Legacy (Part 1)

"Hi Fred.

Is it safe to enter now?" Norman asked from the other side of the door, who wouldn't enter until his son could guarantee his physical safety…. and maybe even his mental safety...

Norman knew what kind of experiments his elementary school son was conducting, so he had to take security measures

"Yes, you can come in, but put on a mask just in case" Fred replied as he adopted the horse position to continue training, but in a way in which he pretended to be sitting to try to make all this a little more normal

Therefore, following Fred's instructions Norman took one of the masks outside the room and went inside to face the unknown and the not-so-unknown...

"Training, as always...

But how about your experiments?

Have you made progress on anything interesting that isn't dangerous?

You have managed to improve our [Wound Welder] in some way?" Norman asked, who tried to ignore his son's peculiar [sports] habits to focus on his [academic] advances, to said it in some way

And of course Fred didn't object in the least, after all many of his advances could be used for the good of the family hospital or even sold. The opinion, advice and participation of an experienced doctor like his father was very important, especially when he had made significant advances with some interesting drugs, often with his help.

"Of course!

The version 33 of our [Wound Welder] has improved a lot compared to previous versions!

Moderately serious cuts that would need stitches and a few days to close are closed with a dose in a matter of minutes, approximately 50% more effective than the last best version...

In the next version I will try to add some antibiotic effect to stop infections… I would need your help for that" Fred answered enthusiastically as he showed his father and professor of medicine how he had managed to progress in his father's unfinished research, in which he was also participating.

"Sounds too good to be true...

What's the problem?" Asked Norman, who like any minimally intelligent adult knew that every advantage or gain usually comes with a disadvantage or cost, whether in medicine or in any other facet of life.

"Weeell…

It's not a cheap medicament, so until we find a cheaper way to process it it's best to only use it in emergencies...

And not for all emergencies, since to close the wound the medicine takes 90% more nutrients from the body than the other more wasteful version. Depending on the wounds and the state of the body, the patient could end up dying of malnutrition almost instantly...

HOWEEEVERRRR!!!! That's something that can be counteracted with my [Super Invigorating Shake Mark 14]!

And you know what that means, right?

WE CAN SELL THEM AS A PACK!!

MUA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" Fred responded while laughing like a devil-faced evil genius thinking of the profits they could make from their efficient and effective trading strategy.

"HAhaha... ha...

Good job son!

But seriously, stop making those faces..." Said Norman despite being bothered by the villain's face and laugh that his son was making despite the fact that he was creating products to help people. Even so he ignored that and focused on the next project, in which he could see two mice fucking frantically and a lizard watching them while eating lettuce "And is this your new quick-acting aphrodisiac?

Seriously... I don't understand your obsession with aphrodisiacs..."

"Yes... the [Fast and furious Aphrodisiac Mark 12] works fast and is powerful, but its effect lasts less than forty minutes...

Not bad, but needs to improve...

My [Slow Down Super Aphrodisiac Mark 9] is far superior at the moment, despite its initial defect" Fred replied, who for now had a clear favourite between his two drugs

Some statements that partially pleased Norman, since he highly valued his son's perfectionist attitude, despite the fact that in his opinion he used it in things he shouldn't... however those thoughts didn't distract him from the experiment he was observing right now, in which he found highly suspicious elements

"Are those pheromones?

Wait a minute..." Norman said as he became exponentially alarmed when he understood that in that cage these two products were being tested at the same time "Your intention is to make that mouse mount the lizard instead of the mouse by applying Pheromones?

But why do you want to perform this aberration against nature!?"

"What every human being has always wanted

Create the ideal pet!

I will cross a cat and a dog to obtain the supreme being!

Clean as a dog and faithful as a cat!

MUA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Answered Fred with a joke / reference that only he understood in this world to try to reduce the seriousness of that matter, as he had achieved in previous situations

"MEEEAAWWWWW!!!" Schrödinger yelled, who after hearing that ran to the window to escape from a possible traumatic future

"Calm down Schrodinger!

It's a joke!

That's biologically impossible… al least by natural means!" Said Fred as he left his exercises to try to get his cat to go back to his bed after assuring that he wouldn't drug him to mate with another species

A rather comical scene that made Norman forget about the aphrodisiac thing for the umpteenth time, but that created a distraction that his father took advantage of to snoop around near an extremely suspicious fish tank that Fred had almost hidden

"And what is...

OH! OH MY GOD! WHAT THAT!?

The smell is suffocating!" Norman shouted horrified and about to vomit when he smelled and saw that inside the fish tank there was a mouse floating on vomit, snot and diarrhea

"That's why I told you to put on a mask

It's a...medication...to...cleanse the stomach, entrails and possibly the nasal passages...

But maybe it's a little too strong..." Fred answered, trying to distance himself from this disgusting, controversial and unpleasant project.

"One moment...

Has this mouse died of dehydration?" Norman asked, who for some reason he still didn't understand and also regretted looked back into that shithole to realize another disturbing fact.

