"To be honest, I don't know if it's just my imagination."
Stella looked at the Seraphim rolling on the floor in front of her. Instead of showing impatience, her expression carried a soft smile.
"Don't you think these little ones are starting to look more and more like Michael?"
"You know... now that you mention it, you're right."
Crocodile studied the Seraphim that had been cloned using his own bloodline factor. Though the face still resembled his own for the most part, there was indeed something in the eyes and brows that faintly resembled that guy, Michael.
"Is Michael's bloodline factor really that incredible?"
"Wait a sec—little ones?"
Jack's attention was clearly elsewhere.
"You guys are calling these Seraphim—who are adult-sized—'little ones'? They only look like toddlers, okay!?"
Jack's complaint didn't interrupt the discussion between Crocodile and Stella.
Instead, it caught Vegapunk's attention.
"Oh? You're not wrong," Vegapunk said, stretching out his long tongue as usual while peering at the Seraphim throwing tantrums on the floor.
"After their hair color changed, their faces really did start to show a bit of Michael's features... tsk, tsk, the bloodline factor of Michael truly is fascinating. In a way, these Seraphim are now like the children of Michael and the others."
"Dr. Vegapunk."
Michael smiled at Vegapunk, though his eyes were filled with killing intent.
"Didn't I tell you not to mess with anything that touches on ethics?"
"I didn't want to either..." Vegapunk chuckled twice, teasingly pointing at the Seraphim.
"Listen—they're calling you 'Mama.'"
Michael slapped a hand to his forehead.
Good heavens!
What kind of karmic punishment was this!?
If he had known he'd be facing something like this in Egghead today, he never would've come!
"Hey... you idle lot, could you stop chatting for a second?"
Lilith, who had been tending to the Seraphim, raised her voice.
"The Seraphim... are showing new changes!"
The moment Lilith said that, faint threads of pure white Holy Light and Holy Flames began rising from the Seraphim' bodies.
The flickering glow pulsed in rhythm with their cries, a strange and unsettling sight.
Seeing this, Michael's mouth twitched.
Wait a minute—wasn't it only Paramecia-type powers that could be extracted through Green Blood?
But his was the Mythical Zoan—Human-Human Fruit, Seraphim Model!
How had these Seraphim managed to acquire his Holy Flame and Holy Light abilities too!?
"Michael, if I'm not mistaken," Crocodile said, narrowing his eyes, "those Holy Lights and Holy Flames... that's your Devil Fruit power, isn't it?"
"Unfortunately, yes." Michael nodded.
"Congratulations, Dr. Vegapunk. You now have another research direction—how to replicate Mythical Zoan powers."
"No, I'd say this is more of a burden." Vegapunk gave a helpless smile.
"Because no matter how I look at it, this seems like a unique anomaly that exists only in you. Rather than studying how to replicate Mythical Zoan powers, I think I should study what exactly you are, Michael."
"That's your choice."
After replying, Michael walked over to Lilith.
"Since you've created the Seraphim, there must be a system to command and control them, right?"
"There used to be," Lilith replied.
"We designed what we called an 'Authority Chip,' which determined the hierarchy of control rights. Currently, the highest authority belongs only to Vegapunk and the six of us clones..."
"You're saying that, which means there's definitely a 'but' coming."
"But... after we infused them with your bloodline factor, the Authority Chips completely overloaded." Lilith frowned in confusion.
"I even tried reinstalling one just now, but... unfortunately, it didn't work."
"Didn't work?" Michael frowned.
"Isn't it just reinstalling a plug-in?"
"It is just reinstalling a plug-in—if there were still a slot to put it in."
Shaka, standing beside them, added, "If the original Seraphim were 90% cloned tissue and 10% mechanical components combined... then now, these Seraphim are 100% clones. In other words... they're complete human beings."
At those words, even Vegapunk's face changed dramatically.
Complete humans?
Although Vegapunk had already developed cloning technology long ago—and the cloned Stussy was not only intelligent but surpassed most humans—
Stussy was a 100% human clone.
But the Seraphim were never meant to be mere clones; they were humanoid weapons designed with conscious growth.
They were meant to have the talent of clones and the power of machines.
And now, they had become entirely human?
"In other words... that ten percent of mechanical components was transformed into organic tissue by Michael's bloodline factor!?"
Vegapunk inhaled sharply.
"Michael, what are you!? This completely defies scientific logic!"
"Even if you ask me... all I can say is, I really am human." Michael gave a bitter smile.
"Who knows what's up with my bloodline factor?"
"If you ask me, you're overthinking it."
Jack crossed his arms, looking completely unfazed.
"I didn't understand half of what you people just said, but what I did get is this—when it comes to Michael-sama, anything can happen. The more absurd, the better."
"That's right! Father-sama is omniscient and omnipotent!"
Yamato sprang to his feet like a carp leaping from water, shouting with passion.
"How dare you question Father-sama!?"
"That's literally a cult-level obsession, Yamato!"
Stella said flatly, rolling her eyes.
Then she turned toward Vegapunk.
"Since these children are now complete humans instead of the Seraphim we originally envisioned... then stop trying to command them using preprogrammed control methods."
"You mean..."
"What Stella means," Crocodile said as he stepped forward and picked up the Seraphim that shared his bloodline, "is to treat them like human beings. Raise them as such. Is that really so difficult?"
Strangely, the moment Crocodile touched her, the Seraphim immediately quieted down.
Her eyes—identical to Crocodile's—stared fixedly at the Marine Vice Admiral holding her.
"You know," Crocodile said, a wry smile tugging at his lips,
"maybe I should write a letter to Cobra and tell him ...that I finally have descendants now?"
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