The Pacifistas, modeled after Bartholomew Kuma and equipped with laser weaponry similar to Kizaru's abilities, were regarded as a revolutionary force.
However, an entire squad of Pacifistas was effortlessly wiped out by the Blackbeard Pirates before they even had the chance to truly make their mark.
This unexpected outcome left many deeply disappointed.
Those in power had viewed the Pacifistas as weapons capable of disrupting the balance of power and securing dominance.
The greater their initial expectations, the greater their disappointment now.
Of course, no one dared to blame Dr. Vegapunk—the scientist said to be 500 years ahead of his time in intelligence and technology.
Even Kizaru, when addressing the Pacifistas' poor performance, used an uncharacteristically tactful tone when speaking to Vegapunk.
Vegapunk stood in silence, gazing at Sentomaru, who lay unconscious in the intensive care unit.
After a moment, he withdrew his gaze, turned to Kizaru beside him, and said calmly, "I've already analyzed the recovered wreckage and combat data."
"Hm~~"
Kizaru stroked his chin, looking down at Vegapunk with his usual languid expression. "And what are your thoughts?"
"The firepower is sufficient. The durability is lacking."
"So~~ you're saying they need to be upgraded?"
"Upgraded?"
Vegapunk glanced at Kizaru with mild surprise. "The current Pacifistas are still 'unfinished prototypes.' There's no need to consider upgrades until they're completed."
"..."
Kizaru raised an eyebrow, looking at Vegapunk in surprise.
"Hm~~ unfinished prototypes?"
"Yes."
Understanding the source of Kizaru's confusion, Vegapunk casually placed his hands in his coat pockets and continued, "I never said the Pacifistas were a 'finished product.'"
"Hm~~"
Kizaru mused for a moment before asking, "Then what's causing the delay? I don't believe someone like you would ever be 'stuck' on a problem…"
"The issue isn't technology—it's materials."
Vegapunk lowered his gaze.
From the combat data, it was clear that the alloy used to construct the Pacifistas was insufficient in both hardness and flexibility, failing to match their intended combat capabilities.
The Pacifistas needed a superior alloy—one that could fully unleash the potential of their weapon systems.
Additionally, to maximize the effectiveness of their Living Weapon attributes, a special material was required—one capable of perfectly accommodating Ability Factors.
Without these two critical components, the Pacifistas would never be complete.
To have the vision but lack the necessary materials—what a frustrating predicament.
Kizaru remained silent.
The hallway fell into stillness.
After a few seconds, Vegapunk suddenly remarked, "Trafalgar Law, the Surgeon of Death—I saw the ability he displayed during the war, where he extracted a 'heart' and kept it functioning outside the body. I find it quite intriguing."
"Hm~~ And?"
"Can you acquire a 'sample'? Specifically, a heart extracted by the Surgeon of Death himself."
"That depends on how important this is to you~~"
"Oh, it's very important."
Vegapunk nodded slightly and added, "So, if you could bring him here in person, that would be even better."
"I'll submit your request. Fleet Admiral Sengoku will make the final decision~~"
Kizaru rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
When it came to Vegapunk's research needs, the World Government and the Marines would spare no effort to meet them.
However, Trafalgar Law was affiliated with Maude.
Making a move on him would mean mobilizing a force to engage Maude—a man whose strength rivaled even Whitebeard's—at a critical moment when the Marines were still recovering from the war.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from around the corridor's bend.
"Dr. Vegapunk!"
The voice arrived before the speaker did.
A tall woman in a white lab coat strode briskly around the corner, her well-defined features alight with excitement.
Vegapunk and Kizaru turned toward the approaching woman.
"What is it?"
Vegapunk asked calmly as she stopped in front of them.
Adjusting her black-framed glasses, the woman spoke rapidly, barely containing her excitement. "Dr. Vegapunk, we've reached a preliminary conclusion regarding the unknown plant discovered on the battlefield!"
"Oh? Let's hear it."
Vegapunk nodded slightly, waiting for her to continue.
Pushing up her glasses again, the woman quickly explained, "Through our tests and analysis, we've found that this plant not only induces gigantification in living organisms but also forces them to accelerate their evolutionary adaptation to their environment!"
"The ferocious beasts deployed by Golden Lion in the war—he must have created them using this plant!!!"
"I see…"
A glint of interest flickered in Vegapunk's eyes.
A plant capable of inducing gigantification—now that was intriguing.
"Back to the lab."
After a brief farewell to Kizaru, Vegapunk left in haste, eager to begin his research.
Kizaru quietly watched him go.
"An unknown plant responsible for those monstrous beasts, huh…"
He pondered the revelation.
He had heard some reports about an unknown plant discovered among the battlefield wreckage, but he hadn't paid much attention.
Now, it turned out that this plant was the very key to Golden Lion's fearsome beast army.
It remained to be seen whether the research team could unlock its true potential.
...
Three days had passed since the end of the Summit War.
During this time, the whereabouts of Maude—who had vanished during the battle—as well as the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates and the Blackbeard Pirates, remained unknown.
But those eyeing Whitebeard's former territory had no patience for waiting.
Within a single day, countless pirates flooded into the islands once protected by the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Gahahaha!!!"
"Whitebeard is dead! This symbol means nothing now!!!"
The once-feared flag of the Whitebeard Pirates was now nothing more than a relic—ripped apart, burned, and discarded by invading pirates.
The islands that had lost Whitebeard's protection were immediately plunged into chaos, turning into blood-soaked battlegrounds.
Fish-Man Island was the first to suffer catastrophic losses.
In a single night, over a hundred mermaid girls vanished.
And that number was still climbing.
The seas were more turbulent than ever.
At Marine Headquarters, a new set of bounties was being drafted.
"Are the names and numbers still not confirmed?"
In the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku's furious voice rang out.
"We're working as fast as possible! If nothing unexpected happens, we'll have it done by evening!"
BANG!
Sengoku slammed his palm onto his desk, bloodshot eyes burning with rage.
"If even a single Level 6 escapee manages to infiltrate a nation before we finalize their bounties, the consequences will be catastrophic…"
"..."
The reporting officer lowered his head, silent.
The failure at Marineford, combined with the breach at Impel Down, had dealt a severe blow to the Navy.
Desperate to contain the damage, the World Government had ordered them to conceal the truth about the Level 6 prisoners escaping.
But Sengoku understood the grave danger these criminals posed. He refused to comply.
That refusal had already cost them two days of bureaucratic delays before they could finally begin drafting the new bounties.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the new bounty poster for Bacardi Maude is ready. Shall we issue it immediately, or wait until the Level 6 escapees' bounties are finalized and release them together?"
"Hm…"
Sengoku fell into deep thought.
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