One Piece Chapter 1059 has just revealed that the SSG is actually genetically augmented clones with the powers of Lunarians! But how did Vegapunk achieve this? Let’s break it down.
Stage 1: Cloning
We learned very early on that Vegapunk had succeeded in creating cloning technology. This technology was also mastered by Judge to produce his clone army. It was with this that Vegapunk created the Pacifista army modeled on Kuma “Human beings can be built!”
What was ever stopping Vegapunk from using this same principle to create clones of other people? Now we can see that that is exactly what Vegapunk went on to do.
The basis of this technology is the discovery of Lineage Factors/Bloodline Elements. This discovery is the cornerstone of all of the different factors that make up the Seraphim project. When Vegapunk discovered it he was arrested and MADS was absorbed into the World Government.
Stage 2: Gigantification
We learned back in Punk Hazard that Ceaser was working on gigantification experiments. Originally, these experiments were actually sanctioned by the World Government. It was said by Ceaser that Vegapunk was still working on the project as well.
Ceaser thought that Vegapunk was still failing in this experiment & he remarks on how he told him that the experiments need to be done on kids in order for the test subjects to survive. It seems that Vegapunk actually took Ceasers advice. As we can see that the Seraphim are kids.
However, there is one detail that Ceaser did not know about which Vegapunk and Judge did know. Ceaser believed it was not possible to simply “grow” humans from scratch, but Judge proved otherwise.
Stage 3: Genetic Augmentation
That brings us to the 3rd factor in the Seraphim project. Genetic Augmentation. This is another experiment that uses Lineage Factors as the key to making it work. We saw through Germa that it is possible to alter the genetic code of test subjects.
It is noticeable that the Germa powers resemble those of other races. Of course, we now know that Sanji has Lunarian lineage factors, and it seems that Niji may have Mink lineage factors since he can use “Electro”.
So we already know through Germa and through Sanji that genetic augmentation is possible, but where did this knowledge come from? That ties us back to the experiments on Kaido & King that Vegapunk did at the original Punk Hazard lab. PH006
Of course, we already know well that the experiment on Kaido was used to produce an artificial Devil Fruit, but we had not paid as much attention to the experiment on King. The Punk Hazard facility was thought to be destroyed but actually, the experiments all survived.
So we can now see that both the experiments on Kaido and on King were also applications of the Lineage Factor principle & one of these experiments has so far been implemented in the Seraphim Project. Using the same methods as Germa, Vegapunk succeeded at genetic augmentation.
Stage 4: Artificial Fruit
Interestingly this makes it clear that there is still one experiment that has not yet been implemented in the Seraphim project. Artificial Devil Fruits. Previously they thought that it was a failure and destroyed in the explosion caused by Ceaser.
In actuality, it turns out that the fruit survived the explosion and was eaten by Momo. CP0 learned the truth of this but then they all died. It was actually Greenbull who managed to escape with the intel that this experiment was actually a success.
Although the original Pacifista had technology that mimicked Kizaru’s power, this was not actually an application of artificial fruits.
It is only now possible that the WG would know that Vegapunk’s experiment was a success.
We may later see the next stage.
Stage 4: Artificial Devil Fruit
So to bring things toward the conclusion. We know that the Seraphim Project is the combination of 3 of the experiments that we have been seeing throughout the story.
- Cloning
- Gigantification
- Genetic Augmentation
We may yet see the 4th addition through Artificial Fruits.
However, before we conclude. Let’s consider something interesting. Where did Vegapunk get the inspiration for the Seraphim Project from? Where else have we seen winged cyborgs in the story before? To my knowledge, only in Enel’s cover story. When he went to the moon city, Birka.
These cybernetic robots were called ‘Automata’ & the winged people created them for some unknown reason. There is a very interesting detail in the tapestry that Enel discovered.
It shows two of the winged people working on a winged robot with a Devil Fruit symbol above it.
Perhaps this Seraphim Project originates all the way back to the winged races from the moon city of Birka. This would also explain how Vegapunk has knowledge hundreds of years beyond humanity.
I believe that this explains the origins of the Seraphim Project and how Vegapunk has managed to create them. It is the combination of all but one of the experiments that we have been learning about throughout the story.
The key to all of these experiments is the concept of Lineage Factors. Every single one of the experiments that make up the project hinges on this concept. We are sure to get more answers about that soon.
Conclusion
To conclude. When you put all this together, it is no surprise that the World Government was scared of the discovery of Lineage Factors. It starts to make a lot of sense why they absorbed MADS into the WG instead of disbanding it and imprisoning everyone.
