A week later, on Beehive Island, the main structure of Edie's cloning laboratory stood completed, its towering presence a testament to the power of the Island-Island Fruit. The remaining tasks were mere decoration, tasks for which Ochoku's usefulness had come to an end.
The once-grand Skeleton Hotel had now been rebranded as the Hive Research Institute, a fortress of scientific endeavor. Edie sat comfortably within its walls, listening to Weiyang's report.
"Lord Heavenly Father, we've sold a total of 1,675 indulgences over the past few days, bringing in 167.5 million beli."
Edie's eyebrows lifted in mild surprise. That amount was comparable to the bounty of a pirate supernova—quite a substantial haul. "That's impressive," he remarked, taking a sip of his coffee. "Next time, increase the price of indulgences."
He allowed himself a small smile at the thought. "Bring Ochoku to me," he commanded.
Weiyang quickly obeyed, and moments later, Ochoku appeared, his right hand still bandaged from the injuries he had sustained. Despite his wounds, he had recovered well enough to stand before Edie.
"Dr. Edie," Ochoku began, his voice tinged with nervousness, "according to the design you gave me, I've completed—"
"I know," Edie interrupted, nodding approvingly. "You did a great job."
Ochoku felt a brief surge of relief, but it was short-lived.
Edie, his tone casual and detached, continued, "So, you are no longer useful."
The words struck Ochoku like a hammer blow. His eyes widened in shock as he realized what was happening. Without warning, he spun around to flee, but it was too late.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Looking down in disbelief, he saw a blade protruding through his body, blood slowly seeping from the wound. He turned his gaze back to Edie, who was calmly sipping his coffee.
"You... damn... bastard!!" Ochoku's face contorted with rage and desperation. He had completed the task assigned to him, and yet here he was, betrayed before he could even fully recover.
Shenhou, cold and expressionless, withdrew his katana only to strike again, this time piercing Ochoku's heart with ruthless precision. Blood gushed from Ochoku's mouth, staining the front of his clothes a deep crimson.
"Why... why?" Ochoku gasped, his strength fading fast.
Edie, with a gentle smile, replied, "I gave you a chance earlier, but you didn't cherish it. Besides, I don't trust pirates, especially ones like you."
Shenhou struck again, his blade slicing through Ochoku's throat. The pirate leader's body convulsed as the life drained out of him, his eyes wide with the realization of his fate.
Shenhou didn't stop. The fourth stab followed, then the fifth, each blow delivered with surgical precision. Ochoku had no time to defend himself, no chance to fight back. His body was reduced to a lifeless heap, his blood pooling on the cold floor.
Edie, still seated, waved his hand dismissively. "He's already dead. Throw the body into the sea and let the sharks have it."
"Yes," Shenhou replied, grabbing Ochoku by the hair and dragging him away. A long trail of blood marked the path from where the body had lain to where it would be disposed of, a silent testament to the cold efficiency of the disposal.
Chenlong quietly brought a mop and began cleaning the floor, erasing any trace of the brutal scene that had just unfolded. Meanwhile, Edie's attention shifted to the table beside him, laden with a variety of fruits. Beehive Island offered an abundance of fruits, hundreds of types available for purchase. Edie stared at them silently, waiting, but nothing happened.
"As expected," he muttered to himself. The theory that a Devil Fruit's power would transfer to a nearby fruit upon the death of its user was known, but not just any fruit would do. It required a specific, specially prepared fruit—a method not commonly understood. If ordinary fruits could absorb the powers, this secret would have been unearthed by others long ago. Edie recalled how, in the original story, Caesar Clown had conducted research on this phenomenon.
"I'll leave this for Caesar to investigate further," Edie decided. Just as the thought crossed his mind, the sound of his Den Den Mushi interrupted him, its repetitive tones filling the room.
Puff, puff, puff, puff, puff, puff, puff.
With a click, Edie answered, hearing Zishu's voice on the other end.
"Lord Heavenly Father, that half-blood... that guy named King just arrived at the research institute."
Edie inwardly cursed at Zishu's derogatory term, but he also understood the bizarre cover story that Zishu had created. The surprising part was that both sides believed it.
"What's the situation?" Edie asked.
"Some time ago, to gather 20 billion in funding for the year, Kaido ordered his men to raid ships at sea. During one of these raids, they accidentally wiped out a pirate group under Whitebeard. Now, Whitebeard's Moby Dick has entered the waters near Wanokuni."
Edie's expression darkened. "And Kaido wants you to inform me about this specifically?"
"Yes. King mentioned that the Flower Capital might become a battlefield, so he suggests evacuating the people in the institute as soon as possible."
The implications of this were clear. Although Edie had turned Beehive Island into his main base, Wanokuni still held significant importance to him. The institute housed crucial individuals: the three Snake Sisters, Toki and her daughter Hiyori, Caesar Clown, and the female ninja, A-nin. Zishu's well-being was less of a concern—he could handle himself. But the critical issue wasn't just the people.
Zishu might not fully grasp the situation, but Edie did. "This guy Kaido… is he trying to drag me into this mess?" Edie laughed, shaking his head at the absurdity of it all. Kaido wasn't a fool; he knew exactly what he was doing. By alerting Edie to the impending battle, Kaido was effectively telling him that a war with Whitebeard was imminent. If Edie didn't want Kaido dead and unable to repay the 200 billion beli he owed, he'd better step in.
Whitebeard, currently in his prime, was a formidable opponent—one that could indeed spell the end for Kaido if left unchecked. The emergency call was nothing more than a cleverly disguised plea for help.
"No… this bastard might have done this on purpose," Edie mused, his thoughts racing. "How do you 'accidentally' destroy a pirate group under Whitebeard? Don't they openly fly his flag? You can't be blind to that, can you?" He laughed, the sound edged with anger.
Even if it was just speculation, Edie knew he had to assist Kaido. He couldn't afford to lose his investment. Still, part of him regretted not killing Kaido earlier when he had the chance. "This mess is partly my doing," he admitted to himself. "But what's Kaido's endgame here? Does he want to use my strength to take down Whitebeard?"
The notion made sense. If Edie intervened, he could prevent Whitebeard from reaching the Flower Capital, but he wouldn't mind letting Whitebeard thrash Kaido a bit. After all, he preferred Whitebeard over Kaido any day.
"Heavenly Father, what should we do?" Zishu's voice pulled Edie back to the present, the eagerness in his tone suggesting he was ready for action. "Should I go kill Whitebeard?"
Edie chuckled at the audacity of the suggestion. "Tell Kaido, I understand."
With that, he hung up and walked to the window, gazing out thoughtfully. Kaido owed him 200 billion beli, so he had to help him. But what if Whitebeard owed him the same amount? In that case, Edie could sit back and watch the chaos unfold, playing both sides without directly assisting either.
The logic was sound, and besides, Whitebeard's blood factor was intriguing. "Whitebeard's blood factor is quite valuable," Edie thought, a plan forming in his mind.
With newfound resolve, he turned and gave his orders: "Weiyang, you and Shenhou will guard Beehive Island. Chenlong, you're coming with me to Wano."