Marineford War: I Will Stand in the Sky

Vegapunk answered casually.

"Because the 'demon' that is combined with the soul of a living being hates Seastone and seawater, once a Devil Fruit user comes into contact with Seastone and seawater, the soul will not be able to fully control the body, resulting in phenomena such as weakness and inability to use the ability."

Yann nodded without expressing any objection.

Or rather, Vegapunk's conclusions are quite similar to the directions speculated by Luo's research over the years.

The Seastone and seawater do not restrain the ability user themselves, but rather the "demon" that is combined with the ability user's soul.

However, this was not the answer Yorn wanted to get from Vegapunk. What was more important was to probe Vegapunk's other secrets and his stance.

Immediately, Yann continued, "Then what does all this have to do with my bloodline factor sequence?"

"Of course they're related!"

Vegapunk said with a hint of excitement.

"Generally speaking, as humans become Devil Fruit users, their bodies undergo various changes under the influence of the 'devil' that is combined with their souls. These changes can be broadly categorized into three types: Zoan, Paramecia, and Logia..."

"In fact, these changes are the expression of the 'devil' characteristics combined with the human soul in the body. As humans continue to develop the Devil Fruit, the degree of expression will become deeper and deeper until the so-called 'fruit awakening' is completed, which means that the body almost perfectly accommodates the characteristics of the 'devil'."

"but……"

Vegapunk looked at Lucci and said.

"These changes have always been driven by one's own soul. But you are different. An external soul intervened in Lu Qi's body, and the body did not reject it. Instead, the body gradually adapted to it, resulting in various positive changes."

"The changes in your bloodline factor sequence are enough to show that it is entirely possible for a foreign soul to perfectly fit into a new body. Once the World Government obtains this sequence, it will bring this ocean to a permanent standstill."

Yarne's eyes narrowed slightly, and he instantly made a connection, asking, "Frod?!"

"You knew?!" Vegapunk was somewhat surprised this time.

Yann hesitated for a moment, then tentatively said.

"The Blackwing Demon once killed Freud, and then unexpectedly discovered that he seemed to have changed his body and changed his name to Freud. That's why I entered Lucci's body and infiltrated the World Government to investigate this matter."

Upon hearing this, Vegapunk hesitated for a moment before speaking, "It seems we need to have a serious talk."

Yone, who was controlling Lucci's body, nodded and slowly released Vegapunk's hand, while keeping a close eye on Vegapunk's every move, without the slightest carelessness.

After all, no one knows if Vegapunk has some kind of button hidden nearby that could trigger an emergency alarm.

Vegapunk took a few steps back, rubbed his wrist, and looked at Lucci in front of him, asking, "Who exactly are you?"

“You can call me ‘Leopard King,’ that’s my code name in the ‘Hueco Mundo’ organization,” Yorn replied.

"So, the power bestowed by those so-called 'Lords of Hueco Mundo' is actually just foreign souls possessing other people's bodies?" Vegapunk questioned.

As Yann pondered how to answer, his gaze fell upon the anger and disgust in Vegapunk's eyes.

'Vegapunk does indeed seem to align with the information gathered from various sources, including Caesar, Vinsmoke Judge, and the future kingdom of Baltimore, exhibiting a good and lawful character.'

'His covert attempts to prevent the World Government from obtaining Lucci's bloodline sequence seem to indicate that his stance is not entirely aligned with the World Government.'

With this thought in mind, Yann turned and spoke.

"It seems there's something different from what you understand; I'm not actually possessing Lucci's body..."

At this point, Lucci paused, and his face showed completely different expressions, divided into left and right sides.

“I, Rob Lucci, voluntarily allowed the Panther King’s consciousness to take control of my body.”

Vegapunk's eyes widened slightly, seemingly surprised by the situation, and he murmured something.

"That's right, that's exactly it, I see..."

"The reason why Lucci's body did not show a rejection reaction when there was a foreign soul was because Lucci's soul still existed, forming a symbiotic relationship similar to that of Devil Fruit users, but completely different."

Chapter 652 Vegapunk's Stance

[Chapter 652. Celestial Dragons, the Body of a "God"]

At this point, Vegapunk excitedly patted his head, seemingly puzzled as he spoke.

"I can't believe I never thought of this research direction before... No, no, why would I be researching this? It's best if I didn't realize it..."

"However, it's truly astonishing that two souls coexist in one body—no, not just two! Add to that Lucci's own Devil Fruit, and that's practically three souls, yet he remains so stable? Even more stable than a normal Devil Fruit user?"

"Could it be that a love triangle is still logical when applied to the soul?"

"What should I do? I really want to investigate this..."

……

Listening to Vegapunk muttering to himself, seemingly lost in his own world, and even subconsciously casting a look at Lucci as if he wanted to investigate further, Yone couldn't help but cough lightly to remind Vegapunk.

"Ah, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry..."

Vegapunk immediately realized that he seemed to have been somewhat impolite, and then asked in an unusually serious manner.

"So, Mr. Lucci, Mr. Leopard King, would you be willing to let me study you a little? I guarantee it won't endanger your lives, and who knows, I might even get some interesting research results that could promote your stable soul relationship."

……

Ya'en.

