" Dr. Vegapunk! I need an explanation."
Satan glanced at Kizaru, who stood somewhat innocently to the side, and at the bald, bearded man who seemed to be complaining about Vegapunk but was actually targeting him. After waving Kizaru away from Mary Geoise, Saturn decided to call Vegapunk for a chat.
"You're talking about Vic's Seraphim, right? The Lineage Factor I extracted from that special contract is what I Colon. The entire process was video-recorded, so there's no way it could have been switched. I'm just a scientist; I do whatever you give me. I didn't know I'd end up as a black dog!"
Although the newly Colon organisms were not very recognizable, just large, oddly shaped lumps of flesh, the one with Vic's name on it was somewhat different. It changed drastically in a short time, the most noticeable change being that black hair began to grow on that lump of flesh. Vegapunk even thought that Vic had encountered some kind of misfortune in his early years! (lol)
Upon seeing this, Vegapunk knew that Vic had been wary of the World Government. Others might not understand the changes in the flesh mass, but how could he, the one who developed Colon technology, not see it?
Judging from the gestation period, the embryo in the nutrient pod could not be human. It was growing and developing too fast, and its physical characteristics were not similar. Vegapunk had always been worried that Vic's Colon would be used by the World Government as tools for killing!
After all, Vic's original body was too powerful, and the Colon also incorporated many excellent bloodlines, so they wouldn't be too much inferior to the original body. Therefore, Vegapunk had already made a plan to find an opportunity to have Vic come over and destroy all the Seraphim embryos to prevent future troubles if Vic's Seraphim cultivation was successful!
However, since Vic was already on guard, he didn't need to do that, nor did he report the anomaly to Saturn, thus helping Vic keep it a secret.
"Why wasn't the anomaly reported promptly after it was discovered? It couldn't have suddenly turned into a black dog, could it?"
Saturn, as Warrior God of Science and Defense, is not just a name without substance. His scientific achievements may not be comparable to Vegapunk's, but he is certainly among the top in the world. He knows the entire process of Colon technology, so he naturally knows that the black dog's condition could not have been recent. Someone must have been hiding something from him.
"I reported all the abnormal situations to the CP personnel who came here to collect data. Didn't they report them to higher authorities?"
"..."
Saturn was somewhat speechless, because he suddenly remembered that all the CP Agent he had sent to Egghead had gone missing, and recently he had been plotting something big with York, one of Vegapunk's clones, about the Mother Flame.
This was a mission given to him by Lord Imu. Although he had retrieved the Mother Flame, he had forgotten about the CP's loss of contact. Now he realized that Vegapunk hadn't failed to report it; rather, all the agents who had been reported had disappeared. He had simply overlooked it!
"Are you sure there's a problem with the Lineage Factor in the contract?"
"Of course, you can come to Egghead to view the recorded footage."
"That's settled then. As long as everything else goes smoothly, I'll send someone to take away a few Seraphim testing. As for Vic's Lineage Factor, we'll figure something out later!"
Saturn hung up the phone; there was no need to say anything more. He knew from York that Vegapunk had been researching the Void Century and already had a way to commit suicide.
Even knowing that Vic Seraphim n't deliberately turn Vegapunk into a black dog wouldn't change the outcome. He's already collected the Seraphim's technology, and Vegapunk's usefulness is greatly diminished. He'll have to get rid of him when he has the chance!
"It seems Vic was already on guard against us, or perhaps he had access to advanced technology during his time in the Navy?"
Saturn sighed to the other Five Elders. Collecting Vic's Lineage Factor was his idea, but now it had failed. The strongest Seraphim turned into a black dog. If Vic's true form knew, he'd probably laugh at them. Didn't you see Kizaru trying to suppress his laughter the whole time?
"Is it still possible to find Vic's Lineage Factor? I've heard that the Colon process is very short, is it still possible to find it now?"
The blond Five Elders asked, though he wasn't in charge of science, he knew a little about the elements involved. They were really envious of Vic's Seraphim; all it took was some Lineage Factor to obtain a powerful fighter. It was a worthwhile deal, as androids were far more reliable than humans with their complex minds!
" Vic has been through many battles, and bleeding and injuries are common occurrences, especially when he was being chased by the Holy Knights. I heard that Vic was almost killed that time, but his flesh and blood from before had long lost their vitality and could no longer be used to Colon Seraphim. And now Vic is powerful and rarely fights, so it's even more difficult to injure him, and obtaining his Lineage Factor is extremely difficult!"
Vic did often get injured and bleed in the past, but at that time he was very weak in the eyes of the Five Elders and was one of the Navy's own people, so he was not taken seriously at all. There was no Seraphim Project at that time, so naturally no one collected his flesh and blood from the battlefields Vic had been on.
When Saturn finalized the Seraphim Project, it coincided with the implementation of the Shichibukai plan. At that time, Vic was still a member of the Navy and a significant part of its combat strength. Saturn naturally wouldn't consider him; he would choose those ranked higher, such as Sengoku and Garp. Did they intend to Colon all the powerful Navy members?
Since they were already forces under the World Government, the Five Elders saw no need for them to do so. Furthermore, the Colon individuals would be given Devil Fruit abilities, and this was the first time they had attempted such an experiment. Since absolute success could not be guaranteed, they naturally wouldn't start with their own people.
After the members of Vic 'Holy Knights defected from the Navy, the Five Elders felt their authority had been challenged and were enraged. They were solely focused on killing Vic, and who cared about collecting Vic's Lineage Factor anymore?
Later, Vic's strength grew stronger and stronger, and he evaded the pursuit time and time again. In the end, they had no choice but to compromise and let him join the Shichibukai. This was the worst situation. But even so, the Five Elders had a special contract trap waiting for Vic. Even at this point, they had not lost. They were guaranteed to get Vic's Seraphim!
The failure was only because Vic was overly cautious and kept something in mind; otherwise, Vic wouldn't have escaped their scheme at all. They always have a backup plan!
"How about we let Shamrock handle it? The plan was for seven Seraphim now there are only six. It doesn't feel quite right. If the truth comes out, Vic will definitely laugh at us, and I don't want to see that!"
If they don't have Vic's Lineage Factor, they can just find a way to get some back. As long as they injure Vic, it's much simpler than killing him outright. The bald, bearded Five Elders believe that Figarland Shamrock, the leader of the Holy Knights, definitely has the ability to make Vic bleed.
"Let's wait a bit longer and test the Seraphim's obedience and abilities first, just in case something goes wrong and we can't handle it!"
Saturn, being a scientist, is quite rigorous. The Seraphim is still in its infancy, and everything is unknown. It must be tested before it can be used. Having six other Seraphim for testing is sufficient.
The Room of Authority struggle is far from over. Since the end of the Paramount War, the seas have become even more chaotic, and the Revolutionary Army has taken the opportunity to cause trouble everywhere. Coupled with the accumulated public resentment, the five of them have more to deal with than they have in the previous twenty years!