Vic's voice was firm and confident, giving people a great sense of security. Wendy felt that Vic's hand on her head was warm and large, as if it could shield her from all the cold and gloom.
Wendy's tears slid down her cheeks involuntarily. The huge, dark, and terrifying figure of the Big Mom gradually faded from her mind. Sunlight streamed through the dispersing dark clouds, and the earth regained its light.
Dr. Tsukimi and Kureha were both shocked by Vic's words; they never expected that Vic would agree so readily!
They knew that Vic was not ignorant and fearless; Big Mom was on par with Kaido, and at this stage, Big Mom's deterrent power might even be stronger.
They had all seen the news of Vic's battle with Kaido. Kaido had witnessed how strong Vic was. To agree to fight without hesitation after witnessing such a powerful opponent showed Vic's courage. Many people would have their resolve shattered after witnessing such a powerful opponent once, and would never again have the courage to resist.
Like Doflamingo, who possesses Conqueror's Haki, he trembled with fear when he heard that Kaido was going to cause him trouble.
He had naturally witnessed Kaido's power, and he couldn't muster the courage to resist. This shows how powerful the oppressive aura of the Emperor of the Sea is. Only the ignorant and those with true courage can talk about them without batting an eye.
Dr. Tsukimi and Kureha both acknowledged Vic's courage and willingness to risk his life for his comrades. Although Vic hadn't actually fought yet, his eyes didn't lie; it was no empty talk.
The fact that Vic came here without giving up, even though he didn't know if Wendy's illness could be cured ( Vic really didn't know if Kureha could cure Wendy's illness, but Drum Island was indeed the most promising place, and Vic didn't give up on this glimmer of hope), demonstrates Vic's reliability.
"Doctor! I need your help with something, let's go upstairs and talk!"
Vic withdrew his hand from Wendy's head, stood up, and said to Dr. Tsukimi, "Vic is indeed not afraid of Big Mom, but his current combat strength is indeed inferior to Big Mom. If he wants to accelerate his strength improvement before that day arrives, he must speed up his plans."
"Okay, let's go upstairs and talk!"
Dr. Tsukimi was already very grateful to Vic, who had saved his life not long ago, and now he had even more faith in Vic's character. He would never refuse to do anything Vic could do.
Wendy didn't know what Vic wanted with this bald old man, but she kept hearing Vic call him Doctor, so he must be a scientist or something.
She couldn't understand how this doctor could help Vic; he looked like a helpless old man. But she remained silent; Vic had his reasons.
Kureha knew Dr. Tsukimi's identity, but she didn't think the old man could help Vic in any way.
"Doctor! I wonder if you have done any research on Lineage Factor?" Upon arriving on the second floor, Vic asked directly, needing to confirm something.
" Lineage Factor! I have indeed researched them before, but it's not my area of expertise."
It was only several years ago, when Vegapunk's MADS team published their Lineage Factor theory in the news, that I became curious and decided to verify it.
Vegapunk was indeed a genius scientist. No one had ever paid attention to Lineage Factor before; he opened the door to this microscopic world.
Dr. Tsukimi greatly admired Vegapunk, but what he didn't know was that Vegapunk had read all the books of Ohara and learned a great deal about ancient technology.
You don't know if his research was based on theories or his own ingenious inventions, but with his Brain-Brain Fruit and his top-notch brain, he can prove or realize even a mere hypothesis. It can only be said that the theoretical science of this world has limited his brain.
"That's wonderful! Doctor, do you know about the effects of Devil Fruit on Lineage Factor?"
Vic was pleasantly surprised. He had originally asked on a whim, knowing that Dr. Tsukimi was a scientist researching intelligent robots, and whether she had explored Lineage Factor was completely unknown. Now that he heard that Dr. Tsukimi had verified it, his doubts could be confirmed.
If this had happened before he fought Zero, he would have gone to Sky Island and Birka without hesitation, found the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, and eaten it immediately.
