Chapter 69: A Vist from CP0!

Two Days Later

Edie had completed the extraction of Garp's bloodline factors and successfully injected the cloned human embryos, now fused with the Lunarian bloodline, into the No. 2 special cloning chamber. These new specimens would be sharing the chamber with Charlotte Linlin's clone, marking the beginning of a new generation of Earthly Branches. In two years, it was expected that two more formidable entities would join their ranks.

As for Kong, Edie had yet to clone him. There were only three special cloning chambers available that could produce Earthly Branch clones, and one always needed to be kept vacant as a contingency measure—for situations like his own.

During the previous confrontation, Edie had unleashed a devastating attack with his Red Flash, inflicting 100 billion in damage and nearly killing Kong in a single blow. The power output was immense, but it came at a steep cost. He had permanently lost 10 billion ghost particles, reducing his current energy level to only 110 billion.

To recover, he needed the experimental materials from Du Feld, which would require the use of the No. 3 special cloning chamber. It was estimated that this process would take a few months.

The past two days had been a whirlwind of activity, primarily focused on cloning Garp. At night, however, Edie indulged in a different kind of game—a nightly "hide and seek" with Momousagi. The determined Vice Admiral attempted to sneak into the underground laboratory every night, hoping to uncover his secrets. But each time, she was caught and firmly pressed against the wall, receiving a lesson in Edie's unique form of "training."

Edie took his time with her, breaking down both her psychological and physical defenses step by step. He even suspected that she was beginning to enjoy these encounters, though she would never admit it.

Momousagi, ever resourceful, had tried to use her beauty to extract information about the Earthly Branches directly from Edie. But in this game, cheating and shortcuts were not allowed. Edie decisively rejected her advances, metaphorically eating her sesame balls without giving away any secrets.

Alas, poor Vice Admiral Chaton could only watch from afar as his beloved goddess showed such a sweet, vulnerable side to Edie. The disparity was clear: while Chaton could only dream of her from a distance, Edie was savoring every bit of Momousagi's creamy, fragrant charms. Life, indeed, was always so unfair.

Of course, these playful interactions were merely a small diversion in Edie's otherwise busy routine—a lighthearted game he indulged in when he needed a break from his work. A mere woman could never affect his efficiency.

At that moment, in the Blue Blood Laboratory on the second underground floor of the Hive Research Institute, Edie was immersed in another project. After successfully cloning Garp, he used the laboratory's equipment to craft a new ability ring.

The thirteenth ring in his collection: the Ring of Ability · White Ape—a manifestation of Kong's mythical Zoan Devil Fruit ability. Although he hadn't yet cloned Kong himself, creating a ring infused with the power of the mythical Zoan fruit posed no challenge.

However, the same couldn't be said for Aokiji and Kizaru, as their Logia-type powers made it impossible to clone them or extract blue blood with their elemental abilities.

"Let's see what the White Ape is capable of," Edie mused, slipping the new ability ring onto his finger. He activated it, and blue blood coursed from his fingertips, transforming him instantaneously.

His handsome appearance shifted as white monkey hair sprouted from his temples, spreading down to his chin. His hair grew longer, turning whiter and curling at the ends. The nails on his hands turned black, his palms expanded, gaining strength, and his chest swelled as if inflated. A monkey tail sprouted from his back.

Human-animal form.

Edie examined his new form with a thoughtful expression. The Zoan · Monkey Fruit · Mythical Beast Species · White Ape Form granted not only the typical physical enhancements of a mythical Zoan fruit but also a unique "special ability":

Embodiment of Emotions.

The stronger the emotion—anger, for instance—the more power he could unleash. Even if his physical strength were exhausted, as long as his emotions were intense enough, he could still tap into a formidable reserve of energy.

"No wonder Kong was able to reach an energy level of 360 billion before his death," Edie muttered, releasing his human-animal form and storing the White Ape ring away. He didn't need an ability that relied on emotional bursts.

He had once thought that Kong's final surge of power was due to him burning his soul, but now it was clear: it was the special ability of the mythical beast species. To be honest, it was quite a potent ability. If Kong hadn't been struck by Edie's 100 billion-level Red Flash in the beginning, it would have taken a long time for any of the Earthly Branches present to defeat him in a one-on-one battle.

Shaking his head, Edie turned and left the lab. There was still much to be done.

Walking out of the basement door, Shenhou stood dutifully at attention.

"Lord Heavenly Father."

"What's up?" Edie asked, releasing a pulse of Observation Haki. Countless ghost particles spread out in all directions, allowing him to instantly grasp everything happening within the Hive Research Institute.

He quickly noticed Hancock, Kozuki Toki, and Momousagi gathered in the living room. The sound of their conversation drifted into his ears.

"Hmph, I hate Marines!" Hancock declared.

"Why, little girl?" Momousagi's voice was calm but curious.

"What do you mean, 'little girl'? I am already an adult! Please, call me Heavenly Mother!" Hancock retorted with indignation.

Edie raised an eyebrow, a hint of confusion flashing across his eyes. Since when had she started calling herself Heavenly Mother in front of others? After becoming the self-proclaimed Heavenly Mother?

At that moment, Shenhou seemed eager to report something, but Edie raised his hand, signaling him to wait. He was curious to hear what the three were discussing.

"Alright, alright, 'Heavenly Mother,'" Momousagi said with a placating tone. Hancock seemed satisfied, but quickly turned serious again.

