"I won't waste your time with nonsense," Leon said, his expression serious.
"Do you believe in my inventions?"
Sengoku was momentarily stunned.
He thought back on everything Leon had accomplished recently—the Adamantium Seraphim, the Devil Fruit nullifier, the armored suit that had turned the tide of the war.
These were not theories; they were iron-clad facts that had saved them from annihilation.
It was because of these facts that he had bet the entire future of the Marines on this one child.
He believed.
After a short, heavy silence, Sengoku's voice was firm.
"Okay. I believe in you, Dr. Leon. Tell me what I need to do."
He knew how dire their situation was.
At this critical moment, he would not hesitate.
If this genius doctor needed him, he would wager everything—his career, his body, his very life—to see it through.
A small smile touched Leon's lips.
"You're a straightforward man, Marshal. I'll get straight to the point. If we want to change our current situation, we must master a brand-new form of power."
He picked up a tablet from a nearby table and projected a series of schematics into the air.
Sengoku recognized the basic design immediately—it was the "Iron Man" armor that Kizaru had worn.
But why was Leon showing him this now?
Sengoku's strategic mind quickly put the pieces together.
The original armor was powerful, yes, able to suppress a pirate who had three Devil Fruits powers.
But so could one of the new Seraphim, and Leon now had tens of thousands of those.
Producing more of the original suit would be redundant.
Therefore, this couldn't be the original.
It had to be an upgrade.
As if reading his mind, Leon swiped the screen, and new layers of design appeared—complex biological components, strange energy conduits, and systems Sengoku had never seen before.
"Leon," Sengoku asked, his voice low, "this is a new design, isn't it?"
Leon nodded.
"It is. But for the longest time, we lacked the special materials required to build it."
"And you've found them now?" Sengoku asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.
Leon simply smiled and handed him a data slate.
"Please, read this."
Sengoku took the slate and began to read.
After a moment, his eyes widened, and a profound shock filled his chest.
The data described dozens of strange new technologies, but at its core was one unbelievable substance: "Living Armor."
This was a technology beyond anything he had ever imagined.
"Dr. Leon... this is... insane," Sengoku stammered. "If this is feasible, if this could be extended to the entire Marine force..."
He stopped himself, realizing the world-shaking secrecy of what he was holding.
Leon smiled slightly. "I know what you're worried about, Marshal. But I want to tell you that this is not only feasible, it is the future. I believe this technology should replace our previous weapons and become the new main force of the Marines."
Hearing this, a spark of genuine excitement lit up in Sengoku's eyes.
"Marshal Sengoku," Leon said, his tone serious. "I need your cooperation to build a complete prototype."
"Of course," Sengoku replied without hesitation.
This was for the future of the Marines, for the future of the world.
"How long will you need?"
"Not long," Leon said confidently. "One week is enough."
Sengoku nodded.
He had seen the miracles Leon could produce. He had no reason to doubt him.
"Then let's begin," Leon said, turning his attention to the schematics.
"The function of the Living Armor is simple, in theory. It's a bio-organic material that contains immense vitality. This grants it extreme durability and the ability to self-repair."
"If it's damaged in battle," he continued, "it can automatically regenerate, leaving not even a scar."
Sengoku listened, his appreciation growing.
Based on the data, the durability and recovery of this "Living Armor" were nothing short of god-like.
It was exactly the kind of advantage the Marines desperately needed.
After a moment of thought, Sengoku said, "Dr. Leon, I need to see a more... intuitive demonstration."
Leon nodded in understanding.
He waved a hand, and a small wooden box floated from a nearby table into Sengoku's grasp.
Sengoku opened it.
Inside, resting on a bed of velvet, was a single, silvery-white wristband, covered in intricate, glowing patterns.
"This is the prototype I prepared for you, Marshal Sengoku," Leon said with a smile. "The defense of the Living Armor is absolute. A full-power blast from one of the new Seraphim might not even scratch its surface. Moreover, it has a perfect self-healing ability."
Sengoku narrowed his eyes.
Leon simply nodded, then gestured to the empty space around them.
With a flicker of light, five fully-armed Seraphim materialized.
"We will now proceed to the second phase of the experiment," Leon said lightly.
In the next moment, the five war machines shot toward Sengoku like shooting stars.
Sengoku's eyes sharpened.
As the Seraphim closed in, the wristband floated from the box and clamped itself onto his one remaining arm.
A magical moment followed.
The wristband began to wriggle like a living creature, then melted into a silvery liquid that flowed over his skin and was completely absorbed, vanishing without a trace.
"Did it work?" Sengoku asked, looking at his bare arm in disbelief.
"Of course," Leon replied with a confident smile.
"What happens now, Doctor?"
"Now," Leon said, "you get to appreciate the true excellence of biotechnology."
As if on cue, Sengoku felt a strange, tingling sensation all over his body, as if millions of tiny organisms were moving just beneath his skin.
It was an unnerving feeling, but after a few seconds, he was surprised to find that a thin, durable, leather-like suit had formed over his entire body.
"The wristband is made from a concentrated sample of the Living Armor," Leon explained. "That seemingly ordinary device can grow into a perfect, form-fitting suit in seconds. This is my latest invention. I hope you're satisfied, Marshal."
As he finished speaking, the eyes of the five Seraphim glowed red.
"I see," Sengoku murmured, flexing his hand. "No wonder it felt strange. Since it's your invention, Doctor, I assume it has a considerable advantage in battle."
"That's right," Leon smiled. With a flick of his fingers, the five Seraphim opened fire.
Five powerful laser beams, concentrated to a single point, shot toward the Fleet Admiral.
BOOM!
The successive roars were deafening, shaking the entire laboratory.
Sengoku, caught in the heart of the blast, gritted his teeth.
The power of the five lasers was even stronger than he'd imagined, locking him in place.
There was no room to evade.
He was worried, but at the same time, he kept telling himself to trust in Leon's invention.
To truly prove its effectiveness, he had to take the full force of the attack head-on.
When the thick smoke from the explosion finally cleared, the silver-white armor on Sengoku's body was glowing.
The outer layer, blackened and cracked from the blast, quickly peeled away like dead skin, revealing a shimmering metallic layer beneath.
Then, in a matter of seconds, a new, perfect layer of the silver-white armor "grew" back over his body, completely flawless and identical to the original.
"This is..."
A look of pure astonishment flashed in Sengoku's eyes.
"A truly wonderful piece of equipment."
He moved his arm, watching as the armor seamlessly responded.
"It's recovering at an incredible speed. Amazing."
He could clearly see that the armor had completely regenerated in moments.
His eyes grew hot with excitement.
He knew he had just witnessed the birth of a treasure that would change the world.
This was Leon's gift to the entire Marine organization.
Seeing Sengoku's overjoyed expression, Leon cleared his throat.
The Fleet Admiral's smile instantly subsided as he turned his attention back to the young genius.
"Doctor, how do we promote this across the Marine forces?" Sengoku asked eagerly.
"Should we equip all officers at the rank of general and above with this magical armor?"
Leon simply shook his head calmly and pointed directly at the five impassive Seraphim.
Sengoku followed his finger, and after a moment of stunned silence, his eyes widened in a profound moment of understanding.
"I see," he breathed, the excitement in his eyes growing even more intense.
The armor wasn't for them.
It was for the machines.
An army of tens of thousands of Seraphim, each one already a powerhouse, now equipped with an indestructible, self-healing biological armor.
The thought was staggering.
It was the key to absolute victory!