Darkness slowly gave way to awareness.
Days passed.
Then weeks.
Inside the warm, living world of the womb, Vik's mind continued to grow sharper.
His body, however, was still fragile and unfinished.
But the world outside…
He could feel it.
Ever since his strange ability awakened, his mind constantly brushed against the thoughts and emotions around him. Sometimes they were faint. Other times they were overwhelming.
At first it had terrified him.
Now…
He was slowly learning to live with it.
His Observation Haki pulsed unconsciously, touching the minds outside like invisible fingers.
Some minds were curious.
Some were indifferent.
Some were cruel.
And one mind stood above all the others.
Cold.
Brilliant.
And utterly merciless.
Vinsmoke Judge.
Even without hearing the man clearly, Vik could feel his thoughts.
Calculations.
Expectations.
Experiments.
Perfection.
To Judge, children were not sons or daughters.
They were projects.
The First Experiment
The day it began, Vik sensed the change immediately.
The calm rhythm of the womb shifted.
The mother's heartbeat quickened.
Fear filled the air like a storm cloud.
Vinsmoke Sora was afraid.
Not of pain.
Not of death.
But of what Judge was about to do.
Vik felt her emotions clearly through his haki.
Love.
Desperation.
Defiance.
Then the cold presence of Judge approached.
His thoughts were precise and controlled.
Judge (thinking calmly):
Today we begin the enhancement process.
A faint mechanical sound vibrated through the liquid around Vik.
Metal.
Machines.
Scientific instruments.
Then—
Something entered the womb.
A needle.
Even without seeing it, Vik's mind sensed the sharp intention behind it.
His tiny body twitched instinctively.
The moment the substance entered the womb, the liquid around him changed.
His entire body reacted.
Pain.
Blinding, burning pain.
It spread through every cell like liquid fire.
His tiny muscles convulsed violently.
Vik (thinking in shock):
AGH— WHAT IS THIS?!
His body felt like it was being rewritten from the inside.
Bones tightening.
Muscles forming.
Cells dividing faster than they should.
His mind struggled to keep up with the overwhelming sensation.
Nearby, the other baby reacted as well.
Reiju.
Her emotions spiked in fear and confusion.
But she didn't resist.
Her body simply… accepted the change.
Vik, however—
Was different.
His mind screamed.
His will pushed back instinctively.
And something strange happened.
The foreign energy moving through his body met resistance.
Not from his muscles.
Not from his blood.
But from his mind.
His haki surged unconsciously.
Like an invisible shield protecting his consciousness.
The burning sensation continued.
But his will remained untouched.
Even as his body changed.
Judge's Discovery
Weeks passed.
The experiments continued.
Each time Judge injected another chemical, Vik felt the same terrifying transformation.
Muscle density increased.
Bone structure reinforced.
Skin strengthened.
His body was becoming something beyond human.
Judge's thoughts often reached him through his Observation Haki.
Cold satisfaction.
Scientific curiosity.
One day, Vik sensed something different.
Judge was speaking to Sora again.
The scientist's voice was calm and proud.
Judge (speaking coldly but confidently):
"The genetic modifications are working exactly as intended."
Sora's emotions trembled with quiet anger.
Sora (weak but defiant):
"They are still children…"
Judge ignored the statement entirely.
His thoughts focused on something else.
Names.
Designations.
Projects.
Judge (thinking):
The girl will be called Reiju.
Vik felt the gentle presence beside him.
Reiju's developing mind pulsed faintly.
Then Judge continued.
Judge (speaking clearly):
"And the boy… will be named Reiji."
Vik froze.
The name echoed through his mind.
Reiji.
His new identity.
His old name…
Vik…
Felt strangely distant now.
Like a memory belonging to someone else.
Slowly, his thoughts settled.
Reiji (thinking quietly):
Reiji…
The name didn't feel wrong.
In fact…
It felt like the beginning of something new.
He accepted it silently.
The broken man from that rainy apartment was gone.
From now on…
He would live as Reiji.
The Hidden Resistance
Months continued passing.
Judge's experiments grew more aggressive.
Stronger chemicals.
More complex genetic alterations.
The purpose was clear.
Judge wasn't just strengthening their bodies.
He was rewriting their minds.
The genetic code carried an order buried deep inside their cells.
Absolute loyalty.
Absolute obedience.
A command that could not be disobeyed.
Reiju felt it first.
Reiji sensed the moment it appeared in her mind.
A strange invisible chain forming inside her consciousness.
Her emotions remained.
She could feel happiness.
Sadness.
Fear.
But disobedience…
That was impossible.
Judge's genetic command had locked itself deep inside her being.
Reiji watched it happen through his haki.
And waited for the same chain to form inside his own mind.
Days passed.
Weeks.
Months.
The command appeared inside his genes.
He felt it clearly.
A strange instinct whispering inside his brain.
Obey Judge.
But something was wrong.
Or perhaps…
Something was different.
The command reached his consciousness—
And stopped.
Like a sword striking stone.
Reiji's mind didn't bend.
Didn't break.
Didn't submit.
Two wills existed inside his body.
The genetic command.
And his own consciousness.
The mind of a man who had already lived one life.
The order simply… failed.
Reiji slowly realized something important.
Reiji (thinking calmly):
My body belongs to Judge…
But my mind doesn't.
His haki pulsed quietly around him.
Strengthening.
Growing.
Watching.
Learning.
The Final Months
Time flowed strangely inside the womb.
Reiji's body grew stronger every day.
His muscles developed faster than a normal child.
His bones became harder.
His senses sharper.
But his mind remained completely free.
Through Observation Haki, he constantly listened to the world outside.
He learned about Germa 66.
A kingdom of war.
A nation that walked on the sea.
A military power feared across the world.
And he learned about Judge's ambitions.
To create perfect soldiers.
Emotionless warriors who would conquer the seas.
But Judge had made one mistake.
He never imagined that one of those children already had a fully developed mind.
One that could observe everything silently.
And plan.
Beside him, Reiju floated calmly.
Her emotions were gentle.
Kind.
Even with the genetic command inside her.
She often sent faint feelings toward him.
Comfort.
Curiosity.
Sibling affection.
Reiji responded the same way.
He had already made one decision.
No matter what happened in the future…
He would protect her.
And protect himself.
Because he knew something Judge didn't.
This world was dangerous.
Pirates.
Marines.
Legends.
And monsters.
One day he would leave Germa.
One day he would sail the seas.
And when that day came…
He would be ready.
Reiji's haki expanded slightly in the darkness.
Touching distant minds.
Scientists.
Soldiers.
A kingdom waiting outside.
And somewhere far away…
The vast ocean.
His new life was about to begin.
And this time…
He would chase the dream he once whispered in that rainy apartment.
A legendary life.
On the sea.
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