Chapter 452: Clones (1)
That's right, it was Vegapunk and Garp.
However, they looked very young, like teenage versions.
Ignis already knew who they were.
Due to his preconceived notions, he recognized them.
Vegapunk looked only thirteen or fourteen years old, and was not a Brain-Brain Fruit Ability User.
Even as a Child, his head was still larger than a normal person's.
After all, the clone material for Vegapunk was his brain.
Even after death, his brain still contained astonishing vitality and even stored some memories.
If some could be extracted, it would be of extremely high value.
As for the other young Garp, Ignis had seen Garp's appearance before, and he saw a bit of Garp's shadow in him.
Garp's blood was left behind during the great battle with the Roger Pirates in the Mozartelt Kingdom.
After the battle, Ignis quietly collected a little.
Even a little was enough to complete the cloning work.
From the very beginning of cultivation, it had taken a full year until now.
As for the cost, cultivating Vegapunk cost one hundred million Beli, while Garp cost six billion Beli.
As for the other one, he cost over two billion Beli.
The cultivation pods were bought by Ignis from the Kingdom.
Nutrient solution was even more precious, like liquid gold.
One kilogram of nutrient solution was worth tens of millions of Beli.
It had multiple roles, including developing body potential, healing, repairing body defects, and extending lifespan.
This wasn't Doctor Ian's first clone.
He could also produce similar nutrient solution, but the quality was far too poor.
Moreover, absorbing low-quality nutrient solution would to some extent affect body potential.
But the two to be cloned this time were special.
One was a world-class Scientist, and the other was a world-class Strongman.
Ignis strived for perfection, ensuring they had enough potential.
While not completely identical, they shouldn't be too different.
Therefore, the Kronos Kingdom's current top-grade nutrient solution was used to cultivate these three.
Top-grade nutrient solution was not abundant even within the Kronos Kingdom, and it was even the Kingdom's secret information.
Selling it to Ignis was already an exception, a form of support from Hades to Ignis.
There would be no such opportunity in the future.
For these three, Ignis also went all out.
It was also because he had just plundered the Heavenly Tribute and had funds, so he was quite generous.
He didn't expect it to be spent so quickly.
Top-grade nutrient solution had the role of developing body potential.
Vegapunk was alright.
Especially Garp, his body full of potential had been continuously absorbing nutrient solution since cultivation began, like a bottomless pit.
This made Ignis even more full of expectation.
Doctor Ian and Vegapunk had cloned Stussy before, and they knew what perfect cloning technology was like.
The technology he already mastered was infinitely close to perfection, lacking only a little bit.
With Ignis's funds support, he had long since made up for that small deficiency.
It's just that the cultivation of clones required a certain amount of time.
Vegapunk could cultivate Stussy to her teens in a year.
Doctor Ian couldn't do it.
If he were to do it, it would take at least three years.
However, top-grade nutrient solution allowed clones to grow rapidly without damaging their potential.
Before these three clones, Doctor Ian had already completed dozens of clones, spending billions of Beli, and had rich experience.
However, they all had a slight defect in the end and were directly destroyed after cloning.
The most crucial aspect, surprisingly, was the application of lineage factor in cloning technology.
Ignis needed clones that were under his control, not clones that were not under control.
This was the so-called defect.
Engraving instructions to obey him into their bloodline genes – such clones were the most perfect.
Therefore, those uncontrollable clones were directly destroyed.
For the past two years and more, Doctor Ian's main research direction had been the perfect control of clones.
As for the life design blueprint, although Doctor Ian hadn't researched it deeply, he had still researched it to some extent, after all, this was the realm of Gods.
In Doctor Ian's view, his cloning technology had already reached the level of cloning Stussy with Vegapunk back then.
"Can they be awakened now?"
Ignis looked at the three who remained asleep and couldn't help but ask.
"Anytime, ZERO."
"But do you want to erase their emotions?"
Honestly, Doctor Ian didn't want to do this.
Clones whose emotions were erased were not true life forms and couldn't be considered perfect clones.
This could only be considered a failure.
Whether it was Vegapunk or Garp, both could be said to be his painstaking effort.
He had watched them slowly grow over the past year.
Of course, everything in the Sky-Air Mother Nest was decided by Ignis, and he also needed to obey Ignis's orders.
Ignis had indeed saved him back then.
After seeing the news about the "MADS" Research Institute, he was very grateful.
Moreover, his family was now also in Ignis's hands.
He had also visited and seen that the life in that Kingdom was indeed very beautiful.
Ignis guessed Doctor Ian's thoughts.
"You don't need to completely erase their emotions, but you can't do nothing either. For Vegapunk, remove his kindness and compassion. We don't need a complete Vegapunk; a kind one would hinder our development."
Ignis had learned about Vegapunk, a kind Scientist who hoped to use his wisdom and technology to benefit his hometown and make the World a better place.
Even if Vegapunk was completely loyal to him, such a personality would affect the research and manufacturing of weapons with lethality.
Ignis could imagine this.
Before that happened, this trouble had to be removed.
And Ignis wasn't sure if the copied Vegapunk's personality would be exactly the same as the original.
Doctor Ian didn't think they would be exactly the same.
Even twins had different personalities, let alone clones.
But they would be similar.
After all, they were copied based on the person's genes.
Even if not identical, they would be very close.
Because he had seen the cloned Stussy.
She was like a mother and daughter with Stussy herself, not just in appearance, but also in personality.
"Understood." Doctor Ian nodded and performed a series of operations in front of the machine.
Vegapunk's body floated in the nutrient solution.
Although his body had grown to his teens, he was still in a state similar to a fetus.
Because they hadn't "been born" yet.
However, this didn't mean they needed to be cultivated from scratch.
As clones, some of the original's partial knowledge and most basic instincts were engraved within their bodies.
(end of chapter)