A chimera is an organism that possesses two or more distinct sets of cells and genes within its body.
In immunology, it refers to an entity composed of two or more different cell lineages with distinct chromosomal compositions, coexisting without rejection, forming a chimeric state.
Sometimes, it can also refer to an organism exhibiting different traits within the same organ. Simply put, a chimera can be understood as a hermaphrodite in layman's terms.
Individuals with this condition often exhibit extreme levels of vitality and, in some cases, symptoms of dissociative identity disorder.
In essence, a chimera is an entity containing multiple genetic compositions that do not reject or conflict with one another.
As for whether dissociative identity disorder is directly linked to chimeric conditions, the evidence remains inconclusive.
This was Maude's understanding of chimeras.
However, such knowledge may not necessarily apply to the world of One Piece. As Law mentioned, chimeric cases in historical medical records were extremely rare—so rare that they could be counted on one hand.
In contrast, within the world of Hunter x Hunter, chimeric phenomena were much more widely recognized.
Among the vast array of species, there even existed the Chimera Ants, a species capable of absorbing the genetic traits of their prey through consumption and passing those traits down to their offspring.
It was as if they were biological manufacturing plants in the truest sense.
In some ways, this ability bore a striking resemblance to the Munch-Munch Fruit in the One Piece world—both involved consuming other entities and assimilating them into a singular body.
The key difference was that Chimera Ants inherited the genetic traits of their consumed prey through reproduction, whereas the Munch-Munch Fruit's effect functioned more like an immediate reconstruction ability.
Drawing upon this knowledge of chimeras, the moment Maude heard that Blackbeard was a chimera, he immediately considered the possibility of using the Op-Op Fruit to artificially create a chimera from an ordinary person.
His hypothesis sent Law into deep thought.
The Op-Op Fruit was undoubtedly one of the most unique Paramecia-class Devil Fruits, possessing the ability to perform surgeries on souls and even bestow eternal youth upon a body.
By comparison, altering a normal human into a chimera through surgery didn't seem entirely impossible in Law's eyes.
However, no matter how sound the theory, the ultimate outcome could only be determined through practice.
"Theoretically feasible, but execution is uncertain."
After mulling it over, Law gave Maude a pragmatic answer.
"That so…? No matter. Let's begin preparations for the experiment immediately."
Maude's enthusiasm surged as he eagerly anticipated the results of this research.
Law nodded in response.
So long as it was something that could aid Maude, he would do everything in his power to make it happen.
That said, from his own perspective, he struggled to comprehend the significance of this experiment.
His confusion was entirely justified.
After all, with Maude's interference—
Even though Blackbeard had not been absent from the Summit War, he had failed to acquire Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit as he did in the original timeline. As a result, he had been unable to arrogantly showcase his unprecedented dual-Devil Fruit ability before the entire world.
With this key event absent from history, even though Law had uncovered the secrets of Blackbeard's body using the Op-Op Fruit, he would never have connected it to the ability to wield two Devil Fruits.
With the storyline having deviated from its original path, the only person privy to the full truth was Maude—the traveler from another world.
"Are you wondering why I'm going through all this trouble for something that seems so thankless?"
Noticing Law's bewilderment, Maude preempted his question with one of his own.
Law had just been about to voice his query, but Maude's sudden remark made him pause. After a brief moment, he nodded slowly.
Seeing this, Maude smiled faintly.
"Then have you considered this—if a chimera's body inherently contains at least two different sets of genes, wouldn't that mean… multiple sets of genes could potentially withstand multiple Devil Fruits? No, rather… multiple Devil Fruit factors?"
"Hm?"
Law's pupils contracted sharply as he stared at Maude in shock.
For a moment, he was at a loss for words. Yet, his immediate reaction suggested he instinctively acknowledged the validity of Maude's reasoning.
"A chimera… capable of wielding multiple Devil Fruits…?"
After a brief moment of astonishment, Law subconsciously shifted his gaze to the unconscious Blackbeard lying on the ground. A peculiar gleam flickered in his eyes.
Following Law's gaze, Maude also looked toward Blackbeard.
"Law, we have the perfect test subject right here to verify our hypothesis. All we need to do is feed him a Devil Fruit, and we'll have our answer immediately."
Without waiting for Law's response, Maude reached into his Shadow Casket and retrieved three Devil Fruits—the Sticky-Sticky Fruit, the Ton-Ton Fruit, and the Ripple-Ripple Fruit.
