"It's hatching, finally hatching! No wonder the Snake Monster Lizard went extinct outside; this hatching speed requires such high safety measures."
The two scholars appeared extraordinarily excited as they watched the egg in the incubator begin to tremble.
"But don't you think it's a bit strange? The Snake Monster Lizard evolved the ability for parthenogenesis for reproduction, so why is the incubation period so long? This doesn't match the previous records."
"The records might be wrong, but what is happening in front of us is a fact. Should you believe the records from over two hundred years ago or your own eyes? I don't need to teach you that."
Several paleontologists were discussing this issue. In reality, paleontology in the Pirate World is a very peculiar subject because a creature extinct on one island might wreak havoc like an invasive species on another island.
So, in the archaeological community regarding paleontology here, there's a professional term called 'rebirth.'
This term was created not for anything else but to cover up their own mistakes. Otherwise, they'd publish a thesis that some species is extinct, only to be proven wrong the next day, and that would be very embarrassing for them.
Thus, such an error-avoiding term was born. However, the situation on Elizabeth's egg had already greatly exceeded their understanding. Accounting for the time it was nurtured inside, the egg had been over three years, and even if hatched alone, it had been over a year.
It was their first time seeing a reptile's reproductive speed so slow that even Nezha should have hatched by now.
The eggshell quickly developed a crack, and Robin started observing the egg. Beside her, Yamato was joining in the fun, though currently sporting a cast on her arm, clearly having had an issue during training.
For ordinary people, it takes a hundred days to heal broken bones, but for her, a week is considered a severe injury. Such a minor fracture would heal in three to four days, and the cast was just to prevent accidents.
"So slow, can't we help break the eggshell?"
"Don't do that lightly, unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise, you'd be harming it."
The first challenge for oviparous animals is to break out of their eggshell. However, it's not entirely impossible to help; external force can be applied if the creature really can't break the shell.
But now there's no need because a small hand had already broken the eggshell, and the top of the shell was soon pushed open. Seeing the creature that hatched, the two scholars were stunned.
"Is this... a Snake Monster Lizard?"
"Doesn't look like it, and it's not like Elizabeth either. What on earth hatched here?"
Seeing the round-headed creature that hatched, the two scholars showed puzzled expressions. The yellow fin-like appendages on its head left them even more baffled about what it was.
This is why its hatching was so slow; it wasn't a purebred Snake Monster Lizard but a Sobble born under the influence of Inteleon's power.
As the initial form of Inteleon, there's hardly any resemblance between Sobble and Inteleon. To exaggerate, they might seem completely unrelated, leaving researchers using normal biological methods baffled.
Yet, Robin, holding a notebook, understood some things. Her exploration of Pokemon had never stopped, and coupled with Elizabeth's own power source, she quickly figured out the situation.
The newly born Sobble quickly stood up, its big eyes teary as it looked outside.
If it were an ordinary creature, they wouldn't immediately take it out of the incubator. But having witnessed other Pokemon births, Robin knew that as long as there were no congenital diseases, these Pokemon mostly adapted quickly, so she took it out.
"Robin, it seems to think of you as its mother."
The Sobble couldn't fully express itself yet, but the Power of the Evergreen is an ability to feel someone's inner thoughts, which is why Yamato could detect Sobble's intentions.
"This fits the characteristics of oviparous animals."
"It seems they do have some common traits."
There are curious Pokemon researchers, but they're rare. Tauros and regular cattle can produce hybrid second generations, and that's a research topic for some scholars on Sky Island.
However, there are very few of these scholars, mainly because most of them are historians. Only a few paleontological researchers showed interest.
One curious scholar wanted to pick up the Sobble, and then an accident occurred. The Sobble suddenly started crying, with tears gushing from its eyes.
The name Sobble comes from its habit of crying a lot. At that moment, a considerable quantity of tears splashed out, and a scholar unfortunately had a tear land in their eye, immediately feeling a sharp sting.
"Ah, what's happening with my eyes..."
His eyes began to tear uncontrollably. That's the characteristic of Sobble's tears—an ultra-strong tear gas. Just one drop of tear equates to a hundred onions, so the stimulation he felt was imaginable.
Under his companion's guidance, he hurried to wash his eyes with fresh water. Meanwhile, Robin, using a wet cloth to wipe Sobble's body, discovered a peculiar feature: its skin turns transparent when it comes into contact with water, appearing invisible.
This unique skin is the reason for its invisibility after evolution, though it currently cannot consciously control this ability.
Logically, Elizabeth is the most suitable lizard to raise Sobble. Not only is she Sobble's biological mother, but they are also similar in abilities.
However, Elizabeth shows no interest in this. She doesn't seem to like children much, and she's not on Ghost Island now, so Sobble temporarily ended up in Robin's care, as its appearance hit her cute spot.
As for Elizabeth herself, she and Olga were currently on the Shampodi Islands. Nine Serpents sent her some messages, which brought her here.
Initially, this matter wasn't urgent. Hancock had a few years of time, but the Hundred Beasts' lack of urgency didn't mean others weren't in a hurry. Hancock, eager to meet Olga, accelerated the process, and she truly achieved it.
Within less than a year, she passed the internal assessment, became the current Empress of Amazon Lily, the new Captain of the Nine Serpent Pirates, and initiated subsequent plans.
Regarding her becoming the new Empress, there were no objections within the Nine Serpents because she was strong enough.
This is a feature of the Pirate Realm: a leader can be slightly lacking in intelligence, which others can compensate for. But the leader's strength mustn't be weak, otherwise a lack of high-end power could lead to significant issues within the pirate crew.
Aboard the Perfume Snake, seeing Hancock's excitement, Gloriosa had complex feelings. She understood this emotion but also felt pressured about the future...