One Piece: The Cryo Doctor on the Straw Hat Ship

At the head of the conference table sat a man sitting upright—it was none other than the Navy Admiral, the Buddha Sengoku.

He wasn't wearing his signature marshal's overcoat and seagull hat, but only a dark standard military uniform, the gold insignia on his shoulder straps gleaming calmly under the lights.

Sengoku placed his hands on the table, his back straight as a pine tree, his face calm and serene. Only his deep eyes locked onto V and Luffy the moment they stepped into the room, his gaze sweeping over them with a tangible pressure that seemed to scrutinize and understand everything.

The air was still for a moment, with only the faint sound of distant waves coming from outside the door.

"Is this brat Garp's grandson?"

"Without realizing it, I've already grown to this level..."

"The Monkey family are a bunch of troublesome guys."

Sengoku, gazing at Luffy, felt a deep sense of emotion.

To be honest, he panicked for a moment when the port alarm sounded.

I thought it was some remnant of the old era causing trouble at Marine Headquarters while Garp was away.

However, he was even more shocked when he learned that it was Luffy and V of the Straw Hat Pirates who had broken into the port.

After all, it would take Garp's fleet at least two more days to return to Marineford, and during that time he hadn't received any news of the Gates of Justice opening...

Luffy and V were even faster than the Navy warships, and they even crossed the Gate of Justice...

This is enough to prove that the Straw Hat Pirates possess far more methods than the intelligence they have gathered.

"sit."

Zhan Guo gestured to the two empty chairs across the table, his voice as steady as a rock.

Luffy and V casually took their seats.

Before Sengoku could speak again, Luffy spoke first:

"Old man, are you the commander of the navy?"

"Grandpa!?"

Several black lines suddenly appeared on Zhan Guo's forehead.

However, with his extensive experience interacting with Garp, he knew exactly how to communicate with this big-headed idiot.

The simplest way: just ignore it!

"I am Fleet Admiral of the Navy Headquarters, the Buddha Sengoku."

The voice of the Warring States period was unhurried, yet it carried a natural authority, as if each word weighed heavily on the air.

“I have learned the details of the Alabasta incident from Garp and Onigumo’s reports, as well as your decision to accept the invitation to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.”

His gaze swept over Luffy like a hawk's, finally settling on V's face. His deep pupils seemed to pierce through the mechanical prosthetic eye and see everything behind it.

"But a report is a report, and seeing it with your own eyes is another matter."

"Monkey D. Luffy, and you...V."

"Before I officially grant you the status and privileges of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, I have a few questions that you need to answer in person."

"Huh? This is so troublesome!" Luffy tilted his head, looking incredulous. "How come there are so many things to consider when becoming a Shichibukai?"

"........."

The veins on his forehead throbbed during the Warring States period.

It has to be said that his tone, his expression, and his naive and rule-abiding behavior were exactly the same as the scoundrel in his mind.

V, on the other hand, adopted a polite demeanor: "Marshal, may I ask?"

Zhan Guo took a deep breath, then leaned forward slightly, placed his hands on the table with his fingers interlaced, and an invisible pressure spread out.

"Since you possess the power to defeat Crocodile, I will no longer treat you as rookie pirates."

"The first question..."

His gaze pierced sharply at V.

“According to our examination, Smoker’s heart has been replaced with something strange, and you and he both possess the Logia-type Smoke-Smoke Fruit ability.”

"What explanation do you have for this, V?"

"Hey hey hey~"

V leaned back in his chair, adopting a relaxed posture.

Faced with the questioning from the Warring States period, he did not show the slightest panic. Instead, a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

"No way, the Warring States Marshal?"

"Don't tell me you know nothing about Devil Fruit ability copying?"

"As far as I know, Dr. Vegapunk should already have successful samples."

The pupils of the Warring States period suddenly contracted.

His gaze was fixed on V: "How do you know all this?"

"You're also a member of MADS?"