However, this didn't faze Fred at all, who said to himself as he wrote down the details in his notebook "Subject N68 has suffered a tragic, disgusting... and unexpected... accident during experimentation.

Classify [Gut Purifier Mark 7] as a deadly poison

A pity, but it still has its uses..."

"FRED!" Protested Norman, who's adamantly opposed to letting his elementary school son experiment with deadly poisons. He also didn't like that he studied non-deadly poisons, but they had already discussed and negotiated harshly on that matter some years ago.

"Don't worry, the Mark 4 won't cause death...

I'll at least try..." Fred answered with an unconvincing tone of voice.

Norman came over from time to time to check on his son's work and see what crazy things he was up to. In some projects he strongly supported him either emotionally, financially, helping him directly in his project or even developing it together like the [Wound Welder] o the [Painkiller] he started developing during his university days… while with other projects he seriously considered denouncing his son for breaking the Hippocratic Oath...

However, he used to come especially at this time every other week, specifically on the day Fred bought new books, which helped him figure out what Fred was thinking of doing in the future.

"These are the new books you bought?

Conceal hidden weapons efficiently...

How to run without producing sound...

Techniques to blend in with the environment...

Creation of traps in any environment and with any material

How to tie living beings correctly so they can't move

Why interrogate when you can torture V4?...

WHAT THE HELL!?" Norman said in dismay as he looked at the title of the stack of books closest to Fred. Perhaps just reading the title of one of those books could create some controversy, but seeing them all at once was without a doubt a declaration of not-so-good intentions.

"Oh no, those are old, you must have forgotten that I had them... or I hid them at the time...

The new ones are on the right" Fred replied, snapping his father out of the little mistake he had made.

However, the result was the same or even worse...

"...

...

...

I prefer not to ask anything... and forget these titles...

If one day the Navy questions me, I will say that we don't know each other" Norman said, who after inspecting the title of the other books tried to camouflage his negative thoughts with cheap humor

"HAHAHAHA! Exaggerated!

You can go to sleep now, I won't make any more noise.

I plan to finish my experiments for the day as soon as subject No. 67 falls asleep...

And I won't stay reading until very late, I know that tomorrow is an important day" Fred responded as he tossed former test subject N68 into the garbage burner and washed out the fish tank in which that brave rodent sacrificed himself in the name of science.

And while Fred was cleaning up the biological mess he created, Norman left the room and picked up a moderately large box that he left in the corner of the door few minutes ago…

"In fact...

I come to tell you that today you can stay reading a little more, at least officially you can" Norman said as he re-entered the batoratori and deposited the relatively heavy box on the table.

"What's this dad?

Books and notebooks? Said Fred as he inspected the contents of the box with interest but without too much expectation… until he was able to identify those books and their importance. "One moment...

All the secrets of human biology?

Basics of lineage factor?

Lineage factor manipulation in animals?

Lineage factor manipulation in vegetables?

Lineage factor manipulation in humans?

Combination of lineage factor between humans and animals?

Akuma no mi's, witchcraft or science?

For all the...

Vegapunk himself wrote many of these books!

And not only that! The sale and even possession of these books was prohibited years ago!

THEY COST A FORTUNE ON THE BLACK MARKET!

WHERE DID YOU FOUND THEM!?"

Fred's astonishment was enormous but not without justification.

In the world of One Piece, in which the internet didn't yet exist, which was made up of islands that were generally poorly connected to each other due to countless problems, and in which almost all academics were jealous of their knowledge, finding books that provided advanced knowledge of valuable subjects was extremely difficult, even in specialized markets for such books

And as for buying them? That was something hundreds or thousands of times more difficult depending on the book in question!

And if that applied to most books in the case of those related to the lineage factor, a matter that the World Government wanted to monopolize, the difficulty of finding them and the price multiplied by infinity, especially those written by the greatest mind never known in the history of this world, Dr. Vegapunt

The fact that a humble family like his had such valuable paper treasures at home raised many questions in Fred

Questions that would soon be answered

"We have had them for a long time, before they were banned and became so expensive and valuable in the eyes of the world...

And they aren't only extremely valuable materially and intellectually... also sentimentally.

These are your mother's books and all of these notebooks contain practically all of her research" Norman responded wistfully as he pushed the books out of his son's sight to show him the notebooks next to them.

"From mom?" Said Fred as he inspected the notebook for the page that his father had opened for him, which was full of notations in a very pretty hand and in which there were many different colours to identify different contents... definitely a woman's notebook...

"That's how it is...

Unlike me, that I'm an orthodox doctor, your mother leaned towards other branches of knowledge, but with the same objective, to cure people, animals and even plants... but above all to prevent them from getting sick.

Your mother believed that genetic engineering was the key to it, and this is her research.