"No need." Both Yone and Lucci rejected Vegapunk's suggestion without hesitation.

Immediately, Vegapunk's expression almost instinctively showed disappointment, and he then spoke.

"Alright, but this secret of yours will still have an impact on this ocean. Please keep it a secret and never let the World Government know about it."

“Interesting, Mr. Vegapunk, aren’t you the World Government’s chief scientist? Is it really appropriate for you to make such a rebellious statement?” Yone asked.

Vegapunk scratched his head and said dismissively.

"There's no need to test me with such rhetoric. My relationship with the World Government is purely contractual. The World Government provides me with the best research team, equipment, and resources in the ocean, and promises to protect my homeland, Baltimore. In return, I work for the World Government."

"I see, so you were forced into it," Yann said tentatively.

Vegapunk remained silent upon hearing this, tacitly agreeing with it.

Or perhaps, Vegapunk simply had no other choice.

Vegapunk, born in Baltimore, a winter island "future kingdom" with perpetual snow, once had a very pure desire to acquire knowledge: to use science to change the climate of his hometown and allow his compatriots to live a better and warmer life than before.

However, as Vegapunk's knowledge grew ever more vast and the fields he explored became increasingly profound, bringing him into the World Government's sights, his fate was already sealed.

As for this information about Vegapunk, Yann had naturally gathered almost all of it from various sources. Combined with Vegapunk's current performance, he could almost guess Vegapunk's thoughts.

Then, Yann asked.

“Mr. Vegapunk, you haven’t answered my question yet.”

“You mean Freud?” Vegapunk asked.

"That's right, what's this about switching bodies?" Yann pressed.

"This matter..."

Vegapunk hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said.

"You'd better not try to find out any more. This involves a major secret hidden by the World Government, and knowing too much will only lead to bad consequences."

“Does Mr. Vegapunk think I risked infiltrating the Holy Land of Mary Geoise for nothing more than child’s play? This is exactly the information I want to know,” Yern continued to press.

"Since that's the case, then I'll tell you..."

Vegapunk pondered for a moment before speaking.

"When a foreign soul takes over someone else's body, it causes a rejection reaction. This rejection reaction is almost irreversible, and even drugs can only slightly alleviate it. Therefore, the World Government has been searching for a way to solve this rejection problem."

"Things like the Ope Ope no Mi (Operation Fruit), pure gold, and the lineage factor research I'm currently conducting are all directions the World Government is trying to explore..."

After a pause, Vegapunk continued.

"Of course, your current situation is also one of the directions for a solution. As long as the foreign soul can form a harmonious symbiosis with the original soul, then the body will not reject it or collapse."

"However, risks still exist. If the original soul resists, the conflict between souls is extremely dangerous. Even if the World Government is aware of this, it probably won't easily take this approach..."

After a pause, Vegapunk's eyes lit up slightly, and he muttered to himself.

"Come to think of it, it's not entirely impossible. Voluntary symbiosis is unrealistic, so let's find a way to put the original soul into complete slumber, retaining only basic bodily functions and consciousness..."

Seeing that Vegapunk seemed to be unconsciously absorbed in his research again, Yann, feeling deeply how terrifying Vegapunk was, quickly interrupted him.

Why would a world government want to acquire this technology? Is it for the sake of immortality?

“That’s right, it is indeed immortality.” Vegapunk nodded, confirming Yone’s guess.

Even though Yann had anticipated and guessed about this, he was still instinctively surprised when he actually heard it from Vegapunk, and then asked.

"Who are the immortals in the World Government? Frodo? The Five Elders? And wouldn't the transfer of a soul between different bodies cause some kind of loss?"

Vegapunk said with some surprise, "Hmm? You do know quite a lot, but the number of immortals is probably far greater than you imagine."

"What?" Yann was slightly taken aback.

“I don’t know the exact number or identities of the immortals, but we can make a rough estimate based on the number of potential bodies available for them,” Vegapunk said.

"Alternative bodies?" Yann asked.

"You didn't know this, yet you guessed the existence of the World Government's immortal group?"

Vegapunk looked somewhat speechless, then calmly said, "The Celestial Dragons are the descendants of those immortals, and also the candidates for their bodies."

“Wh...what?!” Yann was completely stunned.

"The so-called 'gods' are those immortal beings. The reason why the Celestial Dragons are allowed to call themselves 'gods' is because they are essentially the alternative bodies for immortal beings. Therefore, the World Government does not allow anyone to harm the Celestial Dragons in order to ensure the maximum number of alternative bodies for immortal beings."

After a pause, Vegapunk thought for a moment and then said, "Speaking of which, Frodo's full name is Roswald Frodo Saint, isn't it?"

Chapter 653 Celestial Dragons, the Body of a "God"

[Chapter 653. The Ironic Truth]

At this moment, not only was Lucci shocked, but even Yann's pupils dilated in shock.

The Celestial Dragons were actually bodies prepared for them by those immortal beings.

The Celestial Dragons, descendants of gods, are a group that cannot be offended by commoners and enjoys the most exalted and special privileges in the entire ocean. Is this really the truth about them?

Really...

irony!

At this moment, Yan felt an immense sense of irony. The Celestial Dragons considered themselves "gods," high above everyone else, regarding all others as pigs and dogs.