One Piece: Scientist Simulator

As an Admiral was dispatched from Naval Headquarters, racing towards Jaya Island, Edie and his captive, Crocodile, were already en route to the East Blue.

"Is this really Kaido…? Something's off," Crocodile murmured to himself, still reeling from the shock of recent events. He was tightly gripped by the dragon's claws, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of the situation.

After a moment of forced calm, Crocodile's thoughts began to settle, allowing him to piece together the inconsistencies. He had seen Kaido in person before, and something just didn't add up.

First, the physical differences were glaring. The dragon carrying him now was over three meters tall, while Kaido towered at more than seven meters. Then there were the horns—Kaido had a pair of long, menacing horns, but the man in the grimace mask who transformed into this dragon had none. And finally, there was the name: Edie had called him Chen Long, not Kaido.

These discrepancies led Crocodile to a startling realization: this wasn't Kaido.

But if that was the case, why did this man possess the power of the Blue Dragon Fruit? Crocodile's confusion deepened, unable to reconcile the facts with his understanding of the world.

"What's going on?" he muttered, his mind a whirl of questions with no clear answers.

Edie, observing Crocodile's growing unease, could easily guess what was going through his captive's mind. But he had no intention of enlightening him. The truth was a tool, one he would use as he saw fit. Explaining anything to Crocodile now would be a waste of time.

The journey continued in tense silence, with neither man speaking as they flew across the Grand Line. By the time the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the horizon, the two had reached the East Blue. The peaceful waters below belied the storm of thoughts raging in Crocodile's mind, while Edie remained focused on the task ahead, his expression unreadable.

Logue Town.

In recent years, it has become known as "the town of the beginning and the end," all because of the legendary Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. It was here that Roger, who had set out from this very place, gathered a crew of trusted companions and achieved an unparalleled feat: reaching the final island, a place no one had ever set foot on before, and christening it "Laugh Tale."

Revered as the Pirate King, Roger disbanded his crew, surrendered to the Marines, and was ultimately brought back to Logue Town, his hometown, where his extraordinary life met a glorious end with a public execution. This town, therefore, symbolizes both the beginning and the end of his legendary journey.

As a bustling port town, Logue Town remains vibrant even after dark. However, that night, a massive blue dragon soared over the town, causing the pedestrians below to look up in awe and terror.

"What is that?" one exclaimed.

"A dragon! It's a dragon!" another cried out, as panic spread through the streets.

"Does such a creature really exist in this world!?"

Edie paid no attention to the commotion below, guiding the dragon, Chen Long, towards the location Crocodile had indicated—Roger's tomb. The azure dragon came and went swiftly, blocking the moon for just a brief moment. As soon as the moonlight returned, the dragon had vanished into the night.

"Did it... fly away?" someone stammered in disbelief. "Notify the Marines... that was definitely real!"

Meanwhile, about twenty kilometers from Logue Town, in a quiet suburb, Edie, Crocodile, and Chen Long stood before an unmarked tombstone.

"Are you sure this is Roger's tomb? It doesn't even have a name. It's so inconspicuous," Edie remarked, skepticism lacing his voice.

"What difference would a name make? He's the Pirate King," Crocodile replied, his tone tinged with bitterness.

Edie considered this for a moment and found the logic sound. When Garp buried Roger, he likely intended for the grave to remain undisturbed. If the tombstone had "Gol D. Roger" inscribed on it, it would undoubtedly attract attention—possibly even vandalism.

"Roger lived near here before he set out to sea," Crocodile added, confirming the location.

"Then what are you waiting for? Start digging," Edie ordered, his voice cold and commanding.

Cursing silently, Crocodile, still wounded, reluctantly began to dig. Despite his injuries, he dared not defy Edie. After about half an hour of labor, they finally unearthed a coffin. When they opened it, a foul odor wafted into the air, causing Edie to cover his mouth as he stepped closer to peer inside.

The body within had long since decayed, leaving behind only a decayed skeleton.

"No matter how brilliant one is in life, death makes everyone the same," Edie mused, shaking his head.

He had arrived too late, and extracting the blood factor from this decayed corpse would be challenging. Blood extraction was the easiest and most efficient method, but this would have to do.

"Chen Long, retrieve a finger bone," Edie instructed.

Chen Long obediently descended into the grave, while Crocodile, still grappling with the surreal situation, clambered out.

"You came all this way just for a bone?" Crocodile asked, his voice laced with incredulity.

Edie glanced at him, a faint chuckle escaping his lips. "Do you really want to know?"

"..."

Crocodile immediately regretted asking and fell silent.

"I want to resurrect Roger," Edie declared suddenly, his tone matter-of-fact.

"What?" Crocodile's voice rose in shock. "How is that even possible? Using a decayed finger bone to resurrect someone who's been dead for four years?"