"Marine, have you been trying to sneak into the underground laboratory late at night these past few days? That's not allowed! Without Master Edie's permission, no one can enter or leave that place!" Hancock paused, then puffed out her chest with pride. "I am Lord Edie's Heavenly Mother, almost like his wife. I must help Lord Edie manage the research institute. You'd better explain yourself clearly, Marine!"

The Hive Research Institute, known as [Between the Left Eye], featured a luxurious living room adorned with extravagant decor. The large crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling alone was worth more than 30 million Beli, more valuable than the heads of most pirates.

The three women sat on the plush sofas, their expressions varied. Momousagi, taken aback by Hancock's words, fell into a brief silence.

Wife? Damn it, she's only 14 years old! That man is really something, Gion thought. Toki, meanwhile, simply smiled gently, sipping her tea. When she first arrived, she hadn't known what to make of this peculiar situation, but now she understood perfectly.

Mr. Edie was not the kind of man to lay his hands on a 14-year-old, no matter what she called herself. It was just Hancock's way of claiming her place. Of course, Toki was also aware that although she was called Heavenly Mother by the Earthly Branches, her status was not truly comparable to Hancock's.

Within the Hive, Hancock was second to only one person and held power over countless others.

However, recent days had brought a change for the better. Her daughter, Hiyori, had received more attention and care, becoming more cheerful. Smiles that had once been rare were now seen frequently on her face. It wasn't for nothing... Toki sighed inwardly. She had resigned herself to the situation. With her limited resources, she was fortunate to be favored by Mr. Edie, a man she could rely on.

Now, all she wanted was to please him, hoping that one day Hiyori could return to Wanokuni and reclaim the throne. Mr. Edie seemed hesitant to support Momonosuke; if only he could make Hiyori the Shogun instead... Toki pondered quietly, observing the other two women as they interacted.

Momousagi, however, was at a loss for words. She couldn't very well explain to this little girl that her "Heavenly Father" was playing an elaborate game with her, catching her every night and subjecting her to rigorous "training."

"Miss Hancock, why do you hate the Marines? Did the Marines do something wrong?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"..." Hancock's expression darkened as she recalled her past. "I was kidnapped by human traffickers and sold at the Sabaody Archipelago. They auctioned me for 100 million Beli... If Master Edie hadn't saved me and my sisters, we would have become slaves to the Celestial Dragons!"

Momousagi was stunned, her eyes widening as she connected the dots.

"So, it's you…" she muttered, remembering the incident from over two years ago when Edie had killed a Celestial Dragon at Sabaody and taken away a Devil Fruit and three little girls.

"What did you Marines do wrong?" Hancock sneered. "Marineford is less than an hour's sail from the Sabaody Archipelago, but your so-called justice can't reach that close. You're useless dogs! I hate you all!"

Edie couldn't help but smile at Hancock's words. He understood her resentment. Without his intervention, the tragic fate of the three Snake Sisters would have unfolded as in canon, until Fisher Tiger's attack on Mariejois two years later.

Momousagi, feeling thoroughly chastised, struggled to find a retort. The Sabaody Archipelago was, after all, the Celestial Dragons' playground. Slavery thrived openly there, and as long as the pirates and criminals didn't cross certain lines, the Marines turned a blind eye.

"We Marines also protect civilians…" she said weakly. But even as she spoke, she knew her words were hollow. Faced with the righteous anger of a 14-year-old, her own conviction wavered.

"My situation has nothing to do with you." Hancock snapped back. "But now you need to explain why you've been sneaking into the underground labs at night. If you don't, I'll report it to Master Edie! You should be grateful he hasn't locked you up!"

Momousagi clenched her fists in frustration. She truly was thankful for the leniency shown to her as a prisoner, even if she was stealing information out of duty.

But damn that man! He had toyed with her, even asking her to be his woman, yet refused to divulge any secrets. Last night—or rather, at around four in the morning—she had even tried to seduce him directly, but he had merely taken what he wanted and discarded the rest, leaving her humiliated and empty-handed.

But she dared not reveal any of this to Hancock.

"Aren't you going to defend yourself?" Hancock's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Sonia, go and tell Master Edie!"

"Yes, sister," the second sister, Sandersonia, immediately responded and turned to leave.

"Wait…!" Momousagi said, defeated. "I admit it, I was wrong. Please, Lord Heavenly Mother, don't tell Mr. Edie."

K.O.!

As a Heavenly Father, Edie couldn't help but chuckle as he retracted his Observation Haki. Seeing Momousagi, a high-ranking Vice Admiral, being subdued by the presence of a mere 14-year-old was amusing. Their age difference was almost a full zodiac cycle apart.

Three women, three very different performances. Edie let them carry on with their antics and stopped paying attention. He turned to Shenhou.

"What was it you wanted to report earlier?"

Shenhou immediately straightened up and answered, "A World Government ship is approaching the Hive. Weiyang has intercepted them."

"A government ship?"

"It's not a warship. The people aboard call themselves CP0," Shenhou explained. "They're requesting an audience with you. Should we sink them?"

"Are they here to seek peace?" Edie mused, though he quickly dismissed the idea. The notion of the World Government seeking peace was absurd. If they had come with such a weak force, it was unlikely they had any ill intentions either however.

"Inform Momousagi to go meet them," Edie ordered.

"Yes, sir."