He currently had a collection of fifteen Devil Fruits.
For an experiment like this, it was only natural to select Devil Fruits he deemed of relatively lower value.
That way, even if something went wrong, he wouldn't feel too distressed over the loss.
"Using a Devil Fruit for an experiment… only the Celestial Dragons would do something like this…"
Law silently watched as Maude retrieved the three Devil Fruits from the Shadow Casket, his thoughts unspoken.
Meanwhile, Maude glanced at the three fruits in his hands, murmuring to himself: "Beta Beta no Mi, Ton Ton no Mi, Hira Hira no Mi… which one should I use?"
Each of these Devil Fruits had belonged to former executives of the Donquixote Family.
In Maude's view, their previous owners had developed their abilities in an embarrassingly poor manner.
The Sticky-Sticky Fruit, for example, was an ability that could be used for defense, control, and counterattacks—yet Trebol had wasted it on flinging sticky projectiles.
The Ton-Ton Fruit was even more ridiculous. It was a power that could exponentially increase the pressure of close-range attacks, yet its previous owner, Machvise, had simply used it to make himself heavier for body slams.
As for the Ripple-Ripple Fruit… its previous owner's usage was utterly uninspired.
In Maude's opinion, it would have been far more practical to use the Ripple-Ripple Fruit for cargo transportation. By shrinking heavy and bulky shipments into thin sheets, a single trip could replace a hundred conventional ones, bringing in an endless stream of money—far better than wasting its potential in combat.
"I'll use the Sticky-Sticky Fruit."
After a brief moment of deliberation, Maude settled on his choice.
Returning the Ripple-Ripple Fruit and Ton-Ton Fruit to the Shadow Casket, he approached Blackbeard with the Sticky-Sticky Fruit in hand.
Without needing instructions, Law had already extracted Blackbeard's heart, holding it in his hand. He glanced at the membrane surrounding the organ and asked:
"Maude, should we implant two fruits at once?"
"No, one is enough for now. If he survives after eating the Sticky-Sticky Fruit, then we'll proceed with the second."
Glancing at the fruit-stuffed heart in Law's hand, Maude initiated the experiment.
With little finesse, he forcibly shoved the Sticky-Sticky Fruit into Blackbeard's mouth, ensuring that at least some of the fruit had made it down his throat before stopping.
Then, he took a step back and waited for the results.
Law, too, watched intently.
Half a minute passed.
Blackbeard remained completely unscathed. He did not explode as legend dictated one would after consuming two Devil Fruits.
Seeing this outcome, waves of emotion surged through Law's mind.
If this hypothesis proved true, once he perfected the chimera surgery…
The thought alone was enough to leave Law deeply unsettled.
A being capable of wielding multiple Devil Fruits—such a notion had always seemed like a fantasy.
And yet, now, it seemed closer to becoming a reality.
"…Let's observe a little longer."
After the experiment results came in, Maude chose not to act against Blackbeard immediately for the sake of caution. Instead, he continued to wait patiently.
Soon, half an hour passed, yet Blackbeard's body showed no signs of change.
After nearly forty minutes of observation, Maude decided it was time and turned to Law.
"Alright, let's proceed to the next step."
"Understood."
At Maude's words, Law inserted the second fruit into the membrane surrounding Blackbeard's heart.
Watching Law complete the process, Maude drew Shusui, its razor-sharp tip hovering just above Blackbeard's throat.
"I hope you bring me plenty of surprises, Blackbeard."
With his sword poised at Blackbeard's vital point, Maude's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
It wasn't just the Dark-Dark Fruit he was after—it was also the physical experience and gains from Blackbeard's unique constitution.
"I wonder if this will finally allow me to condense my tenth physique star..."
With that thought lingering in his mind, Maude firmly pressed Shusui downward.
Schlick!
The blade sank effortlessly into Blackbeard's throat, unleashing a torrent of blood.
Even in his heavily comatose state, Blackbeard didn't react at all to the fatal strike.
Maude looked down at the dying Blackbeard, his life now counting down to its final moments.
In just a short while, the man whose ambition once shook the world, the one who turned the seas upside down in the original timeline, would make his final exit from the grand stage.
"So, you wanted to become the King of the World…? Sorry, but that's not happening."
As he gazed at the blood gushing from Blackbeard's throat, Maude silently mused to himself.
King of the World? Pirate King?
Maude had never harbored such aspirations.