He frantically searched his memory for any Devil Fruit abilities that could achieve such a feat, but nothing came to mind.

Edie smiled faintly. "Mortal wisdom often underestimates the power of science."

Crocodile remained silent, stunned by the audacity of Edie's claim.

After issuing his cryptic statement, Edie turned and began to walk away. Chen Long followed, carrying Roger's finger bone carefully.

Crocodile stood frozen, contemplating the enormity of what he had just heard. Others might have laughed off Edie's words, dismissing them as madness, but Crocodile found himself believing them. His defeat at Whitebeard's hands had taught him the harsh limits of individual power, pushing him to seek out the legendary Ancient Weapon, Pluton—a battleship said to be capable of obliterating entire islands with a single shot.

"Could a mere finger bone truly resurrect the dead?" Crocodile wondered, his mind racing.

As he prepared to follow Edie and Chen Long, Edie's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"The Ancient Weapons exists, and Pluton lies dormant somewhere. Consider this information your reward for leading the way."

"Make sure you fill the grave back with soil," Edie added coldly. "And know this—you're no longer of any use to us. There's no need to follow."

Discarded like trash, Crocodile watched as the two mysterious figures vanished into the night. The chill of the late hour seeped into his bones, leaving him feeling cold and unnerved.

How did Edie know what he was thinking? An unknown fear began to creep into Crocodile's heart, tightening its grip with each passing moment.

...

[Your scientific research reputation has improved...]

Edie noted the system prompt with satisfaction. He had deliberately told Crocodile that he was going to resurrect Roger—or more precisely, clone him—with a clear objective in mind: to enhance his reputation.

[Scientific Research Reputation]: 1% → 11%

"It increased that much in one go? There's only one explanation: he believes it! Does he really believe it?" Edie mused, his expression tinged with bemusement. The truth was, even he wasn't entirely sure whether the blood factor could be extracted from bones, yet Crocodile seemed more convinced than he was.

"What a helpful guy," Edie thought with a smirk. "First, he offers up some Logia blood factor, then guides me to Roger's grave, and even helps fill up the reputation bar on his way out!"

Edie felt quite pleased with the outcome of this excursion. "Let's call it a day. After all this work, we deserve a good night's rest."

The two made their way back to Logue Town and checked into a hotel for the night.

The following morning, Edie sat in a bustling restaurant, enjoying breakfast. The atmosphere was lively, with many diners animatedly discussing the previous night's event.

"You saw it too, right?"

"You mean the dragon?"

"Exactly! A dragon flew overhead last night, and a lot of people witnessed it!"

"Yeah, someone even reported it to the Marine Base. Guess what happened?"

"What?"

"When I passed by the port earlier, I saw a warship docked! The Vice Admiral from headquarters, the Marine hero Garp, arrived!"

Edie's eyes flickered with surprise upon hearing this. He had only arrived last night, and Garp showed up the next morning? Since when did the Marines become so efficient? Clearly, this wasn't the best time for sightseeing.

"Let's get going after we finish eating," Edie said, finishing up his coffee and pancakes. He stood up and made his way outside, Chenlong quietly leaving a wad of cash on the table.

As they walked down the street, they encountered a group of Marines. Leading them was a carefree man, holding a large bag of senbei in his left hand and casually munching on it with his right.

"Vice Admiral Garp, I've interviewed last night's witnesses in detail. There was indeed a dragon..." reported the adjutant, Bogard, who was walking beside him.

"What dragon? It's probably Kaido, right? He was in Jaya at noon yesterday and then showed up here at night. What the hell is that bastard up to?" Garp grumbled, chewing on his senbei with an annoyed expression. "That fellow Sora is just causing me trouble. I'm supposed to be on vacation!"

"Vice Admiral..." Bogard said, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "Isn't it a bit unwise to refer to the Fleet Admiral by name like that?"

"Bwahahaha, just pretend you didn't hear anything," Garp laughed heartily, his attention suddenly caught by two figures walking by the roadside.

One was a tall man wearing a mask and a large gray cloak, while the other wore a white coat, exuding the aura of a gentle young man.

These two...

Garp narrowed his eyes slightly, continuing to eat his senbei nonchalantly as the two groups crossed paths, seemingly indifferent to each other. But just a few steps later, Garp halted abruptly.

Slowly turning around, he grinned widely. "You, in the white coat—your outfit is rather distinct. The photo I received was a bit blurry, but you're still wearing that same coat."

His voice reached Edie, and he noticed the Marines behind Garp quickly closing in.

"Hey, you two, hold up a moment..." Bogard called out.

Edie paused, a slight smile curling at the corners of his mouth. As he turned to face Garp, he chuckled softly.

"Despite your carefree demeanor, your mind is as sharp as ever, Mr. Garp."