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Kojin had been pondering the development of the Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder Thunder Fruit) extensively, pushing his imagination to its limits.
What could lightning—or electricity in general—be used for?
Beyond its destructive power, it also possessed various auxiliary applications.
In his previous world, society had been highly dependent on electrical energy.
Through radio waves, electromagnetism, and electrical power, wireless communication, remote control of machinery, and the invention of countless electronic devices had become commonplace.
Building on this foundation, and given that Kojin himself was lightning, he envisioned and developed new abilities.
Soon, before the astonished eyes of Bullet and Crocodile, Kojin became enveloped in crackling lightning. Fine blue arcs surged into the Underground in an instant.
“Thunder Metallurgy!”
As these words left his lips, Kojin’s eyes narrowed slightly, and his hands touched the ground.
This was the first time he had used this Skill—employing a thunderous electromagnetic field to locate and attract underground metal particles, allowing him to manipulate them.
It was somewhat similar to Magneto’s ability, except he needed a medium.
“Buzz!!”
In an instant, a shockwave erupted outward, causing the ground within a kilometer radius to tremble faintly.
The Void rippled, and after a few breaths, countless tiny particles floated up from the earth, coalescing before him into chunks of metal of varying sizes and colors.
“Crack!”
Lightning suddenly flashed, striking the metal in front of him.
‘Thunder Puppet!’ Kojin murmured.
Under the concentrated heat of the lightning, the metal rapidly transformed, reshaping itself into a humanoid figure over three meters tall.
Immediately afterwards, countless electric arcs shot out from Kojin’s body and surged into the metal figure.
Amidst the dazzling light, the metallic figure rapidly transformed, becoming lifelike as it was enveloped in lightning. A nose, eyes, and mouth materialized, and within moments, another Kojin stood before them.
“What is this?!” Crocodile exclaimed in shock, his eyes flickering.
‘He’s using the fusion of lightning and metal to create a clone?’
This gave him new ideas for developing Logia Fruits.
Seeing that his first attempt at creating a Thunder Puppet had succeeded, Kojin slowly exhaled.
Even when theoretical concepts are put into practice, there is still some margin of error.
He then began manipulating the Thunder Puppet through electrical waves. Initially, the puppet’s movements were sluggish, but after adjusting the wave frequencies and arc intensity, it soon moved with the fluidity of a normal person.
Moreover, because the Thunder Puppet was forged from metal, it possessed an innate advantage in strength and could also discharge a controlled amount of lightning for manipulation.
In essence, the puppet before them was like another version of Kojin, one without Haki, possessing roughly one-tenth of his full power.
“This is just the first experiment,” Kojin said with a smile. “With continuous adjustments and improvements, its power will only increase.”
“And also!”
His eyes narrowed again as a streak of lightning burst out.
In the next instant, the Thunder Puppet, having received its command, erupted in a blinding flash of lightning. It transformed instantaneously into a Qilin, its entire body crackling with electric energy.
“Under the influence of lightning, it can alter its metallic form at will, shapeshifting into any form. It can also maintain a telepathic connection with me over long distances,” Kojin explained, grinning at the two figures before him.
“You two will travel to South Blue aboard this Thunder Puppet.”
“Remember, maintain absolute stealth. Avoid drawing any attention whatsoever.”
Crocodile and Bullet nodded in understanding.
Moments later, a bolt of thunderlight shot skyward from Marine Headquarters at Marineford, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
“Resolving the Ace situation ahead of schedule counts as fulfilling part of my agreement with Roger,” Kojin murmured, his gaze shifting back to Rosinante and the others before him.
He then began meticulously teaching them the Six Powers (Rokushiki).
These were to be his future core team, so he naturally took their training seriously. Though currently just a small squad with limited strength, even a spark can ignite a wildfire.
…
Time slowly passed, and in the blink of an eye, it was already the third day.
It was also on this day that Marine Headquarters received a piece of news that caused the expressions of the top brass to change.
“What?”
“Roger still has bloodline descendants alive in this world?”
“Is this news reliable?”
“We can confirm its accuracy,” Sengoku replied grimly. “The information comes directly from Cipher Pol within the World Government.”
“However, the precise location of Roger’s bloodline remains unknown. We must conduct a thorough search. This is why the World Government contacted us,” Sengoku added.
At the side, Zephyr and Garp stood with their arms folded, both wearing grave expressions.
“We must issue immediate orders to hunt down Roger’s bloodline that still exists in this world,” Kong declared in his icy voice.
“At the same time, following the World Government’s instructions, we will investigate all individuals previously associated with Roger.”
“Those who should be arrested will be arrested, and those who should be sentenced will be sentenced.”
Kong suddenly stood up and said coldly.
“Yes, sir!” Sengoku’s heart tightened as he immediately replied.
The implications of Roger’s bloodline were immense, plunging the recently calmed Marine Headquarters back into a state of high alert.
The entire Marine system was rapidly mobilized.
…
That afternoon.
“We can confirm that Roger stopped in the South Blue before his death!”
New information was quickly reported to Headquarters.
“South Blue? Wasn’t that the area Kojin used to oversee?”
“He also captured Roger in South Blue?” Kong was startled for a moment, then frowned and said.
“For nearly a year, Kojin was indeed responsible for South Blue. As for whether Roger was captured in South Blue, I’ve never heard him mention it.” Sengoku said.
At the side, Garp’s eyes flickered slightly, but he said nothing.
“Concentrate our forces in the South Blue. Furthermore, order Kojin’s division to immediately investigate Roger’s bloodline there!”
Kong spoke in a deep voice, pausing before turning to Sengoku.
“Sengoku, you go too!”
Sengoku blinked in surprise, then immediately replied, “Yes, sir!”
The operation began almost instantly. During Kong’s tenure, the Marines had always acted swiftly and decisively.
An operation sweeping across the various islands of South Blue was quickly launched.
And Kojin, who was currently supervising his subordinates’ training in the Six Powers, received his orders almost immediately.
“So soon?” Kojin frowned, his heart tightening.
He hadn’t expected the Marines to obtain the news so quickly. And there was still no word on whether Crocodile and Bullet had succeeded.
Although the Thunder Puppet could also fly, its speed was naturally incomparable to lightning; it was, at best, just a flying machine.
“Training is suspended. We have a new mission!” Kojin summoned T. Penn and said in a deep voice.
He vaguely recalled the investigation into Roger’s bloodline. The methods used had seemed rather dark. And it was also because of this investigation that Rouge forcibly carried Ace for twenty months, ultimately leading to her death.
“We need to act faster!” Muttering to himself, Kojin’s eyes flickered.
With a single thought, electric arcs burst out from his body. Another scene immediately surfaced in his mind, reflecting everything happening before the Thunder Puppet at that very moment.
It was somewhat like the video technology of his previous life. He and the Thunder Puppet were like two mobile phones, while he himself was the base station.
A very practical and convenient development method.
(End of Chapter)
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