Future Island, Egghead.
Research Floor, Main Hall.
The main body of Vegapunk—01 Sakyamuni, 03 Edison, 04 Pythagoras, and 05 Atlas—were all present.
Alongside the five Vegapunks stood the Shichibukai, the Tyrant Bartholomew Kuma, the very father Bonney had been searching for all this time.
"...Dad."
Looking at her father standing before her, Bonney's eyes instantly turned red.
Yuuto gently tapped his foot against the ground—his figure flashed upward, allowing him to perch casually nearby as he watched.
"Bonney."
The man known throughout the world as a tyrant spoke her name softly.
His deep, magnetic voice carried infinite gentleness—so at odds with his massive frame and fearsome reputation.
This was the true essence of Bartholomew Kuma.
He had always been, at heart, a kind man.
"Waaaaaaaaaah!"
Bonney threw herself into her father's arms, crying like a child as tears streamed down her face.
"I'm sorry, Bonney... for all these years I couldn't be with you. For not giving you the happy childhood you deserved."
The Shichibukai spoke with genuine remorse.
"No, it's not your fault, Dad!" Bonney shook her head firmly. "It's the World Government—and Vegapunk! But this time, it's my turn to protect you! I may not be strong enough yet... but we have our President! Our President is the strongest man there is!"
She said it with pure, unshakable pride.
"Of course I know," Kuma replied with a faint smile, taking a few heavy steps forward while holding his daughter close.
"President Sugisawa Yuuto," Kuma said solemnly, "thank you for taking care of my daughter all this time. I'll have to trouble you to look after her in the future as well."
"Don't worry," Yuuto replied, smiling faintly. "Bonney's a lovely girl—and now that she's part of Fairy Tail, it's only natural that I protect her."
"Phew..."
Hearing the warm, peaceful exchange, all the Vegapunk clones collectively let out a breath of relief.
If Sugisawa Yuuto truly lost his temper, this entire island would have been wiped off the map—and that was the last thing any of them wanted.
After exchanging greetings, Yuuto didn't intrude further on Bonney's long-awaited reunion with her father.
The Vegapunk clones quietly returned to their respective duties.
Yuuto, meanwhile, followed the main body of Vegapunk to the VIP reception room.
Vegapunk tapped a few keys on a nearby control panel.
Moments later, a glass of deep, mellow wine floated over to Yuuto's hand.
"President Sugisawa Yuuto," Vegapunk said directly, "I have something to entrust to you."
Yuuto took a slow sip of the wine. "What is it?"
"I want to seek protection under Fairy Tail."
Yuuto raised an eyebrow. "Huh? You're the Marine and World Government's favorite scientist. Who could possibly threaten you?"
"Perhaps now I'm protected by them," Vegapunk said seriously, "but one day soon, I might become their greatest threat. I can feel that day approaching."
He leaned back, his eyes sharp with conviction.
"I've been researching ways to spread free energy across the entire world. Energy is a resource—and nations have always gone to war over resources. But in pursuing this dream, I accidentally touched upon something forbidden."
Yuuto listened silently.
"You saw that massive robot in the garden earlier," Vegapunk continued. "It's an ancient mechanical soldier powered by an unknown energy source. As a scholar, I can't help but chase the truth. If I solve that mystery... will I uncover the void century the World Government hides?"
"I've inherited the will of my fallen colleagues," he said bitterly. "But the deeper I dig, the closer I get to being erased—just like what happened to Ohara twenty years ago."
That was the real reason behind his request.
He knew that Robin, the last survivor of Ohara, was now being sheltered by Fairy Tail. That knowledge gave him the courage to trust Yuuto completely.
"I see," Yuuto said with a faint smile. "I understand now. But this kind of request won't come cheap, you know."
"I don't have any money," Vegapunk said bluntly. "Every single fund I get from the World Government goes straight into research."
"I don't want money," Yuuto said, shaking his head. "Become our partner, Vegapunk. If you join Fairy Tail, all your worries will disappear."
"Deal."
Vegapunk agreed instantly—without even a moment's hesitation.
The entire reception room fell silent.
"Actually," Vegapunk continued cheerfully, "I was worrying about my funding. Without the World Government, I wouldn't know where to get money for research. I didn't expect President Yuuto to invite me personally! What an honor! With Fairy Tail, I won't have to fear the Government—or worry about funding ever again!"
His eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Oh, and please, tell me more about that 'Internet Platform' you mentioned earlier! And what kind of power drives your Fairy Tail ship? I've been dying to understand that!"
Vegapunk eagerly grabbed Yuuto's hand, talking a mile a minute, already saying our Fairy Tail without even realizing it.
"Please take care of me from now on, President!"
Yuuto could only smile helplessly. Originally, his goal was simply to make things difficult for the Marines and the Government—but he hadn't expected Vegapunk to join him this enthusiastically.
Of course, Vegapunk's genius would strengthen Fairy Tail tremendously.
But it would also bring... complications.
The threat from the World Government was one thing.
The real problem was money.
Fairy Tail's activities over the past year had earned them a mountain of treasure—after all, Crocodile, Moria, Doflamingo, Kaido, and many others had all joined their ranks.
But if Vegapunk burned through that fortune for research...
even Nami would probably faint from grief.
Still—what's done is done.
Yuuto grinned. "Looks like we'll need to develop a few new businesses to keep up."
"President," Vegapunk said, "before you leave, could you give me a little more time? Before the Government realizes what's happened, I want to squeeze as many resources from them as possible. Also, transferring the important data and equipment from this island will take some time."
Yuuto nodded. "Then we'll do it your way."
Aside from research funding, the relocation of this massive Future Island was an urgent issue.
Now that Egghead was officially part of Fairy Tail's domain, it had to be secured properly.
To prevent the World Government from retaliating and unleashing their island-erasing weapons, Yuuto needed to find a way to make the island fly.
And for that...
he would have to find that man—
The Flying Pirate, Golden Lion Shiki.