The second to respect knowledge is the Five Elders.
Under the effect of abilities, knowledge becomes less important. After all, the achievements made with so many people's hard efforts are not comparable to an ability user casually using their ability.
Take the Stone-Stone Fruit for example; in work involving mining stones and minerals, ten thousand people can't compare to Jean Bart casually using his ability, which can assimilate rock and have a super strong effect on extracting minerals.
As long as he assimilates the rock, other minerals will peel off from the rock, with a massive area, surpassing the hard labor of many people.
But the sea doesn't count it this way because, besides Sage, no one will use an ability user for such things. Similarly, besides Sage, no ability user will follow such seemingly absurd orders.
However, Sage won't do that either. His capitalist attribute is not strong; he has more of a landlord attribute, focusing on having everyone work for him, rather than simply pursuing efficiency.
After all, no one on the sea can compete with him, and he doesn't need to compete with others. In a place where strength rules and there are no rules, the best competition is to eliminate the person who created the competition.
In Vegapunk's view, even if a Great Pirate is reasonable, what they really think is just to use his talents to arm their forces. Based on understanding Sage's reputation on the sea, Vegapunk believes he can secretly make some technological advancements to improve people's lives, in a subtle way that just satisfies.
The result is unexpected; Sage is more reasonable than he thought. Despite being a pirate, he cares more about people's well-being than kings and the World Government, and he even finds ways to make things better...
How is this a pirate?
"We'll chat about it later."
Sage suddenly looked upwards, "I respect knowledge more than you think, but now... we have to solve this with force!"
Shiss!!
A circular cut was made on the bottom of the research layer, and four distinct strange human shapes jumped out from there. At the same time, Stussy came out, carrying Sentomaru with her left hand and dragging Kaku with her right hand. Also, from that hole, a huge head wrapped in a container fell down!
Above the container was Lily holding a sword!
Among those four humanoids, one wore a dark blue long coat covering the whole body, with a head that was unclear if it was covered by a helmet or was a helmet itself, most resembling the shape of an ordinary human-like creature.
Representing "Integrity" is Shaka.
One, whose form was somewhat like a penguin, was a green robot.
Representing "Thought" is Edison.
Another had a wind-up key on the head, looked like it was wearing a diving suit, its body was mainly red in color like an underwater robot.
Representing "Wisdom" is Pythagoras.
The last one was a cute humanoid with sheep ears and a tail, resembling a member of the Fur Race.
Representing "Ferocity" is Atlas.
Each of those four held their hands over their chests, hiding something.
While battling Luffy, each of the Five Elders heard a transmission from York.
"Catch them! They took the Mother Fire Seed! At least half!"
The pupils of the Five Elders shrank, Warcury roared, mixed with Supreme King's Haki in the shout, shattering everything around, and with his huge body, leaped up high like a spinning top, the four giant tusks became blades striking towards Luffy.
Luffy's eyes bulged out, his body moved backward with his mouth wide open, seizing the opportunity to grab his two eyeballs, dodging the spinning blades.
"Ah! So dangerous!" Luffy laughed.
Failing to hit, Warcury didn't care about this guy, striding on four hooves, forcefully crashing towards the falling giant container and those four Vegapunk clones holding their chests.
Mars cried out, spread his wings, scattered a large number of flames from the wings, turning the area into a sea of fire as it shot downward.
Saturn, in the form of Ushioni, leaped up, Fierce Eye activated, spitting out a large number of venom bullets.
Peter transformed the landing point under the large brain into a vast Quicksand Hell, while his body dug out from the sand center, opened his giant mouth, attempting to swallow the brain along with everyone surrounding it.
Nusjuro advanced rapidly from another side, mercilessly executing a diagonal slash, Netherworld Cold Qi froze all the spaces along the way, forming ice crystals flying towards the brain.
"Whoa! Not good!!" Atlas shouted.
"It was too late, I told you it wouldn't work." Shaka still tried to calmly analyze.
In the research layer, Lily encountered these Vegapunk clones who had just helped the Straw Hat Gang escape from above. According to Vegapunk's prior instructions, they knew who Lily was and led her to the place where Mother Fire Seed was stored.
But this thing, trying to take it all out is impossible. The machine storing the Mother Fire Seed is a precise container itself. To have a similar storage, only these Vegapunk clones can do it...
The entire Mother Fire Seed couldn't be taken; unlike cutting off the "Punk Record," it couldn't be forcibly removed completely, so they could only take away part of it. Plus, with York's presence, she secretly controlled the entire control room of the research layer and acted immediately when discovering the theft of Mother Fire Seed.
To prevent accidents and avoid the Five Elders entangling without regard, Lily decisively slashed the bottom of the research layer, taking them all out together.
As long as they got out and Sage saw it, everything would be fine.
As for now...
"Cold Qi?"
Lily sheathed the White Thunder once more, a blue-white light flashed across the scabbard, "No matter what kind of ability..."
Shiss!
"...I can cut through it!"
The ice crystal cold freeze laid out in the air cracked from the center amidst a lightning-like brilliance, split into two moving to the sides, forming an opening just enough for their safekeeping.
After slicing the cold Qi with one sword, Lily's steps paused midair, diving like a lightning bolt towards the wide-open Sand Worm below, the sword light flickered like petals at this moment, slicing open the giant Sand Worm's body, cutting it into a blossoming flower.
"Sword Princess, huh..."
Nusjuro below slightly nodded, "Indeed quite good, but... your speed isn't yet fast enough to handle all five of us simultaneously."
Between flashes, slicing through the cold Qi and Sand Worm was already her speed limit. This isn't turn-based; no one would give her time to react, Saturn's Fierce Eye experienced a short suppression on her, and the venom bullets approached her.
The massive boar below rushed fiercely, leapt spinning, its tusks turned into blade edges emitting a cold light in the spin.
Izumizan in the air screeched, fire gathered at its mouth, ready to spit down.
Facing so many attacks, Lily remained calm and called out, "Sage!"
If she were alone, she would indeed be hit, but...
Who said she's the only one here?
The whole team is here!
The biggest one of them all, watching from below!
Without this confidence, how could she possibly do this?
Doesn't she know they are the Five Elders? Has she always been so brave?
First, she has always been this brave.
Second, Lily knows even more; behind her stands the current strongest Sea Emperor!
Boom!
Lightning struck down, hitting those venom bullets, which exploded within the thunderbolt.
Sage's finger stretched, lightning coiled around a ring on one finger, gradually deforming and enlarging into a long spear, he grasped it, poised to throw.
"Tenmago..."
Whoosh!
A hundred times the throw!
"...Slash the air!!"
Thud!
Flashing with lightning, flames, and gales, the long spear enwrapped with Haki pierced through Saturn's spider-like bottom to his head, sticking out halfway but not fully penetrating, instead, carrying Saturn's body and striking higher into the sky at Mars, the protruding half stabbed through the neck of this snake-bodied monster bird, like skewers, sending the two objects upwards.
Simultaneously, Sage's figure flickered at that instant, leaving trails behind continuously merging with his advance until he reached the spinning Warcury, forming overlapping flickering shadows.
"Instant Kill..."
Sage lifted his crimson eyes, grinning at the spinning top-like Warcury, his form charged upward, countless shadow trails enveloping the giant boar's body, rapidly dissipating, leaving only a black-red ray cutting across, forming Sage's form behind.
"...Tenmago Destruction!!"
Sage grinned, "No one can lay a finger on my stuff! Ho ho ha ha ha!"