"Kyahahahaha!"
Golden Lion Shiki personally witnessed the giant bear stepping out of the cultivation tank and obediently standing behind Reddy. He couldn't be more satisfied with Reddy.
Back when he escaped from Impel Down, he discovered the secrets of the Island of Rare Animals and believed these were the ideal biological weapons. So, he recruited the King of Rare Animals, Shikareta, to join him and brought in Indigo to formulate the Violent Beast Project.
But now, he completely overturned his previous thoughts.
Violent beasts that couldn't be effectively controlled were not qualified biological weapons. This obedient giant bear before him was the real deal.
"You're a genius."
Golden Lion Shiki greedily stared at the giant bear standing behind Reddy and praised him without restraint. Then, he eagerly asked, "Why isn't it going berserk?"
The outer perimeter of the castle was protected by a network of Daft Green trees.
These plants, unique to the Floating Islands, emitted a smell that animals couldn't tolerate.
That's why Indigo always invited him to observe the latest creations in the wild, far from the castle.
If the giant bear's appearance already pleased him greatly, its docile obedience made him even more satisfied.
Reddy looked at Golden Lion Shiki with a strange expression and said uncertainly, "In my understanding, an ideal biological weapon should be able to control its own emotions. I don't know if that aligns with your definition of a biological weapon."
"A beast that loses its ferocity doesn't deserve to be called a biological weapon." Indigo, who had emerged from the laboratory at some point, angrily picked a fight.
"Follow me. I'll personally test the strength of this biological weapon." Golden Lion Shiki dropped these words and walked ahead, leading Reddy and the others outside the castle.
"Make it attack me!"
Golden Lion Shiki activated his ability and floated into the air, looking down at the group below.
Reddy whistled.
The previously calm giant bear suddenly let out a roar and charged forward like a heavy tank.
"Kyahahahaha!"
Golden Lion Shiki didn't waste words. With a loud laugh, he unleashed a slash that struck the giant bear squarely in the chest.
The bear roared in pain as its massive body was sent flying backward.
Indigo's eyes lit up, and he silently cursed in his heart: Die, it must die, it has to die!
But the next second, gasps of shock erupted all around.
The bear rolled a few meters on the ground but quickly got back up and continued charging toward Shiki in the distance.
Shikareta chuckled a few times and gave Reddy a thumbs-up, showing his great admiration for this beast.
Bill was completely stunned.
In his mind, Golden Lion Shiki was the undisputed invincible existence.
He had never imagined that Reddy could create a biological weapon capable of withstanding a slash from Golden Lion Shiki in just over a month.
After confirming that the bear could survive one of his slashes without dying, Shiki's interest soared. He stopped using slashes and instead dove down to engage in close combat.
Even without his Devil Fruit abilities, he was a renowned master swordsman.
In the first exchange, the LV8 Gene War Bear was repeatedly pushed back by Golden Lion Shiki. Even the tough scales covering its body couldn't fully withstand Shiki's slashes, leaving crisscrossing wounds. Blood dyed most of its body red.
Yet, it continued charging into battle like a mad dog, stubborn to an unbelievable degree.
Reddy only watched for a short while before losing interest.
The Gene War Bear's combat power wasn't weak, but in the Grand Line or even the New World, it was far from impressive.
He was more interested in the Daft Green trees in the distance.
The smell emitted by these trees made animals unable to tolerate them. Prolonged exposure could also cause green fungal spots on the skin, leading to organ failure and death.
While Shiki was still entertained by the bear and everyone else was captivated by the fight, Reddy walked over alone.
Before even getting close to the trees, Reddy saw a notification.
[Special toxin collected. Added to the biochemical laboratory sample library.]
Reddy opened the panel, entered the biochemical laboratory interface, and switched to the sample library.
There weren't many samples inside.
[Daft Green Toxin] X1
Reddy hesitated but decided not to immediately switch to the synthesis lab to create a new toxin based on this sample.
He turned back, planning to synthesize new toxins later to enhance his self-defense capabilities.
After all, his current body was too weak without an ideal Devil Fruit.
When the bear was sent flying again, Golden Lion Shiki laughed loudly and called an end to the game. "Its defensive capabilities are outstanding. It can hold its own against a Marine Rear Admiral for a short time."
Bill gasped, his eyes widening like saucers.
Was it really that strong?
At this moment, Reddy's ability to turn the ordinary into the miraculous truly fascinated him.
If he could create such a powerful biological weapon, surely he could also make people stronger.
Back when he chose to submit to Golden Lion Shiki, it was out of awe for his invincible strength. Now, with the chance to become stronger himself, the object of his admiration had unknowingly shifted to Reddy.
Shiki shook his head. "But it's too weak. Its strength is only slightly better than a Marine Lieutenant. If this is all you can do, then I'm very disappointed."
Reddy shrugged.
It was just an LV8 Gene War Bear, after all.
The physique of a sea beast combined with tough scales was one of the Gene War Bear's standout features.
Another was its venom, potent enough to kill most living creatures.
Since Shiki couldn't see its other advantage, Reddy didn't bother explaining.
This Gene War Bear was just a hastily made prototype to set up an excuse for his next goal.
Reddy seized the chance to complain. "The genes of violent beasts don't meet my requirements. I need natural life forms, but I have too few genetic samples of natural creatures."
"I'll fulfill your demands."
Shiki didn't care at all and readily agreed, infuriating Indigo, who stood nearby, gritting his teeth and vowing to make things harder for Reddy.
"It has another major advantage." Reddy whistled again.
The bear immediately calmed down and lay on the ground, docile as a lamb.
Golden Lion Shiki's curiosity peaked, and he quickly asked, "Can anyone control it just by learning the whistle?"
"I can also make it obey only one person's commands." To gain Shiki's trust, Reddy exaggerated the actual effectiveness of the control chip.
The clone obeyed him absolutely, with an unshakable priority.
Making the clone behave as he described wasn't hard—it just required a simple command.
Golden Lion Shiki laughed in satisfaction.
This was perfect.
After the simple test, Shiki was thoroughly captivated by the bear's obedience and eagerly asked, "If I can meet all your demands, how many can you produce in a year?"
The Gene War Bear's strength didn't meet his ideal, but one that could briefly hold its own against a Marine Rear Admiral was already satisfying.
"One."
Golden Lion Shiki froze.
Indigo, seeing this, immediately gloated and taunted, "You fraud! I don't know where you got this beast, but if you can produce another one right now, I'll admit defeat."
Reddy smiled and shook his head. "I created this biological weapon using the Life Blueprint. It's like a blank slate—it needs time to grow."
"To demonstrate my research results, I used up the last of my special culture medium to make it grow to this level in a month."
"Also, the equipment here doesn't meet my expectations."
"So, of course, I can't produce more biological weapons within a year."
Indigo was left speechless.
From a scientific standpoint, the explanation was reasonable and convincing.
Shiki's expression darkened at first, but after hearing Reddy's explanation, he burst into laughter. "What do you need?"
Reddy shrugged. "I'll give you a list."
"Fine."
Shiki's temperament was volatile, and he saw human lives as expendable, but he treated useful subordinates exceptionally well—a true overlord.
Indigo, watching his own influence wane, could do nothing to reverse the situation. He gnashed his teeth and glared at Reddy.
But Reddy suddenly smirked, adopting a mysterious tone. "Actually, this biological weapon isn't my ideal strongest creation. Would you like to hear about the real strongest biological weapon?"