Chapter 1

It was not until yesterday, when the system upgraded to level 2, that Luo Xing could finally invent important items like the Monster Cell, which can directly alter human form and significantly increase combat power.

Plague Queen eyed the purple lump of meat in Luo Xing’s hand.

"What is this thing? A bomb? Poison? Food?"

"None of those. It is a cell that can enhance the user's strength."

"Enhance strength?!"

Queen was startled, then shook his head, clearly looking like he didn't quite believe it.

In the pirate world, there is only one thing that can increase a person's strength out of thin air: Devil Fruits.

Could this strange lump of meat invented by the Imperial Son-in-Law rival a Devil Fruit?

How could that be possible?

Seeing that Queen didn't believe him, Luo Xing smiled and offered no explanation.

"You will know the power of this thing very soon."

2. The Incredible Monster Cell

To test the Monster Cell, Luo Xing and Queen went to the station of the Gifters legion.

Gifters are those who have gained Zoan-type abilities by consuming artificial Devil Fruits known as SMILEs.

Building a legion composed entirely of Zoan-type ability users is one of Kaido’s goals for occupying Wano Country.

The four or five hundred Gifters before them were the result of Kaido’s cooperation with the Warlord of the Sea, Tang Jihede, over the past decade or so.

"You, come here."

Luo Xing pointed to a tall, burly man with a lion’s head growing out of his stomach.

"Greetings, Imperial Son-in-Law!"

The burly man was named Holdem, a Headliner under Drought Jack and a user of the artificial Lion-form Devil Fruit.

"You, come here too."

Luo Xing pointed to another person.

Compared to Holdem, this guy was scrawny, looking just like a monkey.

"Imperial Son-in-Law, please give your orders to your humble servant."

The skinny man hunched his back, wearing a fawning smile.

Holdem’s glance toward the skinny man was filled with disdain.

"Imperial Son-in-Law, this kid Billy is one of my subordinates. His strength is at the very bottom of the Gifter legion. Why are you looking for him?"

"Oh, that’s perfect." Luo Xing tossed the Monster Cell in his hand and said to Billy the skinny man, "Do you want to defeat Holdem and become a Headliner yourself?"

The Beast Pirates have a strict hierarchy: from top to bottom, the Viceroy Kaido himself, followed by the Three Disasters, then the Flying Six, and then the formidable Headliners.

Below the Headliners, they are basically all small fry.

Billy was undoubtedly at the small-fry level; the gap in strength between him and the Headliner Holdem was vast.

"No, no, how could I be a match for Lord Holdem?" Billy shrank his neck in fear.

Plague Queen sneered at the sight:

"I say, Imperial Son-in-Law, this isn't a joke to be making. How could a small fry possibly beat a Headliner? The Headliners of our Beast Pirates aren't pushovers; if they went outside, they’d have bounties of at least a hundred million!"

A bounty of over a hundred million, back in the original story two years ago, was definitely the strength of a Supernova!

Luo Xing smiled without a word.

He was not joking.

One must know that the Monster Cell in his hand was not an ordinary cell, but a Tiger-level Monster Cell.

In the world of One Punch Man, monster levels are divided by strength into five tiers: God, Dragon, Demon, Tiger, and Wolf.

The Monster Cells Luo Xing invented also had these level distinctions.

If one consumes a Tiger-level Monster Cell and can withstand the side effects, they can instantly possess the strength of a Tiger-level monster!

Wouldn't beating a Headliner be easy?

Luo Xing said to Billy:

"You are certainly no match for Holdem right now, but if you eat this Monster Cell, you will have a chance to defeat him. Whether you eat it or not is up to you."

As soon as the words fell, a stir immediately broke out among the Gifters.

Eating a piece of purple meat could let the weak Billy defeat Holdem? That sounded a bit alarmist.

It wasn't a Devil Fruit, after all.

Moreover, even if it were a Devil Fruit, they, as SMILE users, couldn't eat another one.

No one believed what Luo Xing said, and Billy didn't believe it either.

However, given the status of the Imperial Son-in-Law, there was no reason for him to lie.

Should he take the gamble?

Billy decided to gamble without much hesitation.

In this world where the strong prey on the weak, especially in the Beast Pirates which valued strength above all else, no one could resist the temptation to become stronger, even if there was only a one-in-a-thousand chance.

Billy closed his eyes and, steeling his heart, swallowed the Monster Cell whole.

The taste was alright; at least it was much better than a Devil Fruit.

The next moment.

Billy suddenly collapsed to the ground and began to scream in agony.

"What’s going on? Billy is poisoned! Was that thing poisonous?!"

"Bullshit, why would the Imperial Son-in-Law poison Billy for no reason?"

The crowd was suspicious and uneasy.

Even Queen looked skeptical.

Only Luo Xing remained completely unsurprised.

After just eating a Monster Cell, there was bound to be a period of agony.

If one survived it, they would be reborn, their strength multiplied.

If one couldn't survive it, then they could go meet the King of Hell.

"Ah!!"

Billy’s screams became increasingly shrill and terrifying, his body twisting like a hemp rope.

At the same time, the cells on his body began to proliferate and expand crazily.

A few minutes later.

The screaming stopped.

Billy, who had been curled up on the ground, stood up.

Seeing Billy’s current form, everyone gasped in shock.

"How did Billy suddenly become so tall!"

"His limbs have become so thick; he’s completely incomparable to the skinny monkey he was just now!"

"What exactly is going on?"

Queen’s eyes were about to pop out, his mouth wide open, not even noticing that the pipe he was holding had fallen to the ground.

"This... this is the effect of the Monster Cell you invented, Imperial Son-in-Law? This is too incredible!"

It was indeed incredible; to turn a skinny monkey into such a burly man in just a few minutes—even a Devil Fruit couldn't do that.

"The even more incredible part is yet to come."

Luo Xing smiled mysteriously.

"Billy, how do you feel now?"

Billy clenched his fists, and astonishing power gathered within them.

"I feel... stronger than ever before!"

"Do you have the confidence to defeat Holdem?"

"I have the confidence, Imperial Son-in-Law!"

"Good, then let me see it."

Luo Xing ordered everyone to step back, clearing a space for the fight.

Holdem stared at the Billy before him, dumbfounded.

Was this still the same skinny monkey from his memory?

They were simply two different people!