Chapter 24: Returning to Wano!

That night, Edie returned to Wanokuni with the three Snake Sisters. The second floor of his research institute, designated as the living area, had plenty of rooms—more than enough to accommodate the three sisters with a spacious guest room.

The excitement of arriving in a new and unfamiliar country kept the sisters awake all night. Their eyes sparkled with wonder as they explored their surroundings, their minds too stimulated by the day's events to find any rest. Edie, however, had other priorities. Leaving the girls to their excitement, he quietly took a tube of Hancock's blood, just as he had intended.

Late into the night, the lights in Edie's laboratory remained on. He meticulously preserved and treated the samples of Hancock's and Kizaru's blood, storing them carefully alongside other blood samples he had collected.

Edie now possessed two samples from Logia Devil Fruit users: one from Crocodile, who wielded the power of the Sand-Sand Fruit, and the other from Kizaru, who had the Sparkling Fruit. He knew he could obtain another sample from Caesar Clown if necessary—Caesar, too, was a Logia user, possessing the abilities of the Gas-Gas Fruit.

"Logia samples will have to wait," Edie muttered to himself. "I still haven't figured out how to convert Logia abilities into ability rings..."

Turning his attention to Hancock's blood, Edie noted its potential for studying the connection between Conqueror's Haki and bloodline factors. But that, too, could wait. There was no need to rush.

"Let's take a look at that Devil Fruit we just acquired," Edie said to himself, a hint of excitement in his voice.

He retrieved a small treasure box and opened it, revealing a Devil Fruit resting inside. The fruit was pear-shaped, its surface adorned with the distinctive spiral pattern unique to all Devil Fruits.

Edie examined it closely. He had never seen this particular fruit in any reference guides and couldn't determine its specific abilities just by looking at it. But that didn't matter—he had no intention of consuming it. His goal was purely research.

Carefully, Edie cut the Devil Fruit open, extracting a small piece of its pulp. From this, he isolated the bloodline factor and began his detailed tests and analyses.

The night slipped away as Edie worked tirelessly, his focus unwavering. As dawn broke over the Flower Capital, he finally emerged from the laboratory, letting out a deep sigh of relief.

His all-night research had yielded some insights. He now had a vague idea of how to use "fruit" to recycle Devil Fruits—a breakthrough, albeit incomplete.

The most significant discovery, however, was the similarity he found between the bloodline factors of the Devil Fruit and certain animals. Based on his findings, he surmised that this was likely a Zoan-type Devil Fruit, and it probably corresponded to a dog, wolf, or some similar creature.

Rumors suggested that Zoan Devil Fruits contained some form of consciousness. This, however, was a concept Edie struggled to grasp. Consciousness, linked perhaps to the soul, remained a mystery to him—a field he had yet to explore.

"If only people didn't need sleep," Edie mused with a sigh, "I could continue researching and maybe figure out a way to recycle Devil Fruits sooner."

His mind, despite its exhaustion, was still racing with thoughts of what he might discover next.

"Heavenly Father," Chenlong stood outside the laboratory door all night, as still as a statue.

"You don't have to stay by my side all the time," Edie said, noticing his unwavering presence.

"But this is my duty. I must always ensure your safety," Chenlong insisted, his voice resolute.

Edie scratched his slightly disheveled hair, pondering what to do with such a loyal subordinate. "Where are the three girls?" he asked.

"They woke up half an hour ago," Chenlong replied. "They asked where the kitchen was and have been making breakfast since then."

"Really?" Edie said, surprised. The kitchen in his institute had rarely been used—he usually ate at a nearby restaurant since he lived alone.

As he pondered the unexpected development, Edie remembered something. "Oh, right. Go to Daughter's Island and inform the Empress that her girls are here."

He suspected the Kuja Pirates wouldn't dare venture into Wanokuni, especially since it was Kaido's territory and far from their usual New World haunts. But out of courtesy, he wanted to notify them, letting them know the girls were safe. Whether they believed him or dared to come wasn't his concern.

"By the way," Edie continued, shifting topics, "now that we have ample funds, we need to expedite the construction of the cloning laboratory."

He instructed, "When you return from Daughter's Island, contact Du Field and purchase a batch of equipment through his channels. I'll give you a list later."

Edie paused, a grin spreading across his face. "And have it delivered to Beehive Island."

"Beehive Island? The pirate paradise?" Chenlong was momentarily startled but didn't question the order. He knew better than to question Edie's decisions.

Edie returned to the laboratory, and after a while, emerged with a list of goods. "Many of these items can only be acquired through the black market. The estimated cost is around 25 billion."

"Understood," Chenlong said, taking the list before leaving the research institute to carry out his orders.

Du Field, known as the "Loan Shark King," was one of the emperors of the dark world. While his primary business was loan sharking, he had many other ventures, including procuring World Government contraband. Laboratory equipment, in particular, often had to be purchased on the black market at a premium.

This wasn't Edie's first time dealing with Du Field. The man had once been the main financial backer of the MADS Peace Research Institute, often swindled by Vegapunk and his colleagues. Queen had once shared stories about how Du Field had commissioned Vegapunk to develop a firework symbolizing peace, leading to the creation of the "GP·Flower," a flower that could bloom in gunpowder. This invention had even earned Vegapunk the Nobel Peace Prize.

"When the equipment arrives on Beehive Island, we'll build the cloning laboratory and start producing a batch of mass-produced soldiers," Edie mused. He planned to emulate Vinsmoke Judge by creating an army of clones.

Beehive Island was the perfect location for such a project. It was beyond the reach of the World Government, and as a lawless haven for pirates, it was an island ruled by power—where the strongest held sway.

Having laid out his plans, Edie headed upstairs to join the three Snake Sisters for breakfast.

Two days later, the news of the Celestial Dragons' attack in the Sabaody Archipelago finally broke. The World Government had initially attempted to suppress the story, fearing the damage it would do to their reputation and authority. However, with no culprits captured and the incident too significant to conceal, their efforts were in vain.

Enter Morgans, the boss of the World Economic News and one of the emperors of the dark world. Nicknamed the "News King," Morgans thrived on sensational stories, often disregarding Marine requests to bury information. His relentless pursuit of big news, even at the expense of accuracy, ensured that this event would not go unnoticed.

And so, the headlines blared:

"Shock! Celestial Dragons Killed – Who is the Mysterious Scientist?"

This piece of news, earth-shattering in its implications, quickly spread across the Grand Line, carried by tens of thousands of news birds. The article mentioned Edie but only referred to him as a "mysterious scientist," leaving his identity shrouded in mystery.

Instead, the spotlight was cast on two of Edie's subordinates: Zishu and Chenlong. Zishu was described as a formidable, enigmatic swordsman, while Chenlong, who had transformed into a blue dragon, had left an indelible mark on the Sabaody Archipelago with his fiery breath. The large, gaping hole in Area 1 served as undeniable proof of the chaos that had unfolded.

Chenlong's transformation was even captured in a photograph—a striking image that quickly became iconic. The Marines had no choice but to acknowledge the event, unable to hide the devastating aftermath.

On the same day the news went global, the Marines issued an urgent bounty order, revealing the name of the "mysterious scientist" and placing a hefty bounty on his head. In addition to the bounty, they offered a reward of 100 million beli for any information that could lead to his capture.

The announcement sent shockwaves through the underworld, and bounty hunters worldwide went into a frenzy, eager to claim the massive reward. The hunt for Edie had officially begun.