— — — — — — —
Back to the main topic—
After arriving, Kaito looked at the two Devil Fruits placed on the central lab table. Curious, he walked up to them while asking Vegapunk, "Are you sure the replication was successful? How difficult was it to create? When can mass production start, and what would the output be?"
Vegapunk smiled and replied, "I believe it's a perfect copy, but ultimately, you'll have to judge that for yourself!"
"As for mass production and output, let's not rush into that just yet."
"BTW can you tell which of these two is the original and which is the replica?"
"Oh?" Kaito raised an eyebrow and immediately used his spiritual power to scan both Devil Fruits, analyzing them.
The result? No visible difference at all.
Next, he activated his spatial authority for a deeper analysis. After a brief moment, he pinpointed the distinction and smirked, saying, "This replication is seriously impressive."
Vegapunk's eyes lit up with curiosity. "That's correct! Can you tell me what the difference is? In your eyes, does my replicated Devil Fruit qualify as a perfect copy?"
"If it were truly perfect, I shouldn't be able to tell them apart," Kaito nodded with a smile. "Normally, there's no way to distinguish them. Even my spiritual scan didn't detect any differences.
"But within my innate spatial domain, I have absolute control and can perceive things on a deeper level.
"Because of that, I can see traces of artificial replication.
"That said, these traces don't affect the power or function of the replicated Devil Fruit."
"So yes, it is indeed a perfect copy."
"Now, tell me—can this be mass-produced? What's the expected output? What resources are needed?"
Hearing this, Kushina and the others also turned to Vegapunk, eager for his answer.
Vegapunk laughed. "Perfect! That's great to hear!"
"As for mass production, I can set up a production line anytime."
"The required materials are within my reach."
"However, if the output gets too high, the World Government will start getting suspicious."
"With my current resources, I can produce a maximum of ten Human-Human Fruit replicas per month. That's my limit."
"But if Lord Kaito can provide additional materials, the output could increase to 50 per month."
"That's the absolute limit I can manage while balancing my other research and responsibilities."
"Here's the materials list—you can take a look."
With that, Vegapunk flipped his hand and pulled out a stack of papers, handing them to Kaito.
Kaito took them and quickly skimmed through the contents. His brows furrowed slightly. "Most of these materials are exclusive to the Pirate world."
"It looks like we need to speed up the development of our trade network in that world."
He could tell that many of these materials were incredibly rare and not easy to obtain.
To secure a steady supply, they would need considerable power and influence.
Only because Vegapunk had the World Government backing him could he continuously 'borrow' from them to sustain production.
Otherwise, if Kaito had to gather materials alone, he'd struggle to make even one per month.
"That's exactly right!" Vegapunk nodded. "So it would be best to accelerate our expedition through the Yonko territories, seize our place in the New World, and establish the Uchiha Pirates as one of the Four Emperors."
"That will make collecting these materials much easier."
Kaito nodded in understanding. "Got it! Leave that to me."
"I'll have Koshiro-Sensei speed up our voyage."
"Also, maybe I should visit Shakky more often and strengthen my relationship with her."
"If I can get on her good side and contract her organization, her intelligence network might give me unexpected advantages in gathering materials."
Previously, he hadn't paid much attention to Shakky's intel because his needs were minimal.
But now, things were different.
"Shakky, huh? Not a bad choice!" Vegapunk nodded in agreement and said.
"In fact, once the Uchiha Pirates become a Yonko crew, you could even consider reaching out to the Underground Emperors like the Shipping King."
"Through them, gathering these materials will become much easier."
"Of course, to form connections with them and use their resources, we first need to become a Yonko crew with enough power and reputation."
Since Vegapunk had knowledge of One Piece's past and future, he knew exactly who Shakky was.
"Alright." Kaito nodded again. "I understand. This will take some time. We'll handle it once the Uchiha Pirates enter the New World, seize territory, and establish our place among the Four Emperors."
"For now, we'll have to rely on you to keep taking from the World Government's supply and produce ten per month to meet our immediate needs."
Since these were only for close allies, ten to twenty should be enough for now.
It would only take a month or two.
As for equipping all contract holders with one, that could wait until the Uchiha Pirates officially became one of the Four Emperors and secured a steady supply chain for the necessary materials.
"No problem! Leave it to me!" Vegapunk nodded, agreeing without hesitation. He then pointed to the two Devil Fruits on the experiment table and said, "The replicated one is yours to take, but the original must stay here as the core component of the production line."
"In fact, it'll have to remain here until we decide to stop production."
"Using a replicated version as the core isn't impossible, but even the smallest difference could lead to major issues. Since only you can distinguish between the original and the copy with your space authority, it's best to keep the original here to avoid any risks. What do you think?"
"That works." Kaito had no objections. Being meticulous was best. "Then let's do it your way. I'll take this copy."
He then turned to Vegapunk, smiling. "Thanks for your hard work! Do you need my help setting up the production line?"
As he spoke, he picked up the replicated fruit and handed it to Kushina, who had been eyeing it eagerly.
Kushina beamed as she accepted it, immediately taking a big bite. Instantly, she felt the familiar Devil Fruit power returning to her. Excited, she pulled Mikoto and the others aside to test its effects.
Vegapunk responded to Kaito's offer, nodding. "I have the materials for the production line, but you'll need to handle its construction."
"With your space authority, you can speed up the process to the limit and save a lot of trouble."
He had no interest in wasting time on something like that.
"Alright! Just get the materials ready and let me know. I'll come over to build it when you're set."
Kaito nodded. Then, as if remembering something, he added, "Once the first batch of Human-Human Fruits is ready, you should eat one yourself. It'll likely enhance your intelligence and cognitive abilities even further."
"It'll also boost your talents and physical control to an extreme degree."
"For someone like you, it's basically a guaranteed power-up."
He was eager to see what surprises an even smarter Vegapunk could bring him.
"Uh..." Vegapunk hesitated. "Are you sure I can eat another Devil Fruit?"
"Of course!" Kaito nodded confidently. "I have the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, a Logia-type, and I've already consumed the Human-Human Fruit before. Because I removed the curse and willpower restrictions, I can eat multiple Devil Fruits without any risk of my body exploding."
"I've tested this extensively. You can relax."
"Alright then!" Vegapunk finally relaxed, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. "I wonder how much my intelligence will improve after taking the Human-Human Fruit..."
For someone like him, intelligence and comprehension could never be too high.
"We'll find out when we test it! Haha!" Kaito chuckled.
"True!" Vegapunk laughed as well. "No time to waste. I'll go prepare the materials for the production line right away!"
Leaving behind a shadow clone to continue researching the Bloodline Limit Elixirs, his real body teleported away to Egghead Island's base.
Meanwhile, Kaito teleported over to Kushina and the others. Seeing her still experimenting with her abilities, he smiled and asked, "How's it going? Any differences from the original?"
Kushina shook her head. "So far, none. It works just as well as the real thing!"
"I just wish we had more of them sooner. If everyone had one, we'd all permanently benefit from the boosts to intelligence and talent!"
Switching users was a hassle, and the daily usage time was too limited. It wasn't convenient or satisfying enough.
"It won't take long! In a month, we should have enough. You guys will get priority for the first batch."
Kaito promised with a smile.
Of course, his mother, Mikoto, Orochimaru, Uzumaki Mito, Tsunade, Hashirama, and Minato would also be in the first batch to receive a fruit.
He wanted them to grow stronger as quickly as possible, so naturally, they came first.
As for Chopper, they would have to wait for the second or third batch.
Chopper was still young, so waiting a few extra months wouldn't matter.
.
.
.