Research focused on modifying the lineage factor to make the whole organism more resistant to disease and injury, mainly by mixing lineage factors from other more resistant creatures...among other things..." Norman said with pride and melancholy as he guided his son through the pages of the notebooks that he valued infinitely more than the books worth millions of berries next to him

"I see...

That is...

INCREDIBLE!" Said Fred with his eyes wide open as he read the key annotations that his father pointed

Incredibly useful keynotes that almost perfectly summarized the multiple books that were in the box and not in the box...plus his own theory and conclusions, which couldn't be found in any book in the world

"Yes, it is...

And now that you're smart enough and old enough, I think it's time to give you the last thing that mom left us...

I'm extremely sure she would want you to have it...

...

Happy tenth birthday son" Norman said with a lump in his throat, about to cry from the emotion of the moment, but full of pride as he stroked his son's head, who exactly ten years ago he helped give birth a few meters from that room.

Quite a difficult labor late at night, but with a great reward. A very peculiar boy who had become the greatest pride of his life, to whom he was bequeathing the life's work of the only woman he had ever loved in his life.

"...

…"

A touching fact that caused Fred to shed some tears that he quickly hid knowing how much this meant to Norman, especially knowing him as he knew him after living as his son for ten years "It's a wonderful gift dad...

I've always wanted to investigate this and also know more about mom and her work...

I have read few of her notes and I still don't know much about this matter, but with just a glance it's easy to know that mom was a true genius"

"Of course...

We knew each other since we were children and she had always been the smartest of the two, whether at school, high school, university... even in this small clinic that we both created on the island where we were born...

Honestly, I don't know what such a bright, beautiful, cheerful and ambitious girl saw in such a normal, ordinary, boring and... cowardly man like me to marry me..." Norman sighed, who was filled with joy while remembering the good times he had with Susan... to collapse moments later

A collapse that Fred tried to stop in his tracks using one of the first words he heard from his mother exactly ten years ago "Because you are a very good person...

That's one of the things that mom told me and that I will never forget"

"..."

"And don't belittle yourself like that.

You are a good doctor, teacher and father... I am the proof

Look how much I've learned at ten years old!

And don't say it's because I inherited intelligence from my mom, you also have part of the credit...

After all almost all my work is based on your teachings, research and help" Said Fred trying to encourage Norman by reminding him how great he's as a person and as a professional. Trying to erase from his mind the diminished and distorted image he had of himself and that he brought out at certain times.

"..."

"..."

And after a brief silence in which Norman, trying to hold back his tears again, processed those kind words that, although possibly true, were very difficult for him to internalize on his own, even if they came from his own son... tried to get rid of the thorn that had been stuck in his heart for seven years

'Now is the moment…'

He believed that the time had come to say something to his son, something that he himself had promised to tell him when he grew up, when he was able to understand it...

'Come on Norman, you planned it, you have to tell him once and for all'

However, at that moment Norman couldn't process what he intended to say, as if something inside him prevented him from telling his son something that he had rehearsed in his mind dozens of times today, something he knew he should have told him long ago, but never dared to do "...

Fred you see... about your mother...

Me...

...

This...

...

You'll see...

..."

"Dad, you don't have to force yourself...

When you're ready to tell me what happened I'll be here to listen" Fred said, interrupting Norman seeing his suffering face as he tried to possibly explain the worst day of his entire life.

A day that darkened the bright and cheerful heart of the man in front of him, who before that event lived with joy and optimism 24 hours a day every day of the year... and that now he forced himself to smile in front of his son so that he wouldn't worry about him.

"..."

"..."

"...

Ok son, we'll talk about this another time...

Enjoy reading" Norman said as he said goodbye to his son another night

"As usual!" Fred answered energetically to try to change the tense and depressing atmosphere to a more cheerful one with his positive attitude… as he adopted his classic hyper-efficient posture to study and train at the same time

To do this, before Norman's incredulous and attentive gaze, he put on his hands very heavy gloves full of springs that tensed the joints of his hands back in addition to using the classic ultra-heavy hand pliers that Uncle Marlon gave him on his previous birthday to strengthen his grip… and of course he supported his entire weight with one leg and turned the pages of the book [Fundamentals of Lineage Factor] with the toes of the foot that was still free

"This...

Are you sure you wanted to be a bounty hunter and not work in a circus?" Norman asked in an extremely sarcastic way when he saw the surreal way in which his son studied

"As sure as you never worked as a comedian" Fred responded with the same level of sarcasm as his father as he tightened his grip on the pliers

"Hahahaha!

See you in a few hours, don't snore too much" Norman replied with a smile as he closed the door of the laboratory and went down the stairs until he reached the exit door of his house with an extremely bitter expression

An extremely bitter expression, with which he walked through the deserted and small streets of the Narhad village

---

Seconds later

On the porch of the Steel family

"Good evening Norman...

Have you put Fred to bed yet?" Asked Marlon, who was sitting around a round table with five chairs on the porch of his house, where there were two large mugs of beer like almost every Saturday night

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