"Alright, get started." How could Bellamy have missed the look in Judge's eyes? But in his view, the man was already dead. And toward a dead man, Bellamy was naturally magnanimous.
He pretended not to see the look and gestured to him. "Go and clone two legs for the Golden Lion."
"If you do a bad job, I'll cut off your legs."
"And be quick about it. I don't have much patience."
The Golden Lion swaggered over to a chair and sat down. He was already getting impatient for his new legs.
Faced with the bullying of these two pirate tyrants, Judge was naturally filled with hatred. But even if he were ten times bolder, he wouldn't dare to act out now.
"Yes, Lord Golden Lion."
"Please wait a moment."
Judge nodded and bowed, taking a few strands of hair from the Golden Lion. Then, he led a group of scientists to a nutrient pod and began to operate it.
"Can this damn cloning technology really restore my legs perfectly?"
Even after seeing the numerous clones with his own eyes, the Golden Lion couldn't help but feel a little skeptical.
"If he can't do it, we'll cut off one of his hands. If he still can't do it, we'll cut off his legs."
"If all else fails, we'll take his life in exchange."
"There's always a way to get it done."
Bellamy's knowledge of the Lineage Factor was limited to the most superficial information. How to actually use the technology was up to Judge's skills. But he wasn't worried at all that Judge wouldn't be able to do it. Just as he said, if he couldn't, he would pay with his life. He believed that with such motivation, Vinsmoke Judge would be very driven.
"You've got a point."
"If he can't do it, he can just die."
The Golden Lion greatly approved of Bellamy's words. As for what would happen to Judge after the legs were made, that would depend on his mood. From beginning to end, they paid no mind to Judge's own wishes or thoughts. To them, that was the last thing they needed to consider.
Judge was operating the equipment not far away. Hearing their words, a chill ran down his spine.
It's over, it's over. I'm probably going to die here today.
Targeted by these two thugs, even if he completed the task, he would probably lose his life. Judge himself was a man who disregarded life; he understood the minds of the Golden Lion and Bellamy all too well. No one cares about the life or death of an insect that can be crushed at will.
And right now, he was that insect.
What do I do? I have to think of a way, fast.
As he operated the nutrient tank, Judge frantically racked his brain for a way to escape his current predicament.
It had to be said, his mastery of Lineage Factor technology was profound. Even while distracted, a thick, powerful leg quickly began to form in the tank. Under the watchful eyes of the Golden Lion and Bellamy, muscle fibers and blood vessels wrapped around a white bone, slowly growing. The scene was truly miraculous, like a person gradually growing out of the ground.
In all his years, this was the first time the Golden Lion had ever known that technology could achieve such a thing. In comparison, his twenty years of research into "ferocious animals" was utterly worthless.
Bellamy, on the other hand, had expected this. It was just cloning a leg, not a whole person from an embryo. It was surely being edited bit by bit using the Lineage Factor. Aside from the novelty of the scene, he wasn't surprised at all.
After a long while, under Judge's careful operation, the Golden Lion's severed legs were finally perfectly cloned. The two legs were perfect replicas created from Shiki's own Lineage Factor, so there would be no rejection. As long as the muscles, nerves, and blood vessels were connected, the Golden Lion could stand once again.
This was also the first time Judge had thought that his Lineage Factor technology could be used to provide such a service to the powerhouses of the world. He himself didn't know much about medicine, so he had never thought in this direction.
In truth, perfectly connecting the muscles, nerves, and blood vessels was an extremely difficult task. Without the Op-Op Fruit, if a doctor tried to do it by hand, it was highly likely they would fail. Even if they succeeded, it would be impossible to restore them to their original state.
Judge was clearly unaware of this. After a period of deep thought, he felt that his only chance of survival now lay with these two legs. So, Judge took the newly cloned legs and went to the Golden Lion.
"Lord Golden Lion, reattaching these legs will likely be somewhat difficult."
"Why don't you let me go to the North Blue and find a top doctor for you?"
At this point, Judge glanced at Bellamy. "Our Vinsmoke Family still has some influence in the North Blue."
"No need."
The Golden Lion took his new legs, feeling them up and down. They felt strangely familiar.
"Bellamy-brat, now it's your turn."
With the user of the Op-Op Fruit right here, what need was there for any other doctor? The Golden Lion knew that Law was Bellamy's man and would only listen to him. He also knew that Bellamy and the Vinsmokes were mortal enemies. So, no matter how much Judge struggled, the Vinsmoke Family was doomed.
"No rush. Let's send them on their way first."
Now that the cloned legs were in hand, there was no need for the Vinsmokes to exist. Although Bellamy coveted the Lineage Factor technology, such high-tech was clearly not something that could be learned in a day or two. Franky was just a shipwright; it was impossible for him to master this technology in a short time. Bellamy had neither the time nor the desire to leave any loose ends.
So he chose destruction.
"This Lineage Factor stuff is pretty impressive. It's a bit of a waste to destroy it like this."
Although he said that, when the Golden Lion acted, he did so without the slightest hesitation. The activation condition for the Float-Float Fruit originally required the user to touch things with their hands. But the Golden Lion had long since developed his Devil Fruit to the point of Awakening. Without any movement, with just a thought, all matter within the range of his ability, even human bodies, would fall under his control.
"Lion's Threat: Sea Burial!"
The Golden Lion raised his hands, and four massive, lion-shaped tsunamis rose from the sea. Under his control, these waves surged madly toward the Vinsmoke's ship island. Such a world-shaking display of power truly showcased the Golden Lion's strength to the fullest.
The moment the giant waves appeared, Judge's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground. This cowardly display completely exposed his true nature.
Bellamy looked at the rapidly approaching tsunamis, then at the Golden Lion's crazed face, and sneered inwardly.
Trying to test my strength, are you?
Fine by me. I've been wanting to see just how strong the Float-Float Fruit really is.