What he truly sought was to stand at the pinnacle of the world, free from any threats, able to do whatever he pleased and protect the dreams of his comrades.
If standing at the top meant being called the King of the World or the Pirate King—
Then he wouldn't mind claiming those titles for himself.
Gradually, Blackbeard's life slipped away without a sound.
Maude slowly withdrew Autumn Water, flicking the blood off with a slight twist of his wrist before sheathing the sword.
As the crisp sound of the blade settling into its scabbard echoed through the room, Maude closed his eyes, focusing his mind.
Within the darkness of his vision, his Hunter's Notebook emerged, glowing with an intense orange radiance.
While absorbing the experience flowing into his body, Maude closely monitored the star formations on the cover of his notebook.
Yet, the expected tenth physique star did not form.
More precisely, the experience gained from Blackbeard only filled about one-fifth of a physique star. There was still a long way to go before a full star could be condensed.
As for other aspects, the gains were not as significant as anticipated.
It was true that a portion of the experience was nullified due to the division between swordsmanship and other abilities. Additionally, since Blackbeard hadn't possessed the Dark-Dark Fruit for long, part of the experience was likely redirected into his Devil Fruit ability instead.
Even so, the results were disappointing.
"After reaching four nine-star stats, this sense of stagnation has become even more apparent."
"As expected, the closer one gets to the peak, the harder it is to progress..."
"Then again, the sheer difficulty of advancing only proves the power of the nine-and-a-half-star level."
"Creatures like Charlotte Linlin and Kaido, with their monstrous physiques, must have surpassed the nine-and-a-half-star threshold."
As these thoughts crossed Maude's mind, Blackbeard's heart stopped beating. With its death, the devil's soul within departed and, as expected, attached itself to the fruit within the membrane, gradually transforming it into the Dark-Dark Fruit and Sticky-Sticky Fruit.
Law watched the Devil Fruits take shape before glancing at Maude, who remained motionless. He then retrieved the transformed fruits and placed them on a nearby table.
A few seconds later—
Maude opened his eyes, his gaze falling upon the Dark-Dark Fruit and Sticky-Sticky Fruit resting on the table. A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
Now that the Dark-Dark Fruit was in his possession, Maude held a total of sixteen Devil Fruits—excluding the Venom-Venom Fruit and Zoan Fruit currently "on hold" within Shiryu and Ulti.
Among these were some with immense potential, such as the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, Tone-Tone Fruit, Mammoth Fruit, Nine-Tailed Fox Fruit, and Hobby-Hobby Fruit.
If word got out that he had amassed sixteen Devil Fruits, the world's reaction would be unimaginable.
However, consuming all these fruits wasn't going to be easy.
Unless Law's Chimera Surgery could be perfected…
Once that was achieved, they could find another test subject and replicate the experiment conducted on Blackbeard, ensuring its safety and stability.
If proven foolproof, Maude's core crew members could each consume a second Devil Fruit.
At that point, their inventory would likely be emptied in no time.
But that was a concern for another day.
Maude shook his head slightly, pushing the thought aside.
"Law, you can handle the corpse restoration whenever you're rested. There's no rush."
Maude glanced at the bodies of Blackbeard and Jack. "Or, if you prefer, you can leave it to Arthur. His previous profession was that of an undertaker—he should be quite skilled at handling corpses."
"Got it."
Law nodded.
"That's all for now. Get some rest."
"Alright."
Without any unnecessary words, Law turned and left, taking Blackbeard and Jack's corpses with him.
Maude watched Law exit the room.
Until he found suitable shadows, corpses of Blackbeard and Jack's caliber would have to remain in cold storage for the time being.
"Next up… I have my own matters to handle."
Maude walked out onto the balcony, then leapt down, landing at the front of the castle's main hall.
The moment he touched the ground, several pairs of eyes fixed upon his back.
It was the gaze of Aokiji and the others within the hall.
Maude slowly turned, meeting their eyes—and the first thing he saw was Shiryu, backed into a corner by several high-ranking figures, looking somewhat awkward.
"From today onward, Shiryu will be an apprentice member of our crew."
"…"
Everyone was momentarily stunned.
An apprentice member?
Shiryu sighed in resignation but at least he now had a title that prevented him from being outright targeted.
"Also, if any of you find Shiryu's performance unsatisfactory, just let me know. I'll immediately ki—uh, kick him out."
"…"
Shiryu's cheek twitched slightly.
The room fell into an eerie silence.
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