I'm doing bidirectional science popularization in American comics

Depp asked with great interest, "Ivy, could I have a packet of this thing called the Crimson Devil Fruit?"

Ivy was taken aback when she heard this. She hadn't expected that Depp would be interested in something like the Crimson Devil Fruit, a byproduct of a failed research project.

Then, she smiled brightly and said, "Of course, you're the boss, you can have as many as you want, no need to be so polite with me!"

After saying that, she handed Depp a bag of Red Devil Fruit seeds, which looked like there were at least several thousand seeds in the bag.

Depp carefully tucked the Red Devil Fruit seeds into his pocket, secretly placing them into the system space without anyone noticing.

"After this thing absorbs blood or bodily fluids, there must be some other uses for it, right?"

Depp looked at Ivy with expectant eyes.

Ivy, looking as if she'd been seen through, said:

"As expected of the boss, he recognized it at a glance!"

"Indeed, after absorbing blood, the Crimson Devil Fruit can be thrown, and upon impact, it can cause a violent explosion!"

"Moreover, the bodily fluids contained within will spill outwards with the explosion and solidify into sharp crystals at an extremely rapid speed."

"In short, this thing is a pretty good area-of-effect weapon."

After hearing Ivy's words, everyone took another step back.

At this moment, in their eyes, Ivy was even more dangerous than the Joker and Batman!

On the contrary, Depp not only showed no fear, but was even happier!

“I knew it wouldn’t suck blood for nothing!” Depp said excitedly. “It seems that working at the plant research institute is perfect for you, Ivy! I think I should perhaps increase the investment in the institute so that you can research more interesting things.”

"Wayne, I think you think so too, right?"

Upon hearing Depp's words, Wellen glanced at Ivy and immediately said, "To be honest, I don't recommend doing this, but if you insist, I certainly have no objection."

After all this time, Wellen hasn't changed.

In his eyes, Depp is still more important.

Before taking any action, always prioritize the boss's interests.

Even the woman he loves most cannot compare to his boss.

This is Wayne, Johnny Depp's number one henchman, who has crocodile genes... no, he has evolved into crocodile god genes!

However, Ivy wasn't angry. After all, she had figured out what kind of person Weiren was long ago.

And he had no objections, after all, Depp was the one who helped Wellen and himself step out of the shadows of the past and start a new life.

Even in Ivy's eyes, Wayne's importance is not necessarily higher than Depp's.

"Well, that straight-laced guy Wellen..." Depp thought to himself, then said, "In that case, let's increase the funding for the Botanical Research Institute by fifty percent!"

Bruce interrupted, "Enough! The main reason we called everyone here today isn't to study any killer plants, but about the Court of Owls and Claws!"

"What exactly are the Court of Owls and Claws?" Dick asked, puzzled.

Court of Owls...

As everyone recalled this familiar yet unfamiliar word, they were all suddenly startled.

Harvey, who was holding Gilda's hand, suddenly tightened his grip and said, "Could it be... that Court of Owls that the adults used to talk about when we were kids? That... far-fetched urban legend?"

Oswald and Ivy immediately realized what was happening and exclaimed, "The court of owls mentioned in that eerie nursery rhyme is actually real?"

As for Wayne, he didn't grow up in Gotham, so he wasn't familiar with that well-known nursery rhyme.

Joseph immediately understood what the nursery rhyme was.

He recalled in a low voice, "Beware of the Court of Owls, they're always watching you. They're lurking in the shadows, watching Gotham... ugh!"

Bruce covered Joseph's mouth and said, "Stop reading! I've heard enough of this damn nursery rhyme today!"

Joseph slapped Bruce's hand away and said defiantly, "What? Are you scared out of your wits by these inhuman creatures?"

Bruce glanced at Joseph and said, "Neither human nor ghost? I think that word suits you better."

"Enough!" Depp interrupted their children's bickering, saying, "I don't think the Court of Owls will let this go. When night falls again, they'll probably regroup and strike again. Right now, they're in the shadows, and we're in the light—that's not a good sign!"

Bruce said with some helplessness, "But right now we have absolutely no clue about them. We don't even know who their members are, let alone where their headquarters are."

“What about those claws?” Depp asked. “Have you interrogated those claws? Especially that guy named William Cobb.”

Bruce shook his head, saying with some regret, "I've interrogated all the surviving Claws, and not one of them is willing to tell me all this. I seriously doubt they know either!"

“I think...after you interrogated them, they all chose to end their own lives.”

"That's right. After those guys took their own lives, they somehow lost the ability to regenerate. They were truly as dead as could be."

Bruce said, "Except for that guy named William Cobb! But when I interrogated him using every method I could think of, I could only come to one conclusion. Those claws are only awakened when a mission is needed, and then immediately dispatched. They don't even know where they're actually dormant."

