Chapter 1: The Mighty Kingdom of Kata (Part 1/2)
The Southern Sea～
Within the borders of the Kata Kingdom.
It belongs to the most powerful kingdom within the entire South Sea region.
Its land army comprises an impressive four hundred thousand soldiers, while the navy boasts a force of a full seventy thousand!
This was a weak and impoverished nation just twenty years ago, but it has gradually climbed to the forefront of world powers.
And in recent years, the Five Elder Stars of the World Government have been actively trying to persuade the Kata Kingdom to join the World Government alliance.
Regarding this matter,
The Kata Kingdom has expressed temporary disinterest in joining the World Government.
And all of this,
It traces back to the birth of the Crown Prince "Caldo" twenty years ago.
The Kata Royal Family!
The most intelligent man in a millennium～
From birth, he showed extraordinary talent!
He ascended the throne from the old king's hands at the age of fourteen～
After that,
He initiated continuous reforms within the country.
His methods were extremely clever and skilled. Any aristocrat who dared to obstruct the reforms was thoroughly crushed by the army he personally trained.
Until today.
Within the borders of the Kata Kingdom, Caldo has become the indisputable ruler.
His decisions, both internal and external, have been victorious! This has led to an extreme and fanatical devotion.
The entire nation's people, like fervent believers, have placed Caldo on a pedestal.
And now.
All members of the Kata Royal Family have gathered together, their faces showing fervent expressions.
In this spacious, bright underground laboratory!
Everyone lies within their exclusive nutrient chambers, waiting for the cold and resolute man before them to carry out their biological modifications.
A hand as slender as jade, under the gaze of the crowd, slowly presses the main switch on the laboratory console.
The glass cover of the nutrient chamber slowly closes, and the purple electric serpents permeate the chamber.
"Zi, ping～kacha～papapa…"
"Ah～ah ah～ah ah ah…"
"Caldo, you damn bastard."
"To use us in these inhumane experiments, I'll make sure to kill you once I'm out of here."
"Your Majesty Caldo, please spare us."
"We, the Black Panther Pirates, will immediately leave the territory of the Kata Kingdom. We'll never set foot in your Kata Kingdom again in this lifetime."
"Respected Your Majesty, please spare us."
"We want to survive."
Behind Caldo, there is a continuous chorus of cries and screams, an unending symphony of misery!
The towering figure standing at the console gazes behind.
Those prisoners, with thick pipes inserted into their spines, extracting their "life traits," are met with a disdainful smile.
"You lot, the only purpose you serve is to help us evolve.
Release you?
"Tsk, what a foolish dream."
The originally fierce, arrogant, and frenzied expressions on those people are slowly becoming rigid.
Everyone's bodies have started to tremble slightly.
Fear spreads incessantly within the laboratory.
After having large amounts of their "life traits" extracted, their skin has begun to wither and age.
The cries of anger and pleas for mercy have become much quieter than they were at the start.
And at the main console, the man is only twenty years old.
With a handsome appearance, a charming young man emerges from the shadows.
A glint of brilliance appears in his eyes.
Dressed in a pristine and oversized lab coat, his face always carries a charming smile.
Contrasting starkly with the hellish scene in the laboratory at this moment!
Caldo.
At this moment, he is conducting human experiments that are officially banned by countries around the world.
He was originally a genius scientist from the Blue Star twenty years ago.
After expending countless resources and effort within the Kata Royal Family, he finally obtained the Devil Fruit he had long coveted.
"The Superhuman Series, Brain-Brain Fruit"
He intercepted the Devil Fruit that originally belonged to Vegapunk.
However, unlike Vegapunk, Caldo did not continuously use the abilities of the Devil Fruit to absorb vast knowledge.
Instead, he continuously developed, analyzed, and explored the fruit, gradually unlocking his own inner brain domain.