Dr. Gracia nodded, his expression becoming extremely solemn.
"Then, Captain Roy, please follow me."
He turned and walked toward another, even heavier alloy door at the end of the passage.
"Captain Kaido, Mr. King, and Mr. Queen, please wait in the lounge over there."
The transplantation process requires a high degree of focus and a sterile environment; we'll proceed one by one.
Although Kaido was eager to act, he understood that such a delicate operation could not be rushed, so he waved his hand.
"Alright! Roy, you go first! I want to see if the effects are really as miraculous as the doctor claims!"
Roy nodded to Kaido, then gestured to King and Queen before following Dr. Gracia toward the door.
The door opened, revealing a pure white circular room.
In the center of the room was a platform resembling an operating table, but more complex, surrounded by dozens of sophisticated monitoring instruments and multiple robotic arms.
Several flexible tubes connected to nutrient solutions and energy conduits hung from the ceiling.
A peculiar, refreshing scent permeated the air, seemingly a mixture of some kind of high-purity energy liquid and disinfectant gas.
" Captain Roy, please lie down on the platform."
As Dr. Gracia spoke, he quickly checked the various parameters on the instrument.
The transplant process consists of three steps.
"The first step is to use special medications to put your body into a 'semi-dormant' state of deep relaxation, slowed metabolism, and maximized cellular activity."
This helps minimize rejection during transplantation and makes it easier for your body to accept the new 'bloodline blueprint'.
"The second step is to remove the 'fusion embryo' that is customized for you from the culture chamber."
It is not a complete living organism, but a highly specialized 'bloodline carrier'.
We will place it above your heart, 'dissolve' it into the most basic Lineage Factor, and introduce it directly into your bloodstream.
"The third step, and also the most important one."
These Lineage Factor, carrying optimized genetic information, will flow throughout your body via your bloodstream and penetrate into every cell nucleus.
In your body's 'semi-dormant' state of high activity, they act like keys, unlocking those locations in your genetic chain that we have pre-marked.
And it begins to guide your own cells in a targeted, gentle 'reprogramming' process.
The entire process is expected to take twelve to twenty-four hours.
During this time, you will not feel pain, only warmth and a slight tingling or itching, and your consciousness will be in a hazy, dreamlike state.
"The transplant will be complete when you wake up naturally."
A new 'bloodline potential' has quietly been integrated into your body's foundation.
Next, we need to awaken them through exercise.
Dr. Gracia explained in great detail, making sure Roy fully understood.
Roy lay down on the platform as instructed.
The platform surface automatically conformed to the curves of his body.
"I understand, Doctor. Let's begin."
"Okay. Please relax."
Dr. Gracia nodded to the researchers beside him.
Several researchers immediately began operating the instruments.
A pale blue energy barrier rose around the platform, enveloping Roy within it.
Several soft tentacles emerged from the edge of the platform, gently touching Roy's temples, the side of his neck, his chest, and his wrists.
A cool and refreshing sensation spread along the point of contact.
Roy felt his muscles relax involuntarily, his heartbeat gradually become calm and strong, yet his mind remained unusually clear.
He saw one of the researchers push a transparent container about half a person's height over.
The container was filled with a pale golden nutrient solution, and in the center floated a "form" that looked almost exactly like him, but with its eyes closed and its body faintly glowing with a strange light.
"Inject the inducing agent to prepare for blood vessel factor stripping and introduction."
Dr. Gracia's voice rang in my ears, yet seemed somewhat distant.
Roy felt a warm current flow from his chest, quickly spreading to his limbs and bones.
My eyelids grew heavy, and my consciousness began to sink, as if I were falling into warm seawater.
In a hazy state, he seemed to "see" a soft golden light descend from above and slowly merge into his chest.
There was no pain, only a comfortable feeling, like soaking in a hot spring.
And the strange sensation of every cell trembling slightly, as if rejoicing.
Inside the lounge.
Kaido seemed somewhat agitated, pacing back and forth.
Although he trusted Roy's judgment and Dr. Gracia's skills, the waiting process was always agonizing.
Jin leaned against the wall, closing his eyes to rest, but his slightly trembling fingertips revealed that his heart was not at peace.
Worried about Hawk Eyes and Bullet following closely behind, he stared fixedly at the alloy door, his mind filled with complex emotions.
Queen leaned against the observation window in the lounge, trying to get a better look at the incubation chambers in the corridor outside.
They clicked their tongues in amazement.
"Incredible... This gene-chimerism technology is simply like art..."
I wonder if the PhD could share some technical information?
Perhaps it will inspire my mechanical and biochemical modifications...
Time ticked by, second by second.
Approximately fourteen hours later, the indicator light on the alloy gate changed from red to green.
Dr. Gracia emerged, looking slightly tired but full of excitement.
"Captain Kaido! Captain Roy's transplantation process went very smoothly!"
He has entered a deep, natural sleep state and is expected to wake up in a few hours.
All vital signs are stable, and the optimized bloodline has been successfully introduced!
Hawk Eyes and Bullet breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, nothing unexpected had happened.
After all, Roy is the undisputed core of this pirate crew.
Kaido's eyes lit up upon hearing this.
"Success? So fast? How is he? Has anything changed?"
"There are no obvious changes in appearance at the moment, which is normal."
The potential of one's bloodline needs to be activated through exercise.
However, according to instrument monitoring, his basal metabolic rate increased by 15%, cell activity increased by 22%, and his neural reaction speed also slightly improved...
These are all signs of a strengthening foundation!
The results were even better than expected!
"Hehehe! Great! That's wonderful!"
Kaido patted Dr. Gracia hard on the shoulder, almost knocking the doctor off his feet.
"What are we waiting for! It's my turn next!"
"Please follow me, Captain Kaido. Your embryonic body is ready."
When Roy woke up naturally from his deep sleep, the first thing he felt was an unprecedented sense of lightness and fullness.
It was as if an invisible shackle had been removed, or as if abundant spring water had been poured into parched land.
He opened his eyes and found himself still lying on that platform.
The various tubes attached to his body had already been removed.
Roy sat up and stretched his arms and legs.
The movements were fluid and natural, without the slightest hesitation. Clenching my fist, I could clearly feel the more concentrated and surging power transmitted when the muscles contracted.
My skin seemed to have become tougher and more elastic, and the sound of blood flowing could be clearly heard in the quiet room, with a steady and powerful rhythm.
With a slight thought, a Armament Haki covered his arm. The black luster was deeper and more restrained than before, flowing like the smoothness of black jade.
"It feels... good."