"What do you… want to do?"
Kurozumi Higurashi had a bad premonition.
Of course, she knew Eddie!
"You did a splendid job, Kurozumi Higurashi." Eddie praised, "Unfortunately, Orochi is a good-for-nothing."
"What… did you say?"
"I have no interest whatsoever in the power struggle between your Kurozumi Family and the Kozuki Family."
Eddie was unperturbed.
He took a blood collection needle from his pocket, pricked Kurozumi Higurashi's emaciated arm, and drew a tube of fresh blood.
"Eight years ago, seizing the perfect opportunity when Kozuki Oden went to sea, you imprisoned his father."
"Then, you used the Imitation Fruit's ability to disguise yourself as Kozuki Sukiyaki, feigned his death from illness, and passed the Shogun's position to Orochi."
"You really did very well. The Imitation Fruit's ability is indeed very useful."
The voice in her ear was like a devil's whisper.
Kurozumi Higurashi was unable to move. Severely wounded and on the verge of death, she was powerless to stop him.
Fear arose in her heart:
"You, how do you know? Weren't you only here two years ago…?!
"Who exactly are you?"
After drawing blood, Eddie calmly gazed at the blood in the syringe, using the brightness of the Moonlight from the window.
He said softly:
"I am a Eddie, merely striving to uncover the truth of this world."
"Orochi was blinded by his brief success; he mistakenly believed your achievements were his own abilities…"
"For the Kurozumi Family's successful revenge, you are the greatest contributor, even willing to die for it."
Eddie chuckled softly, looking down at Kurozumi Higurashi: "Now you've fallen to such a state, and Orochi hasn't even come to see you. This man is ungrateful, power-hungry, lecherous, a petty person who got what he wanted, arrogant and unaware…"
Hearing this, Kurozumi Higurashi's bad premonition grew stronger.
She trembled, trying to raise her withered right hand, wanting to grasp something.
"You… you… what exactly do you want to do…!"
"When you see Orochi in the underworld, deliver a message for me…"
Eddie's gaze became cold, as if looking at a dead person: "Weakness and ignorance are not obstacles to survival; arrogance is."
He reached into his pocket with his left hand and took out two tubes of blood.
[Simulated Scientific Research System]
Remaining simulation attempts: 1
Current simulation project: "Biological Cloning Research in the Pirate World: Human (Kozuki Oden) Lineage Factor Cloning Technology"
Are you ready to begin?
Yes.
Environment detected...
Necessary conditions for this simulation: Lineage Factor theory, Kozuki Oden's blood, Lunarian blood, Kurozumi Higurashi's blood.
Necessary conditions met.
Simulation begins!
Year 1: You have experience cloning Kaido, but this knowledge is sealed away. You must start from scratch.
Year 2: You swindle 2 billion Berries from Kaido...
Year 3: You swindle 3.5 billion Berries from Big Mom...
Year 4: You travel to Sky Island. With the assistance of Chen Long, one of the Twelve Earthly Branches, you steal over 1000 tons of gold...
Year 5: Your cloning laboratory is fully established. You have so many Berries that you can spend them freely, yet never run out...
Year 10: You successfully develop the cloning tank filling solution.
Year 13: Cloning failed.
Year 15: Cloning failed.
Year 18: You have been trying to fuse three Lineage Factors. This situation is different from cloning Kaido, which is why it failed.
You abandon the fusion of three Lineage Factors and adopt an alternative method.
You find Vegapunk and join his Research Institute.
You obtain the method for producing 'Green Blood'.
Year 20: You successfully clone Kozuki Oden No. 1.
The newborn clone possesses the Lineage Factors of both the Lunarian and Kozuki Oden.
The ability to mimic fruits can be used to a limited extent by injecting external 'Green Blood' into the bloodstream.
You order Kozuki Oden No. 1 to commit suicide.
He committed suicide.
Year 22: Kozuki Oden No. 2 is born. Your goal is complete.
Simulation ended.
The seemingly complex simulation information actually only took a few seconds.
Total research expenses for this simulation: 150.8 billion Berries.
Reward for this research: Knowledge related to Human (Kozuki Oden) Lineage Factor cloning technology.
Do you wish to pay...?
No.
Additional reward: Kozuki Oden No. 2.
Do you wish to claim it?
Claim it.
With a flash of white light, a young Kozuki Oden suddenly appeared in the ward.
The young clone had a height of nearly 2 meters.
"What... what is this!?"
Kurozumi Higurashi's voice was hoarse. She stared with wide, disbelieving eyes, trembling as she tried to get up, like a resurrected mummy.
This was Kozuki Oden!
This face was Kozuki Oden when he was young!
She had seen it!
Although there were slight differences...
The young Kozuki Oden before him had white hair, brown skin, and a pair of small black wings on his back.
He respectfully knelt before Edie:
"Heavenly Father."
"Welcome, new compatriot."
Edie put the three tubes of blood into his pocket, his gaze falling on the young Kozuki Oden's right wrist.
Through the glass of a device seemingly embedded in his wrist, bubbling Green Blood could be seen.
Green Blood!
This was Vegapunk's technology in the original story!
Vegapunk discovered while researching artificial Devil Fruits that only Animal Type types could be created.
However, as long as the blood of a Paramecia ability user was obtained and made into special Green Blood, non-ability users could gain the corresponding ability.
The Seraphim in the original story all used this method.
This was different from the Chen Long created by Edie.
Although he himself didn't know what method he used, he did not need Green Blood and directly cloned a Kaido with the ability of a Mythical Beast Azure Dragon.
From this perspective, the technology he used was actually more powerful than Vegapunk's!
Although... he didn't know it himself.
This knowledge is currently sealed in the system and requires 105.5 billion Berries to unseal.
Collecting his thoughts, Edie immediately asked:
"Can your ability mimic the dead?"
"Yes."
Edie glanced at Kurozumi Higurashi and gave a cold, ruthless command:
"Mimic her, then... kill her."
"Yes, Heavenly Father."
Upon receiving the order, Kozuki Oden No. 2 immediately stood up and approached Kurozumi Higurashi.
He extended his right hand and touched her face.
The next moment, Kozuki Oden No. 2's figure shrank, his back became hunched, and his entire face rapidly withered.
It was unmistakably Kurozumi Higurashi!
"No... impossible!?"
Kurozumi Higurashi, lying on the tatami, stared with wide eyes, her eyeballs bloodshot, her face filled with an expression of unbelievable terror.
Snap.
"Kurozumi Higurashi" strangled Kurozumi Higurashi.
The five fingers of her right hand slowly applied pressure. Kurozumi Higurashi's mouth opened wide, and she was choked to death, her eyes wide open even in death.
"Heavenly Father, the person is dead."
"Your tone is off. Can you mimic it properly? Do I need to teach you?"
After a moment of silence, "Kurozumi Higurashi" bared her incomplete, pitch-black teeth:
"Ehehehehe... is that right?"
"Hmm, at least the voice is identical. It should be fine to fool Orochi. Remember that Kaido hit you with a club yesterday, leaving you severely injured."
"Cough... cough cough... Understood, Heavenly Father."
"What a ridiculous monkey show."
Edie chuckled and shook his head, then said, "In that case, you shall be called Monkey."
Afterward, he gave Monkey a series of serious instructions and tasks.
Having finished these, Edie put his hands in his pockets and leisurely turned to walk out of the ward.
As Kuzo was about to follow, he heard Edie say without looking back:
"Dispose of the body. Throw it into the sea for the fish."
"Yes."
Upon receiving the order, Kuzo silently departed.
In the medical hall corridor, only Edie's footsteps echoed.
In the deep night, no one listened.
---