Origins

"Huh?" That was the only thing that preoccupied my mind.

Suddenly, a tense silence enveloped the room. I looked at Stussy, who was sitting beside me, but I couldn't even read her expression. Dr. Vegapunk continued to look at Stussy with the eyes of a concerned father.

"I was going to tell him, eventually." Stussy replied quietly.

"When is eventually going to happen? You can't keep secrets like that forever," Vegapunk scolded lightly.

I was still frozen at the part where Stussy was a clone. I always had guessed that she was probably the real Stussy's twin sister or something. It never really occured to me that she would be a real life clone. 

Stussy's body was shaking, I still couldn't see her expression so I decided to use a bit of Observation haki to feel some of her emotions. My heart panged as I started to sense Stussy's emotions: she was sad. I really didn't know what to do, this felt more like a conversation between father and daughter: I had no place in it.

"I didn't know how he would react if he heard it from me, he's been with me all this time." Tears ran down Stussy's cheeks as she kept speaking. 

"All I wanted was to experience what human life was, I never really wanted to hurt him; I really didn't!" Stussy's voice had began shaking as she talked. 

"Well, it seems that you have been making a lot of progress with it. Since you're crying now." Dr. Vegapunk noted lightly.

"However, when you have sincere emotions about individuals. Honesty can prove to be a great catalyst in bringing two people together." Dr. Vegapunk added.

Slowly, my hand reached Stussy's back as I slowly began to rub it. Honestly, I didn't really mind the fact that she was a clone. I had always appreciated her company regardless, so it didn't matter to me if she was one. If anything, Dr. Vegapunk was beginning to make me feel guilty of the fact that I had been hiding the fact that I am a reincarnator. However, that was a secret I planned to take to the grave.

Stussy couldn't help but hug me as she kept on crying. I could tell that the fact that she was a clone was a very touchy subject for her. I could do nothing but embrace her in my arms and soothe her to the best of my capabilities. However, one thing remained pricking my mind while all of this was happening. How the hell did they manage to clone her?

I promptly looked at Dr. Vegapunk curiously and thought about asking him for a bit. 'I won't be hurting her by knowing, right?'

"How did....how was she born?" I asked rather carefully.

Dr. Vegapunk, upon hearing my question, perked up and smiled. He seemed very proud of Stussy.

"Are you so curious that you are willing to hear this story, it's a long one?" Dr. Vegapunk asked excitedly.

"I'm rather curious, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it though," I responded meekly.

"No! I would much rather tell you! It will also explain to you as to what predicament I'm in!" Dr. Vegapunk exclaimed.

"Anyway, about 22 years ago, I had started a group of scientists known as MADS," Vegapunk began.

"Our main goal was to create inventions that could improve the way of life for all sentient beings within the planet. Rather, that was my goal anyway. The rest of the scientists always seemed to have an obsession with creating powerful weapons. It had been clear by then that they wanted to levarage it to better their lives, but how could I blame them? They had been using science to benefit someone, even if it was themselves." Vegapunk explained sadly.

"However, one of our most successful projects that had been worked on by all the scientists within the team. Was a project known as EDEN, it was a project that would focus on the replication of human life!" Vegapunk lifted his hands upon revealing the project known as EDEN.

"First in order to make sure we had a genuine human sample, I had made a deal with the original Buckingham Stussy in order to get her DNA sample. She, in return, would get a favor from me regardless of whether the project had worked or not. It was a project that had taken countless years to accomplish." Vegapunk briefly pulled out a photography transponder snail from his coat to show us pictures of the project.

"Every single attempt had either one aspect missing, or some aspects mixed in a manner that shouldn't. As a result, we had made dozens of failed clones that all died of the second that they had been created. At this point, most of the scientists had given up on trying to replicate it. After all, who had ever done such an absurdity as artificially replicating human life?!" Vegapunk slammed his hand on the table in frustration. It was very evident that he was still emotional about this topic.

"However, I kept going, I backtracked all the successful experiments and compared them to the failed experiment to analyze where we had gone wrong. It always felt like a missing piece of a long and hard puzzle, but that didn't discourage me from continuing to make more experiments. About 7 years had passed till I successfully made a clone." Vegapunk concluded, or so I had thought.

"She was perfect! Perfect, down to the last minute detail. When she woke up, I had taught her everything there was to this world. She absorbed it quickly like a sponge, however, she lacked the one thing that made all humans human: Emotions." Vegapunk noted sadly. 

"She behaved almost like a regular robot, nothing could faze her. It was why I had sent her out to the world, I had thought that maybe if she wandered around for a bit. She would be able to experience extreme circumstances that would lead to emotional development!" Vegapunk kept going and didn't stop.

"Sure enough, she met you, and she had begun getting it! It's a miracle to see her react the way she has been reacting. I'm really happy for you Stussy!" Vegapunk complimented her.

Stussy, who had stopped crying mid-story to listen in, could only smile and nod her head slightly. That compliment lifted her mood to right from the gutters. 

"Which leads me to where I am now. The World Government caught wind that some members of MADS had been researching weapons of mass destruction. It seemed that they didn't like that because they had put bounties on all of the members of MADS except me. If my prediction is right, they will be trying to recruit me to aid the World Government in making things that benefit them." Vegapunk concluded. 

His explaination seemed to hold weight as in the anime, Vegapunk was already working for the World Government. I wouldn't be surprised if he decided to join the World Government out of his own voilition. There was, after all, no other choice when the World Government wanted to have you. That is, unless you have the power to resist them like I did. 

"I am currently waiting for the Marines to find my location and pick me up. I haven't necessarily given my decision yet because I don't really trust them enough to let them take me to Mariejois. However, I will make a base somewhere out here so that I can perform my experiments in peace. It is the only thing I can do, after all." Vegapunk summarised. 

It had been just as I had expected, the plot was slowly starting to reveal itself as time began to pass. Although we were prepared, we could never be prepared enough to face the events that would be happening in the future. The best I could do was to take the punches as they came, there really was no other option other than that.