One Piece: Conquering Wanokuni at Start

Today is the last day to participate in the giveaway, which you can do by joining as a free member in my p@treon. (By joining, I can get your mail id where you will receive the gift link if you win.)

You can also get a discount of flat 40% on monthly subscription.

Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari

----------

The restricted area and scientific research base of Wanokuni.

Located at the heart of the weapon processing factory near Udon, flanked by the military base of Habu Port and the Amazon Lily Fortress, this site is safeguarded by both strategic resources and formidable armed forces. This makes it unquestionably the core of Wanokuni's restricted zones.

The expansive research facility greets Alex with respect and deference from all directions. As Wanokuni's power grows, this scientific hub has attracted talent not only from beyond its borders but also from its local population. 

Access to this facility demands more than technical expertise and knowledge. Loyalty is paramount, assessed through a rigorous internal test overseen by Alex himself. After all, this facility's importance is immense, shaping at least 30% of Wanokuni's future trajectory.

Within the research base a tiered system exists. Divisions include life-oriented technological applications, conceptual designs for advanced innovations, mass production of new weapons, factor code analysis, artificial fruit development, pure gold research, and memory-shape alloy advancements.

The stratification between divisions marks the leap from life-enhancing technology to advanced weaponry, the transition from the old era to a new one. The research into the factor code alone ensures that this base is situated in the central forbidden area.

From this hub, specialized professors instruct in factor coding, and only the most skilled and experienced researchers gradually ascend to join the elite scientific team directly under Alex's leadership.

At the heart of this base lies the largest experimental center, dedicated to factor code research and the launch of top-secret experiments. Each entrance is equipped with cutting-edge defense systems, impervious even to the concentrated bombardment of lightning. The innermost zone is accessible only to those with highly secure, personalized identity cards.

Alex crossed the protective threshold with ease. Along the way, he passed the Tontatta Tribe, who diligently tended to artificial fruits used for cultivation. To support their efforts, a section of jungle terrain had been integrated into the research base, creating a suitable environment for the small tribe.

Greeting the cheerful Tontatta workers scheduled for this week, Alex proceeded into the main track channel, heading toward the deeper research areas. Although the pure gold project remained critical, Alex chose not to disrupt the team currently focused on it.

With a mechanical hiss, the lab's scanning door slid open, revealing the inner sanctum. Here, memory-shape alloy development was in progress under the direction of Comps, alongside Caesar and other key members of the research division.

This area, spanning thousands of meters, resembled a massive manufacturing plant. It housed every conceivable facility, from training rooms to manufacturing and research zones, culminating in an outdoor testing site equipped for experimental trials.

"Lord Alex!"

A bright voice called out, and Baby 5 dashed toward him, leaping into his arms with a beaming smile. The lively young woman, wielding the transformative powers of the Arms-Arms Fruit, was not here just to help these scientists, but also to improve her devil fruit.

At just thirteen years old, she had already mastered a degree of Armament and Observation Haki, elevating her strength well beyond that of the assassin maid she was destined to be in her twenties.

With the successful development of energy-based weapons and the increasingly versatile functionality of the newly designed battle suits, Baby-5 has become a multi-capable fighter equipped with a variety of transformation suits.

Having overcome her distorted personality—her desperate need to be needed by others—Baby-5 now focuses on her own strength and growth. As the technology tree continues to expand, her potential grows boundless, evolving her into a killer maid who serves only herself and her own ideals.

After catching the exuberant Baby-5 in his arms, Alex turned his attention to the rest of the scientists in the facility. One by one, they saluted him respectfully.

Wanokuni's researchers were a dedicated, single-minded group, often so absorbed in their work that even leaders like Comps or Caesar struggled to draw their attention. Yet, as members of the Shogun's scientific corps, they demonstrated an unusual reverence for Alex, readily pausing their experiments to acknowledge his presence.

"You can all continue with your work," Alex said with a nod. He wasn't here to bask in admiration or interrupt their progress. In fact, Alex had already made it clear on prior visits that they need not stop to greet him during moments of focus, but their gestures of respect remained unchanged. Over time, he simply accepted it.

"Comps, how is the progress on the embryo?" Alex asked as he set Baby-5 down, allowing her to linger nearby.

He moved toward the largest manufacturing room in the facility's central zone—an expansive area dedicated to the core projects within the concrete-form alloy technology.

This underground complex bore some similarities to the labs of Germa 66, but with one critical difference: instead of biological clones suspended in nutrient solutions, the facility produced structured mechanical bodies. These artificial lifeforms were constructed using cutting-edge memory-shape alloys and integrated with blood factor codes, creating a new generation of intelligent war machines.

In more specific terms, these were the precursors to the pacifist models that would one day be unveiled during the Summit War. Advanced weapons of war, they represented a leap across ages.

"Everything is stable," Comps reported. "The factor programming for the shape framework has been completed. All that remains are the final stages of refinement and stabilization."

Caesar, who had gradually shifted his focus from SMILE development to this revolutionary project, eagerly chimed in. "Shirororo! Master Alex, everything has been built exactly as you specified!"

Caesar's enthusiasm was palpable.

"Soon, we'll be able to mass-produce warriors of unparalleled strength—kendo prodigies, physical powerhouses, all imbued with abilities that combine biological factors and energy-based enhancements!"

"And the final touch, importing the biological factor of the natural monster, Big Mom! Imagine harnessing the raw defensive and offensive power of that titan, pairing it with the advanced weapons I've developed. It will undoubtedly create the ultimate war machine!"

Caesar's energy grew fervent as he envisioned the possibilities, though his excitement was far from baseless. The breakthrough was already within reach, no longer a dream but an impending reality.

Alex studied the embryonic mechanical bodies with a faint, sarcastic smile. Row after row of the prototypes stood in formation, each unique in shape and stance. These early models could already adapt their forms and execute commands with unflinching obedience. Yet, even this was only the beginning.

Each one boasted the resilience of a steel balloon, the regenerative properties of memory-shape alloys, and—most intriguingly—the capacity to integrate Devil Fruit abilities. They were the makings of a mechanical army capable of reshaping the battlefield.

Just the thought stirred a flicker of excitement in Alex.

But first, there was another crucial step. Before the project could be deemed complete, he had to oversee the creation of a pacifist equipped with a railgun.