Depp thought for a moment and asked, "Did William Cobb say anything that particularly impressed him during their sleep?"

Bruce replied, "Yes, I think so. I remember him saying that he felt cold while he was asleep, extremely cold."

cold...

Depp thought for a moment, then immediately realized something and said, "Cold can suppress the claws' self-healing ability. Perhaps after they complete their mission, the Court of Owls will use low temperatures to put them into a deep sleep somewhere, waiting for them to thaw and revive in the future."

“That sounds reasonable, but what does it have to do with where the Court of Owls is located?” Joseph said in a weak voice.

Then, the Joker persona took over, pointing to his own nose as if insulting Joseph:

"You idiot, haven't you figured it out yet? Freezing is the key, but we can't say too much now, after all..."

"He lurks in the shadows, watching Gotham City from behind low walls and attics. He is in your home, and in your bed. Never utter his name, or his claws will come for your head."

The Joker finally continued Joseph's words, reciting the nursery rhyme in its entirety, while giving Bruce a provocative look.

"They seem to be everywhere, so I can't say too much about it, understand?"

It has to be said that after transforming into the Joker form, Joseph's combat strength and intellect are completely different from before.

Bruce and Depp exchanged a glance and smiled at each other before turning their heads to look at one person at the same time.

Mr. Freeze, Victor Frith.

If the claws are dormant or awakened, freezing and thawing are required.

In all of Gotham, and even in the entire United States, there are few people more professional than Victor!

Therefore, both Depp and Bruce suspected that the Owl Court might have business dealings with the Depp Cryogenics and Life Sciences Institute, which was controlled by Victor.

Even if it's not publicly acknowledged, it's a company secretly manipulated by the Owl Court that does business with the research institute.

After all, the human cryopreservation and thawing technology developed by Victor is not something that can be bought anywhere.

The only one of its kind in the entire United States, the Owl Court, there's no reason not to be tempted!

After all, the number of claws is limited. If freezing and thawing each time would affect their nature and combat power, then it would be a loss.

Therefore, there is a high probability that they purchased cryopreservation equipment from Victor.

Now, what they need to do is find all the individuals and companies that have business dealings with Depp Cryogenics and Life Sciences Research.

Then, one by one, we analyze and monitor them.

Once you've identified those connected to the Court of Owls, then proceed with the next step.

“Alright guys,” Depp said, “I think you can all go home and get some rest now. I’ll tell you what targets you need to monitor this afternoon.”

“But we still don’t know what’s going on!” Harvey said with some concern.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the clown flashed past and pressed his pointed nose against Joseph's face.

The clown held a finger in front of his mouth, which always wore a creepy smile, and said, "Shh, watch out, they might be eavesdropping. We just need to wait patiently for news this afternoon, understand?"

Chapter 180 The Owl's Counterattack!

Startled by the clown, Harvey angrily pushed him away.

"Stay away from me, you freak!"

Xiao Chuan, pointing his thumb out at Harvey, turned to the crowd and grinned, "Hey, getting impatient!"

Harvey glared fiercely at the Joker.

He then said to Depp, "Gilda and I will head back now. It looks like we'll have to sleep in the second bedroom tonight. The master bedroom looks so unsettling that it's hard to fall asleep."

After saying that, Harvey tightened his clothes.

The wind was strong atop the Tower of Wayne in the early morning, which was rather cold for him and Gilda, who were dressed in only light clothing.

After Harvey and his companion left the top of the tower, the others also left one after another.

In the end, only Depp and Bruce remained at the top of the tower.

Selena took Dick away from Wayne Tower, and she was riding the Catwoman motorcycle that Depp had modified for her, taking Dick home.

At the top of Wayne Tower, the sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

But soon, this precious white in Gotham was shrouded in a layer of gray mist.

Dawn was breaking, and the sky over Gotham was slowly turning from black to gray.

No matter how hard the sunlight struggled, it could not break through the mysterious gray barrier in the Gotham sky and could not shine its light into the streets and alleys of Gotham.

Bruce looked at Depp, then at Dick, and asked, "I remember you saying... that guy named William Cobb was Dick's great-grandfather?"

Depp nodded in agreement and said, "Although I hate to admit it, he really is Dick's great-grandfather."

"Why did Dick's great-grandfather become Claw? And how do you know that?"

Bruce looked into Depp's eyes, hoping to detect some unusual emotion.

Unfortunately, Depp remained calm and slowly revealed what he knew:

"I just happened to notice that he and Dick gave off a similar vibe, so I guessed they were related by blood."

"Furthermore, he also used the word 'go home' when he arrested Dick."

Bruce clearly didn't believe it, but he didn't bother to ask any more questions.

Asking won't get you any results anyway; at most, Depp will just give a different answer to appease himself.

“William Cobb, it seems, was also a circus performer? Perhaps... the circus where the Dick family used to be based could be a breakthrough point.”