Although V doesn't look very old, the MADS are a group of strange guys who have mastered scientific secrets. Even if there is someone who can keep his appearance unchanged, Sengoku wouldn't find it particularly surprising.

However, to his surprise, V shook his head dismissively again in response to his question:

"Don't be too narrow-minded, Marshal of the Warring States Period."

"Not all the technology in this world comes from [MADS]."

"Beyond MADS, there are also many scientists you have never met."

"........."

Sengoku remained silent for a moment, seemingly accepting what V had to say.

"So, you're a top scientist outside of MADS...?"

“That’s one way to understand it.” V smiled and nodded, then offered his explanation:

"Devil Fruits have always been an unsolved mystery in this world, and any scientist with a bit of ambition will not let go of the research on them."

"Coincidentally... I am one of them!"

When you're out in the world, you give yourself your own identity.

Regardless of how the Warring States period ultimately portrays him, it will essentially add leverage to his subsequent negotiations.

V's lips curled slightly, as if he were discussing something utterly mundane:

"The 'strange thing' in Smoker's heart is a 'prosthetic heart' that I installed for him—a mechanical device that can replace biological organs, sustain life, and enhance functions."

"That's one of my research results, and I'm sure you'll see it soon."

"And besides that, my proudest achievement is—"

"It's the [copying] and [loading] technology of Devil Fruit abilities!"

"Simply put, I can extract the 'core principles' of a Devil Fruit's power and embed them into a suitable prosthetic body, allowing the power to exist independently of its original host and achieve cross-body transplantation."

"This technology means that 'uniqueness' is no longer an ironclad rule for fruit."

"Given the right conditions, the same ability can coexist in multiple individuals at the same time."

"That's right!"

"I--"

V mysteriously raised the corners of his mouth, his eyes flashing with a sharp glint that seemed to challenge the rules, and proudly declared:

"The laws set by God have been broken."

Chapter 103 The Deal with the Warring States Period (Seeking monthly votes~)

"What did you say!?"

V's words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a tidal wave in the heart of Sengoku.

"Break...the laws of God?"

As Zhan Guo repeated these words, something almost trembled for the first time in his unfathomable eyes, which had weathered countless storms.

As the Fleet Admiral, he possesses many secrets unknown to the world—the legends of ancient weapons, the existence of the Void Century, the true face of the World Government…

He knew that Vegapunk had found a way to overcome the ironclad rule that Devil Fruits cannot be replicated.

But he never expected that someone would master this technology before Vegapunk, who possessed the Brain-Brain Fruit and was 500 years ahead of the world.

Even the Logia-type Devil Fruit, which Vegapunk had been searching for without success, was successfully conquered by him.

In an instant, V had become a genius scientist in Sengoku's mind, equal to or even surpassing Vegapunk!

Having learned from Vegapunk's experience, he was well aware of the terrifying power behind such a scientist.

“'Prosthetic heart'... 'Copying and loading technology'..."

After a brief silence, Sengoku's expression gradually shifted from astonishment to a solemn mix of scrutiny, vigilance, and unavoidable apprehension.

He slowly clasped his hands together, gently tapping the back of his hands with his index fingers—a habitual gesture when he was deep in thought.

“'Law'... Your choice of this word is very interesting, V.”

His sharp gaze was fixed on V's mechanical prosthetic eye, trying to glean more information from the dark blue halo.

“But you should know that... the moment you say these things, you will not be able to leave Marineford unscathed.”

"Such terrifying technology, the World Government will not allow an uncontrollable individual to master it."

“You said it yourself… it’s the World Government, right?” V suddenly leaned forward, a grin spreading across his face, and met Sengoku’s gaze with a subtle expression.

"As long as you don't say anything and I don't say anything, once we leave this room, no third person will know about these things, right, Marshal Sengoku?"

Luffy, who hadn't understood a single word after listening for so long: ? ? ? Am I not human?

"What do you mean by that?" Sengoku asked in a low voice.

But V smiled even more broadly: "Stop pretending, Warring States Marshal."

“I’ve known all along that you and the World Government are not on the same page.”