When Doflamingo finished handling various affairs and arrived at the laboratory, Aramaki was already reduced to skin and bones. His entire body was bound inside a Seastone coffin, his lifeless eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. His exposed arms were covered in dense needle marks, a sight that sent chills down one's spine.
Despite Doflamingo standing before him, Aramaki showed no reaction. He had nothing left to bargain with.
Seriously? This level of extraction is brutal...
With that thought in mind, Doflamingo turned to Caesar and asked,
"Caesar, what are Aramaki's current experimental procedures and dietary standards?"
"He undergoes daily blood extractions totaling 40,000ml, with each session drawing 400ml. In addition, we extract 10ml of spinal fluid once per day."
Caesar's eyes gleamed with madness as he analyzed the data in his hands. After extensive discussions with Judge, his research into bloodline factors had made significant progress.
"As for his diet, he receives 50 grams of soil and fresh water per day. Based on his recovery rate and to ensure the safety of the lab, BOSS, I recommend cutting his intake in half."
Wait, 40,000ml? A normal human only has around 4,000–5,000ml of blood in total. Even donating bone marrow can be life-threatening—extracting spinal fluid like this can't be safe, right?
Doflamingo's mouth twitched. He realized that, when it came to cruelty and inhumanity, he still had some catching up to do with these scientists.
Not only were the experiments brutal, but the feeding conditions were outright miserable. He had simply deemed Aramaki a useless vegetable unworthy of medical resources—but he hadn't expected these people to not even bother feeding him properly.
Truly...
That said, Aramaki's remarkable recovery ability was invaluable for research. Not all bodies were created equal.
With this in mind, Doflamingo gave his orders: "Nourish him. Restore his body to a normal state. While ensuring his vital signs remain stable, intensify the experiments. Stockpile his blood samples.
"We still have no breakthroughs in Devil Fruit extraction technology, and the Mori Mori no Mi is far too valuable. He cannot die yet."
Whether Aramaki lived or died was irrelevant to Doflamingo. The man lacked the ambition to follow him, and there was no way he'd swear allegiance just because of some Conqueror's Haki nonsense. In fact, Aramaki's current dead-eyed stare masked nothing but deep-seated hatred—if given the chance, he'd probably try to eat Doflamingo alive.
But the Mori Mori no Mi? That was another story.
He had tested other Logia users before, but Aramaki was the first whose abilities could be freely experimented on without restraint.
He couldn't afford to be as reckless with someone like Enel.
As for Devil Fruit extraction technology— It was based on an old theory from a past life: if a Devil Fruit user were confined inside a sealed Seastone chamber surrounded by regular fruits and then killed, their power would transfer to one of the nearby fruits.
Naturally, Doflamingo wouldn't pass up the chance to test this theory.
Results, however, remained inconsistent. Some trials succeeded. Others failed.
Judge speculated that the purity of the Seastone was insufficient, allowing the Devil Fruit ability to escape. After all, even powerful users like future Pirate King Luffy and Kuzan could still use their abilities in seawater—though high-purity Seastone might neutralize them entirely.
"Understood, BOSS. I will make the necessary adjustments regarding Aramaki."
"Have you reviewed the video records of the Sabaody enhancement drug trials?"
"Yes, BOSS. Based on our analysis, normal users can take up to three pills before experiencing progressive loss of control."
"Good. That's the ideal range. If everyone overdosed and died at sea, who would be left to make repeat purchases?"
"Indeed, BOSS, your foresight is truly unparalleled."
Caesar plastered on a sycophantic grin, taking the opportunity to sneak in some flattery before shifting gears.
"BOSS, about my 'Land of the Dead' project—"
Doflamingo cut him off without hesitation.
"Foolish, Caesar. Your 'Land of the Dead' design may have large-scale destructive potential, but after a region is ravaged by poison, how many countries would actually want to seize that land?"
He fixed Caesar with a pointed stare.
"Listen carefully, Caesar. The land in the Blue Sea is incredibly valuable. Instead of poisoning it, why not incorporate your enhancement drugs into an aerosolized bomb? Upon detonation, the affected area would be engulfed in enhancement agents. Every living being within range would descend into a frenzy, slaughtering each other until only one remained.
"Does that not align with your vision for weaponized chaos?"
He smirked. "I even have a name for it—Euphoria. What do you think?"
"Euphoria? Euphoria!"
Caesar's initial irritation faded as his eyes lit up with excitement. He began mumbling to himself, already running new calculations in his mind.
Just then, Judge approached, looking troubled.
Doflamingo took one glance at his constipated expression and decided to get straight to the point.
"Judge, what problem have you run into?"
"BOSS, I've made new progress with bloodline factors—but there's a flaw."
"New progress? What kind of flaw?"
"Please, come with me, BOSS."
...
Inside Judge's exclusive Germa Royal Testing Zone, Doflamingo's pupils contracted slightly.
In the center of the hall stood a transparent containment chamber, housing a strange creature curled up inside.
It had the body and hindquarters of a horse, yet the head, front legs, and wings of an eagle. Its back shimmered gold, while its chest and abdomen were pure white.
"A griffon? No... This is a fusion of the Kami Kami no Mi (Paper-Paper Fruit) and Pierre's Uma Uma no Mi (Horse-Horse Fruit). The perfect combination of their bloodline factors. But... something feels off."
Calming himself, Doflamingo extended his Haki to sense its emotions.
There was no pain from rejection. No madness from instability.
Nothing.
It was utterly still—like a lifeless object.
"Judge," Doflamingo asked, "what exactly am I looking at?"
"BOSS, its designation is 7055—a former North Blue prisoner. Unlike the others, he had already lost all cognitive function before arriving. Throughout the entire process, he exhibited no emotional fluctuations.
"This suggests that maintaining emotional stability during modification could significantly increase the success rate."
Judge hesitated before continuing.
"Or, perhaps, those without consciousness or emotions are more likely to succeed."
Hearing this, Doflamingo raised an eyebrow. "By that logic, wouldn't it be better to erase a clone's consciousness during the embryonic stage? You have the means to do that, don't you, Judge? That way, we could mass-produce ability users."
Judge's eyes widened in excitement. "BOSS, you're absolutely right! If we—"
BOOM!
A sudden explosion cut him off.
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+145 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg