Marvel: Sign-In System – Starting with the Glint-Glint Fruit

That method was the creation of artificial Devil Fruits.

In One Piece, the two top scientists Vegapunk and Caesar Clown had successfully developed such research.

Artificial Devil Fruits, however, were limited to Zoan types.

Paramecia-type abilities required a completely different approach.

The powers of Paramecia users had to be extracted through their Lineage Factors and transformed into a special substance known as Green Blood. Only then could those supernatural abilities be replicated.

That was the technology used to create the Seraphim—the artificial weapons modeled after the Seven Warlords.

Lineage Factors already existed within all living beings.

They were often referred to as the "Blueprint of Life," the fundamental design encoded into every organism.

Once someone consumed a Devil Fruit, that blueprint changed.

It wasn't merely DNA.

It was something deeper, something beyond ordinary genetics, a foundational code underlying life itself.

Compared to DNA, Lineage Factors possessed three terrifying characteristics.

They could directly alter the material composition of the body.

They could carry supernatural talents, Haki potential, and racial abilities.

And most importantly, they could be forcibly edited, grafted, and replicated via technology or Devil Fruits.

Compared to that, directly researching a Devil Fruit itself carried far too much uncertainty.

Or rather, even if they intended to experiment on Devil Fruits, it should be done using the most ordinary and useless one available—not with something as strategically valuable as the Munch-Munch Fruit.

On top of that, research into Lineage Factors had already proven possible. Naturally, Matthew had no intention of taking unnecessary risks.

After hearing his explanation, Milson immediately understood. The fruit itself possessed special properties, and if it was handled carelessly, its power could vanish entirely.

In that case, experimenting on it was indeed too dangerous.

Better to secure the benefits first before thinking about research.

"I understand, Boss," Milson said immediately. "Gabri is the head of the Materials Department and one of our top experts. This fruit should go to him. I believe he'll be able to maximize its potential perfectly."

Then he paused briefly before adding,

"But I'll need authorization from the Director."

The "Director" he referred to was Melina—the woman who had once played the role of Natasha's mother during undercover missions when Natasha was a child.

After Matthew destroyed the Red Room and Melina joined the organization, he had appointed her as the head of the Technology Department. Like many graduates of the Red Room, Melina possessed expertise across numerous scientific fields.

And once the Super Soldier Gene Serum had been successfully developed, she had immediately injected herself with it and was currently participating in the Raven Warband training at the South Pacific island base.

Even while training, she remained in constant contact with Milson.

Many major Technology Department decisions still required her approval.

As for why Milson didn't simply ask Matthew directly—

That was because Matthew, as supreme leader, firmly believed in delegation.

Or, more accurately… not micromanaging.

The Technology Department had grown too large and too specialized. Matthew barely involved himself in its internal operations anymore, nor did he fully track every department and personnel arrangement.

And honestly, that structure was healthy.

A competent leader didn't recklessly interfere with the internal hierarchy beneath senior leadership. Every impulsive decision and arbitrary personnel change could damage morale and disrupt the organization's atmosphere.

Only foolish rulers behaved that way.

So after hearing Milson's reasoning, Matthew simply nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, Milson had already impatiently opened an encrypted communication channel to contact Melina at the island base.

On the other end, Melina had only just woken up and was preparing for training when she received the news.

The moment she heard about the Munch-Munch Fruit, she became just as excited as Milson.

Without the slightest hesitation, she immediately approved his decision.

And deep down, she had already made up her mind.

The moment this current training cycle ended, she was returning to the research base personally to oversee the project herself.

Melina could already imagine the future unfolding before her eyes.

Once breakthroughs in advanced materials began appearing across every scientific field, countless technologies that had existed only in theory would finally become reality.

And that wasn't even the most important part.

The true value of the Munch-Munch Fruit lay in its ability to attract the world's greatest scientists. After all, no scientist could possibly resist materials perfectly tailored to their research needs.

With Melina's approval confirmed, Matthew handed the Munch-Munch Fruit over to Milson.

Milson cradled the fruit so carefully that it looked as though he were carrying his own father's ashes. His expression was tense, almost reverent, because he knew exactly what would happen if he accidentally destroyed it.

If the people in the Materials Department learned that he had somehow ruined it, they wouldn't merely kill him—they would skin him alive, leaving no body behind.

Watching the usually calm and mature Milson act so absurdly cautious nearly made Matthew laugh out loud.

But the moment the thought appeared, he immediately grew serious and began reflecting on himself.

Milson was being careful for the future of humanity itself. How could he possibly think that was funny?

He needed to reflect. Seriously reflect.

Of course… if he absolutely had to laugh, he should at least wait until the man had left first.

Unfortunately, Milson had already injected the super-soldier gene serum. With hearing that sharp, he had definitely caught the sound of Matthew snickering just now.

That was seriously damaging to the dignity of a boss.

Feeling a little guilty, Matthew decisively fled the scene.

He simply wasn't suited for an atmosphere this heavy and serious. Staying there for even one more second felt unbearable.

And once the true value of the Munch-Munch Fruit became known, the entire base would probably explode into chaos.

Fortunately, that situation would never happen.

Melina had already issued orders elevating the fruit to the highest level of secrecy. Aside from herself, Milson, and Gabri—the future user of the fruit—no one else was permitted to investigate or even ask questions about it.

Matthew left in a good mood, genuinely looking forward to what kind of miracles the technology department would create in the future.

The problem of materials science had finally been solved.

That meant the arrival of a cyberpunk-level technological age was only a matter of time.

Not for Earth as a whole—

but for the kingdom that belonged solely to him.

....

After leaving the base, Matthew didn't immediately return to the island headquarters. Instead, he headed for Moscow.

Ever since obtaining the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, he had wanted to study fields related to electricity and electromagnetism—electromagnetic theory, thermal energy, plasma physics, and more. Even though his mind operated far beyond ordinary humans, learning alone was still less efficient than having someone guide him.

A good teacher could save him an enormous amount of time.

Tony Stark had crossed his mind, of course.

But Matthew dismissed the idea almost immediately. The current Tony—the arrogant, flamboyant playboy who hadn't yet experienced his transformation after being kidnapped—wasn't someone easy to deal with.

And there was no way a man like that would patiently teach anyone.

Aside from Tony, however, Matthew had thought of another option:

a father and son duo currently living in poverty.

If used properly, they could serve not only as his instructors in these specialized fields, but also help fill critical gaps within the technology department.

In fact, from the moment he chose the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and decided to study its applications, he had already set his sights on them.

He had dispatched personnel to search for them in Moscow. News had arrived yesterday stating that they had been found, so Matthew's activation of the Devil Fruit and his trip to the Saint Petersburg experimental base today to deliver the Munch-Munch Fruit were all planned in advance.

One could only say that teleportation portals were an excellent asset. Saint Petersburg and Moscow were separated by roughly 700 kilometers, yet a single portal brought him there directly. Matthew couldn't help but marvel once again—magic truly was marvelous.