Egghead Island.
"..."
Vegapunk stared silently at the "old friend" standing before him — a man who would resort to violence if words failed.
Knows "a little" about fighting?
As the chief director of the Pacifista Project, Vegapunk knew exactly how terrifying Borsalino truly was.
A Logia-type user of the Glint-Glint Fruit, with the speed of light, the destructive power of light, and a mastery of swordsmanship and martial arts that defied comprehension.
Vegapunk suspected that nobody in this world had ever seen this man fight seriously — not even once.
And right now, this man was giving him a look that said: "Old friend… you know what I want."
"…"
Vegapunk's mind spun at a breakneck pace.
Countless streams of information, chains of logic, and possible outcomes intertwined and collided within his thoughts.
Borsalino was here representing the Marines.
That meant one thing: the Marines needed his scientific expertise.
If the Marines needed his expertise, then they had to know perfectly well that he was a pure scientist.
His wild, extravagant, and costly ideas — the kind that could reshape the world — required a lot of Belly to bring to life.
And if they were coming to him openly like this, there was only one conclusion.
The Marines must have found a way… to free themselves from the World Government's financial leash.
Vegapunk slowly spoke, asking the most critical question:
"The Marines… are no longer short on money?"
"Mm."
Kizaru nodded, pulling out a golden check from inside his coat — the one Sengoku had given him before he left.
"The first round of research funding: fifty billion!"
"Hiss—!"
Vegapunk sucked in a sharp breath the moment his eyes locked on the endless string of zeros on the check.
Fifty. Billion.
And this was only the first round!
With research funds secured… everything else became negotiable.
"Whoo…"
It felt as if decades of pent-up frustration in Vegapunk's chest had finally found an outlet.
Working for the World Government had been… unbearable.
Those pompous Five Elders up high — what did they know about science?!
They only wanted weapons.
Stronger weapons.
Weapons to maintain their decaying rule!
They didn't care in the slightest about the potential of science to benefit the world!
Thinking of this, Vegapunk's gaze grew firm.
To hell with the Five Elders. To hell with the World Government. To hell with that pretentious fool Saturn who calls himself a "scientist."
He was done playing their game.
"I accept."
Vegapunk stared straight at Kizaru, enunciating every word:
"From today onward, I, Dr. Vegapunk, will serve the Marines — and the Marines only."
"Eh~"
Kizaru looked at his perceptive old friend, thoroughly pleased.
Bonuses… secured just like that?
Even he found his efficiency frightening.
He gave Vegapunk a thumbs-up before pulling out a Den Den Mushi and dialing Sengoku's number.
"Let's speak directly with the Fleet Admiral, Vegapunk."
Buru buru~ buru buru~
The Den Den Mushi was quickly picked up.
"Borsalino, how did it go?" Sengoku's voice came through.
"Fleet Admiral, Dr. Vegapunk has agreed."
Kizaru passed the Den Den Mushi to Vegapunk.
"Oh…?!"
"Good! Vegapunk, welcome aboard — welcome to the real Marines!"
"Whoo…"
Vegapunk took the Den Den Mushi, inhaling deeply.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I have one condition."
"Speak."
"I request an immediate halt to the erasure of Bartholomew Kuma's consciousness… I want his mind fully preserved."
"..."
The line went silent for a brief moment.
Sengoku's mind worked rapidly.
Erasing Kuma's consciousness was part of the contract between the World Government and the Shichibukai.
Preserving it would be equivalent to openly tearing up that agreement.
But…
Sengoku thought of Rayne Hawke's young yet unyielding face… and the bright future of the new Marines.
The World Government's pride? They could keep it.
"I approve."
"Excellent!"
"Vegapunk." Sengoku's tone shifted, becoming solemn. "Now… I need to tell you what the Marines really require of you."
"I think you'll be… very interested in this plan."
"..."
Sengoku began to explain the "Sea Bottom Dredge" — the revolutionary proposal Rayne Hawke had brought forward, one capable of reshaping the global balance of power.
From designing super-deep-sea salvage vessels, to devising ways to evade Sea Kings, to using the Marines' worldwide branch network for large-scale treasure recovery operations…
"..."
On Vegapunk's end, his eyes grew wider with each word.
His breathing went from steady… to rapid… to almost nonexistent.
Shock.
Awe.
The proposer of this plan — Rear Admiral Rayne Hawke — was without question a genius.
Issues like pressure resistance for ten-thousand-meter dives, Sea King sonar evasion systems, long-range detection for deep-sea mineral veins…
One technical challenge after another flashed through his mind — but none of them stopped him.
Because he knew… every single one of them could be solved.
So long as there was enough funding.
And in that instant, he understood the core of this plan — the one irreplaceable advantage.
Organization.
Even if someone else thought of salvaging the ocean's treasures…
Even if someone solved the deep-sea technical challenges…
Even if someone found a way to evade the Sea Kings…
Who else but the Marines could mobilize a global network, coordinating operations of this scale?
No one.
No one.
Across this vast sea, there was only one true force with unmatched authority and reach — the Marines, the very embodiment of "Justice"!
This plan… was tailor-made for them.
"Feasible!"
Vegapunk roared into the Den Den Mushi:
"This plan is absolutely feasible!!!"
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Rest assured! Three months— no, one month!"
"I guarantee I can deliver the first prototype!"
Every scientific cell in his body burned with passion.
Now, as the Marines' Chief Scientist, the richer the Marines became, the larger the research budget he could command!
And more importantly, the deep sea didn't just hide treasure.
It hid ancient artifacts.
Ruins of forgotten civilizations.
Lost technologies from the Void Century.
To a scientist like him… these were thousands of times more enticing than mere wealth!
"Good!"
"I'll be waiting for your good news."
Sengoku's voice came through, and then the line went dead.
"…"
Kizaru calmly folded the Den Den Mushi back into his coat.
He turned to his old friend, who was now in the midst of a frenzy.
Vegapunk was pacing in circles, muttering non-stop — phrases like "reverse-spiral deep-dive engine" and "Sea King sonar mimicry system" spilling rapidly from his lips.
A colossal vision had just been placed before a top-tier scientist, and the impact on him was no less than a mental detonation.
Kizaru knew full well — Vegapunk's mind had been unlocked.
This man… no longer needed any external motivation.
"No, no… the sonar deception has limits, we'll need optical cloaking layers too!"
"Should I integrate Seastone plating…? But Seastone production is an issue…"
"And then there's the energy source problem…"
Vegapunk clawed at his apple-shaped head, his eyes glowing feverishly, completely consumed by his scientific world.
Kizaru watched the scene, a lazy smile tugging at his lips.
Good. Very good.
His bonuses and commission were practically guaranteed now.
Sure enough, after a few more frantic spins, Vegapunk suddenly froze, slapped his thigh hard, and bolted.
He didn't even spare Kizaru a parting glance, sprinting straight toward the main laboratory.
"…"
Kizaru strolled leisurely toward the lounge, lying down comfortably on a recliner.
"Ahhh~ so comfy~"
His satisfied sigh echoed through the empty room.
He closed his eyes, drifting into an almost meditative nap.
But every ten minutes, an invisible wave of Observation Haki swept across every corner of Egghead Island.
"Until the first batch of treasure is brought up… whoever comes…"
"Will taste the Light Kick~"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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