The Big Mom's son's wedding was unpredictable, and Vic's time was extremely tight because he needed to continue to rapidly improve his abilities in a short period of time.
Eating another super-powerful Logia Devil Fruit would be the fastest way to steadily increase his strength, but remembering what Zero had said about the contents of the ancient stone tablet, he became somewhat uncertain.
If being able to swim after eating Devil Fruit is already a special phenomenon among Devil Fruit, then recklessly eating another one now might cause him to explode, which is not what Vic wants.
Therefore, Vic needs to verify this from a scientific perspective. He knows that Devil Fruit are Lineage Factor, which is why he sought help from Dr. Tsukimi at this crucial moment.
"I know, I conducted several comparative experiments in the West Blue comparing the Lineage Factor of people with superpowers and ordinary people."
Devil Fruit indeed alter a person's Lineage Factor. On the surface, Devil Fruit change Lineage Factor, but in essence, they extend segments of those Lineage Factor.
I haven't discovered how those extended fragments affect the user's body; I guess only Vegapunk's team has made some progress in this area!
Dr. Tsukimi's expression was somewhat regretful, whether it was because he hadn't seen the secret of that extended segment, or because he regretted not being able to apply this ability to his own intelligent robot.
"That's enough, Doctor! I only need to know if my Lineage Factor has that extra segment; no further in-depth research is needed!"
Vic was overjoyed. He hadn't expected that this trip to Drum Island would solve several problems at once, allowing him to obtain the Rumble-Rumble Fruit much sooner.
He originally planned to make a trip to the Sky Island when he was leading his own warships, at which time he would have more free time.
" Vic! Don't you even know if you've ever eaten Devil Fruit?"
Dr. Tsukimi somewhat speechless. Who wouldn't know if they'd eaten Devil Fruit? That kind of taste is unforgettable, isn't it? Although he hadn't eaten one, he'd at least seen pigs run.
"Doctor, I'm not sure if I ever ate Devil Fruit. I was too young back then, and my memory is hazy."
I only remember playing on the beach when I was little, and I found a very strange-looking fruit. I curiously took a bite, and the taste was so disgusting that I almost threw up my breakfast!
Vic wore a disgusted expression as he recalled the past. Of course, the recollection was fake; he knew perfectly well whether he had eaten Devil Fruit or not. The disgust was real; he could still remember the taste. However, he couldn't tell the truth right now. Vic could only apologize to Dr. Tsukimi in his mind.
"Then you can check if you have any special abilities now? Or see if you can still swim in the sea? These can indicate whether you've eaten Devil Fruit!"
Dr. Tsukimi, after all, is not a specialist in Devil Fruit research, and can only make judgments based on common sense that everyone knows.
"That's not necessarily true. I've heard of a Devil Fruit called the Revive-Revive Fruit). Eating it won't give you any special abilities, except for the inability to swim."
The power of this fruit only activates after the user dies, bringing them back to life—essentially giving them an extra life.
Furthermore, I've heard that some people in ancient times ate Devil Fruit and could swim. However, these facts aren't a definitive way to determine whether someone ate Devil Fruit. Only Lineage Factor are the most accurate and reliable method of judgment!
What Vic said about the Revive-Revive Fruit) is indeed true. The rest is an adaptation based on Zero's statement. It's not pure fabrication, but rather a reasonable extension.
"Are there Devil Fruit? I've never heard of them before. And you've heard of quite a few things, how come I've never heard of any of these?"
And why do you insist on testing your Lineage Factor now? With your strength, you don't need to eat Devil Fruit to have any problems! The key issue is that there's no equipment here to test Lineage Factor, and that's the biggest problem!"
Dr. Tsukimi came to Drum Island to find the renowned doctors there to understand the mechanisms of human movement. His robot is not yet perfect; it walks very stiffly and is clearly a robot.
He is also a scientist who strives for perfection, which is why he came to Drum Island, a major medical country, to learn about it. It's impossible for him to have brought his equipment all the way here.