landed in the central plaza of the base, where Dr. Gracia had already received the news, led a group of researchers to greet it.
" Captain Roy! Kaido! Welcome back!"
Dr. Gracia pushed up his thick glasses, his face beaming with excitement.
"You're half a day ahead of schedule! Perfect timing, I have a few new discoveries to report to you immediately!"
Roy leaped off the dragon's back, followed by Jhin and Moria who landed safely behind him.
He glanced at the clearly expanded research base and nodded in satisfaction.
It seems you've been making good progress lately.
"Not just good, it's a breakthrough!"
The doctor rubbed his hands excitedly.
"Come on, let's go straight to the main lab and talk as we walk!"
The group passed through layers of security gates and entered the core experimental area deep underground.
The facility is at least five times larger than when Roy left, with various sophisticated instruments humming softly, researchers hurrying through the corridors, and the entire base filled with a busy yet orderly atmosphere.
"Doctor, please tell me about the progress of your Bloodline Transplantation research."
Roy asked questions as he walked, his gaze sweeping over the various experiments taking place in the laboratories on both sides.
"You said the theoretical model was completed, but to what extent?"
The professor pushed open a heavy alloy door, revealing a room filled with various experimental instruments. The group then proceeded to a giant screen.
Dr. Gracia demonstrated and explained simultaneously.
"The three gene lineages have been analyzed, and now we're conducting some transplantation experiments."
As the doctor operated the machine, on the screen, in various closed laboratories, a person was strapped to an experimental table.
As the robotic arm operated, a tube of dark red liquid was injected into the person's body.
This is our 327th simulation experiment.
Dr. Gracia retrieved detailed experimental data.
"The subject is a clone, designated K-019, possessing the physique of a standard adult male. He was injected with the essence of the Oni's bloodline, refined three times."
On the screen, the "subject's" body began to change.
The muscles swelled at a visible rate, bluish lines appeared on the skin's surface, and the eyes gradually turned red.
Everything went smoothly at first, but just as the changes were halfway through, a sudden change occurred—
"Roar--!!"